The one good thing about Dan Brown's book, The Da Vinci Code, is that it brings the name of Jesus to the fore; it makes people want to know more about Jesus. The trouble is, the book, the film, and all the myriad of other associated articles and products, all take a few facts and a lot of fiction and then seamlessly extrapolate them into realms of fantasy that paint a completely wrong picture of Jesus, God and the Church. It is important not to be mislead. Not least, it is important to remember that Dan Brown wrote a work of FICTION — and he's laughing all the way to the bank. To seriously suggest that Mary Magdalene was the wife or lover of Jesus is preposterous. So let's just get back to the basics, here.

Why should Leonardo da Vinci know anything special? Why shouldn't he paint a disciple with a feminine look? Can't he use an artistic trick — space next to the most important character — in order to focus attention without something deeper and obscure being made of it? And if he did have any 'special' knowledge, why did he not mention this in any of his copious private notebooks? Why try to tell others about it, in coded form, if he was part of a plot to keep it secret? Why would a secret society or sect provide evidence of their secrets in obscure coded form if they wanted them to stay secret? Why would anyone who founded their faith on Jesus want to keep secret the facts that undermined that faith when it makes more sense to just cease believing rather than build their faith upon falsehoods? The questions go on and on, for like so many conspiracy theories, things just do not add up. Others have shown how Dan Brown's book is based upon a hoax and it is, anyway, just fiction. Jesus was so important that our calendar is even based upon the year of his birth (discounting any slight errors in this respect). Can everyone really have got things so wrong?

The resurrection of Jesus is difficult to believe - it was in its day, even for the disciples of Jesus - but he convinced them in no uncertain terms it was true. That is why the disciples devoted their lives to telling others the good news he brought us about the way to eternal life. Many others, since, have also devoted their lives to this belief. I haven't hear of anyone who, after believing they saw Elvis Presley at a drive-in, subsequently went on to devote their life to that belief. And it was to Peter, not Mary Magdalene, that Jesus said "You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church." He did not build it on the rock of Mary Magdalene, you will note.

The judge of the case of Baigent & Leigh v Random House, Justice Peter Smith, noted: “Of course merely because an author of fiction describes matters of being factually correct does not mean that they are factually correct. It is a way of blending fact and fiction together to create that well known model ‘faction’. The lure of apparent genuineness makes the books and the films more receptive to the readers/audiences. The danger of course is that the faction is all that large parts of the audience read and they accept it as truth.” Since millions of people's knowledge of the Christian faith is solely attained from this work of fiction, and this book takes the pride of place in many homes that was once taken by the Family Bible in the days when people recognized it was the most reliable and informative book in the world, there is real danger that the religious waters are muddied in a way that will take a lot of work to clarify. Anyone interested in what the book proposes should turn to the New Testament of the Holy Bible and read the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, to get a true picture. Or just read John to start with, to get a good overview of what really happened and what Jesus really was about. These are the FACTS that has shaped history, the Christian Church and our calendar. The Da Vinci Code is riddled with errors as many have shown, so do not take anything in it as 'gospel truth'; instead turn to the true gospels. Do this and you will better appreciate the book is FACTION: the merging of fact and fiction. [More elsewhere. ]

True, the Catholic Church did make decisions about whether or not particular books should be in the Bible; they did pick certain ones for inclusion, such as the four gospels, and reject others as less reliable. Emperor Constantine badgered the Catholic Church to get their act together in this way, but the truth was that Roman emperors believed they would become gods themselves when they died and they were not particularly enamoured with the idea of a single God anyway. In fact, the emperor would be more likely to wish to use evidence to disproved the story about Jesus than to help the Church conceal facts that would undermine the claims associated with Jesus. Yet God's powerful hand did not allow this.

Mary Magdalene may have been rich enough to bankrole Jesus' mission, for all I know, but that does not mean she was his wife or lover. Yes, she was at the foot of the cross — and why not, as one of his greatest supporters? (She was grateful, for Heaven's sake, because Jesus brought her brother back to life! [More in John 12: 1-12]) But the claim made that only a mother or wife would have been at the foot of the cross is a completely illogical jump. The disciples might have been absent - if indeed they were - because they knew they were liable to immediate persecution by association, whereas the women who went with the group to take care of their domestic needs would not have had the same fears; so of course, they were present. The idea that Mary Magdalene used her power and influence to have Jesus tied to the cross rather than nailed to it, drugged so he looked dead when alive, that she got him down, that the body was smuggled away and he did not die, is all pure fantasy. If anyone attempts to tell us these things happened then they should at least be logical to be convincing. Do they think no one would have noticed the difference between nails and rope on the cross, for example? The chief priests went to great lengths to see Jesus dead, remember, so they would most certainly have checked this out — and made if known if it were not true! The Romans soldiers went to break the legs to hasten death on the cross because a special Sabbath was coming up, and they did this to the other two men. But not to Jesus becasue he was already dead; a guard checked this by spearing his side, 'bringing a sudden flow of blood and water; the man has given his testimony, and his testimony is true' (John 19: 33-37). A trick spear? I don't think so! If Jesus was just a trickster, why devote and risk his life delivering a fake message and then disappear into obscurity? Jesus definitely died on the cross (as a sacrifice for our sins, by the way).

The trouble is, people so like the intrigue of conspiracy theories these days that they read the theories and ignore the basic facts these seek to blur. People are making a great deal of money from the spin off of those that put doubt on the life and death of Jesus. For example, just read John 20 to see this rubbish about Mary Magdalene is wrong. When Mary discovered the body of Jesus was missing from the tomb she was totally distraught and crying. It was then she saw two angels sitting where Jesus' body had been and one asked her why she was crying. "They have taken my Lord away... and I don't know where they have put him," she answered. Then she turned and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not believe it was Jesus at first until he said to her, "Mary". Then she cried to him "Rabboni!", which means teacher, and he talked with her. She then ran joyfully back to tell the disciples she had 'seen the Lord' (John 20: 10-18). She was totally surprised he had come back from death, and note the terms she uses for him: not those of a lover, but of her 'Lord' and 'teacher'. John 20 continues with much more important evidence in this vein, but significant is that the doubts of Thomas were alleviated when Jesus suddenly appeared to him and the other disciples in a locked room. Thomas had said, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." If you doubt, Thomas doubted more. But Thomas had the chance to discover the truth. When Jesus appeared and said to him, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas could only then admit it was Jesus and replied, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20: 26-28). Prior to all this, the chief priests went to Pilate and asked him to make the tomb secure until the third day to make sure no one removed the body to make false claims. This was done and a seal was put on the tomb (Matthew 27: 62-66). But the root of conspiracy theories began there, with the guards that were posted to guard the tomb, and Matthew 28: 11-15 explains it as follows. The chief priests gave the soldiers a large sum of money to say his disciples came along during the night and stole the body of Jesus away, telling them that if this story got to the governor they would keep them out of trouble. It ends by saying: 'And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.' That, and various deviations, have been circulated way beyond the Jews!

Jesus performed many miracles, the greatest of which were raisings from dead, like Lazarus, brother of Mary Magdalene. No wonder she was impressed and followed him around and was pleased to support his mission any way she could. It was this miracle that convinced her he was the Son of God: not a trickster worth promoting for a profit! These miracles are well documented in the New Testament and were not conjuring tricks. His death was very real. They all added up to prove what a unique person he was. The truth that Christians believe, that God was within him, that he gave us God's message first-hand, makes no sense if he was a charlatan. There would be no point in the Church honouring a charlatan for 2,000 years... or of hiding the fact they really believed he was one. What would be the point of that? There is no way to logically uphold Jesus as a 'great man' if you do not totally accept his message; if the message were not true then this man was as nutty as a fruit cake and there would be no point in honouring him. Honour him and you accept his message and the truth of his resurrection. God already had a select family line, the House of David — were he interested in genetic subsets — so there was no need to create a new one through children of Jesus. And if there was, God would want us to know about that or there would be little point to it.

Pro 'Da Vinci' spin doctors choose to ignore the fact that Jesus was around for over a month after his death on the cross and his disciples met with him several times during this post-resurrection period. He cooked a fish breakfast for some of them on the lakeside shore and gave them an extra large catch of fish (John 21: 1-14) — just like he did earlier when he was first choosing his disciples Luke 5:1-7). Before he was last seen by his disciples, Jesus told them he would send the Holy Spirit as their helper after he was gone and that this would fill them with power; he was then taken up and a cloud hid him from sight (Acts 1:6-11). Soon after this, at what is now called Pentecost, this power alighted on the gathered disciples and they were suddenly heard to speak in many different languages previously unknown to them, and those around who spoke these languages understood the words of praise for God that were miraculously issuing from their mouths (Acts 2:1-22). After this, the same disciples who lacked confidence just before the death of Jesus, were inspired to proclaim his name and his message without fear of death or persecution. It was the resurrection of Jesus that caused this inspiration and changed their attitude, giving them supreme confidence. Can you imagine the same vigour if that were not true, he did not die and his body was smuggled away? Acts goes on to tell of many subsequent miraculous healings by Peter and the chosen group of disciples known as the 'apostles', including a man who had been lame all his life (Acts 3:1-10): an act which impressed and converted many. So great were his miracles, thanks to the Holy Spirit that was upon him, that people brought all their sick to be near him, even to have his shadow fall over them — and even these were healed (Acts 5:12-15). The rest of the New Testament tells us about the development of the Church that was built upon these foundations, and the advice given to church members and elders through various letters. Jesus said he would build his Church upon Peter — and that was exactly what he did, as the Bible shows us.

This is the real evidence of the resurrection of Jesus that the Da Vinci code does not tell you about. The Bible gives you the FACTS. The Da Vinci Code gives you the FICTION.

So is the Catholic Church worried about the Da Vinci Code? Are other committed Christians worried? One thing is for sure: they are not worried about it undermining their faith, for it falls far short of that. What they do worry about is the false image it presents of Jesus and the Christian Faith. That is of concern, and it is important for those who realise this to make their voices heard. For make no mistake, this is an attack on the foundation of the Christian Faith and that must be defended by all Christians.

If you get to personally experience a spiritual connection with God and his one and only true Son, Jesus, you will then know the truth as a result of that experience. Then you will not doubt. In the meantime, if you need a logical path to follow in order to reach the conclusion there is a God, then maybe the book God, Science and the Cosmic Jigsaw will help you to come to that conclusion — then freeing you to move forward to spiritual acceptance and its great prize... eternal life.

Read more about the book that tells you how unique Jesus really was and why you should believe he really was God's voice on Earth...