McLaren: The book is fiction and it’s filled with a lot of fiction about a lot of things that a lot of people have already debunked. But frankly, I don’t think it has more harmful ideas in it than the Left Behind novels. And in a certain way, what the Left Behind novels do, the way they twist scripture toward a certain theological and political end, I think Brown is twisting scripture, just to other political ends. But at the end of the day, the difference is I don’t think Brown really cares that much about theology. He just wanted to write a page-turner and he was very successful at that.
There is something to be said about having a former english teacher speak up on theological issues.
McLaren: For all the flaws of Brown’s book, I think what he’s doing is suggesting that the dominant religious institutions have created their own caricature of Jesus. And I think people have a sense that that’s true. It’s my honest feeling that anyone trying to share their faith in America today has to realize that the Religious Right has polluted the air. The name “Jesus” and the word “Christianity” are associated with something judgmental, hostile, hypocritical, angry, negative, defensive, anti-homosexual, etc. Many of our churches, even though they feel they represent the truth, actually are upholding something that’s distorted and false.
I also think that the whole issue of male domination is huge and that Brown’s suggestion that the real Jesus was not as misogynist or anti-woman as the Christian religion often has been is very attractive. Brown’s book is about exposing hypocrisy and cover-up in organized religion, and it is exposing organized religion’s grasping for power. Again, there’s something in that that people resonate with in the age of pedophilia scandals, televangelists, and religious political alliances. As a follower of Jesus I resonate with their concerns as well.
The rest of the interview is a Sojourners. I’m probably not going to read Dan Brown’s book; as much as I like a good page turner, there are a lot of mysteries and thrillers I haven’t gotten to yet. Elizabeth George’s Church or England mysteries are page turners, without the reader seeing it them as anything but well written mysteries with a dash of how the Anglican church works.
Published 3 years, 10 months ago 10 comments
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Again I have always said the reaction to the problems seem to a greater extent to tend to be worse than the problems being reacted from. Promoting heresy in reaction to all ofthe problems mentioned is worse than those problems mentioned. The Apostle Paul addressed indirectly DaVinci code by indirectly calling Gnosticism “false doctrine” when a reaction to the problems mentioned by the post indirectly elevates DaVinci code than the reaction is indirectly elevating heresy which Paul dealt with harshly.
Disagreeing with something like Left Behind which isn’t heresy in that those aren’t foundational issues to DaVinci code which has heresy in it and on foundational issues seems to be an inappropriate comparison that pushes more people away than it seems to help.
I agree the reactions to the problem is often worse than the problem.
Left Behind is heresy DH – it is fiction – based on dispensationalism, it is based on faulty theology, it is militaristic and consumerist based and as such bypasses orthodox truth.
You know enough history to see gnosticism, good.
Then you know books espousing eschatological error such as the Left Behind series are no different.
I see the difference Left Behind isn’t heresy. Even the 1st century “anxiously awaited the return of Christ”. You might disagree with Left Behind theology but it isn’t heresy. DaVinci code questions thevery nature of Christ as God and many other things as well that affect the nature of Salvation and the like.
Belief in a certain eschtology doesn’t determine the nature of Faith in Christ. Gnosticism does and shows “a different Gospel” and “a different Jesus” than the one preached by the Apostles oreven Jesus Himself. The greater bad is the DaVinci code.
It is worse to espouse DaVinci than to espouse Left Behind. Left Behind doesn’t question the very nature of foundational Faith, DaVinci does and hense the extreme difference. I’m okay with people disagreeing with Left Behind and don’t think disagreeing with Left Behind or believing Left Behind is heresy. However, DaVinci is another story as espoused by what I mentioned above.
One viewpoint/book denies the foundational truths…..denies the deity of Christ outright, casts doubt on the faith, and leads people astray primarily by fictionalizing the past. The other fictionalizes the future and by so doing creates equally dangerous misconceptions. As a result of the popularization of the Left Behind series, and the whole escapist pre-trib rapturitis sweeping the modern Church, Christian believers are woefully unprepared for tough times ahead. When the “Church” finds itself still here during the so-called “Great Tribulation”, not only will Lahaye have been proven to be nothing more than a “false teacher”, but as a result of his “works”, many will deny Christ and be led astray. Time will tell.
I still don’t see the connection. You say “woefully unprepared for tough times ahead”. No one is saying one hasto believe in pretrib rapture. When onereads Jesus about “feet on a rock” and one one sand one understands the greater importance placed on foundational truths as compared to non-foundational truths.
I’m glad Busch that you believe in the Great Tribulation. You at least sound like a pre-millenial person. The modern church is not definitively saying pre tribulational rapture. They may believe strongly but to say definitively is a misunderstanding of LaHaye and the like. For me the belief in a pre-trib doesn’t make one unprepared in that it gives an incentive to the believer to do as much for God before the tribulation. It is a balance. However, denying foundational truths is the greater problem as compared with non-foundational truths like when Christ is returning or when Belivers “will be caught away to meet Him in the clouds andsoshall we ever be for eternity.” The second coming, resurrection from the dead and the transfiguration of the Believers in the Last days is what the 1st Century church was “…anxiously awaiting…” and hense “…encourage each other with these words.”
All religion is psychosis. God does not
bless or punish. The ego-maniacal human
invented a god for its needs. Physically the
human is electrons, quarks, gluons, and
other THINGS. The human is a thing. This
“thing” conceptualizes many evils. This
thing conceptualizes race, nations,
patriotism, superiority over other “things”,
specialness to a god that it creates for its
need, etc. This thing’s ego deters
manifestation of the Great Spirit intent.
Many human live as ego-beings , instead of
spirit-beings. The synapses creates thought
for this thing. Thus many sense that that is
what we are. At the end all human particles
will seperate but we will live forever. The
ego will fight your realization of who we
really are. We are not races. We are not
this glob of matter. The mind can be used
for unknown benefits. The ego is selfish. We
are love, compassionate and valorous. Find
out who we are and forget ego-maniacal
infestation.
Thank You for your time, my brother.
Alejandro Garcia
deleted by BD
DH: Bible proofing, texting and thumping is not dialogue, it is a refuge of rogues and scoundrels, and will not be tolorated as expression of differences at this blog.
Kindly show some respect to Alejandro, as he has shown you – if you cannot engage in conversation and exhibit reasonable listening skills, with those you disagree with, this type of comment from you will have consequences.
Are we clear?
I am giving you a play nice warning.
If you do not understand what that is, read the BDBO site policy.
Hi Alejandro:
I agree that many with mental illness and severe personality disorders do exhibit religious ideation that can degenerate in their pychosis.
I agree that many people embrace a form of religion to escape ego conflict and remain stuck there, and that manifests itself in different ways in different cultures under all kinds of circumstances.
They do tend to get the attention.:^)