The Da Vinci Code
I just heard that a cardinal has suggested that the Catholic church sue the movie-makers. My sister asked if I thought she should read the book. I tried to get my mom to read it, and I gave it to my children, so I guess that answers that question. I remember Amy being upset with some of theories the book places forward, and my only answer to her was that it's fiction. Interestingly, I was never offended, and I think I've just figured out why. As I was growing up, my dad was very anti-Roman, so I grew up with more of a puritan-Lutheran background than I probably needed. One thing that really stuck with me was that "holy relics" probably aren't real and shouldn't be worshiped. That was strengthened when Pastor Meuter taught me the word adiagrapha (I'm not sure how to spell it, and I can't even find it in an online Greek lexicon!), which means basically all of the parts of worship that exist because of tradition. They're not necessary for our salvation and possibly not Biblical. Pastor Meuter believed that the ONLY necessary part of worship is the knowledge that Christ is our savior, and ALL the rest is adiagrapha! That is why I'm not offended by any assertions made by The Da Vinci Code.