The Da Vinci Code movie was released last week. Did pretty good at the box office, though many serious film critics said it was only mediocre.
Lots of protesting of the movie going on. Apparently, the book suggests that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. This idea is supposedly based off of some of the unofficial, "Gnostic" gospels, even though none of the gnostic gospels even state this outright (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Magdalene). Some suggest that she was closer to Jesus than some of the other apostles, but there is, as of yet, apparently no concrete proof that Jesus was ever married.
Regardless, The Da Vinci Code and this theory have been criticized endlessly by some (NOT all) Christians. Some other blogs have already commented on it, so I will do the same right now.
I do not understand why this issue has put so many people up in arms. The Da Vinci Code is a novel, a work of fiction. No one, not even the author (go ahead, check it out: http://www.danbrown.com/novels/davinci_code/faqs.html) has claimed that the book's theories are based on fact.
But Dan Brown, the author, certainly won't do anything to end the controversy. As a matter of fact, he probably likes it very much. Dan Brown was a struggling author before this book, at one point selling novels out of the back of a station wagon. Because of all of the hype over the book, sales for the book and movie are through the roof. While extremely conservative ministers cry foul on Dan Brown, he is laughing all the way to the bank. You'd think these extremely conservative ministers would realize by now that the best thing to do with those topics that you don't like is stay silent and ignore them. Human beings love controversy, and they will flock to it, without fail, regardless of their feelings.
However, Dan Brown is proud that his book has at least started a dialogue in many religions about the possibility that Jesus was married to Mary Magdelene. I find nothing wrong in starting a dialogue about this subject. Honestly, I think it'd be great if it were true that Mary Magdelene married Jesus. I think it would be an excellent expression of love for many to follow. Think of how that might elevate the status of marriage in the eyes of every church. Perhaps people who are rushing into marriage would stop and think a little more seriously before taking steps towards the "most holy of sacraments." Maybe, just maybe, the divorce rate would go down as a result. Would this be so bad?
I think the problem with many people who criticize and attack this theory is that they find it difficult to have their most pertinent faith-based beliefs challenged. This isn't one of those things where it's like someone tells you "Eating a sandwich a day helps reduce your risk of lung cancer" or something (and no, I don't know whether or not that's true, but I suppose it would depend on what's in the sandwich). Undoubtedly, no one would find their entire life shaken by such a revelation. When someone suggests, "Hey, your God isn't all you believe him to be!" this undoubtedly stirs many emotions.
But let's be realistic. Saying that Jesus might have been married is a far cry from saying that he wasn't God, or your Lord and Savior, or something like that. No one's suggesting, and I think that it would be impossible to suggest, that Jesus would be less divine as a result of his being married. To believe this would be plain overreacting, and at least somewhat misogynistic. Being married to a woman makes you more sinful and less holy? Shit, we should all be gay then. It pays to keep an open mind about such topics.
Will I see the Da Vinci Code movie? Maybe. I have nary seen Audrey Tatou or Tom Hanks in a bad movie. Will I read the book? Yeah, when do I have time for that? In any case, I welcome the debate that The Da Vinci Code raises, whether it may one day turn out to be truth or not.
One's faith in any religion can and should be a pillar of strength for people, it's true. However, one's faith should not be completely static either. It should be capable of growth and of accepting new ideas, all the more that the person who believes should be a more open, caring person.
Too many religions out there today miss that point.
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