Christianity and paganism have always been mortal enemies, mainly because paganism has no interest in truth while Christianity is, by definition, wedded to Him who was and is the very embodiment of it. The use of lies in the service of paganism is nothing new, and The Da Vinci Code is just another example of paganism using falsehoods to promote its own ends. Over the past few decades it has been proven that a revival of ancient pagan goddess worship will tap into portions of the feminist movement and will normally make the author a nice return on his or her investment. Brown has taken this to a new level of course, which is why he has been sued as often as he has for borrowing his basic ideas from others (they all want a piece of the pie).
   
Building upon the foundation of pure fiction already laid out as fact, Brown now begins to move into the heart of the “grail story” he wishes to promote. First must come some introduction to the “divine feminine” concept along with some blame to be put upon “the Church” regarding its suppression. Brown writes,

Woman became an offshoot of man. And a sinful one at that. Genesis was the beginning of the end for the goddess. (238)

As if Genesis was made up some time later! Of course, this is yet another fallacious assertion regarding this time the teaching and intention of Scripture. Man and woman are created in the image of God. She is no more “sinful” than he is. But it is the very fact of sin and its universality (and hence the need for redemption) that has always been at issue with paganism in the first place, so it is hardly surprising to see the Scriptures being misrepresented here in this context.
   
Brown moves into the story of the search for the holy grail (without nearly the comedic content that certain British comedy troupes managed to attach to the topic), writing,

Knights who claimed to be “searching for the chalice” were speaking in code as a way to protect themselves from a Church that had subjugated women, banished the Goddess, burned nonbelievers, and forbidden the pagan reverence for the sacred feminine. (239)

At this point Brown aims solely at Rome, and at this point Rome has little defense to offer when it comes to her history of burning heretics in the Inquisition and having a horrific record in violating biblical standards with her view of women. Any knowledgable believer, however, should be prepared to demonstrate that Rome’s errors in these areas no more represent Christianity than Brown represents serious historical scholarship. Women are not “suppressed” in the Christian faith—women are honored as fellow image bearers and are viewed as equals before the cross of Christ as heirs of eternal life. What feminism does not like is the fact that the Scriptures lay out roles for men and women as ordered by creation itself: that is God’s freedom in action, and since the essence of sin is to rebel against God’s authority, twisting His creation and all godly relationships He has established, they call the recognition of the creative roles of men and women “suppression.” It is nothing of the sort.

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