The Da Vinci Code: Facts vs. Faith?

Dan Brown apparently believes that the historical claims made by Christianity are false. His hero, Robert Langdon, explains: “Every faith is based on fabrication. That is the definition of faith -- acceptance of that which we imagine to be true, that which we cannot prove.” Sophie was troubled by this perspective: “My friends who are devout Christians definitely believe that Christ literally walked on water, literally turned water into wine, and was born of a literal virgin birth.” Though Langdon would never accept the literal truth of those events, believing those lies is not necessarily bad: “Living in that reality helps millions of people cope and be better people.”

Near the end of the movie, Langdon expressed a similar perspective. Though he didn’t believe the ancient documents could prove that Jesus was anything other than a great man, he told Sophie that when he nearly drowned as a boy, he prayed to Jesus. Langdon’s advice for Sophie was: “What matters is what you believe.” Even though Jesus is probably dust in some unknown grave in Palestine, praying fervently to him will somehow transform reality and you will receive what you ask for.

Is my belief all that matters? Are the historical claims of Christianity meaningless? Not in the least. The object of our faith is much more critical than our faith. If I were to go to any nearby lake tomorrow and attempt to ice skate across it, it wouldn’t matter how much faith I have, I would get very wet! On the other hand, if I go to any of those lakes in January and attempt the same feat, it doesn’t matter if I am quaking in my skates, the foot of ice on the surface of the lake will carry me across the lake. The object (the ice) is far more important than my faith in getting me across the lake.

Christianity is an historical religion. Without its history, we have next to nothing: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”

Dan Brown’s treatment of Biblical history denigrates and confuses the faith. Christians believe in a real, risen, reigning Jesus. He alone gives substance and support to our growing faith. Faith in anything else, no matter how deep, will end in disappointment and death.

The Da Vinci Code: Worshiping the Goddess

The fictional Robert Langdon of Harvard claimed that the church successfully waged “a campaign of propaganda that demonized the sacred feminine, obliterating the goddess from modern religion forever.” (p.124) Why would the church want to banish the goddess? Langdon claimed that the church was threatened by the belief that sex was the means “through which [a person] became spiritually whole.” If worshipers could “commune directly with God”, then this “left the Church out of the loop, undermining their self-proclaimed status as the sole conduit to God.” The church sought to “demonize sex and recast it as a disgusting and sinful act” as a way of holding onto its power over people.

Though at times the church came close to demonizing sex, Brown’s flattering view of these fertility religions is worse. What were these pagan religions really like? Goddess worship presented a sickening combination of sex and violence -- Hollywood was not the first to join these two! The famous archaeologist, W.F. Albright, described this female goddess' thirst for blood: “`With might she hewed down the people of the cities, she smote the folk of the sea-coast, she slew the men of the sunrise.’ After filling her temple (it seems) with men, she barred the gates so that none might escape, after which `she hurled chairs at the youths, tables at the warriors, footstools at the men of might.’ The blood was so deep that she waded in it up to her knees -- nay up to her neck. Under her feet were human heads, above her human hands flew like locusts. In her sensuous delight she decorated herself with suspended heads, while she attached hands to her girdle. Her joy at butchery is described in even more sadistic language: `Her liver swelled with laughter, her heart was full of joy, the liver of Astarte was full of exultation.’ Afterwards she was satisfied and washed her hands in human gore.”

Why does it matter that Langdon has these ancient religions so wrong? Because his benign treatment is used to sell sex as a means of salvation. When Langdon told his students that “sex is natural -- a cherished route to spiritual fulfillment,” a perceptive student asked: “Are you saying that instead of going to chapel, we should have more sex?” This is the natural conclusion to this philosophy. And it is a conclusion that leads to all sorts of sexual and even sadistic perversions since this false god can’t ultimately satisfy. Why not an affair? Why not group sex? Why not combine sex with worship?

But the worship of sex always leads to death. When we forsake the worship of the One True God and worship the gifts he has given us, then we begin a downward spiral toward death and destruction.