With the controversial movie "The Da Vinci Code" set to be released worldwide on Friday, two local clergymen said this week that Christians should keep in mind that the film is based on fiction.
Catholic Archbishop Patrick Pinder said he would not encourage persons to go to see the movie, but those who are planning to see the film should stay strong in their faith.
"The Da Vinci Code is based on the novel and the novel is just based on fiction, and I think that we need to keep that in our minds," Archbishop Pinder said.
While he is not pushing the movie, he does not want to see it banned.
"To come out and make a banning statement, to come out and condemn it is almost implicitly endorsing it," he said.
Dan Brownﾒs "The Da Vinci Code", which is a worldwide bestseller, is based on the idea that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and that they had children.
The book has stirred up controversy in the United States and Europe and especially in the Catholic Church, as the plot speaks of the Church keeping damaging secrets for thousands of years.
A recent British survey conducted by a group of prominent Catholics revealed "readers of Dan Brownﾒs blockbuster novel are twice as likely to believe Jesus Christ fathered children."
Archbishop Pinder said that he sees the movie as an opportunity for Christians to become stronger in their beliefs.
"This is a time I think [Christians] can take the opportunity to increase our knowledge in our faith," he said.
He pointed to a website called HYPERLINK "http://www.jesusdecoded.com" www.jesusdecoded.com, which is taking a stand against the fictional book. The website provides answers to questions about Jesus Christ and Christian origins.
Archbishop Pinder also indicated that as a novelist, Dan Brown has no obligations to educate people in the faith.
"He is a part of the entertainment industry and their goal really is to make money," he said. "If we allow ourselves to take what a novelist says and take it in as fact and allow them to make money off of it then of course we leave him to smile all the way to the bank."
The books has already sold 40 million copies.
Former President of the Christian Council, Bishop Simeon Hall, shared the archbishopﾒs sentiments.
"The Da Vinci Code says to those who would read it [that] this [is] fiction mixed with a little history and theology," he said.
However, Bishop Hall said that he encourages persons to read the book and continue to read their Bible.
"I would just hope that people who are not strong in their faith would not be disturbed by that kind of thing," he said.
"Letﾒs look at The Da Vinci Code for what it is ﾖ a piece of historic literature, which someone has piggybacked on and [is] making some money."
By: Kendea Jones, The Bahama Journal
