'Da Vinci' Film Divides British Churches
johac
I guess they don't like it because it disagrees with their fiction.
---
'Da Vinci' Film Divides British Churches
British Churches Divided Over Whether to Allow Filming of 'The Da Vinci
Code'
By JILL LAWLESS
The Associated Press
Aug. 17, 2005 - Westminster Abbey said no, but Lincoln Cathedral was
happy to oblige as was a small Scottish chapel.
British churches are divided over whether to allow filming of "The Da
Vinci Code," an adaptation of Dan Brown's biblically revisionist
megaseller.
The novel has drawn strong protests from the Roman Catholic Church, and
the movie version has fanned whispers of discontent in Lincoln, where
Tom Hanks and the crew were filming Tuesday.
"To a believer, any believer, what is happening is blasphemous," said a
woman identifying herself as Sister Mary Michael, who held a solo prayer
vigil outside the medieval cathedral.
But the head of Lincoln's Anglican cathedral, the Very Rev. Alec Knight,
conceded that the novel was "far-fetched and heretical" and defended the
decision to allow filming. The cathedral in central England accepted a
reported $180,000 to double as Westminster Abbey in the Ron
Howard-directed film.
"It has clearly touched the public imagination, and the church needs to
open up a debate about it rather than throw one's hands up and walk away
from it," Knight said.
He confirmed the cathedral had received a donation, but refused to
disclose the amount. Sony Pictures, which plans to release the film next
May, would not comment.
Brown's fictional thriller follows professor Robert Langdon as he
investigates the murder of an elderly member of an ancient society that
guards dark secrets about the quest for the Holy Grail and the story of
Jesus Christ. The book's mix of code-breaking, art history, religion and
mystical lore has helped it sell 25 million copies since it was
published two years ago.
But many Christians have been offended by the book's central claim that
Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had descendants. Cardinal Tarcisio
Bertone, a former Vatican official, said the book espoused heresy and
called on Catholics to boycott it.
Westminster Abbey, the 1,000-year-old London edifice where British
monarchs are crowned and buried and whose Chapter House is featured in
the book turned down an approach from producers earlier this year,
saying it would be "inappropriate" to allow filming.
"Although it is a fine page-turner, we cannot commend or endorse the
contentious and wayward religious and historic suggestions made in the
book nor its views of Christianity and the New Testament," the Abbey
said in a statement.
Other Anglican institutions have been more welcoming. Winchester
Cathedral in Southern England has given permission for filming to take
place later this year, as has Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh.
The 40-by-90 foot medieval chapel has attracted tens of thousands of
tourists, many of them American, since Brown popularized its links to
the once-powerful Knights Templar, a medieval military order.
Chapel director Stuart Beattie said the 15th-century chapel expected
100,000 visitors this year, almost triple the number of two years ago.
---
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/print?id=1043839
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
Therion Ware
On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 00:05:24 -0700 in alt.atheism, johac (johac
<jha...@ixpres.com>) said, directing the reply to alt.atheism
>Hey, guys! It's only fiction!
>
>I guess they don't like it because it disagrees with their fiction.
and that they don't own the rights to their own story, so get no money
when someone films it.
[snip]
kathryn
"johac" <jha...@ixpres.com> wrote in message
news:jhachm-983AE9....@news.giganews.com...
> Hey, guys! It's only fiction!
>
> I guess they don't like it because it disagrees with their fiction.
>
johac
"kathryn" <nos...@here.com> wrote:
It is an absurd spectacle. Of course all it is doing is generating a lot
of free publicity for the upcoming film. the churches would do better
just to ignore it.
johac
Therion Ware <autod...@city-of-dis.com> wrote:
Too bad, or they could sue Mel Gibson.
Phÿltêr
johac <jha...@ixpres.com> astounded us with: news:jhachm-
983AE9.000...@news.giganews.com:
> Hey, guys! It's only fiction!
>
> I guess they don't like it because it disagrees with their fiction.
>
> ---
> 'Da Vinci' Film Divides British Churches
>
> British Churches Divided Over Whether to Allow Filming of 'The Da Vinci
> Code'
> By JILL LAWLESS
> The Associated Press
>
> Aug. 17, 2005 - Westminster Abbey said no, but Lincoln Cathedral was
> happy to oblige as was a small Scottish chapel.
>
> British churches are divided over whether to allow filming of "The Da
> Vinci Code," an adaptation of Dan Brown's biblically revisionist
> megaseller.
>
> The novel has drawn strong protests from the Roman Catholic Church, and
> the movie version has fanned whispers of discontent in Lincoln, where
> Tom Hanks and the crew were filming Tuesday.
>
> "To a believer, any believer, what is happening is blasphemous," said a
> woman identifying herself as Sister Mary Michael, who held a solo prayer
> vigil outside the medieval cathedral.
>
> But the head of Lincoln's Anglican cathedral, the Very Rev. Alec Knight,
> conceded that the novel was "far-fetched and heretical" and defended the
> decision to allow filming. The cathedral in central England accepted a
> reported $180,000 to double as Westminster Abbey in the Ron
> Howard-directed film.
Amusing that $180,000 somehow eased the indignation....
--
Phÿltêr
AA#1938
Denizen of Darkness #44 & AFJC Antipodean Attaché
Remove "s" to respond
http://www.jesusneverexisted.com