Da Vinci Drama

I'm not sure what it's been like in the States likely, but it seems like we've been saturated on all sides by the Da Vinci Code premier. While the majority of people down here are vehemently opposed to the ideas in the book (and understandably so with such a huge Catholic population) the lines at the movie theatre certainly didn't reflect those sentiments. The GCM church down here that we go to is also doing a two part series on the Da Vinci Code, addressing some of the theological and historical innaccuracies the author weaves throughout the story. One verse the pastor shared this Sunday that struck me with its relevance was this one from 2 Peter 2:3.

"In their greed these false teachers will make a profit out of telling you made up stories."

While Dan Brown might not claim to be a religious teacher, the cultural influence of his writing has certainly been huge, whether the Da Vinci Code is shelved in the fiction section or not. And as far as profit, is there any question he's made more money than I'll see in 20 lifetimes? But hey, I read the book and thought it was pretty decent. And I still really want to see the movie, in spite of the scathing 1 out of 4 stars Rolling Stone review it got last week.

Does this make me a heathen? Depends on who you ask. I guess I just fall into the camp of people who believe that the cultural impact of the Da Vinci phenomenon is so widespread that I simply can't be unaware of what the controversy is all about. How is my faith going to remain vital and relevant if I can't respond intelligently to the questions people have after reading/seeing the Da Vinci Code? Of course I'm not an expert, and my responses to Johnny Q's questions may not be satisfying to him, but at least my conscience will be clear by actually giving a response. Dan Brown and I are definitely in agreement on one thing he said: "Religion only has one enemy; apathy."