controversi around the da vinci

As issues go there have been plenty to write about this week. However I would like to concentrate on the controversy which surrounds the release of the ‘Da Vinci Code’ movie. As a believing Christian and an ardent believer in free speech I think that this is going to be a challenging piece of writing personally.

As I start off I want to state what I want to achieve through this piece. I would like to portray an even-handed picture of the scenario. Argue the case for screening the movie and also try to throw light on the mentality which is trying to get the screening of the movie banned. However the writing would not be complete without stating my personal convictions and giving you an idea of what I think of the book.

Here is how the whole affair unfolds. Another sensational novel which seemingly reveals stunning facts about Da Vinci’s works, the Holy Grail, the Catholic Church and the life of Jesus. The book becomes a blockbuster best-seller and has been on top of the charts and thereabouts since the time it ahs been published. As has been the case with Hollywood, the book is made into a movie. At this stage a few members of the Church around the world wake up and decide to protest. In India, we have the leaders of some union of Churches deciding to ask for a ban on the movie. A further twist in the tale occurs when in a show of minority solidarity even the Muslim leaders decide to join in the protests since Jesus is one of the prophets. In addition to all of this we have the media playing its typical role of the tail wagging the dog. That in short is the tale.

Some of the sensational claims made by the book are that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and that they had a child. The line of Jesus is supposed to be the Holy Grail. There are lot of other strings in the plot which are controversial.

However, this is not the first time these sorts of claims have been made. There have been other books too which have created more than a flutter by claiming things on a similar line. The Da Vinci Code is the latest in the line. In the book form it did not receive much attention from the authorities at a higher lever in the church. However the movie is a different thing.

The impact that a movie through its visual images makes is much more. It draws a larger audience. An observation which I would like to make at this point in time is that people watching a movie are less reflective than those who read a book. The reasons being the time factor and external images. So there might actually be some justification for letting the book be and protesting against the movie.

However, even among movies it is not the first which makes this kind of claims. There have been which would be considered even more blasphemous but they were screened. So the protests in India are more in keeping with our times, when sentiment is respected and reason is used as a hand-maiden to emotional drama.

The media in India which likes to portray itself as treading the middle path but fails. The case in point being the refusal to see that those who are against the screening the movie also have the right to protest in the name of freedom of expression. It is the incitement to violence which has to be frowned at.

Why should we be bothered about freedom of expression? Actually the removal of the freedom would seem ideal since there would be no chance for resistance and dissent. Anyone making a statement would be careful and would not hurt sentiments. Well, this would work out alright if there was a rigid definition of what is right and wrong. In short if would be perfect if we were robots. I know this is an argument which makes its case by example rather than pure sequential reason but the argument has its merits (the major one being it is easy for me to put forward and takes less space).

As a Christian the bounty offered for Dan Brown by a business man in Bombay is ridiculous. Watching him on TV however gave substance to this piece. The man was ignorant of most of the tenets of Catholicism and only seemed to know the names from Bible and attached sentimental importance to them. And he is a typical example of the fuel on which the ideologues on both on the left-wing and especially the right-wing thrive. People who are fundamentalists not when it comes to their beliefs but others’ view of their beliefs. However, I do not say that the movie should be screened because of those opposing it but rather because it has its own value. It is useful as a starting point on a journey of dialogue on faith. A sincere examination by a seeker who makes a through study as result of the movie would lead to startling discoveries.

Now for my views on the book and the claims it made. The book is a fast-moving thriller but is very shoddily researched. There are many errors of fact like the one about Priory of Sion. There are many clumsily made interpretations which are shown as new and there has been a great deal of twisting of history to paint the Church black. For instance, Mary Magdalene is never portrayed as a prostitute in the Bible or the early church as claimed by the book. It was only from the sixth century that the particular version came into existence. There are many such claims which can shake the faith of the weak. That is where the whole problem arises. There is no easy solution. The issue here is a bit deeper than the cartoon controversy since the whole movie portrays quite a few things wrong and the media is used here is much more graphic. So the move to screen the movie with a disclaimer even at the beginning is what I would approve and am glad that is the way things seem to be moving.

As I now know the movie is going to be screened which is a victory for everyone, both for those who want to watch it, for freedom of expression and even for those who are worried, the last because hasn’t turned out so great.

I would recommend that if you are watching the movie: watch it the same way you would watch any other. The ‘Da Vinci Code’ is after all just another movie made to rake in the moolah.


This was written to be read at a oratory club that I go to Fridays. I am going to read it later today.