Genesis

1 - I am going to the movie with a friend who is not a Christian. I would like to talk about some faith things, but I really don't know how to approach it. I'd rather not come off condescending or preachy. I thought I'd just see where conversation went, but I'm wondering if I shouldn't be more prepared. Also, two of the links don't work. (Comment this)

2 - www.bible.org also has a pretty good section on the topic with a bunch of links. Its always so difficult to not sound preachy but maybe looking ahead at some of the links might help you be able to pull some questions together in your head...or maybe just asking a simple question like what do you believe?

I'll probably still see the movie (although probably at the cheap seats theater or at home thanks to blockbuster.) If for the reasons that I mentioned before and because I never did read the book and to be able to actively participate in conversation about the movie it might help to know more about the plotline.

The other night I was working late, as was one of my "cubicle" neighbors, and we got to chatting over the wall about people in our lives who don't realy know God and are "searching for the truth" and he said there are some days he just wants to shout "what's it going to take for you to believe"?

I had over six hours of Wisconsin farmland drive-time this weekend so I had ample time to ponder that question and there was a news item about the DaVinci Code movie which sort of popped it into my head.

How did I get to believing what I do? How huge a part do I think God "worked" or do I think I did the "work"?

Is it better to boycott or to attend the movie and engage in conversation? Could I be able to do both and effectively talk about the core truth vs. fiction without seeing the movie?

For people who don't know Jesus, how is the Bible to be believed any more than Dan Brown's book? Where would you find the FACT about the Spirit-inspired words besides the bible?

How much do I know about the early church? How much do I need to know? Why are there different bibles with different books in them? (Okay perhaps in a roundabout way I'm still hung up on the idea that the Greek-translated bible and the Hebrew-translated Bible have different books...which I just learned last week.) (Comment this)

3 - Fictional truth? If part of the declaration of truth according to Dan Brown stems from the statement: "All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate" what is this based on? Why does this statement make some people blur the line that this isn't a fictional book? Accurate by whose standand?

If you google "publishing" and "dan brown" you will find the publishing world is looking for its next dan brown. Perhaps controversy sells more books? Perhaps his preface was written with the intent to blur the line between fiction and non-fiction? Would the revenue difference been any different if they sold on the non-fiction side of the bookstore? Are Random House and Dan Brown delaying the launch of The Solomon Key to garner support for the movie in the hopes of selling more books next year? (Comment this)

4 - Dan Brown wrote the book, but Hollywood is making a few million off of the movie. The movie has breathed new life into the book sales.

Who funded this movie?? I heard it was funded in part by a Muslim organization. (I haven't verified that statement yet)

when a newspaper prints a comic about Mohammed, it practically ignites a war!!!!

Is it wrong to get angry at the ridiculous accusations aimed at our Chrisitan faith? Is it wrong to stand up for our beliefs?

Christians are really getting the short-end of the stick lately. Our rights are slowly being taken away. Our children feel they can't mention God or Jesus at school for fear of expulsion.

Ron Howard, the director of the movie, was quoted as saying he doesn't understand what the big deal is about the movie. It was just supposed to be "entertainment." But yet, these movie stars will sue the National Enquirer or the Star magazine for printing falsities about them. Aren't those magazines supposed to be "entertainment"?

No one likes slanderous remarks said about them, entertaining or not. I can't imagine what Jesus is thinking as this movie is making slanderous accusations about him and He watches His people slowly turn from Him because of this movie!!!!!

Will I see the movie? I'm not sure. In my BSF class, there was a new girl who commented that she read the book and believed what she read!!!!!! How do I address something like that without reading the book or wathcing the movie???

I think there are plenty of good rebuttal books out there that I will make use of for now.
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5 - Wow thats amazing Kim! I know the need to want the information yet, not really wanting to support the book/movie with your money.
How do you talk to someone about how a "fact" is not scripturely sound when the other person does not believe the bible is God's word?
By the way Ben, since I gave you so much grief about Brian's jokes flying and yours bombing, I am taking to my Catholic roots. For my penence I will use the "word" horifical in a sentence every day this week!!! (Those of you at the 5pm service know what I'm talking about!!) :) (Comment this)

6 - According to the Times of London and Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission, Mohammed Yusef's Invicta Capital (a Britian company) apparently used some british tax loophole to fund $200 Million of the movie. But does that make it a Muslim funded movie or merely just a funded movie by a company who is led by Muslims?

Kim I wholeheartedly agree that it is sad that Christians are getting our "rights" taken away in this secular world. It's quite the quandry to stand up for what you believe and risk expulsion from school.

Even in the instance of the Muslims rioting against the cartoons a part of me honestly was thinking that was way too fanantical but at the very least made a statement towards standing up to protect their sacred belief. Secular culture, which holds nothing sacred, has pervaded today's thought process.



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7 - I think that when you look at the lists of contridictions many of these Christian sites are publishing they are listing all of the false teachings not only with proof from the bible but also from Da Vinci's art and other scholarly works.

Maybe the way to approach a discussion isn't going direct to scripture but build the doubt in the truth of Dan Brown's accuracy with these other topics and eventually land on the whole Jesus married idea.

Are people turning from God because of books or movies or because they aren't engaged in conversations or cultural entertainment that brings them closer to him?

I never did see the Passion of Christ not because I wasn't interested, I just couldn't get myself in the right mindset to sit through the movie. I've never seen the Ten Commandments (even though my grandma faithfully watched it every easter) and I remember sitting through Jesus Christ Superstar and making several trips to see Donny Osmond in "Joseph" with our sunday school class. (Of course that was more for the littl' bit of rock 'n roll and not because I was all that interested in Joseph.)

Thinking about all of the "entertainment" that would bring a person towards God, if you weren't a christian, what would make you pick that entertainment vs. every other thing out there?

When I first came back from college I thought I'd start studying the bible. I thought the best way might be to pick it up and read it cover to cover. We always seemed to study the same stories, what else was I missing?. Well if you had never read the Bible before wouldn't you do the same thing? I think I made it to Numbers and admit I went back to studying via "bible roulette" method. Makes it more interesting, but I'm probably still missing something.

Surely this isn't a good argument to defend what Ron Howard and the movie industry did to give visual and more attention to Dan Brown's inaccuracies. Seriously, throw in a few car chases and get Tom Hanks to star in your movie kind of helps to fill the seats and then what we're left with is a whole lot more people who might believe what they are seeing could really have happened. (Comment this)

8 - I struggle with this because I tend to typically study the happy/entertaining Godly stuff and steer clear of the horrifical/stern/serious stuff too. Sermons are more "entertaining" when they have more "everyday" examples that fit the scripture and sometimes I wonder why I don't expect more? (No offense to how the spirit moves in our place...just pondering)

Is today's culture always looking for something entertaining versus the truth? Have we eroded the sacred or taboo things because there is so much everyday acceptance in our culture of things that go against God's commands? Does our culture even recognize the harm? (Comment this)

9 - For those of you who haven't quite given up tv yet, anyone see the commercial this weekend for "Treasure Hunters"? It looks intriguing however they are loosely advertising it to fans of the DaVinci Code (the producers of the movie are the same producers of the tv show) They have the same "art" (color scheme/text etc.) for the commercial.

Considering much of the garbage that gets produced for tv lately, if its done well I rather enjoy travel shows like the Amazing Race because it showcases countries I may never get to travel, human nature and clever clue solving. Of course these are the same producers of Top Chef, which barely lasted a season. Then there's the whole idea of whether even casually does the DaVinci Code need more casual acceptance as a theory to be accepted in "Real" life? (The whole idea of blurring the line between fiction and reality.) (Comment this)