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Ministry Leader: 'Mistake' to Use Da Vinci Code for Evangelism Opportunity

by Bill Fancher
May 30, 2006

(AgapePress) - - A Christian leader is criticizing the way some churches have handled the controversy surrounding the recent film version of Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code. He believes it was a mistake to use the movie as an evangelistic tool.

Director Ron Howard's film adaptation of Brown's best-selling novel put up big numbers on its opening weekend, pulling in an estimated $224 million worldwide and $77 million in the U.S. -- despite less than rave reviews prior to and following its May 19 release. After being the number-one movie that weekend, The Da Vinci Code fell to a distant second place among moviegoers over the Memorial Day weekend.

The big draw over the holiday period was the latest version of the X-Men series, which brought in just over $120 million at the box office. On the other hand, The Da Vinci Code generated $43 million in ticket sales -- far below its debut one week earlier.

Nevertheless, audiences are turning out in great numbers to see the highly publicized film starring Tom Hanks. Rob Schenck of the National Clergy Council says much of that audience comes from churches that have encouraged their members to go see it. He believes that was not a good idea.

"Urging people to go and see it to make it an evangelistic opportunity I think was a big mistake," the ministry leader says, "and will backfire and will only lead people down the wrong road."

Schenck feels people should have been warned not to spend their money in support of a film considered blasphemous by numerous religious leaders and groups. "We probably would have been better to ignore it," he laments.

He adds that the movie turnout will only encourage Hollywood to make more anti-Christian films. "[T]his was clearly made to make a statement against the gospel," says Schenck.

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I think that Schenck is thinking about it entirely wrong.  He makes it out to be that leaders are urging people to go see the movie.  And that is entirely incorrect.  Most leaders, teachers, pastors, etc are not urging people to see the movie or even read the book, but what they are wanting to do is to teach their congregation how to address the issues the movie has brought up and to reflect the correct light on the errors the movie potrays.

I just finished doing a 2 week lesson on the book/movie in an effort to show the men in my class the premise behind the book and to equip them with the true Facts.  Then to show them the opportunities on how to address possible questions that may arise from folks who are not saved that did see the movie.

Just as The Passion provided opportunities to witness to poeple so does this book and movie.  The big difference being that one started off in a positive direction while this one starts off in a negative direction.

Sincerely
Brother Jerry