'The Da Vinci Code' is undeniably one of the most popular yet controversial books of our time. It brings the mysterious life of Jesus, and religious controversy in general, to a place where it has not been since Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ''the silver screen.
'The Da Vinci Code' proposes Jesus was in fact married to Mary Magdelene, and the two conceived a child. This secret, as the novel portrays, has been guarded by the Priory of Scion, which Opus Dei, a conservative sect of the Roman Catholic Church, seeks to snuff out.
The protests by members of the Catholic Church against the film's portrayal of Opus Dei as cold-blooded murderers willing to kill those seen as doctrinal enemies are out of line. According to the official Opus Dei Web site, the group's mission is 'to help people turn their work and daily activities into occasions for growing closer to God, for serving others and for improving society.'
Just because a few extreme members of the group are villainized in the movie, it does not reflect on the full group's undertaking.
If the Catholic Church maintains the firm stance that 'The Da Vinci Code' is fully fictional and holds no theological significance whatsoever, it should not be so afraid to let people view the film. Surely its devoted faithful will have enough sense to determine whether the movie's supposed 'attacks' on the Church are legitimate or not.
Yet, does this uproarious opposition to a fictitious portrayal of Opus Dei as evil signal a lack of faith in the faithful? Though 'The Da Vinci Code' is an intense, suspenseful thriller, it is doubtful that anyone will immediately abandon their religion after seeing the movie.
Lest the world forget, Dan Brown is just a novelist. He is not a scholar, nor is he a prophet. Although many of his postulations made in 'The Da Vinci Code' are plausible, there is no concrete way of proving whether the events that passed two millennia ago did or did not actually happen.
After all, there were no television cameras documenting Jesus' every step into a 'Who Wants to Be a Disciple'? reality series. It is all a matter of piecing together scripture, doctrine, brief historical documentation, personal belief and supposition to come up with a credible conjecture on what could have happened in the life of Christ.
This mystery that has propelled western culture for the past 2,000 years is the same that drives 'The Da Vinci Code.' The film based on Brown's novel is only the latest theory on the life and possible lineage of Jesus.
If anything, 'The Da Vinci Code' has served Christianity in a positive light: It has made discussing Jesus 'cool' again.
It should not matter what people believe, but that they at least believe in something. The movie promotes this very theme. By its end, the Catholic-raised. athiest professor Robert Langdon, who in the beginning of the film had no faith in anything, drops to his knees in prayer.
'The Da Vinci Code' has been hailed as 'the ultimate grail quest.' Rather, it brings up a quest for each of us: the journey to question and find what we believe. Faith is a personal expedition that should not be solely dictated by any institution, whether headquartered in Rome or in Hollywood.
