Letters to the Editor

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Offended by The Da Vinci Code

I was interested to read the letter about the bestseller book The Da Vinci Code. I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one offended and alarmed at this book. The writer was wondering if there was anyone to prevent the ransacking of our faith. I am happy to report that the answer is in the affirmative.

A book has been published by Ignatius Press titled The Da Vinci Hoax authored by Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel. They do a superb job of debunking Dan Brown’s poisonous novel, showing it to be full of misrepresentations, half truths and outright fabrications.

If Mr. Brown had written such trash about any other segment of our society, he would have been castigated by everyone from the ACLU on down. As it is, anti-Catholicism may well be the last acceptable prejudice. We shouldn’t be surprised; our Lord told us that it would be so.

To make matters worse, a movie is coming out directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, no less. Need I say that no self-respecting Christian should see this movie. Our boycott of this movie should be just as ardent as our support of The Passionof the Christ was last year.

My suggestions are letters to the local paper, alerting our fellow Christians of this attack on our faith, letters and calls to the local theaters and encouraging our pastors to speak about this in their homilies (an excellent opportunity to remind the parish of the principles of the faith).

With The Passionof the Christ, we Christians proved that we can have a profound impact on box office revenue.

Let’s show Hollywood that that impact can operate in both directions.

-Mike Daugherty, Bedford

 

The Da Vinci Code is work of fiction

I find it interesting some Catholics would mistake The Da Vinci Code for non-fiction. Clearly by its place in the bookstore, this book is a novel, a work of fiction for mystery lovers to enjoy. What is fact in this book are the organizations Mr. Brown discusses and the artwork used to frame an interesting story for the reader. I encourage those who are interested in this topic to visit Dan Brown’s website ( www.danbrown.com) for more information from the author before making an opinion or choosing to read the book.

I think it is wonderful we live in a country that allows a movie like The Passion of the Christ to be made for all Christians to enjoy, and likewise provides the freedoms of speech and religion. In some parts of the world, we would not have the opportunity to watch such a film or read literature with controversial themes. Popular media provides an opportunity for Catholics to discuss their faith with others who would not otherwise give Catholicism a second glance.

What a platform for evangelization! Remember, there is a fine line between fact and fiction, and the two should not be confused. I look forward to seeing The Da Vinci Code at the movies and reading other novels by this author. It by no means shakes my faith or changes what I believe to be true.

-Lisa Tabor, Indianapolis

 

There are greater evils than natural disasters

What fools we are asking, “Why did God allow the tsunami disaster?”

Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote, “The difference between man and an amoeba is miniscule compared to the difference between God and man.”

Consider this. God manages 100 million new babies every year and the same number of deaths per year.

Maybe, just maybe, God is more concerned about man-made evils such as the many millions of abortions worldwide each year, sexual abuses of children, broken families and millions of others manmade evils.

-Jerome W. Schneider, Jasper, Ind.

 

The real problem with Social Security

The problem with Social Security can be defined in one word—abortion. With 32 years of Roe vs. Wade we have murdered 40 million plus of our present and future workforce. These people would have been supporters of the Social Security fund.

This year’s election is a start. Another important election is coming up in 2006.

It is our spiritual duty to vote to protect the innocent, the unborn and the elderly.

-Norbert Lindenmaier, Indianapolis

 

Shocked by proposed abortion legislation

In the issue of The Criterion dated   Jan. 28, Tony Magliano had a good column about Catholic apathy and how it has hurt the pro-life effort. But I had to reread one paragraph three or four times because I could not believe what I read.

It said that Richard Doerflinger, deputy director of pro-life activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, was encouraging us to support the federal “Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.”

This legislation requires abortion providers to inform pregnant women seeking an abortion that the unborn child feels pain and an anesthetic could be given to the unborn child before the abortion!

It is one thing to inform the would-be mother that her unborn baby feels pain. It is quite another matter to suggest she allow the baby to be anesthetized before aborting him/her. This makes me sick, and at the same time sad and angry.

This legislation will not save any innocent lives. It will only serve to make the would-be mother feel a little better and could even encourage abortion!

Is an anesthetized, aborted baby any less dead because he/she didn’t feel the knife cutting his/her tiny body apart or the scissors opening his/her skull and a tube sucking out his/her brain? Let us get real.

The pro-life movement needs to spend its efforts to cut down and hopefully eliminate abortions. It is a ridiculous waste of effort to initiate or support this kind of legislation that only helps the pro-choice cause.

-Mary Badinghaus, Lawrenceburg