[the_old_crowd] Re: Hoy!

[rebecca]

> David said:

> For shame!  We all know that one of the best ways to promote community
> solidarity is to manufacture an artificial enemy.
>
> I have not read this great work myself, but it amazes me the number of
> people who have trouble understanding that fiction contains propositional
> falsehoods.

and then this:

>:: Entropy ::

>And, to answer your question on another level: yes, DVC's popularity
>has probably benefited greatly from the publicity generated by
>Christian protestations of blasphemy, as has HP.

Rebecca now:

I like the DVC, but not for the "facts" page.  I like it for different 
reasons:  I'm a Leonardo da Vinci fan (I think he was brilliant), and it 
takes what has been speculated covertly (parties, art history class, 
galleries etc) probably since the Last Supper  has been restored and viewed 
and openly discusses it, whether fiction or not.  Then there's fact that 
after 20 some odd years of restoration,  the painting does not look like the 
one painted in the16th century which is now located in an abbey in Belgium. 
It's simply seeped in the mystery of time, to me, that's a strong pull. The 
16th century painting I referenced prior has a great deal more detail , but 
when viewing da Vinci's restored work,  you can count on one person in a 
group of 10 or 15 asking the question, "Is that a man or a woman as John?" 
Combine that with the architecture of Rosslyn Chapel (it is my wish in my 
lifetime to see it) and the legend of the Holy Grail, it inspired me to me 
to embark on research to increase my knowledge, including the Bible and the 
Nag Hammadi texts just to name a few.

To me, this is no different than quests I embark on when reading HP and 
LoTR - Greek mythology, Roman history, British history and the like.  It's 
all about understanding and educating one's self.

I find it totally compelling the specific vehement Catholic opposition to 
this movie, which is far more overt than the book's release and other 
denominations - they've even dedicated a website to counter arguments, some 
of which I read with a chuckle. Some evangelists here in the US are treating 
it differently;  they've arrange special Bible studies class devoted to 
answering questions about the movie, and one evangelist was quoted in the 
Washington Post as saying this event is an greater-than-average opportunity 
to to bring more sheep into the flock.

Just thought I'd share -
Rebecca