No Judgment Appreciated: My religious struggle after reading "The DaVinci Code"

Persuasion. Influence. Possiblity. Could one theory about Catholicism really hold enough possible truth to make even the most devout believers question their faith?

This is not a post about bashing religion, nor is it a persuasion piece, but rather it is my story about the power of this theory on my life. Controversial? Absolutely. I have no intentions to start a debate about this book and this theory...simply read this post without judgment, I need to get some things off of my chest.

Born and raised as a Roman Catholic, my beliefs about religion have been moderate...I've never read the bible in its entirety but I can recite the 10 Commandments and pray for good things to come.

I picked up The DaVinci Code a few years ago from a friend. Also a Catholic, she suggested I read this book. I admit, I was ready to put it down after reading the first few chapters when I wasn't able to "get into it". The story didn't really interest me, and in all honesty, it actually seemed pretty boring. "Keep reading", she said. Reluctantly I took her advice, and she was right. The controversial theory didn't start until later in the book, and the ideas put forth by Dan Brown shocked me. I had quite a few open-mouth-eyes-wide moments, especially about the theorized secret of Jesus & Mary Magdalene...could it be true? I didn't know, and to this day I cannot rule out the possibility of...well...you'll find out if you read. But it did get me thinking, perhaps challenging my faith. Gosh, this is so terrible to say but if I'm going to write this post truthfully, then here it is, out in the open. This book made me challenge my faith after reading it. It was hard for me to accept my beliefs and continue practicing my faith. I went as far as discussing these ideas with a priest because my curiosity and confusion had taken over my ability to rely solely on belief. After having a quite heated but respectful discussion with him, I still wasn't satisfied.

I can't say for sure as which moment I came back to my faith, but it was a long time after reading this book. Today, I have a clearer picture of what I believe and why...although I cannot say for certain that I am right. Nor can I say that my beliefs are the same as they were before I read this book. It has taught me to look at all possiblities in every aspect of my life...school, relationships, etc. I have grown more aware of my beliefs by challenging them, which has lifted the religious veil off of my eyes. I no longer simply follow Catholicism because I was raised to, I now believe because I have challenged everything I knew to be true and chosen the beliefs that work for me.

I urge you to read this book because of the effects it will have on your life, regardless of your beliefs. True, this book is quite controversial, and it should definitely be read with a "reader beware" sticker. But Dan Brown's ability to create a story from a theory such as this is astounding. He uses the power of a secret and the intelligence of riddle & rhyme to keep the pages turning. The plot is genius, in my opinion, and it allowed me to enter the secret of the code along with the characters. Never has a book had such an effect on me, enough to question my life and my religion.

But remember, this is just a theory...but the ideas will send chills up your spine and get you to think..maybe not about the ideas presented but about your life in all aspects. Check out these books reviews to see if this is right for you:

http://www.danbrown.com/novels/davinci_code/reviews.html


Picture compliments from:

http://www.sheilaomalley.com/The%20Da%20Vinci%20Code%20paperback.jpg


Happy (and cautious) Reading!