Da Vinci Code,

[Hirsap]

Dear fellow phorum members,

As the gathered by the topic title and description, I've been trying to clarify an integral aspect of our Catholic Faith, come under attack by the luducrous this book.

Let me explain. The person I am dealing with is a Catholic who while does not necessarily give full assent to the claims port forth in the Da Vinci Code, is nevetheless resigned to the 'possibility' for certain things in the book. Moreover, he doesn't see what's so bad about the concept of Jesus having children.

So I tried to explain to him that since Our Lord is Almighty God, he must necessarily be the MOST PERFECT human being. Now the celibate state (as through it one gives themselves entirely to God) is the most perfect state, therefore Jesus Christ MUST NECESSARILY have been celibate. Does anyone detect any flaws in this argument? I certainly don't.

Also, does anyone know of anything FROM THE [b]EXTRAORDINARY MAGISTERIUM [/b] going against the claims of the book? Of course, that will PRESUME he accepts the infallibility of the Church, something I may have to work on.

Thank you for your time

I hope this is posted in the correct forum.

Edited May 5, 2006 by Hirsap

[jasJis]

Hirsap,
I think that's the wrong tack to take. To say one must be Celibate to be PERFECT is patently false. Celibacy is a discipline, not a moral decree. Now you pointing out the benefit of Celibacy that allows the person to give themselves completely to God and the Church (us) I think is more on the right track. I'll let the theology-inacs give you a more complee anwer.

I don't think the Extraordinary Magisterium is going to bother to address this silly book and movie in an official capacity. It's giving the author too much credit for being serious.

Logic and reasonableness defeats the claims of the book. The guy would have to point out each aspect he has a question abou and work it out logically. Don't confuse infallibility with authority within the Church. Good common sense articles that will point you both in the right direction can be found at major sites such as Catholic Exchange or Envoy Magaizine, etc. At those sites, search for other articles by serious theologians/experts that seem to write well such as Hahn, Shea or Kreeft.

Or you could invite them here and have him challenge the local rabble at phatmass if he dares and is not a cupcake. Tell him if he refuses, he's just afraid to learn the truth.

[blovedwolfofgod]

there are books you can read... like the DaVinci Hoax and other such books. not too hard to find. Just walk into a catholic/christian bookstore.

[thessalonian]

Married or single has no infuence on perfection. In fact marriage is a way to perfection for those who have been called to it. Jesus mission was to save us from our sins. It was God interveening in history to redeem mankind. Not to create a super race of people who did not have original sin by birth. God having human children would be problematic. It was not his mission. There is no indication of it scripturally. It is nonsense.

[MC IMaGiNaZUN]

You are trying to argue the celibacy of Christ from pure reason. I wouldnt do that. I would use History.

Check this out.

None of the Apostles really had a good reason to cover up a marriage of Jesus if he ever had one. Just about all the Apostles were likely to have been married. They didnt have some kind of sick unhealthy obsession of puritanical celibacy as dan brown might like to believe. Upon first glance, if Jesus were married or not, it doesnt seem to challenge the integrity of his message.

(although, to us who know the faith clearly we may see a contradiction, but i bet you he won't. What you have to do, is show that you are not afraid of the claims of Dan Brown.) the best thing to do is Reduction ad Absurdum.

But personally i think the best argument against Dan Brown is this.

Dan Brown asserts the Apostles concocted the Resurrection of Christ to monopolize their grips on the person of Jesus, and to satisfy their own greedy search for power.

If that were true, the Aposltes all died bloody, murderous, inhumane, humiliating, wasteful deaths for a silly lie. The Aposltes, a band of unintelligent, illiteriate, cant-do-anything-right type of guys, could never predict in their wildest imaginations that Christianity would become what it has. Just using common sense, you can see how little Dan Brown has. Would people really die for a lie. It just does not happen. Especially for unsophisticated, foolish morons like the Apostles.

SHALOM