Catholic Outreach—to Whom?
A coalition of Catholic ministries has launched a website called the Da Vinci Outreach "to help readers and moviegoers navigate their way through the web of bogus history and outright lies conjured up by Dan Brown and brought to life by Imagine Entertainment and Sony Pictures." So says the press release.
The coalition includes Ascension Press, Catholic Exchange, and Catholic Outreach, some of the same folks that put together the Narnia Outreach website, which favored promotion of the Narnia movie.
This outreach, however, seems to include an up-raised palm, not an open hand.
The organization's press release says that "The outreach effort provides concerned individuals with the resources they need to seek the real truth and equip themselves for the inevitable watercooler conversations that will attack the principles of Christianity, the Catholic Church, and the Person of Jesus Christ."
It's an odd kind of "outreach" that starts the conversation by saying, as does spokesman Matthew Pinto, "The Da Vinci Code is a frontal assault on Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church," who adds that the website offers "the much-needed antidote to the spiritual and intellectual poison that permeates Dan Brown’s novel and that will undoubtedly be depicted in the forthcoming film."
"Welcome, and keep out," as Dan Brown says?
Update: Zenit, a Rome-based news agency, just published an interview with Mark Shea, one of the "Outreach" contributors, author of the upcoming Da Vinci Deception, published through Ascension.
MORE HERE and HERE
Christian Newswire, 23.02.06 and Zenit, 23.02.06
The coalition includes Ascension Press, Catholic Exchange, and Catholic Outreach, some of the same folks that put together the Narnia Outreach website, which favored promotion of the Narnia movie.
This outreach, however, seems to include an up-raised palm, not an open hand.
The organization's press release says that "The outreach effort provides concerned individuals with the resources they need to seek the real truth and equip themselves for the inevitable watercooler conversations that will attack the principles of Christianity, the Catholic Church, and the Person of Jesus Christ."
It's an odd kind of "outreach" that starts the conversation by saying, as does spokesman Matthew Pinto, "The Da Vinci Code is a frontal assault on Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church," who adds that the website offers "the much-needed antidote to the spiritual and intellectual poison that permeates Dan Brown’s novel and that will undoubtedly be depicted in the forthcoming film."
"Welcome, and keep out," as Dan Brown says?
Update: Zenit, a Rome-based news agency, just published an interview with Mark Shea, one of the "Outreach" contributors, author of the upcoming Da Vinci Deception, published through Ascension.
MORE HERE and HERE
Christian Newswire, 23.02.06 and Zenit, 23.02.06
posted by Greg Wright at 08:40
6 Comments:
It seems to me that Catholic outreach is interested in saying welcome to anyone interested in learning more about the fullness of the Truth. I'm not really sure what Dan Brown means when he says "Welcome, and keep out" when referring to Catholic Outreach. Maybe there's no money in it for Brown so that is why he is opposed.
Dan Brown doesn't say "welcome and keep out" in reference to Catholic Outreach. I say that, borrowing Dan Brown's words from The Da Vinci Code.
Did you check out the press release? Those are not the kind of words that reach out to anyone. They don't invite learning at all.
They say, "If you don't agree with us, you're wrong. And not only are you wrong, you're wrong-headed."
Such words don't encourage dialogue. They shut it down.
If we have confidence in truth, we can trust truth to speak for itself. We don't need to be pushy or defensive on truth's behalf.
I didn’t pick that up one bit from the Catholic Outreach web site. It seems to me if I write a book telling all sorts of lies about Gregg Wright, I'd really have to have a set of brass ba--- to then condemn Gregg Wright for not inviting me into his house so we can dialog about the lies I just wrote.
Jim, you're missing my point. If defense of the faith is the issue, then the name of their initiative should reflect that: something like, "Deceptions in The Code," or even "Catholics against The Da Vinci Code." Then the rhetoric matches the purpose. As it is, "The Da Vinci Outreach" just doesn't make any sense.
My point is pretty simple: Defensiveness doesn't accomplish outreach. That's all. A "aounteroffensive" isn't "outreach."
I'm not suggesting that Catholics (or anybody) should be all warm and fuzzy about Dan Brown's book.
Starlet,
Who said anything about conceding points? Not me.
But let's just address that "listening" thing. What, exactly, do you think Dan Brown is saying about the Catholic church?
And yes, this is a test: I'd like to see just how well you've been listening, since you're so willing and ready to use your voice.
From where I sit, the folks at the Da Vinci Outreach seem to be reacting to what they THINK Dan Brown is saying, or what someone else has SAID Dan Brown is saying, rather than dealing with what Dan Brown actually says. The same is true for the more "open-minded" folks at The Da Vinci Dialogue.
And that's NOT "listening," not by a long stretch.
So what about you? Have you actually read the book?
Read the book.
Not impressed.
If I may, from a personal/ministry/Catholic point of view this book DOES undermine that Catholic Faith-a faith that, yes, we do say that there are absolutes and we have the fullness of the Truth-I know, I know something of a divide for Catholics and Protestants. Leave that aside for now.
The crummy part that many of us who believe in all of the teachings of the Church is that we talk with some of our Catholic friends who say "I know it's just fiction, but...y'know, Jesus COULD have been married" or "Who says that those books shouldn't have been part of the Bible??"
Part of the nerve that it touches is that we are painfully, painfully aware of the lack of catechesis that we have had over the past 30 years. We have had fluffy crap so to speak -for reasons I won't delve into here.
Because of this, many Catholics honestly believe that they can not believe in basic tenets of the Faith and live in a way that is not in agreement with the Faith and still call themselves "good Catholics" and this is not a good way to live and believe.
This book confirms in them that they can believe any Tom, Dick or Harry and still be a "good Catholic" EVEN WHEN that Tom Dick or Harry teaches something directly opposed to Church teaching.
SO, this book is not just a book. It is not just a story. It is full of misinformation and outright lies. This movie serves only two purposes: To continue undermining the Church and to make money.
Before you criticize Matt Pinto, Mark Shea, and this outreach, realize that you may not be familiar with the difficulties that we face as faithful Catholics.
It is an outreach to our friends and family members who have been snookered by the inanities of Dan Brown. It is a reminder to them that Dan is full of it, that this story has more lies than the Catholic Church could ever be accused of telling.
Sincerely
Jen Brown
Catholic Youth Minister
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