Hide or Seek?
When it comes to [tag]The DaVinci Code[/tag] movie, being released in theaters on May 19th, there is alot of discussion underway in Christian circles about what action to take — and there is no shortage of opinions and options given. Some advocate not seeing the film, while others think it is good to see the movie in order be able to discuss it with friends. And, still others call for boycotts and bans of the film. But … should we hide, or seek?
Today I was asked by a friend — an associate pastor at a local Evangelical church — for my thoughts on an email-update article written by Dr. James Emery White (not to be confused with the apologist James R. White) about whether to see The DaVinci Code or not.
The following is my reply to him, with a few edits made to extraneous “inside” commentary. Of course, I don’t want to waste an opportunity to post. 
I think I may have hinted at (or perhaps I was quite explicit in sharing) my opinions about whether to see or read “The Davinci Code” (TDC). And I think there’s not a clear-cut answer to the question. Like many things, it depends.
What will our friends, co-workers, and perhaps even family think of our answers if we have not seen the film or read the book? There is always the chance that our objections will be greeted with cynicism. Yet, with careful [tag]discussion[/tag], it may be possible to overcome this obstacle.
Do we need to see the film or read the book? I think that we can address the issues that the TDC raises without giving a single dime to support it. However, that assumes that we are properly informed about the origins and history of our faith and can properly and effectively relay that to others.
That said, I have tended to come up with two categories — those who should see the film and those who should not see the film. In the first category are those who have friends raving about TDC; who take it as more than a work of fiction; where it is shaping their friends’ faith and ideology. The educated and articulate Christian should consider going with their friend(s) who are already going. I don’t believe, however, that there should be any encouragement to get one’s friends to go simply to create an evangelistic opportunity.
The second category is for everyone else. Any who don’t have an intention of speaking to their friends, or answering those who are vulnerable to the deceptions present in TDC don’t need to see it, don’t need to give money to it. By giving money to it, as the author of the article states in the end, it may encourage similar productions.
The basic jist of my view on Christian enagement of the culture is that the world needs to again see something different about us … not merely in our words, but in our actions, in our life. What they see needs to be appealing. Today, it seems that there are many in churches (no matter the denomination or affiliation) that try to use pop culture to make the Christian message and lifestyle appealing to the point that it is often difficult to discern the Christian from the secularist. My basis? … the appeal of the first Christians as witnessed to in the scriptures (not to mention history).
[tags]evangelism, boycott, culture[/tags]
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