Who's right: The Da Vinci Code or The Da Vinci Hoax?

That's the question posed on this Yahoo! forum and here are some of the erudite and thoughtful answers:

• We can ask this question forever, but the truth is, no-one will ever really know cause no-one can prove either beyond a shadow of a doubt.

•  I think the code is right

•  I think its too late. too many people have gotten carried away. Its a book. It has some ideas and theories. Thats all. Its not a book that can change the world. And the only reason why its effecting the Christian faith is because they are taking it way too personal.

•  It is a book.It is not right or wrong

•  who cares! the story is good!

And the winner:

•  Who r we 2 decide? ultimately in time 2 the truth will be revealed. just wait n watch. Thou alot of details in da book make u wonder (the priory of zion, the templars knights, the blood of jesus cud it have meant a bloodline?) ... After all jesus walked this earth as a human n definatley had human needs...

Hmmm. I sense a common theme in many of the "answers": We really cannot know what happened. There's no way to find out the truth about Jesus. We can't figure out the truth nor should we try to push it on others.

Coincidentally (ha!), that general notion comes through loud and clear (and heavy-handedly) in the movie, which has the main characters making absurd assertions and then, in the next breath, opining about how the most important thing is not knowing the truth (since you can't know it!), but "is what you believe." In the words of a former ("Christian") boss of mine: "The most important thing is finding a spirituality that works for you." That, in essence, is a major message of the novel and the movie. The other central message is just as noxious: Christianity is a sham and a lie. Avoid it. Deny it. Mock it.

Comments

[PhilVaz]

These kids need to read a little bit. Josh McDowell is at least a start, but don't stop there.

http://www.campuscrusade.com/DaVinciquest/

Or maybe something a little more on their level.....

http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/

Da Vinci Hoax may be too tough reading for them.

Begin with Clifford, then move to Malcolm Barber on The Knights Templar....

Phil P

[The Da Vinci Code (2006)]

Tim has a great site! It's much of the same information that's in "The Da Vinci Hoax", but it's probably true that there are people out there who will see Tim as less biased than Carl and Sandra, even though they make many of the same points. I have already highly recommended Tim's site on a Christian message board that I frequent.