People would not fall all over themselves to buy the book and see the movie if there were not substantial doubt and suspicion about the nefarious history of the Catholic Church and the utter unreliability of the Gospels. Christianity, many Christians deep down feel, is a hoax. This DaVinci book/movie gives them a chance to indulge their secret doubts with impunity.

"...and suspicion about the nefarious history of the Catholic Church and the utter unreliability of the Gospels. Christianity, many Christians deep down feel, is a hoax."

Candice, please prove it, give me a sound evidence to support your claims.

If you chose not to believe, fine, I respect your decision. I believe and my faith sustanins me and I don't feel is a hoax but I don't go around trashing agnostics or feeling self-righteous. Now, if your attitude is being "know it all" or so super educated and super sophisticated that you can explain with human terms what is God all about while making fun of believers then your arguments fall flat.

Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof. Virgin birth and resurrection pretty much fit that bill. I'd say providing the evidence would be necessary for those making the claims. Oh, there isn't any. You've got to believe. And God is invisible, and never shows up anywhere. And kills you, perhaps horribly, whether you believe or not.

You think marketing started in 1950's US? They were selling a new religion. Why forsake our old gods for yours? Well, we've got God's actual son... comes over for tea.

Two things:
1) The reaction of Catholics to this movie ought to be something the Muslims can learn from. Muslims called for boycotts when the "cartoons" were published as some catholics are doing now, but there is no violence by catholics as there was with muslims. I agree with what someone said about the cartoons and DVC not being on the same level. Still, Muslims should look at their own reactions to the cartoons and note that an afront to catholicism was handled in a peaceful way and shows the difference between the two religions when it comes to challenges to each religion.

2) People have always flocked to see things that challenge dogma. I remember the movie "7 Days in May" being aired at a atime when people really trusted the government and military yet it was wildly popular. People hear stories about UFOs and instantly believe the only explanation is extraterrestrials even though that is likely the most remote explanation. People like to see conventions challenged. DVC's popularity is no different. Besides the religious aspects, the book's cloak and dagger is what I liked the most. DVC could have been about the cup of Christ instead of Magdaline's bones and it still would have been a great book. If people go to see this because they have doubts about their beliefs, well, those doubts were probably there before DVC was written.

This is a comment for Candice. By claiming that Christianity is a hoax you only demonstrate a tremendous ignorance of sociology and history. Christianity has been growing for the past 2000 years approx and there has not been anything in all these that has successfully knocked it down. Christianity is not an ideology; it is a belief. It is a belief in LOVE. Didn't you ever learn that love is stronger that hate. Is love a hoax? Apparently is has been for you. Go out, smell the fresh air, see the wonders of this life and let love come into your life. Don't forget that the only reason we are here is to love and to teach love to those around us... try it..you might like it.

The Gospels are not history but novels. They go out of their way to ignore the fact that Jesus' earliest followers were led by his brother James of Jerusalem. The church not only ignored this, it designated those who knew Jesus best as heretics. It decided that the one who never me Jesus, Paul, was the chief guide. Paul made up his own Jesus. Thus the Christian faith preferred the evidence of those least familiar with Jesus rather than the evidence of those who knew him best. If that is not clearly proof that Christianity is a monumental fraud, then I must be an alien.

If Christianity is about love why has Christianity caused more death and suffering than any other world religion.

One's belief in immaculate conception is a function of acknowledging immaculate departure, say, Vince Forster, and recognizing the infallibility of some individuals, say, Andy Griffith.

If Christianity is about love why has Christianity caused more death and suffering than any other world religion.

Or if it is about tolerance then why do so many denounce homosexuals?

Manny: God (or as I like to call him, The Blue Fairy) is a childish conception which has its place among the primitive and uneducated. A little bit of learning would soon dispel God from consideration -- but some are too fearful of a universe without a Blue Fairy to make everything right. The Israel prophets invented this God to give their people some hope in the face of disaster. It spread for the same human reasons, but there is nothing to support the idea of a God separate from Nature. All the great thinkers: Spinoza, Descartes, Einstein, Lord Russell, they all essentially believed that God and Nature were one, which means that nothing outside of Nature can explain anything in Nature. Such a God is not a personal God, he does not listen to prayers and supplications.

When Voltaire said that if there were not God he would have to be invented, he meant that he feared the lower classes would murder the rich and the upper classes without a fear of punishment in hell. But he was wrong. Fear of hell has never stopped Christians from crime, nor anyone else.

People who believe the Catholic conspircies in the DaVinci Code are not saying they literally believe what the book/movie claims. They are saying that an institution as evil as the Catholic Church -- perhaps the most evil in history next to the Nazi SS -- such an institution is capable of anything and everthing to maintain its power.

Candide, if christianity is a fraud for you, again, fine. If you don't know what is faith or don't have it, then, again, fine. Why the hate?, what is your angle?, if you don't agree or for reasons only you know, don't like Christianity then, please, leave us alone and get a life. Then take any other religions or sect that fits exactly your own needs and personal conveniences, there are so many "a la carte" out there, no compromises, no moral commitment.

No christian ever denied historical faults that unfortunately our religion commited,i.e. the inquisition or radical nuts, so you are not telling me anything new but our faith in God is strong enough to overcome those obstacles, just because a bunch of misfits existed it doesn't mean I am going to renounce to what for me is sacred. You should learn a little respect for those who don't share your point of view.

No respect, Manny, is do to childish irrationality in adults.

I fear for our lives when I think that evangelicals are in charge of our government. I fear what their irrational beliefs and impulses could do. I think they need to be locked up.

Could it be that the errand boys of the Blue Fairy chased Candide out of childhood?

Candide, is easy to bash christianity, isn't it?, I know what Voltaire, Spinoza, Descartes, Einstein and Lord Russell said but again, these are comments or ideas from simple human beings trying to explain something that is beyond human rationale. As you can also see, I am trying not be judgmental o preach to the choir but I guess you won't be able to understand what you don't truly embrace, God's existence is not easy to measure or explain, however, faith makes you grasp His presences and His love.

"Heynow" can you tell me exactly how Christianity is necessarily the religion that caused the most damaged in the world?. Do you ever believe in something?

Manny, I didn't say that, candide did.

"No respect, Manny, is do to childish irrationality in adults.

I fear for our lives when I think that evangelicals are in charge of our government. I fear what their irrational beliefs and impulses could do. I think they need to be locked up."

Let's clear some concepts here, you are linking republicans with evangelicals, I am not even a republicans, so you have big misconception. Most christians are people who don't necessarily agree with these government, let alone, play with politics and power.

Second pre-packaged misconception and I've heard it before.....irrationality = Christians or believers in general. I know, I know, all you pretend to be intellectually superior (have you ever heard about pride?), so we are irrational?, ok, so be it. I wonder how come I managed to be a professional and have a career, a good marriage, to love and respect my family and able to face life everyday if I am "irrational", please elaborate.

Heynow, your first posting says otherwise.

Manny: it is possible to be intelligent, hard-working, and successful DWC (driving while christian). One simply compartmentalizes one's life. People who believe and do well are people who manage to forget that the search for truth is all important. Whom was Pilate speaking to when he said: "what is truth?"

Those who are too fearful, who lack cojones, retreat into faith and make faith a positive. Faith is simply refusal to think. It is belief without reason or evidence. So when people tell me my lack of faith makes it impossible for me to understand Christianity I realize they are paraphrasing early Christians who said that "they believed in order to understand." This was the early Christian cop-out in the face of pagan rationality. In truth, "we should understand in order to believe" and there is nothing about the Christian God that you can understand without abandoning your reason.

If Christianity is about love why has Christianity caused more death and suffering than any other world religion.

Posted by: candide | May 19, 2006 11:41 AM

Learn to read Manny.

I love you all for caring so deeply.

- I am Cristian/Buddhist/Islamic/Jew/Pagan/Ancient spirituality
-I am you.

Fearful?, lack of cojones? (that's a good one), DWC?, if you say so.

Isn't your prejudice talking?, again, you're choosing to label people who believe as irrational and meek, why not to give some thoughts about people looking forward to enrich their lives, to trascend?.

What is the truth you're looking for?, what is your compass in life?, what really moves you? and what do you have against christians, did any of them hurt you, stabbed you in the back or was disloyal to you?, is this personal? (and please, lose the reference to republicans as this is not a discussion about politics, GOP, Bush or Jerry Fallwell for that matter), by the way, the Bible has a good word for these folks: Pharisees.

Heynow, I got it, didn't notice you actually quoted Candide

Manny; don't quote the bible at me. The Old Testament's so-called history is actually 7th Century BC political ideology in the service of King Josiah. There are several books by Silverman & Finkelstein showing that there is no archaeological evidence fot the patriarchs, the Exodus, the vast kingdom of David and Solomon. The Old Testament is false history, moral teaching, and irrational prophecy trying to make the defeated Israelites feel better about themselves and their God. The New Testament is wholly unhistorical -- its Jesus is not the real Jesus at all. It is theology trying to divinize a man and make his death somehow salvific. Christians talk about being saved, but from WHAT? From all sorts of sado-masochistic hellish punishment which only a disordered mind could contemplate. Christianity is indeed a serious mental disorder. Calling it by nice names like FAITH, BELIEF, TRUST, etc. does not make it any more appealing.

Candide, never mind (sigh!)

I know this is off-topic but I can't help but cheer the new Italian premier Romano Prodi's rebuke of the Bush administration for the "grave error" it committed in invading and occupying Iraq, and Prodi's promise to pull all Italian troops from that ill-fated adventure.
Bush and America are ever more militarily and diplomatically isolated in this world.
Of course, this was totally predictable: invading countries in defiance of world opinion and international law is a great way to lose allies and make enemies. One by one, your former allies are deserting you and new enemies are arising.
You asked for it. You got it.

Manny,

If you are bold enough to examine the roots and context of Christianity, you will find that this ideology was conveniently based on preexisting "in demand" mythologies, such as the ancient Greek and Egyptian beliefs, which were outdated and going out of style because the believers were asking too many questions. For instance, the name Jesus is believed to stem from the Egyptian deity Isis. The human image of Jesus, as we know today, very closely resembles the personification of the Greek's Zeus. The Christian Cross was adopted from the Egyptian looped cross know as the Ankh, which represents life. And these are just the colossal concepts of Christianity that have been "reformed" to help the blind masses transition from one fading concept to the next fad.

However, Manny, I think that if being a Christian and indisputably believing 2,000-year-old fairy tales that you have not witnessed for yourself enriches your life and makes you a better person, then you should not let anyone convince you otherwise. I am by no means an atheist and have a satisfying relationship with my own perception of God that enriches my life, but certainly I am skeptical to cults organized by humans, who are either motivated by money or power.

Let me ask you something. If I told you that I witnessed a resurrection of another person today, would you not consider me insane unless you saw it with your own eyes? So why take another man's word for it 2,000 years later?

This book and movie can only bring out the stupidity about Christianity that has been allowed to accumulate over the years.

I only wish more people got their ideas about the Bible by actually taking time to study and read it. You don't even have to do this as a matter of faith, but as a matter of intellectual interest. Plus, if you are going ot have an opinion, it is usually a good idea to know what you are talking about.

Mary Magdalane is barely mentioned in the New Testament.
She was not a prostitute.
Jesus did not marry her.
Although Jesus had to have used a cup at the Last Supper, there is and never was any such thing as the Holy Grail.

Thank you, have a nice day.

And for those that think Christianity and religion has caused bloodshed, please understand that violence is in the hearts of people. Religion cannot prevent it, it can only subdue it.

Dear Your Sanity,

Jesus is a form of the name "Joshua". You can believe otherwise, but you would be totally wrong.

It is quite clear that the Demonically lead people will do anything, go to any length to keep their sinful lifestyles and to try to discredit any notion of personal accountability after death through Jesus Christ and especially Jewish ones.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/go/davincistudy
Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code" is a book of fiction and not fact. "On Friday, the priest who preaches before the pope in Advent and Lent denounced what he called works that slander the church for profit. "Christ is still sold, but not any more for 30 coins," the Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa said in his Good Friday homily before Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Basilica, referring to Jesus' betrayal by the Apostle Judas before his crucifixion, "but to publishers and booksellers for billions of coins." We should all also remember what happened to Judas next.. (Mat 26:24 KJV) The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

Jesus and Da Vinci: Who was Jesus, Really? http://www.jesusanddavinci.com/

Want to discuss Da Vinci intelligently? Check out christianitytoday.com/go/davincistudy

which features several different downloadable Bible studies about The Da Vinci Code from Christianity Today International.

Sanity, despite of what you say I will not convince me otherwise, thanks for respecting my beliefs even if it sounds nutty to somebody. Very clever your point about the resurrection but not thanks, I won't play it. And you know that.

Ok, everybody here's missing the main point: It is a movie(and a book)people!! It was made solely for entertainment purposes. It is not intended to be taken as a documentary or as a dispute of widely accepted dogma. It was made by Hollywood for crying out loud!!

For those who condenm the movie as an attack on religion: get a grip! You know your beliefs well enough, and if you have strong faith, a movie is not going to change that. If, on the other hand, you find that the movie shakes your belief system, then it wasn't that strong to begin with, so you should probably do some soul searching and figure out why.

On the other end of the spectrum, for the raving lunatics that condenm others because they choose to believe in God (be they Christians, muslims, Buddhist, and what not), you're tiresome, and boring, and plain spiteful. Learn to accept that faith is not necessarily a sign of inferior intellect as you seem to think...then again, it is not precisely bright to accept dogma without questioning it either...

Cheer up. Go catch a movie or something this weekend. I'm told there is quite a good little thriller coming out called the Da Vinci Code.

Everyone is saying that the Da Vinci Code is work of fiction, it is a work of fiction....so are the most of the stories in the BIBLE!!!!!!!

Actually, the faith which has been responsible for more murders than any other is Atheism. Soviet Union (state religion Atheism), 20 million, at least, murdered. People's Republic of China (state religion Atheism), 40-60 million murdered. Khmer Rouge (Cambodia, state religion atheism), roughly 1/4 of the national population murdered in just four years. Historically, when you look at the change the teachings of Christ made in the almostly unbelievably blood-thirsty culture of first century Europe, it's astonishing. And Jesus never spread His faith through killing anyone. Neither did Paul or any of His other first century followers. It is true that there have been those claiming the name of Christ who have done horrible things in His Name. But the same can be said of any other good thing, whether democracy or freedom of expression (child porn pushers try to cloak their depravity in that noble cause) or art or anthing else worthwhile. It is true that "faith is the evidence of things unseen" and there is no way to scientifically prove Christianity OR Atheism or any other faith. How likely does it seem that an unthinking giant particle created itself and then blew itself up, creating the universe? That's the Big Bang Theory. Like the man said, I don't have enough faith to be an Atheist. Even the great High Priest of Atheism, Antony Flew has grudgingly come to the view that the complexity of DNA makes it hard for him to believe that it happened accidentally. It does strike me that there are some of you who are awfully angry and someone you insist doesn't exist.

Hopefully it will be cathartic for those who've always known at some deep level that the whole thing is a sham. Straining to support the ricidulous so fervently (protesting too much) is a strain. Believe, but not the silly stuff...there's enough left.The question is however did "they" pass it all off so long? With the beautiful buildings, the lovely music? The good company? I wish it were true, have always known it isn't.

Dear, BKP

Both Joshua and Jesus are merely English translations of the Hebrew root name Yehoshua. The Greeks then transliterated this to Iesous. Then the Romans finally adopted the Latin name Iesus, which is remarkably coincidental with the widely worshipped Isis at the time. You as well can believe what you like, but the fact is we are both speculating, which makes neither of us right or wrong. I am only trying to illustrate that there are many different perspectives when it comes to Christianity, or any other organized religion for that fact, and that you do not have to blindly take someone else's rhetoric but can form your own opinion.

His servant,
I sure hope that you are not implying that Jews, or any other religion, are inferior to Christians, because that would be somewhat hypocritical. This is exactly the kind of mentality that instigated the Inquisition and the modern Middle-East crisis. Where is the tolerance of Christians when you can't respect differences in beliefs?

Also, I would like to think that most people understand that DVC is a work of fiction. But here is a shocker, so is the Bible. There is no tangible proof to either theories, the only difference is that one has been around longer.

It's so sad to read all the comments reviling Christianity. I came from not knowing or caring if there was a God to knowing not only does He exist, but that He loves me, and He has totally given my life purpose and fulfillment. Your issues are with Christians who have not demonstrated a true image of Christ--He is fully God, fully man--not judgmental, but just, full of love and compassion. Christians are just like everyone else--sinners--we are saved because we have received Christ as our savior--we can't save ourselves because our sin separates us from God--only the righteousness of Christ will get us the relationship we need to have a personal relationship with God and go to heaven. Christians don't change every bad thing overnight--as we surrender to God, He shows us our stuff so we can decide to get rid of it. We are so complicated, we don't even know why we do what we do half the time. God shows us when we have that relationship with Him and He brings us truth that refutes the lies we believe. The DaVinci Code mocks my Savior, the one I love, the one who rose from the dead, who died for my sins.

Joyce,

I am so glad that you are content with Christ. But you have to understand and respect that people can be just as contempt with Allah, Buddha, or any other interpretation of "God". If you have read the Da Vinci Code you would have known that it does not really mock Jesus, in fact, Brown suggests that his theory of a married Jesus with a bloodline does not diminish His divinity. Why is it harder to believe that Jesus procreated (natural) then that he was resurrected (irrational)? Again, I am not saying either is true, but I just don't see how a human Jesus makes his ideology less valid.

All that is truly important in being is to strive to be truthful, to find the truth. Anything, any person, who changes things to shape the story to advance their own ideologies, power, or financial position, is, of necessity, distorting the truth. That is the one thing that can be clearly said about the Catholic church, and, simply, all organized christian churches since the second century. The lady was right when she said that Paul created what we call christianity. It doesn't take any real scholarship to find this out. Anyone who doesn't know this hasn't really questioned what christianity is and where it came from.

The damage that this religion does (and frankly all the religions of the "book") is to human sexuality and how we deal with it. Why the DVC is popular is simply that people wish it were true and that Jesus was a real man, and not just some sexless fairy boy-god pretending to be human and understand what it is to love and be loved. I think he was a real man. That;s what the church fears most and what the DVC's fans wish they could know. But giving up control of sex would mean the church had given up the basis for their power over their followers. The priests couldn't stand that. I grew up catholic, jesuit high school and college and this is the way it is. Lies to protect power. Is the DVC truthful in any way? No one knows. Was Jesus a man, who used his generative organ as a man does? Who knows? I know what I believe the truth to be, but I have no interest in convincing anyone else to believe what I believe. No power, and no money, and no need to justify myself. I am quite happy in my understanding of the world. But I did spend many years overcoming the lies of the christian church.

I consider myself a Christian and I read, and enjoyed, the book. But come on now....its a NOVEL! The plot was created for entertainment purposes!

Funny how Dan Brown and some of the posts here bring in to question the actions of the Vatican and the keepers of the faith, yet everyone seems to want to defend the divinity of Jesus instead therby diverting attention away from the real issue.

Hello all, you've heard the "facts", now it's time for the truth. I dare anyone who is truly a seeker of truth to look at some of these facts. I challenge you to research it for yourselves and do not allow yourselves to be deceived by either side.

A) SCHOLARLY FACTS

1. First of all, Christians did not just start believing in Jesus' divinity in 325AD when Constantine came around. For one, the writings of Paul espouse the belief that, "...although he was in the form of God, he did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped", and the epistle of Paul dates to the timeframe of 50AD! Way before Constantine.
2. Second, the early Christians at the Council of Nicea did not dispute the divinity of Jesus. They disputed his eternal coexistence with God the Father. And they approved an affirmative resolution on this issue based on a 300-2 vote, not a close vote as Da Vinci Code claims.
3. Third, Constantine did not have anything to do with selecting the 4 gospels that were canonized.
4. Fourth, most of the rejected gospels actually depected an ethereal gnostic Jesus that was less human than the Jesus of the 4 gospels, not more human. The ones that ended up being selected included more narrative of Jesus' actual life, the ones rejected tended to exclude this.
5. The Dead Sea scrolls were not Christian documents, and the Nag Hammadi manuscripts came after the gospels, not before.
6. You will find tons of evidence debunking the marriage of Mary Magdalene to Jesus on the net. In my humble opinion, the most powerful is the fact that Paul writes in one of his epistles, "Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, as do the rest of the apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Peter?" He is arguing for why he and Barnabas should be okayed if they wanted to take wives for themselves. If Jesus were married, then surely he would have cited this as an obvious reason why it must be ok for him to be married as well.

Also, regarding the claim that Paul invented modern day Christianity, Paul himself wrote that the following:

"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ also died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that he was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time."

Paul wrote this to the Corinthians in 55AD. He himself claimed that this was what he received. One of several proofs that he was not lying in this writing is that many scholars agree that this passage shows linguistic evidence of a Greek translation of Aramaic text. If this is true, then Paul was translating a passage and not creating it off the bat, which would mean that the original creed was not his own, but rather the writings of Christians before him.

And here's a commonsense challenge which does not even require any knowledge of church history to debunk. Why would Paul lie that he received these teachings from people that he disagreed with on such a blasphemously different level, if he intended to cite them as the inspiration for his own teachings? Ironically, as it turns out, that would be as ridiculous as Christians citing the Da Vinci Code as inspiration for their gospel, even though it disputes the gospel so vehemently. Wouldn't it?

So...there you have it. Please, be a seeker of truth and research these things before accepting them as truth, including even the things posted here. And as Jesus says, "He who hath an ear, let him hear."

Christianity is a fraud. I present two examples of problems with Christian thought.

According to Christian mythology, God murdered all the first-born children of Egypt in order to free the Jews during the time of Moses. This act of barbarism contradicts modern notions of right and wrong. In the 21st century, we condemn the idea of murdering children for crimes that they did not commit.

Here is another example. According to Christian mythology, God directed Abraham to commit gross child abuse to test Abraham's loyalty. Abraham tied up his young son and threatened to sacrifice him in the name of God. In the 21st century, we condemn such child abuse.

With a book and Movie like DVC like one of the writters wrote earlier it is a litmus test to Believers in Christ. This whole issue has been going on since the Dawn of History. The Devil will never fight that which is not Authentic,Redemptive and Emancipating. He was sold for 30 pieces of silver coins, then after His resurrection the Romans wanted to pay the soldiers so they could lie that he was stolen. The Truth was Buried and Resurrected. When the church gets into spritual stupor God allows isssues like the DVC to wake up the church.We need a rude and a radical awakening of the Body of Christ. Where are the Charles Finney's, Wesleys,wigglesworth,whitefields etc. Christians need to know that Nothing shall prevail against the church. One of these days the author of the DVC with publish another book titled" Decoding the Mystery of DVC that Jesus is the way the Truth and the Life".

Even thought there is not much authentic history in the DaVinci Code, it is refreshing to hear the Roman Catholic Church depicted as a criminal conspiracy, for that is indeed what it is.

Candide: Did a Catholic stand you up at the alter??

I'm gonna watch the movie... hopefully enjoy it, maybe grab something to eat and discuss it over coffee afterwards. I'm just glad that I'm in a nation where I can do that... enjoy the small, simple, pleasures of life such as a movie instead of getting blown up by a roadside bomb in Iraq; or being murder in a genocide in Sudan; or surviving as a malnourished child in Vietnam.

And I've God to be thankful for that. Who do you thank?

Hi I do not myself believe a word this brown wrote or his movie. brown is just a lost hopelessly case. He never have believe in Jesus or God and he wants the whole world believe. thats on lies. If a lot of these christains are falling for this they did not have what they claim to have. the word of God did say in the last days there will be a great falling away by the way side. peoples what make us think that satan could have planted that seed in brown to discreited Jesus, Last year the passion of Christ were shown the true about Jesus. and now the devil is using brown to lie about the lord, shame on you brown I will be praying for you, because you really needs.

Manny I was a believer,and then i followed the iraq war,the occupation of the West bank and Gaza.I heard the stories from my sons mother of the crimes in the aboriginal residential schools in Canada(run by catholics), which she was a student.All in the name of religion.Christans against muslems against jews.There is no such thing as turn the other cheek, it is all by force.I find Jerry falwell and john Hagee as racist and cruel as the next person,but they go to heavan because they know the REAL GOD.If your born in saudi arabia you have a 95% chance of going to hell.If you are born in India you have an 90% chance of going to hell.If you are born in a non christian country like Israel or Pakistan you have been born to go to hell.Very confusing.

If God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, why do you need to go to church other than to give them money and visit with your neighbors? Why would you need to confess to a human if God witnessed the transgression?

If God is omnipotent and loves his believers why does he allow so much suffering among them?

If there's only one God, and the other non-Christian religions are wrong, why does God tolerate their existence?

If men put the rock in front of Jesus' tomb, why couldn't men move it away? Why is the reaction to a missing body "ascension", and not simply getting out of town and away from the people who failed to kill him?

Do you believe everything about JFK written 50 years later?

You stopped believing in Santa Claus because you eventually found the presents or saw or heard your parents talk about it. How convenient to move the line past death, so nobody can come back to report one way or another.

An invisible controlling entity is a brilliant way to get people to stop killing each other in remote areas with no police or other authority. But ask yourself, if you're not a farmer do you believe God sent the rain, or do you think it's a front moving into your area?

Why don't you believe in the Greek or Roman gods? Why not Thor and Odin? They didn't promise you much, that's why. People believe in the ultimate pander-God. You pray for financial success, health, a better job, to make the touchdown.

You might as well go back to Santa Claus. Good luck.

Top Ten Reasons For Not Being a Christian

Over the course of my ministry, I've pretty much heard all the objections to Christianity the world has to offer. Here are what I would consider the "Top 10 Objections" to becoming a Christian.

1. "Seeing is believing. I've never seen God, so how do I know He exists?"

Nobody has ever seen the wind, but there is no doubt of its power. Nobody has seen history, but there is no doubt of its legacy. Nobody has seen a person's mind, but that doesn't make us mindless. TV and radio waves are invisible, but with the proper receiver, we can see their results.

Having never seen God is not much of a reason for rejecting Him, if you get right down to it. Let's see if we can do better.

2. "I may have broken the Ten Commandments, but I do good things for people. If God is fair, the scales will balance."

One look at "Hollywood morality" should dispel this one. They commit adultery in their youth, and then become involved in giving to AIDS research, etc., as they grow older. In their minds, they think that they are balancing the scales. They have done bad, and now they are doing good.

It doesn't work that way, even before an imperfect judge in a secular courtroom - if the judge is honest. An effort to bribe the judge with good works is still a bribe.

If you compare yourself with other human beings, you might be better than some, but worse than others.

But God has to judge us on the basis of His righteous character, which we have violated. This is why He gave us the "Big Ten." They show us how good we would have to be to earn God's acceptance by our own good deeds. This is why God cannot judge on the "curve." God says, "Whoever keeps the whole law, yet offends in one point is guilty of all of it." (James 2:10)

Since none of us could ever be good enough to measure up to His perfect character, God elected to come to Earth in the person of Jesus Christ and die in our place under His offended righteous character. In so doing, God purchased a pardon for every person. We only have to admit we have broken His laws, turn to God and accept His free pardon.

3. "Christianity is oppressive to women."

This objection comes up in confusing the context of the Christian model for marriage. Ephesians 5:22 says, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as unto the Lord." But the skeptic's objection collapses when the passage is taken in its full context.

Ephesians 5:25 commands husbands, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it."

It is hardly "oppression" to submit to someone who loves you with a sacrificial love. Instead, it is a textbook definition of love - a key ingredient to a successful marriage.

4. "The Bible was written by men."

As an objection, this is by far the silliest. When you write a letter, are you writing it, or is the pen? As I type this column, am I writing it, or is my computer? Clearly, the pen, or the computer, is the instrument, not the writer. The same principle applies to the writers of Scripture. They were instruments, but God's Spirit is the author.

The Bible declares of itself that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God." (2 Timothy 3:16) and the proof is in the pudding. The writers of Scripture ranged from shepherds to kings to fishermen, but the 66 books that make up the Bible read as a single, harmonious narrative emanating from a Single Author.

God threw down the gauntlet concerning how to know whether His Word is true or not. God said to Moses, "You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken." (Deut. 18:21-22 NIV)

Every prophecy made in the Bible about specific events, places and times have come true to the letter. Some are not yet fulfilled because it is not yet the time. But the record in history is 100 percent accuracy. This is why we have only the books in the Bible that have been authenticated by fulfilled prophecy. More than 300 prophecies were fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.

5. "Churches are full of hypocrites."

The word "hypocrite" comes from the Greek word for "actor" or "pretender." Hypocrisy is "the practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold."

The Body of Christ consists of true believers - "churches" are buildings where people congregate. Sitting in a church no more makes one a Christian than sitting in a garage makes one a car.

Jesus will sort out the true believers from the pretenders in His time. The question is not what church you go to, but rather, whom do you trust for your salvation? A church? Or Jesus Christ?

6. "Christians think they are better than non-Christians."

This is another objection borne out of ignorance of both the teaching of Scripture and the nature of salvation. Nowhere do the Scriptures say that a Christian is a better person than a non-Christian. A believer in Jesus is a forgiven sinner. The unbeliever is not forgiven. But a true Christian knows that he is forgiven by the unmerited grace of God.

Peter betrayed Jesus by denying Him three times. Judas betrayed Him only once. But Peter is infinitely better off. Peter believed and was forgiven. Judas did not.

Two murderers were crucified alongside Jesus. One repented and expressed his faith by saying, "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus immediately replied, "Truly I say to you, Today you will be with me in Paradise."

By way of analogy, consider two skydivers. One has a working parachute; the other does not. That doesn't make the skydiver with a working parachute a better skydiver. But he is certainly wiser than the other guy.

7. "There is too much suffering in the world for there to be a loving God."

The Bible tells us that God cursed the Earth because of Adam's transgression. Weeds are a curse. So is disease. Sin and suffering cannot be separated. The Scriptures inform us that we live in a fallen creation. Those who understand the message of Holy Scripture eagerly await a new Heaven and a new Earth "wherein dwells righteousness."

In that coming Kingdom there will be no more pain, suffering, disease or death. If it didn't exist here, then its abolition then would be meaningless. The sacrifice of Christ would be unnecessary.

A loving God? John 15:13 says, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

8. "Christianity isn't fair. What about all those people who have never heard the Gospel? Will they all go to Hell because they haven't heard about Jesus Christ?"

No one will be lost because he hasn't heard of Jesus. God says, "The wrath of God is being revealed from Heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:18-20) He also promises, "You will seek Me and find me when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

You see, God brings everyone to "God-consciousness" through the witness of creation. When a person anywhere, in any culture comes to God-consciousness - and then desires to know this God, He will move Heaven and Earth to get the true message to him. If he dies without hearing about Jesus Christ, it's because he did not want to know the true God.

9. I've tried to read the Bible. I can't understand it.

The Scriptures tells us that the "natural man" cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God. Most Americans would find it difficult to understand the Chinese language. However, a child who is born into a Chinese family can understand every word.

Every person is born physically alive, but spiritually dead. God is a "Spirit" and we must have the same kind of life to perceive Him. This is why Jesus said to a very religious man, "Unless a man is born from above, he cannot perceive the things of God."

When even an uneducated person believes in Jesus and is born spiritually, he can immediately begin to understand the Bible.

10. Christians are sinners, according to their own teaching. So what is the difference between a Christian who sins and a non-believer?

This objection misses the point. A Christian receives a new nature and the Spirit of God comes to dwell in him it at the point of the "new spiritual birth." He still has an old nature that wants to sin. When the Christian fails to say no to temptation and depend upon God's Spirit, he sins.

The difference, however, is that a Christian cannot be happy anymore living in sin. He becomes miserable and wants to return to fellowship with God. As soon as he confesses his sin to God, he is forgiven and brought back into fellowship. But though the Christian can get out of fellowship, he cannot lose his relationship with God. That has been secured forever by the death of Jesus Christ in his place. God will not disown a child that He purchased with His own blood.

The 10 reasons for not being a Christian, therefore, are really 10 reasons why, if you haven't already, you should be on your knees - right now - receive the gift of pardon that Jesus purchased by dying in your place.

You won't become perfect in this life, but you will have new desires and power that will make you progressively better. And at the end, you will go to be with God forever.

My Children.

Stop this bickering. You are wasting each others time. If I do exist,(wait, i cant doubt myself, can i?)then thats good and if i dont, then thats good too. Dont you see, my little miserable sheep. mother culture has her voice deep in all of you. It is not fait that is talking or the faitless. Either way, both sides have been had. The meme is strong in ya'll(see, God can be hip too). Lose the meme. Stop listening to her whispers. Only then will you be truly free to listen to yourselves and to what your surroundings have to offer. Amen

JOYCE,
1 question. how did buddy jesus die for your sins when you were not even born yet and had not commited any sins yet? i mean, think...you are saying that all human, well, christians are born sinners???thats being a bloody defeatist!!!but then again, thats what religion is..thats how it controls you..the only way to salvation is through me. believe this, believe that...
so everyone, i mean, every christian is a sinner? blime, thats somewhat sad, aint it? so a new born is a sinner? a 2 year old who touches his willie is a sinner...you religious types have serious issues..
having said that...Go Jesus Go....oh wait, this is not a ice hockey match!!!

The Earth is the Center of the Universe.

The Earth is no more than 6000 years old.

Every person born before Jesus Christ walked the earth are doomed to hell - because, well, they had the bad luck to be born before the saviour.

Premaritial sex is a mortal sin.

Masturbation will make you blind.

What do all the above statements have in common? They were, or are, the official views of the Christian church.

the church is a human institution, and therefore makes mistakes. some horrible ones, yes. the da'vinci code has the ability to make people think outside of what they have always been told. believe what you want; it's nobody else's business. just think and keep an open mind.

Religion is just a tool to keep the population under control. That is all it has been use for since the very first religion was created. And just like with all the rest no God or Messiah will complain and bring end to the world when people move to something new because they are all creations of men.

Gilligan: here's the best reason for not being a Christian as that word is normally meant.

Jesus' intentions were carried on by his brother James who led the earliest followers. These Jewish-Christians knew the most about Jesus, that's why the church condemned them as heretics and left them pretty much out of the Gospels. Christianity was based on Paul who knew Jesus not at all, whose own inventins and hallucinations became what we call Christianity. Thus Christianity is a hoax and the Church a criminal conspircy.

I think the reason why Muslims reacted violently was because they are very sure of their faith, indeed the Quran is a book that is very believable and is the main reason why there are so many converts ti Islam. But, maybe Christians today have doubts in their hearts over whether Jesus was really God's son, or a strong prophet as the Quran says. So there is no violent reaction, the book/movie is only confirming our doubts.

As we have evolved so have our beliefs and the actions that we encure because of them. There are many faults in this world and its history but one thing no human being can denounce is Love. God is Love, end of story. Wheather or not Jesus was married or weather or not he was both man and God really doesn't matter. The prophet Jesus was the only man in written history or recalled history that sacraficed his life for the sake of the world. He was killed for you and me so that we all could continue Love. That is what life is about and when you find love or when you have love you believe in its power.

Roger: you've hit the nail on the head. The DaVinci Code is popular because millions of Christians deep down suspect Christianity is false. And believe me, it is a hoax.

ianta - "...Jesus was the only man in written history or recalled history that sacraficed his life..."

That much may be true, if you believe he existed at all. 1000 years from now, people may believe that Tom Sawyer was a historical figure because he was written about in many languages and even taught in schools. Does that make Tom Sawyer a real person and everything written about him true and factual?

"Christianity is a fraud. I present two examples of problems with Christian thought.

According to Christian mythology, God murdered all the first-born children of Egypt in order to free the Jews during the time of Moses. This act of barbarism contradicts modern notions of right and wrong. In the 21st century, we condemn the idea of murdering children for crimes that they did not commit.

Here is another example. According to Christian mythology, God directed Abraham to commit gross child abuse to test Abraham's loyalty. Abraham tied up his young son and threatened to sacrifice him in the name of God. In the 21st century, we condemn such child abuse."

That's right, what happened in the Old Testament is *Christian* mythology. And they totally knew what 21st-century standards of morality would be, so of course it's right to apply those standards to the stories in the Bible. I didn't know "atheist" was a synonym for "idiot".

A better word than atheist, which is a negative word, is skeptic, one who isn't convinced because the evidence is poor.

ianta:

"Jesus was the only man in written history or recalled history that sacraficed his life." where did you get that "fact" from? from your friends? the media? did jesus come into your dreams and tell you that? i wish people would allow themselves to be informed a little bit more before making such stupid and unintelligent comments for the rest of the world to read and believe. NO, the mythical figure Christ was not the only one. I suggest you read up on the history of the Sikhs, a history which is only 300+ years old. Now, run along.

I have to say that this blog and the comments posted deepen my love for this country. In how many other countries in the world could an open debate take place about a prominent religion without fear of persecution?

I read the novel in question and happened to think it was a great book. It was a real page turner with twists and turns and mysteries to solve. Did I believe every word of it? I did not. I bought it in the literature section of the bookstore. Literature = fiction. Why do so many people like this book? It was a good, quick read and it was about a conspiracy theory! Conspiracies about things we are familiar with reach more people. Theory does not equal fact, it just makes for a good story.

The one thing that I don't like about this debate is that many people are pushing to have the movie banned. Why? In a free society with the freedom of speech, you must be willing to hear an opposing point of view. Trying to ban the opposing point of view is how many countries end up with dictators and less freedoms.

It may be an extremely tough thing to do, but when you read a comment that you don't agree with think about this...the same freedom that gives you the right to say whatever you want gives the maker of the comment the right to say what he/she wants. Protestors shouldn't be trying to stop people from seeing a movie they don't like, they should be trying to educate. If we start banning things we don't like, we loose our freedom to choose. Morals and values are individual, and should not be pushed onto society as a whole.

Most people are smarter then we give them credit for. We do not need to "protect" people from "bad ideas" or "inflammatory books" we need to protect their right to think and believe in the bad ideas and read the very inflammatory books that make our blood boil.

The root cause is, "They say God is a son whilst Father a son". If this was resolved in the first place none of Dan Brown DVC ideas ever come to life!

This thus an act of God to engage Dan Brown to spark DVC towards a resolution. Aha.