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Angels,
Demons & Bruce Almighty
I finished reading Dan Brown's "Angels
& Demons". It was a mystery that preceded the now famous "Da Vinci
Code" and it introduced the main character of both stories. I enjoyed it as
a fantasy mystery but it was spoiled (for me) by gross inaccuracies in his depiction
of the workings of the Catholic Church. I still don't know if his intentions in
writing these books were malicious or simply a complete disregard of the damage
that could be done by his stories. There is enough fact there to give the story credibility
to the gullible or the person who is disposed to be anti-Catholic. The
impossibility of the plot and depicted situations should be enough to convince
the reader of the complete fictionality of the story. The story distorts and exaggerates
the tension between the Church and the scientific world while describing the
process of electing a Pope inaccurately. I seriously question the motives of a
writer who places the wealth derived from book sales over the possible damage
that his writings can do. I do not think I will be reading any more of his
work.
In
stark contrast to this book was the film "Bruce Almighty". It
was obviously fiction but I would classify it as a parable
because it conveyed a "truth" in its story. God (Morgan Freeman)
grants Bruce (Jim Carrey) the power to be God in Buffalo, NY. As Bruce
takes on the roll of God several truths are revealed.
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If
God used his powers in a selfish way the results would be disastrous.
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Trying
to force people to love him violates "free will".
-
Giving
people everything they pray for doesn't work.
Yes
it was fiction, but fiction with a positive message presented in a way to
entertain and enlighten. It also made me think of how some of my friends
will feel when they learn that God is black.
Don
Plefka
1/24/04
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Our entertainment and
It's effect on our society.
I have long been
troubled by the trend of the entertainment media to disregard high moral
values and to promote instant gratification and selfish behavior as the
norm.
This page reflects my views and the views of others on the subject. |
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Angels,
Demons & Bruce Almighty
Don
Plefka
1/24/2004 |
The
World of Grandpa Don
www.plefka.net |
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