Simon Wrote:
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> Imagine if the church said something about every
> book that exagerated their past mistakes, framed
> them in a modern perspective, and then added
> spurious rubbish in a compelling way. They have
> to chose their battles and there is a significant
> difference between the average reader of Dan Brown
> and the average person who reads and believes
> Baigent et al.

You're making a silly argument here. Baigent et al. have written a book they allege is true or possibly true. Apparently, Brown believes it; however, his book is fiction. It is a novel. As novelist, he has an absolute right IMO to bend the truth or change facts for the sake of his art. That's poetic license. His book is not historical truth, even if it contains many true facts. If it has false facts and he happens to believe those facts are true, so what? That doesn't make them true.

The Church has taken Brown on because he hit a nerve that Baigent et al did not. I don't know whether it's the weaving of Opus Dei into the novel or the issue of the ROman church's celibacy, but I think something like that is what is really behind all these church attacks.


> What Dan Brown does is the same as
> what Hancock and Von Daniken before him did - get
> people who know nothing of history believing a
> version of history by not presenting a balanced
> picture.

That's baloney. Hancock and Von Daniken have presented their work as reality. DAN BROWN WROTE A NOVEL! Look at the title of this sub thread!! Clue: It's fiction Yes, it is -- novels are fiction! This isn't even a good novel -- it's average at best...

> As such I personally agree with the
> church that Dan Brown is more dangerous than
> pseudo history books themselves because his
> audience is the innocent casual reader that
> becomes hooked into false history.

Anyone who becomes interested in the history can check facts further. There's no evidence that's been shown that people run from this book to buy pseudo-historical books. The amount of attention the Church has heaped on this book is what's adding fuel to the fire. People often want to buy anything the Church attacks.

I haven't seen any comments from other Christian churches...Have any of the Eastern churches taken issue with Brown's book? I think it's only the Roman Catholics who have a problem with Brown's book. If I'm not mistaken, they are the only ones who practice celibacy, too.