Friday, May 19, 2006




** New gospel tract at Gateway **





'Da Vinci Code' exposes Hollywood's double standard
By L. BRENT BOZELL III 5/19/2006




When Mel Gibson introduced "The Passion of the Christ" into the public conversation, Hollywood had a lot to say about it. Now Hollywood is offering its response to the release of "The Da Vinci Code," inviting commentary not on that movie, but on Hollywood itself.

Three years ago, Gibson gambled his own personal fortune on a great creative risk, going completely outside the established Tinseltown system to produce a horrifyingly realistic re-enactment of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. It took not just sacrifice but also real courage to make that movie.

Film critics and political commentators didn't just pass judgment on the film's subject, but on the craziness of the director (and even his father). Gibson's devout Catholicism, so foreign to sybaritic Hollywood, was described as a crutch for a man with an addictive personality.
But perhaps harshest of all, these pundits claimed "The Passion" would cause hatred in the land and violence in the streets.


The "experts" strenuously connected Gibson's film to the notion that passion plays were traditional tinder boxes for anti-Jewish pogroms and inquisitions. Allegedly, Christians would see the film and head for the exits to deface synagogues and assault rabbis.
When the film succeeded and people attended in droves, and left in silent prayerfulness, the critics complained that Gibson was "marketing Jesus," that he was going to make millions by exploiting devotion for personal gain.


Now witness the coming of the movie version of "The Da Vinci Code." Think of it as the anti-"Passion." In one film, Jesus was Lord; in the other, Jesus was not only merely mortal, he was the center of an elaborate fraud. In one film, Jesus founded his church at the Last Supper; in the other, the Catholic Church unfolds as a secretive, murderous, thoroughly evil conspiracy. So what's Hollywood's take?

The studios reacted quickly, with Sony lapping up the film. The network news divisions have acted like devoted puppies, with Matt Lauer going "On the Road with the Code" for NBC. ABC has held "Da Vinci Code" contests on its morning show. Denying the divinity of Jesus - the central tenet of Christianity - is just fun and games, grins and giggles.

Film critics and political commentators have been largely silent, in part because Sony was so secretive with the film. When Gibson was slow to show his film to non-Christian audiences before its release, critics railed, but Sony is receiving limited guff for its handling of this film.
No one has predicted mass violence from the Christian faithful for this film's denial of the Christ, which is odd.


If they were willing to riot for "The Passion," shouldn't they be much readier to rumble after this flick finishes smearing Jesus and his church?

Certainly, no one accused Dan Brown or Sony of "marketing Jesus," since they're going to be making millions by pouring mud on him. Hostility or indifference to Christianity is just another day at the office for today's titans of popular culture. L. Brent Bozell III is president of the Media Research Center.

"The film is a vicious distortion of Christianity, demeaning the very idea of the divinity of Christ; His miracles are scoffed at, as is His resurrection; the church is alleged to be responsible for the biggest conspiracy in history; Langdon’s view of faith leaves much to be desired." Crosswalk.com

Resources to the truth:

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/145/story_14506_1.html

http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/areas/biblestudies/articles/060426b.html

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/144/52.0.html

http://www.probe.org/content/view/127/169/







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