Ok, lets just jump on the band wagon and talk about The Da Vinci Code like the rest of the world. As I’ve said before, I’ve been working as a substitute church secretary for the last few weeks, and let me tell you, I’ve received my fair share of emails, letters, and calls concerning the validity of the Da Vinci Code (or rather the lack of truth to the movie/books tale). I’m sick of it. I’m frickin’ sick of it.
I’ve got a few disjointed thoughts, some random stories, and a biased opinion or two.
But to muddy the water a little more, lets toss in some more news. Have you heard about gay Jesus? The story may have broke years ago, but it only just now passed before my eyes. Yeah, apparently in an attempt to piss people off and to enlarge their readership some Oregon University student magazine posted pictures of gay Jesus with an massive erection. The only pictures I could find had the penis blocked out, it’s probably for the best, but disappointing none the less.
So people get all worked up about all this. Blasphemy! They scream, “Blasphemers! Shut the paper down! Protest the movie! Stone Tom Hanks and Oppie! Blasphemers!” It is true. I mean, it is true blasphemy what the author of The Code proposes. And it is blasphemy to depict Jesus with an erection I think (though I can’t find it anywhere in the Scriptures). But do we need to get all worked up and angry? When has Jesus not been able to defend himself against things that are untrue? Since day one people have been proporting lies about the life and deity of JC. But they always come up short.
What I mean is, many people fear that viewers of the movie will come away convinced that Jesus is not God and was indeed only human (among other untrue things). I guess this is true, just as much as it is true to say that after watching National Treasure people will believe that there really is gold underneath Wallstreet in New York City. They’re fiction. People know that right? And even if people are sucked up into Tom’s acting and they leave the theater believing that Jesus was married, had kids, and all that crap then what? Isn’t that the perfect opportunity for a conversation about truth? BCD (before Da Vinci Code) that same person did not care in the least about who Jesus was, but after there may be more opportunity than ever to engage in conversation, in real truth seeking. And concerning Boner Jesus, that is pretty offensive, but so what? What is more offensive, 19 year olds who are purposefully trying to make people angry so they take something/someone who is beloved by millions and they tongue-in-cheek parade him as something that he isn’t; or someone who parades around with the name of little Christ (Christian) and then does horrible and hatefully things under His banner? I would argue that the former is much more easily forgiven than the latter. But thats just me. 
Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not cool with lies about Jesus. Lies are bad. But I’ve got more to worry about than pointing fingers at those who waste their time trying to earn money through exploitation. As far as my mind powers are concerned, I’m going to use them in other places…like solitaire or minesweeper.
I would like to add one more thing. I like Jesus. I would even say that I love the man, though I do not know him as I desire to. He is an amazing person and part of an amazing God. It is through him that I find life both here and in the hereafter. So in those respects, I am very offended that someone would make fun and speak false things about my friend and savior. But my belief is that Jesus came so that those very people would come to know and love him as I do. Hatred and anger breed animosity. Love and forgiveness breed something totally different.
Well said. I appreciate your williness to be blunt and say what you feel and know to be true. I love Jesus!
this is one of those posts that I want to respond to, but I don't quite know what to say except for this: What is the point of Gay Jesus, really? Is there any proof that he was a homosexual? No. It doesn't encourage talking about things (good realistic things) and it's just stupid. If I knew the guys who did it, I would punch them in the neck(s) and call them butt pirates.
But see, I just shake my head and think "Kids these days. Back when I was a kid we didn't draw pictures of gay Jesus, we just prank called people…those were the days…"It's just stupid. I guess it's so ridiculously stupid that it doesn't make me furios or anything.
Yeah, im with you Ryan cause I didn't even read the whole post, cause I was like, thats so stupid! (not your post, but the idea of gay Jesus). I feel the same about the whole Jesus and Mary Magdeline were married idea in the Da Vinci Code. I think its stupid and i don't even give the idea any thought, because its not doing me or anyone any good.Nice Post though… really.
Thanks for the positive review of my attempt at proffesional criticism. I appreciate your thoughts as well.No, I don't think we ever met, but I have heard quite a bit about you through various channels.
did you end up seeing the movie? its great, funny that the media made such hype about how awful it was- but all the REAL people ive actualy talked to have really liked it. stupid media, crappers.
"Stupid media crappers" I like that. I think I will use that one sometime. Thanks T
i went and saw the movie this weekend. i read the book a few years ago. i really enjoyed the book (dan brown is a GREAT author!) . . . it brings up a lot of good points, opens doors for great conversations, and, in the end, leaves the door open for your own interpretation. like tom's character says in the end of the movie: "history only ever prooves that jesus existed . . . anything beyond that is up to you and what you believe." that's why it's called faith.reading the book encouraged me to search out what i really believed and why. i mean, it is true that all those other books were written and weren't chosen to be in the bible. so why is it that i blindly follow what someone a few thousand years ago at some council decided could and could not be considered a "holy text"? the topics of opression of those that are different, killing in the name of the christian god, and opression of women, etc are all great topics for discussion and are all places where people get stuck when deciding wether or not to believe in god. these are issues that need to be addressed and talked about and i think this movie provides a great place to start. you should read the book or see the movie simply for the reason that if your friend goes to see it you will be able to have an educated and loving conversation about it. ask them what they thought and begin talking about truth in a loving way.try it. it's fun!
M.M. Bakhtin, the Russian darling of the cultural criticiam field, wrote that no form of literature could be considered legitimate until it had been throughly parodied and travestified. I agree, and in addition, especially in our current society, no individual can be considered to be influential unless parodied.As far as the married Jesus goes: I could still believe in Jesus if he had been married; he wasn't but I could believe if he had been.As far as the homosexual Jesus is concerned: Jesus has always been offensive to people; he was a criminal, a troublemaker, a religious revolutionary, a pacifist, a friend of bad people, and many other offensive things. He was not homosexual, but he has always been offensive. The very nature of Palestinian-Jewish society would preclude both of these options: 1. homosexuality, though not a big deal for Romans was a big deal for Jews and no Jewish religious leader, no matter how "fringe" he was could have been without a major lashback. 2. In the time of Jesus there was no particular stigma attached to marriage or sex within marriage. These were the result of gentile-Christian msunderstandings of the nature of the sexual prohibitions carried over (for good reason) from the Jewish faith. Therefore, if Jesus had been married, there would not have been any problem for the people of his time, therefore they would have no reason to cover it up.
Rock on, brother. I like the way you work it. No diggity!Stupid media, crappers.
I agree- it is easier to forgive those that don't know any better and say horrible things about Jesus than those that claim to have arelationship with him and want to be like him but act out in a hateful way. I can only hold people to the standards that they have accepted. If they have not accepted Christ, how can I expect them to act like a christian ought?Those that are exploring these ideas about Christ are not bad people in fact I think that they are wonderful just for exploring, even the ideas that are way out there.