Indian Christians want 'Da Vinci' banned, offer bounty for author's head

[Julius Civitatus]

My oh my, the fundies are losing it with this movie:

http://www.eni.ch/articles/display.shtml?06-0391

Some Indians want 'Da Vinci' banned, one offers bounty for author's head

New Delhi (ENI). Some Indian Christians are so incensed with the fictional blockbuster "The Da Vinci Code" they want the government to ban it and one Roman Catholic has offered a bounty of US$25 000 on the head of author Dan Brown, leaving other members of the faithful embarrassed by the reaction.

The Mumbai Catholic Council has threatened to stop the screening of the movie if the government fails to ban the recently released movie of the book. Another group called the Catholic Social Forum has said if the shows go ahead it will launch a death fast from 12 May.

Nicolas Almeida, a Catholic and former Mumbai municipal councillor, offered a reward of 1.1 million rupees ($25 000) for the head of author Brown, leading a Catholic journalist to compare Almeida to the Taliban. (...)

The irony of it all!

[yellowcanine]

1. How Christlike of them. I guess they missed the Sunday School lesson

where Jesus said, "Love your enemies, etc....."

[saigon68]

2. Nut Cases

Kill for Jayzeus

[0007]

5. Dats cuz they think Jays'us wants 'em for a sunbeam

[AzDar]

3. Self-delete

[Zorro]

4. If the Da Vinci Code causes this reaction

they're going to go absolutely, completely apeshit when Angels and Demons is made into a movie.

[TlalocW]

6. Personally, I'm hoping that "Good Omens"

by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, if it ever gets made into a movie, will do them in.

TlalocW

[cliss]

36. Good point, and I never thought of that.

Keep coming out with new movies, and they'll self-destruct from the rage.

[RethugAssKicker]

19. Are there plans to make a movie of Angelsand Demons ?

INO, that book was better than Davinci Code.

[TechBear_Seattle]

28. "Angels and Demons" won't cause such an uproar

That book is about an Illuminati plot to use antimatter to destroy the Vatican. Hardly in the same league as asserting that Jesus was a father as well as a Son.

[Triana]

7. Isn't religious dogma a wonderful thing?

God protect me from your followers. Please continue to help them destroy themselves.

[Strong Atheist]

8. "Another group called the Catholic Social Forum has said if the shows go

ahead it will launch a death fast from 12 May."

Go for it!;-)

[Oak2004]

50. I seem to remember way back in my catechism classes

that it's a mortal sin to commit suicide (i.e., a death fast).

So, evidently, movies are enough to cause Catholics to commit mortal sins. In the spirit of "gimmie that cookie or I'll hold my breath", it's now "do what I say or I'm going to get real mad and make myself go to hell"!

Great theology, guys. Keep reminding me why I left that oh-so-confused Church.

[flashdebadge]

62. "oh-so-confused church"

I'll say, imagine that the vatican would see the need to "interpret" God's word. As though He couldn't do an effective enough job communicating to His own creation. I say let the bible interpret itself. I actually think it does a great job of it. If the bible truly is the inspired word of God, then God doesn't need "men" to write a book on how to read it.

my 2 cents. :)

[Zorra]

9. Separation of church and state gets even more beautiful as it gets

older.

[MindPilot]

10. They don't seem to realize the Da Vinci Code is fiction...

just like the bible.

As Superman would say, "What irony."

[zann725]

68. In every Truth, there is some element of "fiction," and vice versa.

As any good writer will tell you. Most often the more dangerously, controversially something contains Truth...it is more likely to be "camoflauged" as ENTIRELY fictional to avoid outright public outrage.

Fictional? Maybe...maybe not... I'd say about 30% of this movie was (mostly certain "plot" actions of the investigating characters in the novel).

With so many entirely fictional AND popular "Reality Shows" on TV these days (including most of the news), TRULY it DOES become increasingly difficult to separate REAL Truth from Reality.

This movie seemed to contain FAR MORE Truth than most "Reality" shows aired daily in Prime Time. But, whatever...gets you through the day...

[ConcernedCanuk]

11. Christians - remember that wee thing about "Thou shalt not kill"??

.
.
.

you too George

I don't remember anything in the Bible about "kill them just in CASE they might kill me"

maybe I missed a verse sumwhere . . .

(sigh)

[paparush]

12. Hey....its FUCKING FICTION!!! Nothing to see...move along.

[Cha]

13. THey have no

right to be callin' themselves "Christians"! They need another name.."Devil Worhippers" comes to mind.

[undergroundpanther]

55. Bingo

You got it!! they react because a book of fiction has spirit in it and thier church is dead.. they worship the ruler the kingdom of this world the archon that's thier problem there is no spirit in them.

[stubtoe]

14. It was only a matter of time before a fatwah was declared on Brown.

But I was sure it would have been done here first, in the US, by someone like Falwell or some such.

[al bupp]

15. I say, Death to all Fanatics!

w/ tongue planted firmly in cheek, that is.

[truthisfreedom]

16. $25k? a little cheap... they must not know how many copies of the book he

sold.

[thereismore]

17. A fatwa! Some "christians" sicken me. nt

[Daphne08]

18. "...and one Roman Catholic has offered a bounty

of US $25,000 on the head of author Dan Brown..."

Sound familiar?

[saltpoint]

20. I thought Dan Brown's book was kind of entertaining, but by no

means provocative enough to warrant death threats.

These people need a glass of scotch and a couple days off.

Hells bells.

[zann725]

21. I made the mistake of mentioning I liked the movie at the gym yesterday...

Unknowingly, there were no less than FOUR Fundamentalist Born-Again's in the room at the time who morally descended upon me like preaching hell-and-brimstone locusts. All I said was I liked the movie!! And was met with 'Was I NOT afraid of Hell?" I failed to see the transition...

Besides, I was just stating an "opinion"...which my born-again's told me meant I was "judging them??"
Talk about 'reading something into' nothing...

What I was trying to say WAS...I didn't read the book, but technically found the condensation of the rather large book and its intricate plot...a real seamless production accomplishment and credit to Ron Howard. His presentation of a lot of the material was very "even-handed" and "neautral"...leaving a lot to the viewer to surmise.

I DID however "learn" a lot about the "roots" of Christianity...arising from Paganism. And the basis of the possiby real Opus Dei (or many other REAL male groups similar world-wide) at repressing the truth/strengh of WOMEN (in the possibly real Opus Dei...repressing the truth/ strength of Mary in her effect on Jesus and the scriptures. Even the rumor of her pregnancy TO Jesus...resulting in a FEMALE heir...is to me, particularly empowering to Women. I understand Women, in particular, find
the book/movie particularly empowering.

I can imagine how it enrages certain cultures or "churches" who particularly repress Women's power...wanting to ban it.

[knight_of_the_star]

26. Just to point out

Opus Dei is a real Catholic Sect, they are ultra-conservative to a degree that puts them to the right of Atilla the Hun and makes Falwell look like a weed-smoking liberal.

[keroro gunsou]

30. bwahahahahahahaha!

can i use that quote:

"Opus dei makes Jerry Fallwell look like a weed-smoking liberal"

BTW, you almost made my blow up my monitor after i sprayed it with the mountain dew i was drinking....

:yourock:

[zann725]

67. Liking the movie and its production, does NOT mean I sanction Opus Dei.

Far from it. My liking the movie was it production value, and attempt to discuss certain issues at the heart of Christianity... whether "fictional" or not.

[kskiska]

22. I doubt they even know what it's about

All it is is a murder mystery/scavenger hunt thriller. They seem to have some idea that the book is "about" religion and an attack on Christianity. Even that ranting, raving nutjob Catholic guy on TV (can't remember his name) seemed disappointed after seeing it and said it was nothing to worry about.

[mikeytherat]

41. It's just the new "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Tom Hanks gets to be Harrison Ford and Ron Howard is Steven Spielberg.

mikey_the_rat

[rodeodance]

23. fanatics on all sides!!

[One Honest Guy]

65. What sides?

The movie makers and the psycho-fanatic Indian Christians? Those two sides?

[lovuian]

24. Just don't see it and the Inquisition still continues

next we will be Dan Brown burning at the stake...

[jokerman93]

25. Next up

The worldwide followers of the Jedi religion will be calling for Captain Kirk's head and the dissolution of the galactic federation. Dude! I'm sooo down for a righteous clone war! :headbang:

...Saw DiVinci Code Sunday. The hoopla seems kind of overblown to me. I mean it's just an old fashioned formula caper movie. Lots of twists, turns and reversals; great casting; some solid acting; an imaginative theme; beautiful sets and locations, and a satisfying conclusion. All in all...very life-like. ;-)

What's the big deal? We enjoyed it.

*musing*
I guess this is what happens in the post-modern milieu when the line is blurred between reality and artifice - one signifying and informing the other. From scripted "reality" TV to the photo-op Presidency and the make-it-up-as-you-go-along world-history of the neocons - it's absolutely everywhere these days. Hey, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a make-it-up-as-you-go-along religious movement coming soon to a theater near us!

BTW for anyone who's read the books, is Angels and Demons a sequel to DiVinci Code?

[dmallind]

31. Nope - other way round

Angels and Demons comes first and is to my mind a slightly better story (neither is great literature of course, but entertaining). Both can be read perfectly independently of each other though - apart from the main character and some Illuminati backstory they are not really connected in content.

Would also piss off the mackerel snappers far more if it was made into a movie. The Pope as a murderer to keep up the power of the church is likely to irk some of the faithful I'd guess :-)

[Hardrada]

39. People are not taught empiricism or self-analyzing these days &

thus have no idea why they believe what they believe or the unverifiability of what they believe. It is too often merely posture and feelings and knee-jerk traditionalism. 95% of the US population doesn't read much or at all.

[DumpDavisHogg]

27. Nicolas Almeida should change his name to Nicolas AL-QAEDA!!!

[InternalDialogue]

29. How long has that book been in print?

It's not until the movie releases that they have a problem? Sounds like they don't want Dan Brown's head -- they'd have wanted that three or four years ago.

No, they should be calling for Ron Howard's head.

"Bring me Opie on a stick!"

[jokerman93]

34. There goes my coffee!

LOL :spray:

"Opie on a stick"

Thanks for that one.

[leftofthedial]

32. wack jobs

we need to deal permanently with this insanity. it is a persistent mental illness afflicting our species. it's like polio or smallpox or any other contagious disease.

[truthisfreedom]

33. if they really hated the movie that badly, they should go after Tom Hanks,

or Ron Howard, right? after all, the book was quite a bit better.

[Arugula Latte]

35. Funny how so many "faithful" are so defensive ...

It's like they know deep down that they have invested in believing a big steaming pile of B.S.

[VegasWolf]

37. Exactly, and people like Bush, Falwell, Robertson, Dobson, Phelps

would not be exploiting people if they thought that there was one chance in a million that there really was a Hell. These people know better, they are the ones making up the stories and collecting the sheep's tithes.

[LanternWaste]

38. After witnessing the hatred

After witnessing the hatred and calls for violence against Salman Rushdie (Satanic Verses) in 1988, I've become resigned to realize every religion/ideology/opinion/political party/etc will have it's own extremist wing that, while not indicative of the main body, speaks loudly enough to garner most of the attention and becomes the de facto mouthpiece for that organization in the eyes of the common spectator.


As an aside, I went with about fifteen or so members of my (southern Baptist and fundamentalist)congregation Sunday afternoon to see the film. And to a person, we all enjoyed it.

[One Honest Guy]

66. So, how's being a fundie working out for ya?

You said: "I went with about fifteen or so members of my (southern Baptist and fundamentalist)congregation Sunday afternoon to see the film."

Salman Rushdie affair was exaggerated to the point of absurdity, and the only reason Salman never went the way of Ayaan Hirsi Ali (who is getting kicked out of Netherlands now, and is having her Dutch citizenship revoked) is because he never involved himself into European politics much, unlike Hirsi Ali. Who outed herself long time ago for what she really was.

[LanternWaste]

69. It's been working out rather well

It's been working out rather well. Thanks for asking!

B-)

[Evergreen Emerald]

40. Monty Python's Holy Grail

They should go after it next. It is undermining Christianity!

[al bupp]

43. Not to mention Arthurian Legend

"Just because some slimely tart lobbed a scimitar at you, that's no basis for a constitutional government!"

[Evergreen Emerald]

46. Blaspheme! They are trying to destroy our beliefs

God: What are you doing now?
King Arthur: Averting our eyes, oh Lord.
God: Well, don't. It's just like those miserable psalms, always so depressing.

[truebrit71]

53. To be fair the General Synod did have kittens when "Life of Brian"

..hit the screens....I can't think why.... :evilgrin:

[Igel]

42. That seems to nicely parallel

the banning of the Muhammed cartoons, and the bounty offered--wasn't it by one of India's ministers (in the governmental sense of the word)--for the head of "the" cartoonist who drew them.

Didn't see much about that story. It was background noise, to be honest, while this one sticks out like a sore thumb.

That says something.

[genieroze]

44. Oh my, what would Hare Krishna have to say? Did they trade him in for

Jebus.

[Weembo]

45. Someone needs to

Ask * what he thought of the movie . . . and watch him squirm!

[The Gunslinger]

47. I guess Dan Brown never covered the 5th commantment in the book.

[Javaman]

48. So let me get this straight...

When it was in book form, it was okay, but now that it's a movie, they want to chop off his head...

Is the movie really that bad?

:rofl:

[mcscajun]

57. Some think that both the book and the movie are pretty awful.

And those are just the critics!

:rofl:

A sampling:

Dan Brown's novel is utterly preposterous; Ron Howard's movie is preposterously entertaining.

(snip)

Let us begin, then, by agreeing that The Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction. And that since everyone has read the novel, I need only give away one secret -- that the movie follows the book religiously.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060518/REVIEWS/60419009/1023


Dan Brown's 2003 conspiracy mind-blower "The Da Vinci Code" is a prime example of clumsy artfulness, a book that boasts perhaps some of the most idiotic sentences ever laid to paper ("Prominent New York editor Jonas Faukman tugged nervously at his goatee") and yet keeps you turning the pages almost in spite of yourself.

But everyone knows that more people see movies than read books, even books that are as popular as "The Da Vinci Code" has been.

http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2006/05/18/da_vinci/index.html?CP=IMD&DN=110


"The Da Vinci Code," Ron Howard's adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling primer on how not to write an English sentence, arrives trailing more than its share of theological and historical disputation.

(snip)

...movies of that ilk rarely deal with issues like the divinity of Jesus or the search for the Holy Grail. In the cinema such matters are best left to Monty Python. In any case Mr. Howard and Mr. Goldsman handle the supposedly provocative material in Mr. Brown's book with kid gloves, settling on an utterly safe set of conclusions about faith and its history, presented with the usual dull sententiousness.

So I certainly can't support any calls for boycotting or protesting this busy, trivial, inoffensive film. Which is not to say I'm recommending you go see it.

http://movies2.nytimes.com/2006/05/18/movies/18code.html


It is a truism that good books make bad films, and vice versa. By that reckoning, Da Vinci ought to be an excellent film, since the prose is awful and the plot is tremendous. But something has gone badly wrong. For all the prestige production values and A-list stars, The Da Vinci Code is practically catatonic. It just lies there on the screen like a $100 million mattress. The script is bad. The acting is bad. Tautou is very, very bad, and clearly uncomfortable. Hanks looks and performs like a lump of dough in a wig.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2006/05/18/the_da_vinci_code_2006_review.shtml

Disclaimer: I haven't read the book because, frankly, I wasn't interested when it was released or when the hoopla and controversy began; I'm similarly disinterested regarding the film, and this was all before I read the reviews.

[AX10]

49. This Nicolas Almeida needs to spend some time in GITMO.

Then maybe, he'll appreciate freedom.

[The Stranger]

51. A CHRISTIAN FATWA!

That'll show 'em!

[Canuckistanian]

52. Religion is such a comfort to humanity, isn't it?

I think Jesus himself would have a hoot over all the fuss being made over this.

I'm thinking that Monty Python was right.

[undergroundpanther]

54. Davinci code

Confronts issuews like the church's abuse of power,church censorship and the hierarchical control games and the historical hatred of women the church has done..Of course the devil worshipping fundies and true believer obedient to masters types don't like it thier god is evil and the DaVinci code SAYS how evil it is and itr is thier SHAME driving them to hate this book of fiction..fiction that has truth in it,just not the truth the fundies wanna face up to.So they quibble over doctrines...

[Mr_Spock]

56. I can't wait to see this movie this weekend.

I read the book and know the movie won't be as good, but if it irritates people who claim to be good people (but who are actually VERY intollerant), then I will enjoy it just that little bit more :D

[Julius Civitatus]

58. I really enjoyed it

I'm puzzled as to why the critics were so vicious against it.
Again, given the plot and central themes of TDVC, and given a vast majority in this country consider themselves "born again," I should not be surprised.

[axollot]

59. Crazy thing is...

..one of the popes head culture person (cant remember his name) said "hey it is fiction, if your entertained by it fine go and see it" not verbatim quote.

So now we have Roman Catholics acting like this when it comes from their top brass that is OK to see it and it is only FICTION. I guess news doesnt make it to that part of the country in India. Bascially the pope is saying it is cool to watch this film via his mouth peice.

So no need for a fatwa!

[Miss Chybil]

60. BREAKING NEWS!!! God says...

"Save yourself."

[roguevalley]

61. stupid idiots. stupid, insipid, dimwitted idiots.

[upi402]

63. Christo Fatwah against Ron Howard next???

I wondered how long it would take for crap like this on another post.
"A day without religious fanaticism is like a day without psychosis!"

[fujiyama]

64. Idiots

Absolute freakin' idiots. Reminds me of the cartoon nuts.

I'm disappointed to see that India may cave in to these bastards. No surprise though. They also banned the satantic verses. For a country that claims to be the largest Democracy, they sure don't mind banning pieces of literature or film that offends a small group of people.

I'm sick and tired of countries restricting speech in order to placate certain groups. If you don't like something, don't read it. Don't see it. If you want to ban art that offends you, you are insecure in your religious beliefs.

Fortunately these fanatics haven't started burning theaters - yet.