There is a Perception
When Christians protest with their articles and the release of their new book all written to debunk Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code, suspicions begin surfacing among those Jesus misses.
Why are Christians so upset?
The missing look at our fears and it appears, to them, that the very foundations of our faith are being rattled to the core. And all over a book found in the fiction section in bookstore America.
So what many Christians have perceived as attacks on Christianity is really more the nature of an expose on what has passed for Christianity over the last seventeen hundred years.
People the world over admire Jesus and venerate his teachings. The problem is not with Jesus and never has been. It’s what Ghandi stated almost 60 years ago. “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
Until we get it, there is going to be a lot more ill will generated than ever could be created by a work of fiction.
posted by Fred Peatross @ 7:18 PM
3 Comments:
I really disagree here, Fred. The Da Vinci Code attacks the foundations of the Christian faith, and it is irresponsible for Christians to fail to respond in some way.
Clearly, we must respond with grace. We must also respond with an equal measure of truth.
You can say it's just fiction all you want, but that's not true. It is fiction, but it's not JUST fiction. It's fiction with a point -- fiction with an axe to grind. You, of all people, know and understand the power of stories.
Dan Brown's story has substantially impacted religious discourse in our world. Responsible Christians are wise to respond responsibly. Many of us who wrote books attempted to do so -- without sounding any kind of shrill note of panic.
Yes! Yes! I have abducted John Allan. I do believe he will be back to visit this space. Yes! Success.
In the old days, when I spoke publicly, I always told those assembled that it wasn’t my job or desire to get anyone to believe like me; my job as a teacher is simply to get the gears turning—to think. That’s all. No more, no less. Heck, I don’t even agree with myself half-the-time.
I can’t begin to tell you the times I’ve written something or said something and days, weeks, months later I questioned how I could have believed something so silly, and then of all things, to go public with it. But I write in reel-time.
Today, tonight, at this very moment, I do believe and stand by what I wrote. But heck it’s just one man’s opinion. I wouldn’t get too riled about that. I might come back in a month and be ashamed. But tonight abduction was at work. Yes!
Fred,
Of course I'll come back. I've been a regular reader for a long time and will continue to be. I look forward to more of your thoughts.
And you are just one guy, but you are one guy with a pretty large readership. Don't sell yourself short. As much as you might discourage it, others look to you and see not just a way of thinking but thoughts to think.
That's the nature of what we do.
And I'm not too riled up. No exclamation points and just one word in ALL CAPS. I've learned how to disagree without getting too uptight about it.
Post a Comment
<< Home