“THERE IS PERHAPS NO GREATER SCANDAL ABOUT THESE DAYS THAN WHAT HAS APPEARED IN THE NEW BEST SELLING NOVEL CALLED – ‘THE DA VINCI CODE.’ THIS RUNAWAY SUSPENSE THRILLER HAS CAUSED MANY TO QUESTION THE ORIGINS AND REALITY OF CHRISTIANITY BY ITS OUTRAGEOUS CLAIMS INTERSPERSED BETWEEN ITS PAGES. THEREFORE WE MUST ASK, ‘WHAT IN THIS BOOK IS FACT AND FICTION?’”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about Dan Brown’s best selling novel, and new blockbuster film --  the Da Vinci Code! Stay tuned…

…A few years ago while waiting to travel in an airport, I picked up a suspense novel called “the Da Vinci Code.” The title intrigued me, so I bought it and read through it while traveling in early spring of 2003. After finishing the book, I was mystified and appalled at the outrageous statements the author was making, leading his readers to believe them as historical well researched “facts,” while skillfully interweaving them with the fiction story of treachery, religious fanaticism, ancient conspiracies and everything else for the suspicious mind. Without a doubt, it was good reading as far as fiction goes, but the real problem is this book went on to become a best-seller and continues to be after selling more than 40 million copies. In fact, it has since been translated into 40 languages and now a motion picture debuts this coming Friday the 19^th of May, with the same story line and sadly the supposed fictional facts as undeniable history! It is with this last emphasis I want to devote today’s radio broadcast; because, the supposed facts on which the book is based are not only flawed outrageous error, but a concentrated deceitful attack upon the faith of Christianity itself. So my friend, stay with me for after another musical pause, I’ll return with my message entitled: THE DA VINCI CODE SCANDAL…

…I confess to you – I’m a mystery thriller fan! Yes, I enjoy reading fiction books that take me through a labyrinth of intriguing plots and happenings that set me on the edge of my chair. Of course, I read and enjoy them because they are an escape from my busy reality giving me rest of mind from the pressures of our fast paced world we live in. However, I read them only as fiction, and have no difficulty sorting out fact from fiction. Yet, this was brought to the greatest test in the runaway mega-selling novel called the “DA VINCI CODE” by Dan Brown. Admittedly, the fictional story was thrilling, and it seems well written, but I was seriously disturbed by the outrageous claims the author penned in the beginning of the book about history and the origins of Christianity that are absolute rubbish and lies! Dan Brown, the author a former English teacher, apparently has an “ax to grind,” first against the Roman Catholic Church which he erroneously equates as the solid representation of Christianity. As such, he attempts to interweave his personal bias with twisted facts and fiction. The danger here is that millions of unsuspecting and unknowledgeable readers will come to believe this book although fiction in the story line, is actually written on proven researched facts of history, which Brown says expose Christianity as a false cult, and reduce it to a fiction fairy tale itself. Well my friend, I want to set the record straight at least for my listeners. So let’s begin…

First of all, I can’t believe that anyone is alive today, who has not heard something about this book, THE DA VINCI CODE. But for the miniscule few, who may exist, let me summarize it for you.

The Book is a story of a fierce battle down through the ages between the Roman Catholic Church representing Christianity, and a group of crusaders desperately attempting to protect the truth concerning Jesus Christ and the faith that followed him. It begins – while in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, with a baffling cipher found near the body. As Langdon and a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of DaVINCI - clues visible for all to see, and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter that reveal that Christianity today is a lie! The novel unfolds as a fast-paced, engaging combination of murder mystery and thriller set in the modern day against a background of a secret society, “the Priory of Sion.” It includes references to actions and beliefs by a number of  historical people and groups, including Leonardo Da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, Emperor Constantine, the Council of Nicaea, the Roman Catholic Church, the apostle Peter, Mary Magdalene, and of course Jesus Christ.

What’s terribly wrong with the book is it is Dan Brown’s antichristian propaganda vehicle to convey his hatred for historical truth and Biblical Christianity and in particular the Roman Catholic Church of which he, by the way, is unable to distinguish the difference. To build the basis of the book’s story line, Brown tells his readers upfront that it is based on undeniable well researched established facts of history such as:

THE FALSE FACTS PROMOTED IN THE NOVEL, THE DAVINCI CODE

1. Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and together they produced a child named Sarah.

2. Since the year 1099, a powerful and wealthy super secret society was formed known as the “Priory of Sion,” which has preserved knowledge of Christ’s marriage, and family, and protected the “holy Grail,” that is his bloodline descendants down through history, which included the kings of France.

3. Leonardo DaVinci, a “Priory” leader and a pagan-goddess worshipper secretly coded this knowledge of Christ’s marriage and offspring into his paintings about Jesus and Mary.

4. The Christian faith and the Bible is, Brown claims, a work of fiction produced by the Roman Catholic Church and Emperor Constantine for the express purpose of subjugating women and crowning men with authority and position as the Roman Catholic Church and Christianity has promoted down through the centuries.

5. No one, including the apostles and early church believed, prior to the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. that Jesus was God come in the flesh.

Amazingly enough, all five of these teachings are presented in the book’s preface and throughout the story as absolute proven, undeniable, reliably substantiated FACTS OF HISTORY! However, in reality ALL of them are totally unsubstantiated nonsense and false, for they are NOT found in history at all! This is where the danger lies, for it has caused many to doubt the true Christian faith, and others to turn in anger against it. Now let’s take time to answer these outrageous claims.

MYTH #1 - Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and together they produced a child named Sarah.

The role of the biblical Mary Magdalene as “Mrs. Jesus,” is the most absurd and blasphemous lie ever produced. Dan Brown says this is substantiated in history. On page 244, Brown states in his book, “more specifically, her marriage to Jesus Christ… is a matter of record.” Really, “I ask, where??” This idea has come out of the ranting and raving of fairytale spinners down through the centuries, many of Gnostic mysticism. Yet there is not one shred of evidence, none whatsoever, that this is or was true. In fact, the opposite stands as convincing record. The apostle Paul stated in the first century,

1 Cor 9:5 ( NIV ) Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas ?

Here Paul states that the apostles, Peter and the Lord’s brothers all were married. Now if Jesus himself were married, Paul would surely have mentioned this as the greatest illustration of his text. Yet he doesn’t! Without question this is lawful evidence Jesus was never married, regardless of what apocryphal Gnostic books of the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries such as the “Gospel of Philip,” or the “Gospel of Mary Magdalene,” have said or the atheist fictional publication such as the “Holy Blood, Holy Grail,” which Dan Brown draws heavily upon for supposed facts also depicts.

Now think about it -- If Jesus Christ, the infinite God Man, did marry and fostered a child. That child would in essence be part God, perhaps sinless herself and truly be a goddess to worship. God never allowed such a thing to happen, and nothing in history even alludes to this! It’s pure nonsense. Secondly, we must debunk…

MYTH #2 - Since the year 1099, a powerful and wealthy super secret society was formed known as the “Priory of Sion,” which has preserved knowledge of Christ’s marriage and family, and protected his descendants down through history.  

Today if anyone searches for the existence of this secret society in any public or university library, they will find nothing! The Priory of Sion was created out of whole cloth in 1956 by a French anti-Semite con man, Pierre Plantard. In 1975, documents were found in the Biblioteque Nationale in Paris that allegedly proved the Priory is as old as 1099, and that Leonardo DaVinci and Isaac Newton and other luminaries secretly presided over it. These documents were proved later in a French court to be planted fakes. Thus, this modern day group never kept any watchful eye over the descendants of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, nor anything else for that matter. Brown’s assertions are totally foundless and false. Now this brings us to the third supposed fact the DaVinci Code promotes as truth,

MYTH #3 - Leonardo DAVinci was a “Priory” leader and a pagan-goddess worshipper and secretly coded this knowledge of Christ’s offspring into his paintings about Jesus and Mary.  

For years, detractors of the Bible and the Christian faith have claimed that DaVinci’s famous portrait of the “Last Supper,” shows Mary Magdalene by Jesus’ right side. One must have a good imagination to see or believe that. If she is there, then we must ask where is the apostle John who is the real personage DaVINCI painted there? It’s amazing to build truth on the fantasy thinking of individuals. DaVINCI often painted younger men with what today we might call feminine features, which were simply gentle not feminine. The DaVinci’s “Last Supper” no where shows Mary Magdalene. In fact, DaVinci himself, tells us this figure to Jesus’ right is John the apostle in his preliminary sketch writings, entitled “TREATISE ON PAINTING.” Secondly,, DaVINCI was never a “Priory” leader for the organization itself NEVER existed during his lifetime. Now forth in the line of myths is,

MYTH #4 - The Christian faith and ITS Bible ARE a work of fiction produced by the Emperor Constantine for the express purpose of suppressing women and crowning men with ABSOLUTE authority and position   

Brown goes on to “wax ineloquently,” that Jesus Christ was never considered divine, just a mortal prophet until the fourth century; that worship was changed to Sunday by Constantine to honor the sun god; that the Christian faith produced the suppression and subjugation of women and demonized sex. Unlike the four Gospels that uphold the value and equality of women, the fanaticizing Gnostic gospels are actually degrading to women. For instance the Gospel of Thomas declares that “a woman cannot be saved unless God first changes her into a man” (the very last verse of Thomas, 114). Lastly, let’s explode the myth paraded as fact that says,

5. No one, including the apostles and early church believed, prior to the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. that Jesus was God come in the flesh.

Again, in the Gospels, written in the first century, we see that Jesus was divine. This is why He was delivered up to be crucified. The Jews accused Him of blasphemy, which is why they arrested Jesus and had a “trial” among themselves. Dan Brown’s view that the early Christians believed Jesus was only a mortal rests on historical quicksand. From the very beginning, Christians worshiped Jesus as the Creator God. Cracking Da Vinci’s Code authors Jim Garlow and Peter Jones have compiled a list of several Church Fathers—all of whom wrote before the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.—affirming this most basic Christian doctrine that Jesus was divine. Those Fathers include: Ignatius (writing in 105 A.D.), Clement (150), Justin Martyr (160), Irenaeus (180), Tertullian (200), Origen (225), Novatian (235), Cyprian (250), Methodius (290), Lactantius (304), and Arnobius (305). Furthermore, one of the earliest Christian creeds was “Jesus is the Lord” (Kurios), taken from (1 Corinthians 12:3). Any statements to the contrary are nonsense!

So then it is without a doubt, that the Roman Emperor Constantine although converted to Christ, like many of his day also believed a number of errors that did not in any way take away his belief that Jesus Christ was the infinite God and man who came to redeem lost sinners. On his deathbed he asked to be baptized thinking that act completed his faith and washed away his last sins against God. As to the divinity of Jesus Christ, the entire New Testament Church affirmed this, as the twelve apostles who went to their death doing so, as did Jesus Christ Himself by His miracles and His own words, and last of all the Bible itself does too. Long before Constantine came on the scene. For instance,

John 8:58 ( NIV )  "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

John 8:24 ( NIV )  I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."

There are more inconsistencies and errors in the book, the DaVinci Code, but suffice it to say Christianity neither stands nor falls on the foolish fantasies of best selling authors or detractors of the Christian faith. The fact remains:

Jesus Christ was virgin born of a human mother, but had no human father AND NEVER MARRIED OR COMMITTED FORNICATION.

The Creator God Himself came upon the Virgin Mary of Nazareth, and formed a human being in her womb that was fully God Himself and fully man. The purpose of this was to bring forth a sinless, perfect human being to become the sacrificial offering for the sin penalty all humanity faced for its sin. Jesus did live a perfect life and gave up that life when the world and the devil crucified him on the cross. There, God poured out His wrath against all sin and God the Son offered His infinite life in death, as final and full payment for mankind’s sins. This is the great story of the Christian faith. The wrath of God’s holiness was assuaged by Jesus Christ, and his sin payment offering -- His life for ours is transferred to anyone’s account through what the Bible calls “faith alone.” Listen to God’s Word on this matter,

John 1:1-3 ( NIV )  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

John 1:14 ( NIV )  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Gal 4:4 ( NIV )  But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,

Rom 8:3 ( NIV ) “… God  [sent] his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.

Rom 5:8 ( NIV )  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Eph 2:8-9 ( NIV )  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

John 3:16 ( NIV )  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

That my friend is true Christianity. One does not have to worship on the Sabbath, keep the Old Testament Jewish ceremonial laws, nor live a perfect life of religious asceticism to have God’s favor and forgiveness. All one needs to do is receive into their heart and life, Jesus Christ as Lord God and Savior, by faith, trusting His death was payment for your sin and acceptable to God the Father as Scripture tells us.

Dan Brown’s book of fantasy and fiction is not that at all. It is a book of absolute and total fiction cover to cover, a modern day “ELVIS IS ALIVE” myth, and its emphasis is simply an attempt to incorporate Brown’s anti-Christian bias into a work that attempts to persuade others to follow his corrupt beliefs.

The DaVINCI Code is a best seller, and I’m sure the film that debuts this coming weekend will be to. But now you know the truth though, for its so-called researched facts are really poor tasteless fiction too. Brown is purely a fiction writer who doesn’t know fact from his fiction. The important thing is his readers need to know the difference. My faith was not at all brought into doubt by the presentation of  the false as true. The Bible says,

Prov 12:19 ( NIV )  Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

Such works as these although they create a great stir are at times good for the faith and the church of Jesus Christ . Why? Because heresy has always been helpful as it forces a renewed attention to be given to the basic and fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith in order to counter error. Some really good books are out today that do this. But most important of all, why not just read the Bible! Within its pages are the words that lead to life, and contain some of the most thrilling accounts of human difficulty and feats of greatness that can be found anywhere, and best of all it is reliable historical FACT and not fiction at all!

 Moreover, it can and will lead all who embrace its truth and teachings to life eternal, beginning here and now. Friend, do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord God and Savior? If not trust Him today by a prayer of faith and reach out and receive God’s free gift of life eternal to all who crown Jesus Christ their God and King.

That my friend, is the totality of Christianity which neither denigrates femininity, nor lauds male superiority. Jesus had the utmost respect for women; and, Christianity above all other religious beliefs elevated women to their rightful place along side of the man. Dan Brown’s book, “the DaVINCI Code,” is a work of pure fiction, based on dangerous lies that can lead many away from the truths of God and His Word.  Yet I do not fear this book, for truth always prevails in the end and those who are willing to look at the real facts will understand…

…Friend, the hammers of dissent and rejection of God and His Son Jesus Christ have banged the anvil of the Bible for centuries, but they have not worn away truth. We need not fear truth becoming non-existent. The rabid voices of detractors will die away, but the Bible will stand as truth forever. I trust you’ve accepted it by crowning Jesus Christ as your God and Savior. He alone is the rock of salvation that will stand for eternity. All who put their hope of tomorrow in Him will find His power for living in this life and for eternity. May God bless His Word to every heart.

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·         Radio talk #2006

·         Broadcast date: May 14, 2006

·         Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator

·         Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast

·         Address: P.O. Box 60033 Grand Junction, CO 81506

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The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 25 years, and serves as General Director.

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