Susie's Leaning Tower of Chocolate for 2005 February 5

Comments:

Posted by John at Sun Feb 06 2005 19:06

Spoiled!

Posted by Joe Walch at Mon Feb 07 2005 14:39

I was uncomfortable with "The Code." I thought that there was a real intent to paint Christianity with a hateful misogynist brush. I also wonder about ulterior motives behind the author who pits secular academics against religious fanatics, especially when those academics in real life (from the exclusive universities) see it as their role in society to mold the ideas of future leaders and the general public. I was kinda repulsed by parts of the book, and I think that the use of pagan religious rituals was an attempt to tell the people "Hey why don't you look real hard at your own christian tradition and see the repulsive aspects of that, (i.e. the supposed bigotry of the clergy in excluding Same-Sex lifestyles)."

I also have a general dislike for conspiracy theories. I guess it is just my belief that the truth always finds its way to the surface.

It did have some redeeming qualities, however, and they made the other parts tolerable. I suppose that I don't watch Hollywood movies for the scientific enlightenment either, so the mystery and intrigue made the blatant fast and loose treatment of religion bearable.

Posted by John at Mon Feb 07 2005 15:09

I probably misunderstood the book when I read it, as I felt it was mostly a bash on Catholicism, as opposed to Christianity as a whole. I felt the pagan rituals were merely an explanation that religion doesn't change, people do. Paganism was a precursor to Judaism, and the old testament law was the precursor to the new testament, in a "line upon line" sort of fashion. That means Judaism was a precursor to Christianity. But the Catholics are to blame for demonizing women and sex into something it isn't, Brown argues. Opus Dei, well, I tried not to be too severe in judging them from something I read in a fiction novel, as most people I meet think Mormonism is something completely different than what I live on a day-to-day basis.

Does Brown even believe what he wrote? Or did he simply think it was a good yarn that was intriguing and would sell? I bet on the latter, but admit to no research on the subject. When I read it last summer, I took it on a few airplane trips. People always asked me if his views fit my religious beliefs. I said that I didn't really care, as my salvation was tied to the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ, and not on little details.

I think the key, at least for me, was to remember it is a FICTION novel, nothing more, and nothing less. That made it a good read, as I found it original, and less predictable than most of the mystery books I have read.

Posted by Susie at Mon Feb 07 2005 17:31

I liked it too, because it was a novel and not a book of scripture. It was intriguing and fun, except when it was a bit scary. I wouldn't not read a book because it portrays things I don't believe in. After all, I love "The X-files".

Posted by Joe Walch at Tue Feb 08 2005 13:44

I guess we see why there is so much controversy about it.