Actual email I received in response to my saying that I find The Da Vinci Code boring (not having read it, but I mean the premise), and therefore discussion of it boring, even when said discussion is the defense of the One, Holy, Catholic & Apostolic Church against its bizarre claims:
St. Peter: “Ah, RC2. We’ve been expecting you!”
RC2, looking around: “Weird. There’s no one here …”
St. Peter: “Well, the only crowds that form here are welcoming committees, not …”
RC2: “Not what?”
St. Peter: “Well, in a case such as yours, which is so dubious, it’s considered bad form to watch the proceedings … But, don’t worry. I think I can work something out for you.”
RC2: “Dubious? But all of the apostolate work I did. All of the formation stuff I did. All of the one-on-one ...”
St. Peter: “Yes, true, but I have here your book.”He taps a book that says ‘RC2, Da Vinci Defender’ in embossed gold on its cover.
RC2: “Da Vinci? But … the novel was absurd!”
Shouting voice and scuffling sounds are heard: “Take me to Mona! The Church was built by liars! Constantine made up Christ!” A newcomer approaches, but then drops suddenly through the floor when St. Peter presses a button that says “Straight to H.E. Double-Hockey Sticks.”
St. Peter: “So, RC2, let’s see here.” He opens the book. “You were sent to earth as our greatest Da Vinci Defender. Oops. But let’s see if we can override that with the good things you did …"
Wow. And ninme was worried about storm clouds. I'm pretty sure the preceeding conversation is an example of what in my Protestant days I'd have called "Works Righteousness," but leave that be for the moment.
My friend (who is a friend, by the way, so all you pagans stop thinking what you're thinking) is concerned about the disturbing number of people who seem to be shaken by the book and may be by the flick as well. I am warned not to be so smug that I think I'm immune to having my faith shaken or that there couldn't be negative effects on others.
Didn't I link to the anti-DVC sites and (mildly) promote the "othercott"? Do I have to pretend I find them interesting, too? I don't begrudge official Catholic organs putting out their defenses, but I do think it's possible to protest so much that you give a product more attention than it merits --at this point, DVC is discussed much more in the Catholic media than anywhere else --that's my impression. And even defenses need not be so darned. . .defensive . . . . In the long run, Christ triumphs, no matter what, that was my point, so official Catholics could fruitfully dial it down a notch (I say with respect to what I'm seeing on websites). Even a viciously unfair, anti-Catholic movie is a movie, not the apocalypse.
For my money, the ideal lay response to DVC was left in a comment box at ninme's place. Asked what he thought about it, her frequent visitor "Rueful Red" said:
I said I imagined it must be a pretty effective thriller but that people who thought it bore any relation to anything that ever happened must have brains the consistency of chewing gum. Then I changed the subject - The Pieta in St Peter's is unmissable, I told him.
Perfect. The web sites and articles are fine if you want to do a point-by-point rebuttal. But some things are risible and do not merit a true rebuttal. I've chosen to do my part by covering the neglected, "Oh, please" angle. So I imagine St. Peter might greet me thus:
St. Peter: RC2, you're going to hell for squandering your time blogging when you should have been praying rosaries for the salvation of the world. But at least all your Catholic apologist friends are there to keep you company, because of all the people who lost their faith reading or seeing the Da Vinci Code because they gave it so much attention they enticed more people to take it seriously.
RC2: You mean I have to spend eternity discussing the Da Vinci Code? Aiiiggggh!
