Bizarre e-mail of the week!

It's long, so I'll just excerpt the, um, most interesting parts:

To all who oppose and fear the release of The Da Vinci Code Movie. It pains me to see your lack in wisdom while experiencing this wave of curiosity in the public due to the exploitation of different thinking. It disappoints me that you who claim to adore and respect our once flesh friend Jesus strays so far from his requests.

Huh? Why is it assumed that opposition to something implies fear? I'm opposed to all sorts of things, including tofu burgers and reruns of "The Lawrence Welk Show", but it doesn't follow that I fear them. Besides, if this reader is opposed to our opposition to the Coded Craziness, what does she fear about said opposition?

He who loved unconditionally and was wise with words. What would our Holy Lord say about this book and movie? I believe he'd be wise and say nothing at all.

Good try, but [BUZZ!] wrong answer. This reminds me a certain passage in Luke's Gospel: "And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples.' He answered, 'I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.'" (Lk 19:40). Or Luke 21, the principle of which can be applied, I think, to this uproar over TDVC:

But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be a time for you to bear testimony. Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. (Lk 21:13-15)

The reader continues:

Faith has no place in forcing ones views. Anger in which baits and creates revenge is surely only a test of faith. Love they enemy and allow gracefully as the Lord himself would do and has asked of us all to do, open your ears, and seal tight your lips, just listen, say nothing allow them to think, allow them to feel allow them their choice

It would appear that the reader has about as good of grasp of the Gospels as does Dan Brown. Meanwhile, the apostle Peter, who knew a thing or two about Jesus and the Christian faith, stated: "Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence" (1 Pet 3:15).

Finally, the reader calls upon two fonts of wisdom to buttress her argument:

"Speaking Words Of Wisdom, Let it be-Let it be-" — John  Lennon
Think for yourself / Question authority" — Tool

The latter reference is to a song, "Third Eye", by the rock band Tool; the song opens with a spoken sample from the late, great, and very high Timothy Leary, who preaches:

Think for yourself/Question authority. Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are going in this ocean of chaos, it has been the authorities, the political, the religious, the educational authorities who attempted to comfort us by giving us order, rules, regulations, informing, forming in our minds their view of reality. To think for yourself you must question authority and learn how to put yourself in a state of vulnerable, open-mindedness; chaotic, confused, vulnerability to inform yourself."

That's far out and mind-blowing, dude, but also inherently nonsensical. After all, when you say: "Question authority," you are making an authoritative statement and implicitly asking the listener to accept your authority. But why should I give creedence to the authority of those who tell me to question authority? Yes, questioning is good. Arriving at trite, inane blatherings is not so good.

Comments

[Paul H]

Hey Carl,

Do you ever get any follow-up responses from Da Vinci Code fans, after you reply to their oh-so-intelligent e-mails on the blog here? I'd be interested to know if any of these Code fans actually listen to some of the points that you make. But I would guess that even if you do get responses from them, it's probably more of the same "you're a close-minded fundamentalist who is scared of a novel that after all is just fiction" stuff.

[little gidding]

Sounds like your correspondent was channeling some n-dimensional being and her babelfish was burping--"our flesh friend Jesus"?

[Ed Peters]

All those folks who have "I read banned books." bumper-stickers, here's an idea for you: "I read plagarized books."

[Jackson]

Most ironically, he includes not a bit of original thought in his nonsense.

Carl, I notice that these hostile messages you receive are almost always poorly written. They also have a certain schizophrenic quality. Strange.

[Ed Peters]

Jackson: re: "schizophrenic quality."
i noticed that, too, in some of them...poor carl.

[Cristina A. Montes]

I'm the third one who has noticed that the pro-TDVC hate mail Carl receives are usually badly written. Oh well, one reason reading is recommended is that it helps you express yourselves better. Would it be logical to conclude that the quality of your communication skills reflects the kind of books you read and like?

[Michael Hugo]

This definitely sounds like a "translation" issue. Or some OTHER issue. Pray for them.

[Peony Moss]

What is it with DVC and attribution? "Let it Be" was written and sung by Paul McCartney.

[thedegu]

Unlike Leary and McCartney (or Lennon for that matter), Jesus was not some mellow pothead hippie.

The wimpy, 'easygoing nice guy' Jesus is about as phony as Brown's...