Released on = June 26, 2006, 9:41 am

Press Release Author = Old Catholic Church

Industry = Media

Press Release Summary = Archbishop Gary Beaver of the old Catholic Church responded
to the question of the Da vinci code, condemning it as an incredible work of
fiction, not a credible tome on theology.

Press Release Body = The Davinci code makes many extravagant claims, asserting that
Christian beliefs and doctrines are based on erroneous theology, that the bible is
"not a fax from heaven" but an inconclusive much tampered with, document with a
political agenda. Far from bearing good tidings of salvation, Dan brown attempts to
convince us that the bible is thrust upon us as a weapon of mass deception.

As Christians we should be concerned about such dangerous claims. We must appreciate
however, that the Davinci code is a work of fiction, a novel riding on the coat
tails of many paperbacks such as 'templar revelation' and 'holy blood, holy
grail'. It is a novel peddling blasphemous and disgusting lies about our Saviour and
Lord, Jesus Christ, and should treated as a sacrilegious blasphemy, not a great tome
on theology.

One of the most vicious inaccuracies the Davinci Code advocates is the secret
marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, that she bore his children, the resulting
bloodline being continued through French Royalty, protected by everyone's favourite
conspirators, the Knights Templar Order, and the Priory of Sion, whose bogus Grand
Master even claims royal lineage from our Lord Jesus, the fact that he later
admitted to making the whole thing up, including the list of illustrious Grand
Masters of this order is of no concern to Dan Brown, who continues to disparage the
Catholic Church in particular, and the universal Church as a whole, introducing
various secret societies in protecting this shocking secret, as well as giving Opus
Dei a make over as sinister Mafioso type murdering monks!

The conclusion that the Holy Grail is Mary, as she is the vessel that contained
Holy Blood. This would have shocked Sir Galahad and the other Arthurian knights
whose quest was for a chalice.

Apart from the fact that it foundations lay in esoterica, and not history, there are
many other problems with this story. It toys with the identity of Jesus. Either
Jesus was divine and pure, or divine and married to a mortal women, which would make
the offspring demi-Gods, but Dan Brown goes even further and grossly distorts the
identity of Jesus, negatively. He is neither a Messiah nor a carpenter, but a
wealthy teacher bent on regaining the throne of David, and on his way amplifies his
credentials by marrying Magdelene who carries the royal blood of Benjamin.

The fact that the bible, and historical books are silent on the matter of Christ's
wedding is of no concern to Dan Brown.

In the bible, the apostle Paul defends his right to get married if he so chooses to
do so: "Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the
other apostles, the Lord's brothers and Caiphas?" Now, if Jesus had been married,
that would have been a number one precedent for Paul to cite.

There is a line of reasoning that every Jewish man of Christ's age was expected to
marry. But this is historically incorrect as John the Baptist was celibate, as was
Jeremiah and whole communities such as the Essene at Qumran.

Jesus himself approved of voluntary celibacy for religious reasons and explicitly
rejected a duty to marry: "There are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for
the kingdom of heaven. He that can take, let him take it."

Further, it must be noted that Jesus' marriage is yet future, as Revelation states
"He will one day marry the "bride of Christ," which is the church.

If we have all got Jesus so wrong, then why did those so close to him die for their
belief in him as the Messiah. Many of the Apostles were murdered, and even though
Peter was being crucified upside down in Rome, he wrote to his brethren in Asia
encouraging them and strengthening them in facing Neronian persecution, during
which Paul was beheaded. These were witnesses to the Christ, and who died for that
truth.

The glaring danger is that readers of the Davinci Code, will accept this appallingly
written, horrendously researched drivel as Gnostic insight, leading them away from
Jesus.

In closing his statement, Archbishop Gary Beaver stated "only through Christ can we
know God."


Web Site = http://oldcatholic.eu

Contact Details = Old Catholic Church
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