The Da Vinci Code: Fun-Filled Hooey?

Before I get into discussing The Da Vinci Code, you should know two things.

1. I'm a practicing Catholic, not a "recovering Catholic" or an "I was raised Catholic" Catholic. I go to Mass every week. I do my best to follow the Church's teachings. I don't always agree with the Church's stance on issues, but I am a member of the Church. I am Catholic.

2. I haven't read The Da Vinci Code. I have no intention of reading the book. Why? I'm not interested. I don't care how many people have read it. I choose not to devote hours of my time to the book -- just not my kind of novel.

As someone who hasn't read the book, I can hardly speak with authority about its details, its tone, or its message. I can, however, comment on what I've read about the book, and how people and groups are reacting to the upcoming film adaptation.

Yesterday, The Evening Standard covered Tom Hanks' remarks about Catholic opposition to the movie.

Oscar-winner Hanks said objectors to The Da Vinci Code are taking the film too seriously, telling the Evening Standard: "We always knew there would be a segment of society that would not want this movie to be shown.

"But the story we tell is loaded with all sorts of hooey and fun kind of scavenger-hunt-type nonsense.

"If you are going to take any sort of movie at face value, particularly a huge-budget motion picture like this, you'd be making a very big mistake.

"It's a damn good story and a lot of fun... all it is is dialogue. That never hurts."

Of course, The Da Vinci Code is fiction.

Unlike Michael Moore and his propaganda films, director Ron Howard doesn't claim to be making a documentary.

It's a big Hollywood movie of an enormous best-selling book.

Still, I think it's making a major leap to assume that its content is no big deal. "Hey, it's just a movie. Blah, blah, blah."

It strikes at the heart of Catholicism. Like or not, many non-Christians consider The Da Vinci Code to debunk the Christian faith.

I've had people cite the book as "proof" that Catholic teaching is a farce. Granted, that says more about the intellectual level of those individuals than it does about the novel, but it's disturbing nonetheless.

Hanks can say that it's "loaded with all sorts of hooey" and "a lot of fun," but that fun-filled hooey misrepresents Opus Dei and Catholicism.

Opus Dei responds to the mischaracterization of the institution and other falsehoods in The Da Vinci Code.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also weighs in on assertions made in the book, and in all likelihood, the movie.

Reporters have asked whether even a bestselling novel can seriously damage a Church of one billion believers. No, in the long run, it cannot. But that is not the point. The pastoral concern of the Church is for each and every person. If only one person were to come away with a distorted impression of Jesus Christ or His Church, our concern is for that person as if he or she were the whole world.

The USCCB website is an excellent resource for those interested in the difference between the stuff of a "fun" story and the foundation of the religion of one billion people.

In Amy Welborn's analysis of The Da Vinci Code, she makes an important statement:

"There is enough truth in The Da Vinci Code to be seriously misleading."

If there's a problem with this piece of fiction, that's it.

I admit that the incessant Catholic-bashing of recent years has taken a toll on me. Many people question how I could be part of a church that is filled with pedophiles and their accomplices. They consider Catholicism to not only be backward in its teachings, but harmful to society.

I defend my faith as they shake their heads. I express how disillusioning and painful the abuse scandal has been for Catholics and the overwhelming majority of priests who serve God and His people with love and faithful commitment.

Sometimes, I think that The Da Vinci Code is their bible. It confirms their negative views of the Church. Many don't view it as fiction. That's a fact.

As far as calls from the Vatican to boycott the movie go, I think they're fair. I also think that they won't make a noticeable dent in the profits, not even a ding. If anything, talk of boycotts may be counterproductive and actually entice more people to go.

Nevertheless, I think it's legitimate for Church officials to recommend that Christians not pad the studio's pockets. Personally, I won't pay money to watch a movie that disrespects my faith. Just because something is fictional doesn't mean that it's not hurtful.

In addition to the Catholic-bashing, there is the very troubling issue of the double standard.

There is no way that a big budget movie about the teachings of Islam being a sham would ever be made. No way.

And look at the heat Mel Gibson took for The Passion of the Christ, supposedly an anti-Semitic film.

Christianity is fair game for ridicule.

That's not to say that I think The Da Vinci Code should be banned or the movie should not be shown. I don't mean that at all.

I support the author and the moviemakers. I support the public's right to read the book or see the film. Likewise, I support people who choose not to read the book or see the film.

I don't think Ron Howard or Tom Hanks set out to bash Catholicism or rip apart its groundwork. They made a movie that millions of people can't wait to see.

Not me.

I won't being seeing The Da Vinci Code -- just not my kind of movie.