HANKS FACES 'DA VINCI CODE' PROTESTORS

[jay_z]

Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks was faced by protestors including nuns, as he began filming scenes for the upcoming film adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code" in England Monday.

The demonstration took place outside Lincoln Cathedral, which is doubling for London's Westminster Abbey, where religious leaders only agreed to allow filming after the movie's producers made a $180,000 donation.

Hanks, who will only be in Lincoln for two days, was chauffeur-driven the short distance from his five-star hotel to the historic location -- and he briefly waved at a small gathering of fans, who vied with demonstrators for his attention, before disappearing inside.


The cathedral's Dean, the Very Reverend Alec Knight, has dismissed Brown's 20 million-selling book as "a load of old tosh," but he was unable to turn down the offer, which gives priceless publicity to his spiritual home.

However, demonstrators outside the cathedral have taken exception to Brown's questioning of their religious beliefs, and were led in a 12-hour prayer vigil by Catholic nun Sister Mary Michael.

The 61-year-old says, "I just don't think it is right that they are filming this story here. I know the Bishop and Dean argue that it is fiction -- and it might even be brilliant fiction -- but it is against the very essence of what we believe."

source: sfgate's the daily dish

[flyingfox2002]

The cathedral's Dean, the Very Reverend Alec Knight, has dismissed Brown's 20 million-selling book as "a load of old tosh," but he was unable to turn down the offer, which gives priceless publicity to his spiritual home.

That's my favorite part.

Why don't these folks put better use to their time and protest more meaningful things like the slow destruction of the Earth or the increasing gap between the rich and the poor?

Oh yeah my bad, a movie is more important than the fate of the planet or the fate of millions.

Glad our religiously zealous friends have their priorities straight, as usual.

[kidd]

the protestors obviously feel strongly about their religion. So, having the film crew film the movie in the Lincoln Cathedral is akin to someone dissing your Pa in your house.

[Huumanshadow]

not really, the book doesnt diss the church at all. it just speculate that other possibility can be true. the whole basic of dan brown book is that Jesus was married and there is an actual decendant of Jesus. if any of the protestors actually read the book he never talk bad about the churches in anyway. the only thing that look bad for the churches is those historical facts that really make you wonder if the church is good or bad. the only present time church group that he mention in his book is Opei Deus and at the end of the book it turn out that they are really good people who was tricked by the REAL bad guy. i highly recommend the book to everyone especially trhe protestors. honestly some of the things he claim sound soooo.....possible.......

[junny]

These people are too free.

[Candide]

However, demonstrators outside the cathedral have taken exception to Brown's questioning of their religious beliefs, and were led in a 12-hour prayer vigil by Catholic nun Sister Mary Michael.

The 61-year-old says

A bunch of old farts and nuns. What can we expect? Bloody 12 hour prayer? Geez, they are a patient lot, aren't they?

[James Ko]

In a way I felt that some of the stuff the Catholic church does is kind of silly and I am kind of like why do I belong to this faith... then again the reason why I am an Catholic is because I believe the good stuff it stand for and not nessary the silly stuff like this.

I could understand why some of these folks would protest. If my family was insult with stuff tarnish my image and it is not true, I would be upset too. Just like if people insulting your family as no good, old, inexperience, naive, son of B... etc. I am sure you would be upset too.

[Candide]

Why is it an insult?

[Huumanshadow]

In a way I felt that some of the stuff the Catholic church does is kind of silly and I am kind of like why do I belong to this faith... then again the reason why I am an Catholic is because I believe the good stuff it stand for and not nessary the silly stuff like this.

I could understand why some of these folks would protest. If my family was insult with stuff tarnish my image and it is not true, I would be upset too. Just like if people insulting your family as no good, old, inexperience, naive, son of B... etc. I am sure you would be upset too.

yeah, why is it an insult? I dont want to sound mean but have you read the book? DV Code doesnt insult the churches or anyone who believe in god at all. He even sympathized with the churches saying how a few bad apples (like molesting priests) ruin the image of the churches who majority are good people. the books doesnt insult the churches because of silly stuff, he just think that there are some things that the church done in the past is wrong. everyone seem to think that DV Code is attack christian personally. so he claim that Jesus was married and had kids, honestly....what is so wrong about that? religions of all kind agrees that personal purity is good but having family is good as well. beside you can learn alot from his book that you dont learn in classes. want to learn something really interesting? this has nothing to do with the book but i just wanna educate ppl. the first inhabitant of the Japanese's island were white blonde hair blue eyes tribes around 3000BCE. they got push off the island by immigrant from china mainland. you didnt know that did ya?

[kidd]

beside you can learn alot from his book that you dont learn in classes.

Hope you check up the stuff u learn from this book before taking them all as the truth. This book is after all a fiction. Parts of it are based on actual facts but not all. I think that's why some Christians are against the book. Readers tend to believe everything that's stated in the book because the author claimed it's based on true facts.

[Candide]

This book is after all a fiction.

So is another book that the Christians got their "facts" from, but let's not get into that now.

[JamesG]

I have seen two documentaries about the book that dug up the truth about some of the 'facts'. They turned out to be based on earlier inventions by fraudsters. Still, some of the early Christian history has been suppressed by early church leaders since it didn't fit their verson of things.

[Huumanshadow]

The improtant thing is not to let it get personal (especially here, lets not have another 'who the better XLN' war). But yeah Code does make wild guesses about history. the book basically believe everything that every underdog groups of historian say. but ya know history is all perspectives, one man's hero can be another man's horror. Every powerful group in history had done something bad, the puritan killed a whole bunch of Indians that helped them survived, The pope genocided the Templars for money, Columbus killed millions of Indians, there are places in Mongolia that still worship Ghengis Khan.

The cool thing about Code is that you cant tell when it's fiction or facts, that what make a good book. READ IT. i think you can even dl it online now. or simply go to library.

[James Ko]

yeah, why is it an insult? I dont want to sound mean but have you read the book??

Yes I have read the book and I enjoy it because it was entertaining. I am a also Catholic and I don't feel the book was an insult. But I can understand why some people find it silly for the church to go against something like this.

The reason I said some Catholic felt like this was an insult is because it is like telling them something they believe in for a long time that is wrong. For example, if someone told you that you are not really the child of your parents but instead you are pick up off the street and abandon by your real parents how would some of you feel. Most of the people that call these Catholic stupid (directly or indirectly) don't really understand why some of the Catholic that are prostesting and how they are feeling right now.

For example, I bet some people who read this book really believe what Dan Brown said in this book is all true. Which is the same way how some people think of those that believe everything that was said in teh Bible is all true.

Bible is a book written as guideline on the event that has taken or hasn't taken place in the past. If you read it careful, you would know some of it doesn't match the timeline but you should look pass it and check out the meaning behind it. Just like many folklores and fairy tales give important lessons to live. The Bible is a tool for Christian to use to live a daily life.

[Huumanshadow]

If i called any Catholic stupid i apologies. i actually admire people who really believes and have faith in their beliefs. as an atheist i dont have the strong faith that some people have and i really do admire them. just that no matter what people say, knowledge is the enemy of faith, the more you know the less you believe. I'm a history major and the more i read about christian history the more i dislike the church. i have no problem with catholics or any other christians, i just really dislike organized churches. i mean how can those higher cardinals and bishops talk about understanding the suffering of people when they live basically in castles and never suffer a day in their life? The church is one of the riches organization in the world, if they share half of their money the world would be a better place.

anyway Mr. Ko i think you misunderstand what Code is saying. Code is not saying that you're abandon by Jesus, it is saying that there is another part of his life that was hidden. The closest to your example is like if you found out that your father actually had another secret family that your mom hide from you. But you are right people should remember that Code is fiction, do not take everything at face value. if you wonder about the things Code mention you should read up on the subject, Wekapedia is a quick solution but your local library is better.

The bible itself change to suit the time, and depending on the version of the bible they really dissagree on alot of things. But you must have faith in the bible. Mr. Ko if i may ask you, do you in your heart truly believe that Jesus turn water into wine? i dont mean to offend you but i know a few Vegas magicians that can do that and more. I think its the people who believe every word of the bible who are dangerous. but if they do believe the whole bible then Code really would offend them, then i guess i do understand why they are angry.

[James Ko]

Nope I don't personally think you are referring Cathloic are stupid. But I do think that some of the folks feel that way and that is why there is an uproar and I am not talking about this thread alone but I am talking about what has happen so far in our world. I felt that most of the time in this board it is the Atheist is calling out the religious folks on with their believe. Can you image people calling out Gay people why they are gay (wait a min I think that is another thread... so never mind )

I understand what the book Da Vinci Code is saying and I never said anything about the book. I am just giving you a point of few how some other people feel.

I said this before that I am the first to tell you that the Bible have many errors because is written by people and we know people make mistake and judgement. I do not believe literally things that happen in the Bible happen but I believe there are lessons to be learnt from it and these lessons are what I live by to be a better person. That is all

[rayon]

The Da Vinci Code was a good book. But I don't understand what the hype is all about. Yeah, sure it's controversial, but only because people made it so. The content itself isn't. People have long surmised on the idea of a relationship other than platonic between Jesus and Magdalene. I have seen Jesus Christ Super Star and granted that Magdalene's affections for Him there was a bit one-sided, still the idea is there. I am Catholic and I don't feel threatened at all by this book by this man. I'm actually looking forward to the movie.

[Huumanshadow]

Lol to be honest, i'm looking forward to any movies that have anything to do with Tom hanks, i dont think there is any movie he was in or directed that i didnt like.

The think about the book and the up coming movie is that the topic is put in the light for everyone to see. the church like to pretend that the bad things they did never happen. its not just that it conterversial, it's because it is widespread and debated by the masses for the first time. usually only theologists and historians bother to debate history, but now if the common people questiong it then it become big news. Churches and Government always like to be remember for the good things not the bad. when you talk about Thanksgiving you dont talk about how the prilgrims abuse the Indians and took their lands, when you talk about Columbus you dont talk about his killing alot of people, when you talk about the great wall of china you dont talk about how thousands died building it and their body was used to fill the center. Some ppl are afraid that if people learn about the bad things that the church did in the past they will not remember other messages of love and peace that they are spreading NOW. for instant if the Nazi organization had completely change and is now all about love and peace and forgiveness, would you still join? if you never heard about the holocaust and suddenly learn about it, would you still join the Nazi even if they are a good group now? I think that is why they protest, i dont think they want even the chances that Jesus was married to be true, it will shake their entire faith in the church. If the basis of Jesus they believe in all their life was lied by the church, what else did they lied about?

the goal of all group in power is to stay in power. you cant do that if your follower dont like you or are ashame of you. no American would say US suck and actually mean it, they may get mad or dissagree with the gov but they are all proud american. you want to be a catholic who church is all about love and forgiveness, not a member of the church who Cursade and kill hundreds of muslim because the Pope wanted to make money.

[Canuck21]

yeah, why is it an insult? I dont want to sound mean but have you read the book? DV Code doesnt insult the churches or anyone who believe in god at all. He even sympathized with the churches saying how a few bad apples (like molesting priests) ruin the image of the churches who majority are good people. the books doesnt insult the churches because of silly stuff, he just think that there are some things that the church done in the past is wrong. everyone seem to think that DV Code is attack christian personally. so he claim that Jesus was married and had kids, honestly....what is so wrong about that? religions of all kind agrees that personal purity is good but having family is good as well. beside you can learn alot from his book that you dont learn in classes. want to learn something really interesting? this has nothing to do with the book but i just wanna educate ppl. the first inhabitant of the Japanese's island were white blonde hair blue eyes tribes around 3000BCE. they got push off the island by immigrant from china mainland. you didnt know that did ya?

See? The post above is exactly why some people don't like the book and are worried about the movie. There will be people who will take the information from the book or movie as fact or real history. People often mix reality and fiction and it's more frequent than you think.

[Canuck21]

That's my favorite part.

Why don't these folks put better use to their time and protest more meaningful things like the slow destruction of the Earth or the increasing gap between the rich and the poor?

Oh yeah my bad, a movie is more important than the fate of the planet or the fate of millions.

Glad our religiously zealous friends have their priorities straight, as usual.

A movie is entertainment and part of a mass media and that can influence a public. I belive that people are easily influenced by movies, music and TV shows; I've observed it among my peers.