Should Seeing the Da Vinci Code be deemed a sin?

[curtins]

I honestly think the Da Vinci Code is a Heresy especially because it is turning so many souls. So if you were to go see the movie that would be supporting a heresy with ur money. However the same could be said about alot of companies, music artists, etc that support stuff like gay marriage, abortion etc etc. But it could be said that the Da Vinci Code's purpose is to spread this heresy while such companies purposes is not to support abortion etc

so what do u think?

[Cam42]

In a word:

No.

You are giving the movie too much credit.

[cappie]

2 VIEWS:

[url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=52493&st=0#entry981222"] LINK[/url]

[Guest JeffCR07]

Just like books, the watching of a movie, even a movie with objectively evil content such as the DaVinci Code, is not [i]intrinsically[/i] sinful. If one goes to see it with the full intent of being aware of the errors, and prepared to point them out to anyone who asks, then simply seeing the movie is not sinful.

Your Brother In Christ,

Jeff

[toledo_jesus]

it wouldn't be a sin.

Unless you count poor taste in film a sin.

[GenesiusMMVI]

I wouldn't think so. In fact, I saw an interview on a weekend news show....they asked a priest if he was going to see it. He said "absolutely!" stating that he felt it was necessary so that he can better address and answer some of the questions he will undoubtedly get from those in his parish.

[Lil Red]

but you don't have to see a movie to correctly refute the ideas in it. there are several books to help do so (including [u]The DaVinci Deception: 100 Questions about the Facts and Fiction of [i]The Da Vinci Code[/i][/u])

[ironmonk]

It is a sin of disobediance [u]when the Vatican says [/u] "do not see it".

[ironmonk]

[b]1269 [/b]
Having become a member of the Church, the person baptized belongs no longer to himself, but to him who died and rose for us.76 From now on, he is called to be subject to others, to serve them in the communion of the Church, and to [b]"obey and submit" to the Church's leaders[/b],77 holding them in respect and affection.78 Just as Baptism is the source of responsibilities and duties, the baptized person also enjoys rights within the Church: to receive the sacraments, to be nourished with the Word of God and to be sustained by the other spiritual helps of the Church.79


It is wrong not to obey Church leaders. All wrongdoing is sin, therefore it would be a sin to see this movie which is spiritual porn.

As I was flipping through the channels last night on the Discovery channel they where making the movie's claims out to be fact. They did a Michael Moore job... a lot of editing to make it look like the "Priory of Sion" and a man talking about "Sion" in reference to knowing because of being in the bloodline where the same thing. (please see Catholic.com's da vinici rebut in regards to this)

[ironmonk]

Updated evidence...

[url="http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/15/cardinal.davinci.reut/index.html"]http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/...reut/index.html[/url]

[quote]Cardinal Paul Poupard, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, on Monday told Europe 1 radio he had no objection to people seeing the film if they understand it is fiction, but many would watch this "nonsense" and think that it was true.

...

In the past several weeks Vatican cardinals have urged everything from a full-blown boycott of the film by Catholics to legal action against both the novel and the film.

Poupard did not back those stands but expressed concern about the effects it could have on the ordinary Catholics.

"What I'm concerned about is that decent people who do not have the proper religious education will take this nonsense for the real thing," said the cardinal, who has headed the Pontifical Council for Culture since 1988.

Asked if he would go see the film, Poupard said: "I don't plan to, because life is short and I have a lot of things to do. I have so many friends who have described this nonsense to me that I don't have time for that."

[/quote]


To see it knowing that it is total fiction would not be a sin from above, but I think that it would be a sin based on if we believed any ounce of it as true... Also, it would be a sin of disobediance if our bishop told us not to see it or our pastor at Mass. Since they are are immediate leaders.

I would like to know what the Pope's thoughts are.

p.s. Although I know it's total fiction, if I would see it I know that I would get pretty mad at all the lies that people will believe.... but at the same time, I think I could witness for the Church if I were to wear my shirt "The Catholic Church: Pillar of Truth in the World of Lies" shirt.

hmmmm...

[Thumper]

Ironmonk, I'm glad you saw the CNN article, since to my knowledge the Vatican has made no statement categorizing viewing The DaVinci Code as a sin--which was suggested in your earlier post.

Cardinal Poupard seems to have captured it very nicely. Of course it isn't a sin to see the movie. My real concern has always been with the folks who aren't well enough informed to distinguish fact from fiction. Naturally, they would not be sinning in seeing the movie, either. But the Cardinal gives us a good reminder that the Body of Christ should be ready to reach out to those for whom the book or the movie becomes a stumbling block to faith.

Edited May 15, 2006 by Thumper

[styx chyx]

I am glad to admit I own a copy of The Da Vinci Code, and I am going to watch the movie this weekend with my mother. We love this STORY. It is a great piece of FICTION. It is very ENTERTAINING AS A FICTIONAL NOVEL. Anyone with half a brain will realise as they take this novel off the FICTION shelf to purchase, or as they sit in the theatre to watch a MOVIE, not a DOCUMENTARY that, hey, this isn't 'real life'. It's just the same as 'The Mummy'. Does anyone believe that in the 1920s some Egyptologists/Architects etc were in Egypt and brought a mummy back to life? This story too is based on real people (Ankh-Su-Namun, Imhotep and others) but is completely taken out of context to make a good story. What's wrong with that? If anyone's uneducated enough to believe everything they see on the big screen, pray that next time they go to the movies they watch The Passion of the Christ!

[Jaime]

Wait


Are you saying the Mummy didn't actually happen?!?!?

[Thumper]

[quote name='styx chyx' post='981456' date='May 15 2006, 10:54 AM']
I am glad to admit I own a copy of The Da Vinci Code, and I am going to watch the movie this weekend with my mother. We love this STORY. It is a great piece of FICTION. It is very ENTERTAINING AS A FICTIONAL NOVEL. Anyone with half a brain will realise as they take this novel off the FICTION shelf to purchase, or as they sit in the theatre to watch a MOVIE, not a DOCUMENTARY that, hey, this isn't 'real life'. It's just the same as 'The Mummy'. Does anyone believe that in the 1920s some Egyptologists/Architects etc were in Egypt and brought a mummy back to life? This story too is based on real people (Ankh-Su-Namun, Imhotep and others) but is completely taken out of context to make a good story. What's wrong with that? If anyone's uneducated enough to believe everything they see on the big screen, pray that next time they go to the movies they watch The Passion of the Christ!
[/quote]

"The Mummy" wasn't REAL?!?

Nevertheless, to take your case in point, I bet there are some people out there who think they know more about Egyptology because they saw the "The Mummy," and thought they were doing post-graduate work by seeing "The Mummy Returns." Do they really believe in mummies coming to life? Perhaps not. But might they think they learned something factual in the movie? Quite possibly. Did they learn something factual in the movie? Hmm.

That's all I'm saying about the DaVinci Code. Some people might discount some of the more obvious pieces of fiction, but not realize just how much came out of Dan Brown's imagination--and inadvertantly take up fiction as fact. And some people who already have their doubts about the Church might not discount larger fictions at all.

At any rate, while there may be a prudential decision to be made, I don't think we are talking about something that rises to the level of sin.

Nice idea about the Passion of the Christ, BTW.

[MC Just]

it is heresy. Catholics should not watch it and it should be deemed a sin for catholics to watch it. man There is not enough strictness in the church anymore. I'm tired of seeing catholics letting things slide.

[ironmonk]

[quote name='Thumper' post='981450' date='May 15 2006, 12:36 PM']
Ironmonk, I'm glad you saw the CNN article, since to my knowledge the Vatican has made no statement categorizing viewing The DaVinci Code as a sin--which was suggested in your earlier post.

Cardinal Poupard seems to have captured it very nicely. Of course it isn't a sin to see the movie. My real concern has always been with the folks who aren't well enough informed to distinguish fact from fiction. Naturally, they would not be sinning in seeing the movie, either. But the Cardinal gives us a good reminder that the Body of Christ should be ready to reach out to those for whom the book or the movie becomes a stumbling block to faith.
[/quote]

Seeing the movie would be a sin if:
1) If the Vatican came out and made an official statement or
2) There was a concesus of all top Vatican officials saying that we should not see it - or
3) Our Bishop or Pastor said we should not see it - or
4) If a Catholic takes anything in the movie to be possible

The sin wouldn't be in seeing the movie, the sin would be in disobediance of Church leaders.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='styx chyx' post='981456' date='May 15 2006, 11:54 AM']I am glad to admit I own a copy of The Da Vinci Code, and I am going to watch the movie this weekend with my mother. We love this STORY. It is a great piece of FICTION. It is very ENTERTAINING AS A FICTIONAL NOVEL. Anyone with half a brain will realise as they take this novel off the FICTION shelf to purchase, or as they sit in the theatre to watch a MOVIE, not a DOCUMENTARY that, hey, this isn't 'real life'. [/quote]the problem is that even with informed Christians, the [i]Da Vinci Code[/i] plants seeds of doubt and skepticism. and that what we read and see affect our minds, whether we like it or not. also, the book starts with a "Statement of Facts" page, that is full of errors! many people believe from the very beginning the they are getting a lot of facts and history, but many of the central points in the book are NOT factual. what about the average American who doesn't know that much about history, art, the Bible, religious symbolism - they might buy into the ideas put forth because they do not have the background to separate the truth from the many lies.

[quote name='Thumper' post='981464' date='May 15 2006, 12:07 PM']That's all I'm saying about the DaVinci Code. Some people might discount some of the more obvious pieces of fiction, but not realize just how much came out of Dan Brown's imagination--and inadvertantly take up fiction as fact. And some people who already have their doubts about the Church might not discount larger fictions at all. [/quote]well said

[Thumper]

[quote name='ironmonk' post='981482' date='May 15 2006, 11:30 AM']
Seeing the movie would be a sin if:
1) If the Vatican came out and made an official statement or
2) There was a concesus of all top Vatican officials saying that we should not see it - or
3) Our Bishop or Pastor said we should not see it - or
4) If a Catholic takes anything in the movie to be possible

The sin wouldn't be in seeing the movie, the sin would be in disobediance of Church leaders.
[/quote]

I'm with you up to point #4. Your list reminds me of playing the Sesame Street game "one of these things is not like the others." The first three points have to do with sin in connection to disobedience; your last point deals with sin in relation to knowledge of the truth.

If a Catholic believes the fictional aspects of The DaVinci Code, then that Catholic is either A) willfully denying the truth or B) ignorantly denying the truth. In Case A, I can see an argument being made that the person is sinning. But in Case B, ignorance would preclude culpability.

As to points #1 and #2--neither has happened; and I would be curious to hear if a bishop or priest has mandated #3.

[styx chyx]

[quote]I bet there are some people out there who think they know more about Egyptology because they saw the "The Mummy," and thought they were doing post-graduate work by seeing "The Mummy Returns."[/quote]

HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!


Very nicely done.

[Norseman82]

Let's wait until the USCCB gives it a classification, and wait a week or two after that to see if the Vatican disagrees with it or if there is some outcry (like there was against "Brokeback Mountain"). Until then, it's best to avoid it.