The Personal Nature Of…

** For those of you not familiar with The Da Vinci Code, please click here for an excellent summation of it via Wikipedia. **

La Shawn Barber’s words concerning The Da Vinci Code movie (due for release May 2006) and book sums up why religious disputes are so hard to reconcile:

The Da Vinci Code hype has down died in the past couple of years, but it’s sure to heat up again. The story is not true, but that’s hardly the point. In a world hostile to the faith, we must be prepared to defend the faith when confronted by questions and absurd arguments made on the nonsense within the pages of this book.

Look at her words: “The story is not true”, “a world hostile to the faith”, and “defend the faith”. She isn’t just saying those words off the cuff, she means it. Because Christianity is deeply and intensely personal to her. The Da Vinci Code is like a slap in the face to her and others who have strong and very personal Christian beliefs. Now look at those who feel just as strongly that The Da Vinci Code is the truth. There is no compromise. If you see one, let me know.

The personal nature of religion frequently overrides any frank discussion about it. I have people in my family who have become Christians and Muslims. Each of them have flourished personally and professionally since then. They each attribute their faith to their success. Yet on a world scale, Christians and Muslims are at odds with each other. Yet believers on both sides feel strongly that they are the right way. That leaves little if no wiggle room for any discussion. And when religion blends into the ol’ political salad bowl, the stakes are raised that much higher: your souls and your way of life.

It may be in vain, but I constantly hope for a discovery that lays to rest who is right and who is wrong. A discovery of such magnitude, such power, and such finality that there is no argument that it is the truth. The quadratic formula of religious truth. The truth is out there. Will we ever find it?

But in the meantime, the personal nature of religion will continue to hinder getting along. And that’s a shame since some of the personal acheivements that people have made due to their faiths would seem to make getting along so much easier.

[zing! to La Shawn Barber]

One Response to “The Personal Nature Of…”

1. cnulan says:

   August 27, 2005 at 8:30 pm

   there are very few Christians in the U.S. - and fewer still are cognizant of this fact…,

   a far richer variety of approaches exist for squaring up on the problem of reconciling multiple dimensions of fundaligionist ignorance than the essentially brain-dead approach of LaShawning them shizzles….,