The Da Vinci CON

By Dr. Terry Watkins

  CON  \'kän\
1. to swindle; trick
2. to persuade by deception

The success of the Da Vinci Code is astonishing even among today’s global marketing machine. It is the fastest-selling adult book in history, staying on the prestigious New York Times best-seller list for an amazing 163 weeks – with no end in site. It has sold over 50 million copies (and ri$ing); been translated into 44 languages; been lavishly covered by every media vehicle on the planet. On May 19. 2006, a major movie opens on The Da Vinci Code, directed by premier director Ron Howard (Opie from the Andy Griffith Show), and featuring mega-star Tom Hanks.

Not only is the success of the Da Vinci Code astonishing – so is its attack against Jesus Christ and the Bible. The Da Vinci Code is easily the most malicious mainstream attack on Jesus Christ in modern times. The cozy reception of the Da Vinci Code among religious leaders, the media and the general public, loudly and sadly, testifies to the contempt against Jesus Christ and Christianity echoing throughout the world.

The plot of the Da Vinci Code surrounds a cover-up by the Catholic Church about the truth of Jesus Christ and Christianity. A secret society called the Priory of Sion has occult evidence that would destroy Christianity. The "secret-evidence" reeking from the Da Vinci Code claims that:

  • Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married.
     
  • Jesus Christ was not the Son of God, but just a "regular" guy.
     
  • The Bible and the deity of Jesus Christ are hoaxes concocted by Constantine.
     
  • Mary Magdalene is the true "rock" of the Church.
     
  • The Goddess Mary Magdalene should be worshipped and not a "male" God.
     
  • The Catholic Church used murder and conspiracies to censor the "real" truth about Jesus Christ.
     
  • Goddess worship, Witchcraft, the New Age and even Satanism possess the "true" religion.

The Da Vinci Code opens with the murder of Jacques Sauniere, curator of the famous Louvre Museum in Paris. Sauniere is also the Grand Master of a secret society called the Priory of Sion. The Priory possesses a secret that if revealed would destroy Christianity. As Sauniere lay dieing, he leaves cryptic messages, including a bloody pentagram etched on his stomach, pointing to "codes" found in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci that reveal the "truth" about Jesus Christ.

The mysterious murder intrigues Harvard Professor Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Nevue (also Sauniere’s granddaughter). Following cryptic symbols contained in the paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci, they travel a trail of "codes" ending in a surprising discovery of the mystic "Holy Grail." The "Holy Grail" is the mythical cup Jesus used at the Last Supper and that Joseph of Arimathea supposedly used to capture the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Books, legends and fairy tales have surrounded the "Holy Blood, Holy Grail." The Da Vinci Code adds a new twist to the mystic Holy Grail. Our renegade detective team makes a shocking discovery. The Code uncovers the "Holy Grail" is not Jesus’ cup, but Jesus’ wife -- Mary Magdalene! Brown unearths the Gnostic lie that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were secretly married. Weaving a blasphemous tale of sheer madness and myth, Brown turns Mary Magdalene into the Holy Grail by sexually "capturing" the bloodline of Jesus Christ by birthing his child. Throughout the book, the Catholic secret society "Opus Dei" attempts to stop Langdon and Sophie from discovering the "truth" about Jesus Christ.

Before someone protests, "Chill out. It’s only fiction," let us clearly understand the mindset of author, Dan Brown. In an interview on Good Morning America, November 3, 2003, host Charles Gibson asked Brown, ". . . This is a novel. If you were writing it as a non-fiction book how would it have been different?" Brown’s answer blow’s the cover off the "fiction" disguise:

"I don’t think it would have. I began the research for ‘The Da Vinci Code’ as a skeptic. I entirely expected, as I researched the book, to disprove this theory. And after numerous trips to Europe, about two years of research, I really became a believer."
(Author Dan Brown, Good Morning America, November 3, 2003)

Again, on Primetime Live: (Jesus, Mary and Da Vinci, November 3, 2003), Brown confesses to Elizabeth Vargas:

"I began as a skeptic. As I started researching ‘Da Vinci Code,’ I really thought I would disprove a lot of this theory about Mary Magdalene and holy blood and all of that. I became a believer."
(Author Dan Brown, Primetime Live:, November 3, 2003)

On NBC’s Today Show (June 9, 2003), host Matt Lauer asks Brown:

"How much of this is based on reality in terms of things that actually occurred?"
Browns reply, "Absolutely all of it."
(Author Dan Brown, Today Show, June 9, 2003)

Encyclopedia Wikipedia states Brown presents his novel as:

". . . ‘truth’ as something so well-known that there is no serious dispute amongst academics about it."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da_Vinci_Code)

Interestingly, the very first word of the "fictional" Da Vinci Code is the word "FACT" – in large, bold type. Following the word "fact" is a lie that states: "The Priory of Sion – a secret European society founded in 1099– is a real organization. In 1975 Paris's Bibliotheqe Nationale discovered parchments known as Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo da Vinci."

The truth is The Priory of Sion began in France in 1956, only 50 years ago. This documented fact alone makes it extremely tough for Issac Newton, who died in 1727 or Victor Hugo in 1885 or Leonardo da Vinci in 1519 to be a member. Brown’s disregard for the truth goes downhill from here. The "parchments" Brown calls "fact" were placed in the Bibliotheque Nationale by a convicted criminal named Pierre Plantard. One of Plantard’s co-conspirators has confessed to the whole, sordid scam. Several books have detailed Plantard’s deception along with a 1996 BBC documentary. Brown’s source for the Da Vinci Code is a proven scam.

Ironically, Brown shrouds the Da Vinci Code as "fiction"; yet opens with the word "FACT"; then states a proven "lie." The deceit and lies only gets worse.

One reviewer writes of the Da Vinci Code, "So error-laden is The Da Vinci Code that the educated reader actually applauds those rare occasions where Brown stumbles (despite himself) into the truth." (Miesel, Sandra. Dismantling The Da Vinci Code)

Also on the "FACT" page, the Da Vinc Code states, "All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate."

Fiction may be a charming idiom employed among the literary elite, but anyone reading the Da Vinci Code discovers underneath the cloak of fiction lurks a blatant attack against Jesus Christ and the Bible – feigning as truth.

THE ATTACK ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST •

The integrity of the Bible and the foundation of the Christian faith rest upon the person of Jesus Christ. Christianity is completely contrary to all other religions. All other religions rest upon teachings, sacraments, rituals, spiritual enlightenment or works, but Christianity solely rest upon a person – Jesus Christ. Destroy or even faintly distort His character and Christianity tumbles like a house of cards. Jesus Christ says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." The apostle Paul says in 1 Cor. 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Several hundred such verses could easily be produced.

Filling the pages of the Da Vinic Code is a pen dipped in hate and scorn for the Lord Jesus Christ of the Bible. Besides outright libel claiming Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene, the person of Jesus Christ is openly attacked and perverted. The Code openly claims, several times, the teaching that Jesus Christ is God was a hoax.

Many scholars claim that the early Church literally stole Jesus from His original followers, hijacking His human message, shrouding it in an impenetrable cloak of divinity, and using it to expand their own power. (Da Vinci Code p. 233)

The scrolls [Dead Sea] highlight glaring historical discrepancies and fabrications, clearly confirming that the modern Bible was compiled and edited by men who possessed a political agenda—to promote the divinity of the man Jesus Christ and use His influence to solidify their own power base. (Da Vinci Code p. 234)

Brown promotes the lie that the Roman Emperor Constantine personally created the doctrine that Jesus Christ was God. Brown writes, "as truth" that the divinity of Jesus Christ was invented at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325 by Constantine.

At this gathering [Council of Nicaea] many aspects of Christianity were debated and voted upon—the date of Easter, the role of bishops, the administration of sacraments, and, of course, the divinity of Jesus. . . Until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet . . . a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless. . . (Da Vinci Code p. 233)

Because Constantine upgraded Jesus’ status almost four centuries after Jesus’ death, thousands of documents already existed chronicling His life as a mortal man. (Da Vinci Code p. 234)

To call Brown’s statements a lie is too trivial. Brown’s allegations are deliberate attacks and blatant lies about the Lord Jesus Christ. To claim that the divinity of Jesus Christ began at the hands of Constantine in AD 325 is the words of a historical lunatic. The claim that "thousands of documents exist chronicling Jesus as a mortal man" are the words of a madman blinded with hate for the Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest "fact" in all of history is the divinity of Jesus Christ. Even our dating system (A.D. is the Latin "Anno Domini" which means "in the year of Our Lord" and B.C. stands for "Before Christ") echoes His divinity. The following statements from church leaders (among hundreds) supporting the divinity of Jesus Church all occur before AD 325:

The book A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs by David Bercot documents over 390 selections from the early church fathers, all before AD 325, confirming the divinity of Jesus Christ. While we appreciate the testimony of the early church fathers, our faith comes from the Word of God. (So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God Romans 10:17). The scriptures clearly, loudly and emphatically proclaim the divinity of Jesus Christ. Only the intentionally self-induced deaf, dumb and blind (Mark 8:18), such as Dan Brown, could miss it.

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:13

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 1 John 5:20

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1 Tim 3:16

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. John 20:28

Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. John 5:18

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: Phil 2:5-6

I and my Father are one. John 10:30

32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. John 10:32-33

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. John 8:58

But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Heb 1:8

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . .
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 1:1, 14

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matt 1:23

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? John 14:9

With the massive evidence affirming the divinity of Jesus Christ, how can an honest person write the blatant lies that Brown does? An honest man can not. But a man with a bias hatred toward the Lord Jesus Christ and the Bible can – and he did.

Brown decrees in the Da Vinci Code, ". . . almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false." (Da Vinci Code, p. 235)

May I remind you when Brown was asked on the Today Show how much of The Da Vinci Code was "reality," he replied, "Absolutely all of it." Brown discloses in Bookpage, "One of the aspects that I try very hard to incorporate in my books is that of learning." (Bookpage April 2003). We’re not dealing with a man simply writing a harmless novel, but a man pushing an antichrist agenda.

THE ATTACK ON THE WORD OF GOD •

In order to destroy Jesus Christ of the Bible – you must destroy the Bible. And Brown’s hate-filled pen attempts just that. Brown leaves no stone unturned, and no lie spurned in his attack to discredit Jesus Christ and the Word of God.

The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. . . it has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions. (Da Vinci Code p.231)

The scrolls [Dead Sea] highlight glaring historical discrepancies and fabrications, clearly confirming that the modern Bible was compiled and edited by men who possessed a political agenda—to promote the divinity of the man Jesus Christ and use His influence to solidify their own power base. (Da Vinci Code p. 234)

Brown condemns the Bible as a book produced by deceitful men to falsely "promote the divinity of the man Jesus Christ." Again, Brown alleges Constantine "established" the Bible to glorify and deify the Lord Jesus Christ. Brown claims that Constantine destroyed more than eighty gospels because they portrayed Jesus as a mortal man. Constantine kept only four gospels (out of eighty) that glorified Jesus Christ. We are dealing with a man so filled with hate and contempt for the Lord Jesus Christ, it has blinded him to see any trace of the truth.

More than eighty gospels were considered for the New Testament, and yet only a relative few were chose for inclusion—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. . . (Da Vinc Code p. 231)

Constantine commissioned and financed a new Bible, which omitted those gospels that spoke of Christ’s human traits and embellished those gospels that made Him godlike. The earlier gospels were outlawed, gathered up, and burned. (Da Vinci Code p. 234)

The early Church needed to convince the world that the mortal prophet Jesus was a divine being. Therefore, any gospels that described earthly aspects of Jesus’ life had to be omitted from the Bible. (Da Vinci Code p. 244)

The fundamental irony of Christianity! The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great. (Da Vinci Code p. 231)

The evidence for the reliability of the Bible easily ranks as histories greatest marvels. The evidence for the Bible is so vast, and so reliable, it can only be attributed to a supernatural, sovereign Hand. There exist over 6,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. The next work of antiquity is Homer’s IIiad with 650 manuscripts, while most ancient works number in the single digits. Nothing in history compares to the witness of the Bible. Some of our New Testament manuscripts date to within 30 to 50 years of the "originals." The New Testament canon was known and recognized at least two centuries before Constantine. (Canon means the selected books in the Bible). The eighty gospels Brown refers to are the occult Gnostic gospels. They were never considered scripture – not for one second – not by any Christian – not anytime.

In The Journey from Texts to Translations, author Paul Wegner writes, "It is important to remember that the Christian church did not canonize any book. Canonization was determined by God." (p. 147) Wegner also states concerning the councils (such as Nicaea that Brown claims "canonized" the scripture), "These councils did not determine the canonicity of the New Testament books . . ." (p. 145). We know the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were established as scripture by AD 170 for Tatian wrote his Harmony of the Gospels that only included our four gospels. During this time Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Clement, Tertullian, Jerome and others all referenced New Testament canon. Edward F. Hills writes in Believing Bible Study, "Thus through the Holy Spirit’s guidance of individual believers, silently and gradually – but nevertheless surely – the Church as a whole was led to a recognition of the fact that the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. . ." (p. 33)

The canon of the scriptures came from the leading of the Holy Spirit. Just as today, born again Christians filled with the Spirit of God know God’s words, and they also know what is not God’s words. Edward F. Hills writes in Believing Bible Study, "The guidance of the Holy Spirit was negative as well as positive." (p.33) Listing many of the Gnostic gospels that Dan Brown identifies as the authentic gospels, Hills continues, "Soon all Christians everywhere were led by the Holy Spirit to repudiate these spurious works and to receive only the canonical books as their New Testament Scriptures." (p. 33)

The New Testament writings themselves establish the canon of scripture. Peter in 2 Peter 3:16 refers to Paul’s writings as "scripture." In 1 Timothy 5:18 Paul refers to the Gospel of Luke (Luke 10:7) as scripture. Many other examples from the scriptures and early church writings, hundreds of years before Constantine, are easily available to anyone interested in the truth. To attribute Brown’s statements to shoddy scholarship or lazy research would be naïve. Brown knows the historical record. But he deliberately and deceitfully lies to create doubt towards the Word of God. No one of Brown’s stature, nor study, is that ignorant of the facts.

Brown also charges that the Dead Sea Scrolls ". . . highlight glaring historical discrepancies and fabrications. . ." Dr. Sam Gipp in The Answer book states, "The Dead Sea Scrolls . . . have no ill effect on the Bible. Their text actually agrees with the King James Bible." (p. 102) Let me add, I have studied the Dead Sea Scrolls in depth, and can verify Dr. Gipp’s statement. To reiterate Brown’s continual ignorance of the truth, he states, "The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the 1950s. . ." The fact is the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947.

Some other examples (among many) of Brown’s contempt for the Bible:

"the New Testament is based on fabrications" (Da Vinci Code p. 341);

"the greatest story ever told is, in fact, the greatest story ever sold" (Da Vinci Code p. 267)

THE MADNESS OF THE MARRIAGE TO MARY MAGDALENE •

The basis of The Da Vinci Code is that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene were secretly married. Brown’s evidence for this madness comes largely from Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, The Last Supper. According to Brown, the person on Jesus’ left is not John, as commonly believed, but Jesus’ wife, Mary Magdalene. Brown’s ridiculous reasoning is that Da Vinci’s painting of John appears effeminate. This cockeyed nonsense was first published in The Templar Revelation.

It’s a matter of historical record and Da Vinci was certainly aware of that fact. The Last Supper practically shouts to the viewer that Jesus and Magdalene were a pair. (Da Vinci Code p. 244)

I shan’t bore you with the countless references to Jesus and Magdalene’s union. That has been explored ad nauseam by modern historians. (Da Vinci Code p. 247)

The Church has two thousand years of experience pressuring those who threaten to unveil its lies. Since the days of Constantine, the Church has successfully hidden the truth about Mary Magdalene and Jesus. (Da Vinci Code p. 407)

These allegations are the ravings of a man whose scorn for Jesus Christ has robbed him of any discernment for truth. It is difficult to refute such foolishness for fear of giving it a sense of merit. The Bible says in Proverbs 26:4, "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him."

Nevertheless, let us observe the obvious . . . The fact is virtually every painting of The Last Supper during the time of Da Vinci portrays John as effeminate. Giacomo (1542), Domenico Ghirlandaio (1486) and Andrea del Castagno (1447) all painted John appearing effeminate. John was believed to be the youngest of the apostles, so his portrait displayed his youth, which appeared effeminate. John was also thought to be gentle because John is labeled "the Beloved" (from "the disciple whom Jesus loved" John 21:20).

The "Sixty-Four Million Dollar" question is – if Mary Magdalene is on Jesus’ right, and not John – then where is John? There are only thirteen people (Jesus and the twelve apostles) in the painting. Where and who is the missing apostle? The only apostle that later leaves is Judas Iscariot, but Judas is in the painting. Not only does Brown have trouble with the truth, but apparently he can not count to thirteen. Brown’s bitter disdain for the Lord Jesus Christ has blinded him to a glaring problem alleging Mary’s appearance at the Last Supper. By the way, what fool believes that Leonardo Da Vinci, 1519 years later, alone possesses some secret knowledge about the Last Supper?

DA VINCI'S "LAST SUPPER"

The Bible portrait of John the Baptist is anything but effeminate. Matthew 3:4 says of John, "And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey." Jesus Christ specificaly emphasizes the manliness of John the Baptist in Matthew 11:7-11

7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
Matthew 11:7-11

But when Leonardo da Vinci paints John the Baptist, he completely ignores the Bible and paints John the Baptist as some kind of an effeminate fairy! (see picture above).

Digging for evidence about Mary and Jesus, Brown unearths the Gnostic Gospel of Philip. When Langdon is questioned about evidence for the secret marriage, he replies, "The Gospel of Philip is always a good place to start," He then cites the following passage from the Gospel of Philip:

And the companion of the Saviour is Mary Magdalene. Christ loved her more than all the disciples and used to kiss her often on her mouth. The rest of the disciples were offended by it and expressed disapproval. They said to him, "Why do you love her more than all of us?" (Da Vinci Code p. 246)

But again (and again), Brown lies. The Gospel of Philip actually reads:

"The S[ ? ]ed [ ? ]ry Mag[ ? ]lene more than [ ? ] the disciples, and kissed on her [ ? ] often. The other [ ? ] … [ ? ]. They said to him: ‘Why do you love her more than all of us?’ The Saviour answered and said to them [ ? ]: ‘Why do I not love you like her?’."

All the places where [ ? ] appears the words are missing or unreadable. No one knows what the Gospel of Philip actually reads. It could be kissed on her [forehead] or [cheek] which is common among the Jewish people ("Salute one another with an holy kiss." Romans 16:16, 1 Cor. 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:12, 1 Thess. 5:26)

And no one but the Gnostic adversaries of Jesus Christ deems the Gospel of Philip having any merit. The one mutilated copy of the Gospel of Philip is written in Coptic – not Greek, nor Aramaic – indicating an unusually late date.

Despite Brown’s madness, there exists no reputable evidence on the planet to support that Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ were secretly married.

Brown also inserts that Jesus Christ was the "original feminist." According to Brown’s delusions, Jesus initially chose Mary Magdalene as the "leader" of the church. Mary Magdalene was the chosen Holy Grail that carried the bloodline of Jesus Christ. These claims are so absurd they aren’t worthy a rebuttal.

According to these unaltered gospels [Gnostic], it was not Peter to whom Christ gave directions with which to establish the Christian Church. It was Mary Magdalene. . . That was the plan. Jesus was the original feminist. He intended for the future of the His Church to be in the hands of Mary Magdalene. (Da Vinci Code p. 248)

The legend of the Holy is a legend about royal blood. When Grail legend speaks of ‘the chalice that held the blood of Christ’ . . . it speaks, in fact, of Mary Magdalene—the female womb that carried Jesus’ royal bloodline. (Da Vinci Code p. 249)

Brown maintains the marriage of Jesus and Mary and that Mary was the "real" Holy Grail – is "the greatest cover-up in human history." Let’s not forget that according to Brown’s own words – he actually "believes" this loony-tune gibberish.

Behold, the greatest cover-up in human history. Not only was Jesus Christ married, but He was a father. My dear, Mary Magdalene was the Holy Vessel. She was the chalice that bore the royal bloodline of Jesus Christ. She was the womb that bore the lineage, and the vine from which the sacred fruit sprang from!" (Da Vinci Code p. 249)

PRAISE FOR THE NEW AGE AND SYMBOLS OF SATANISM •

As we have seen, the Da Vinci Code openly declares war on Jesus Christ, the Bible and Christianity. The attack is so blatant and so vicious, I am both disgusted and dumbfounded at Brown’s hate for Jesus Christ and the Bible.

While Brown attacks Jesus Christ from "cover to cover," on the other hand, he praises and promotes the New Age, Witchcraft and even symbols of Satanism.

Satanist Aleister Crowley ranks among histories most vehement attackers of Jesus Christ and Christianity. Aleister Crowley was a drug addict, sex pervert, anti-Christ and self-professed, Satan’s "chief of staff". In April, 1904, a dark, shadowy presence, later identified as Crowley’s Holy Guardian Angel Aiwaz, began dictating to Crowley Liber Al vel Legis or The Book of the Law. The Book of the Law became a major influence for Satanists, rock musicians, Gnostics and the occult. Crowley wrote long and loud of his hatred for Jesus Christ and Christianity:

"I do not wish to argue that the doctrines of Jesus, they and they alone, have degraded the world to its present condition. I take it that Christianity is not only the cause but the symptom of slavery."
(Aleister Crowley, The World's Tragedy, p. XXXIX)

"That religion they call Christianity; the devil they honor they call God. I accept these definitions, as a poet must do, if he is to be at all intelligible to his age, and it is their God and their religion that I hate and will destroy."
(Aleister Crowley, The World's Tragedy, p. XXXI)

Fellow occult author Israel Regardie (also Crowley’s personal secretary) is even shocked by Crowley’s attack against Christianity. In the introduction of The World's Tragedy, Regardie writes:

"This long, almost epic poem is one of the most bitter and vicious diatribes against Christianity that I have ever read."

I believe the same thing could be said concerning The Da Vinci Code.

Crowley’s devotion and worship to Satan is well documented. Crowley writes in his autohagiography, The Confessions of Aleister Crowley:

"I simply went over to Satan’s side; and to this hour I cannot tell why. But I found myself passionately eager to serve my new master. . . I was not content to believe in a personal devil and serve him, in the ordinary sense of the word. I wanted to get hold of him personally and become his chief of staff."
(Aleister Crowley, The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, p. 67)

Crowley christened himself, The Beast 666, and literally believed he was the anti-Christ, the Beast 666.

"I have never lost sight of the fact that I was in some sense or other The Beast 666."
(Aleister Crowley, The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, p. 387)

"Before I touched my teens, I was already aware that I was THE BEAST whose number is 666".
(Aleister Crowley, Magick: Liber ABA, book four, parts I-IV, 1994 Ordo Templi Orientis edition, p. 127)

Crowley practiced and preached human sacrifice to Satan. In his book, Magick in Theory and Practice, Crowley, gives the following frightening instructions under the chapter "Of the Bloody Sacrifice and Matters Cognate":

"For the highest spiritual working one must accordingly choose that victim which contains the greatest and purest force [ed. such as a child]. A male child of perfect innocence and high intelligence is the most satisfactory and suitable victim. . .
But the bloody sacrifice, though more dangerous, is more efficacious: and for nearly all purposes human sacrifice is the best".
(Aleister Crowely, Magick:Liber ABA, book four, parts I-IV, part Three-Magick in Theory and Practice, 1994 Ordo Templi Orientis ediiton, pp. 207, 208)

Aleister Crowley’s influence and inspiration is widespread in rock music, witchcraft, Satanism, new age and the occult. The famous cover of the Beatle’s St. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club album contains pictures of their "heroes" including Aleister Crowley. Crowley’s most famous teaching was "do what thou will." Following Crowley’s leading, John Lennon confessed to Playboy magazine that "the whole Beatle idea was to do what you want … do what thou wilst, as long as it doesn’t hurt somebody" (The Playboy Interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, p. 61). Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page was an admirer and student of Crowley, even performing Crowley’s magick rituals in concert. Page bought Crowley's infamous Boleskine house on the shore of Loch Ness where Crowley practiced his hellish, satanic sex-magick rituals, including human sacrifices. Page inscribed in the vinyl of their album Led Zeppelin III, Crowley's famous "Do what thou wilt. So mete it Be." Ozzy Osbourne refers to Crowley as a "phenomenon of his time" (Circus, Aug. 26, 1980, p. 26). Ozzy’s song "Mr. Crowley" says, "You fooled all the people with magic/ You waited on Satan's call / … Mr. Crowley, won't you ride my white horse…" The back of the Doors 13 album, Morrison and the group, in an act of devotion, gather around a bust of Aleister Crowley.

Rocker Graham Bond believed he was Crowley’s illegitimate son and his band Holy Magick produced albums of Crowley’s rituals. Iron Maiden lead singer Bruce Dickinson told Circus magazine (Aug. 31, 1984), "… we’ve referred to things like the tarot and ideas of people like Aleister Crowley". Following Crowley’s teaching, Maiden’s song "The Number of the Beast" says, "666, the number of the beast/ 666, the one for you and me." Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates is a student of Crowley. "I became fascinated with Aleister Crowley . . . I was fascinated by him because his personality was the late-nineteenth-century equivalent of mine—a person brought up in a conventionally religious family who did everything he could to outrage the people around him as well as himself" (Rock Lives: Profiles and Interviews, p. 584). Hall owns a signed and numbered copy of Crowley’s The Book of Thoth. Sting, formerly of the Police, also has confessed to Crowley’s influence. The professing Antichrist Superstar, Marilyn Manson sings in "Misery Machine," "We’re gonna ride to the abbey of Thelema." The Abbey of Thelema was the temple of Satanist Aleister Crowley.

The 60’s LSD and rock guru, Timothy Leary proudly declared on Late Night America: "I’ve been an admirer of Aleister Crowley. I think that I’m carrying on much of the work that he started over a hundred years ago … He was in favor of finding yourself, and ‘Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law’ under love. It was a very powerful statement. I’m sorry he isn’t around now to appreciate the glories he started." (Late Night America, Public Broadcasting Network).

Internet encyclopedia Wikipedia writes of Crowley:

Crowley has exerted a significant and enduring influence in popular culture, from mentions in Ernest Hemingway novels, to tributes from rock musicians such as David Bowie, Jimmy Page, Ozzy Osbourne, Cradle of Filth and The Beatles (his face appeared on their album, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band), to incorporation into L. Ron Hubbard's occult religions. . . Crowley remains a popular icon of libertines and those interested in the theory and practice of magick. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley)

Leslie Shepard’s, The Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology rates Crowley's as "the most celebrated occult magician of modern times" and states, "Most of Crowley’s books have been reprinted in recent times, and have played a significant part in the modern occult and Black Magic revival." (p. 360)

Suffice to say, more than any one person, Crowley’s teachings have fueled the flames igniting the current hatred of Christianity and the rise of the occult.

Several reviews of the Da Vinci Code recognize its likeness to Crowley. One reviewer writes, "The second is from what might be called the ‘occult’ influence, of which the theory of The Da Vinci Code is but one example. (Other examples include the works of people like Madame Blavatsky and Aleister Crowley. . .)" (http://alternativeworship.org/paulsblog/?m=200507)

A Google search linking "da Vinci code" and "Aleister Crowley" returns a whopping 26,000 hits!

As we examine the occult thread weaving the blasphemous tale of The Da Vinci Code we’ll see the ominous shadow of Aleister Crowley looming above.

The tarot card occupies a major role in the occult. The New Age Almanac (p 133) denotes Aleister Crowley as an "accomplished student of the tarot." In fact, Crowley was among history’s greatest authorities and authors of the tarot, even designing the popular Thoth Tarot deck. Amazingly, in one sentence, Brown praises the Satanic Tarot card, while condemning the church:

Originally, Tarot has been devised as a secret means to pass along ideologies banned by the Church. (Da Vinci Code p. 92)

SEX MAGICK •

During the Da Vinci Code, Sophie reminisces how she discovered her grandfather (Jacques Suaniere) along with several others performing a sexual ritual. After witnessing this bizarre sexual ritual, Sophia refused to speak to her grandfather for over ten years. Langdon informs Sophie this was not sex, but "spiritual. . . a deeply sacrosanct ceremony."

He [Langdon] explained that although what she saw probably looked like a sex ritual, Hieros Gamos had nothing to do eroticism. It was a spiritual act. (Da Vinci Code p. 308)

Sex rituals have always been a cornerstone of the occult. From Witchcraft to Satanism, sex orgies dominate their practice and rituals. Aleister Crowley’s instructions on "sex magick" became his most influential teachings. Leslie Shepard’s writes in The Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology, "Crowley had rediscovered the ancient occult secret of sex magic . . . the ritualization of sexual energy for the performance of paranormal phenomena or enhancement of consciousness." (p. 360) Under "Sex Magic" Shepherd writes, "The use of sexual energy for occult purposes, derived from a vulgarized tradition of Tantric Yoga by western occultists such as Aleister Crowley." (The Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology, p. 1501)

Frater Choronzon in The History of Eroticism in Ritual connects the Hieros Gamos and Gnosis Mass directly to Aleister Crowley

A stylised form of the Hieros Gamos is enacted in the Gnostic Mass published in the Aleister Crowley compendium ‘Gems From The Equinox‘ under copyright of the Ordo Templi Orientis." (Frater Choronzon The History of Eroticism in Ritual)

Clearly, Brown’s details and delights of the sexual ritual of Hieros Gamos clearly resemble Crowley’s sex magick. Langdon goes on to describe the sexual ritual:

What you saw was not about sex, it was about spirituality. The Hieros Gamos ritual is not a perversion. It’s a deeply sacrosanct ceremony . . . Physical union with the female remained the sole means through which man could become spirituality complete and ultimately achieve gnosis—knowledge of the divine. (Da Vinci Code pp. 309, 308)

The next time you find yourself with a woman, look into your heart and see if you cannot approach sex as a mystical, spiritual act. Challenge yourself to find that spark of divinity that man can only achieve through union with the sacred feminine. (Da Vinci Code p. 310)

Brown dips his hellish pen deeply into the well of blasphemy in alleging the Old Testament Jews of practicing ritualistic sex in the sacred Holy of the Holies!

The early Jewish tradition involved ritualistic sex. In the Temple, no less. Early Jews believed that the Holy of Holies in Solomon’s Temple housed not only God but also His powerful female equal, Shekinah. Men seeking spiritual wholeness came to the Temple to visit priestness—or hierodules—with whom they made love and experienced the divine through physical union. (Da Vinci Code p 309)

The word "Shekinah" is a transliteration of the Hebrew word shakan for "dwell, abode, presence." The "Shekinah glory" of the Lord is a well known phrase in Christianity. Exodus 40:38 is an example of the "Shekinah glory". The Hebrew word for "abode" in Exodus 40:38 is shakan.

And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode [shakan] thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Exodus 38:40

Brown’s obsession for spiritual perversion knows no boundaries – perverting the "Shekinah glory of the Lord" into a wicked occult sexual ritual.

THE PENTAGRAM •

The most recognized symbol in all of Satanism and the occult is the pentagram. Dr. Kathy Burns writes in Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated, "Satanists and witches love the pentagram, and we are told that the pentagram is one of the main symbols of witchcraft and occultism." (p. 42) Occult author Many Hall states in The Secret Teachings of All Ages, "The pentagram is used extensively in black magic." Former Satanist, Bill Schnoebelen says, "to the magician, the inverted pentagram has one use only, and that is to call up the power of Satan and bring the Kingdom of the Devil into manifestation on earth." (J. Edward Decker, Freemasonry: Satan’s Door to America p. 3). An occult magazine states, "The Pentagram is one of the most powerful symbols for the New Age." (Llwellyn New Times, Sept/ Oct 1988, p 77) Eric Barger writes in From Rock to Rock, "The pentagram is a very important symbol used in calling demons. . ." (pp. 143-144)

 

The pentagram is also very important in The Da Vinci Code. The Da Vinci Code opens with the murder of Jacques Suaniere. While he is dying Suaniere dips his index finder into his wound and using his own blood as ink, draws on his stomach a pentagram (p. 35)[see bloody pic on LEFT] Again Brown praises the satanic pentagram:

This symbol is one of the most powerful images you will see this term. Formally known as a pentagram—or pentacle, as the ancients called it—this symbol is considered both divine and magical by many cultures. (Da Vinci Code p. 98)

It’s a pentacle. One of the oldest symbols on earth. Used for over four thousand years before Christ. . . The pentacle is a pre Christian symbol that relates to nature worship. (Da Vinci Code pp. 35, 36)

THE SYMBOL OF SATAN — THE BAPHOMET •

While some may argue the pentagram is not inherently evil, there exists one symbol that none can dispute it’s innate evil – the Baphomet. The Baphomet is normally represented as a goat’s head in the shape of a pentagram. The Baphomet has no equal in the hellish halls of Satanism.

Occultist Eliphas Lévi drew the popular portrait of the devil as the Baphomet in 1854. It pictures the devil as a goat; with wings; the breast of a woman; with a pentagram above his head and horns. Satanists and witches through the years have worshipped Lévi's portrait of Satan.

The Baphomet is usually symbolized as a pentagram with a goat's head drawn within the pentagram.

"The inverted five-pointed star within a circle is the highest form of satanic expression, representing Baphomet, the God of Mendes. . ." (J. Edward Decker, Freemasonry: Satan’s Door to America p. 39-40)

". . . the 'Baphomet', is strictly Satanic in nature and represents the goat's head." (Frattarola, John: "Passport Magazine Special Edition: America's Best Kept Secret" p.2)

"Baphomet is also known as the Sabbatic goat, in whose form Satan is to be worshipped at the Witches' Sabbath". (Frank Gaynor, Dictionary of Mysticism, New York, Philosophical Library, 1953, p. 24)

The Baphomet also appears often in the writings of Aleister Crowley. The Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology states Crowley even gave himself the name of Baphomet:

When Karl Kellner and other earthly twentieth century German occultists founded the secret order O.T.O. (Order of the Templars in the East), they installed the British occultist Aleister Crowley as head of the British section, and he gave himself the magical name of Baphomet (Shepard , Leslie. The Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology, p. 160)

The Baphomet is the tell-tale sign of Satanism. Anderson's Law Enforcement Guide to Occult Related Crime warns of the "Emblem of Baphomet." The Texas Ritualistic Crime Information Network Occult Crime Manual lists "Baphomet" and "goat's heads" in a list of symbols attributed to Satanism. (Sloat, Lou, Texas Ritualistic Crime Information Network Occult Crime Manual, p 28)

The Satanic Rituals describes the setting for the Satanic Mass: "Amulets bearing the sigil of Baphomet or the traditional pentagram of Satan are worn by all participants . . . The symbol of Baphomet is placed on the wall above the altar.. . The sword is held by the priest and is used to point towards the symbol of Baphomet during the Invocation to Satan."

The cover of The Satanic Bible loudly displays the hellish Baphomet. The name Baphomet also appears as one of the Infernal names listed in Anton LaVey's Satanic Bible.

Even with such devastating testimony to the Baphomet’s hellish history – Brown defends and praises the hellish Baphomet. Brown even alleges the Catholic Church invented Satan along with Baphomet:

Langdon quickly explained to Sophie that Baphomet was a pagan fertility god associated with the creative force of reproduction. Baphomet’s head was represented as that of a ram or goat, a common symbol of procreation and fecundity. The Templars honored Baphomet by encircling a stone replica of his head and chanting prayers.
"‘Baphomet" Teabing tittered. "The ceremony honored the creative magic of sexual union, but Pope Clement convinced everyone that Baphomet’s head was in fact that of the devil. . ."
Langdon concurred. The modern belief in a horned devil known as Satan could be traced back to Baphomet and the Church’s attempts to recast the horned fertility god as a symbol of evil. (Da Vinci Code p. 316)

In Genesis 2 the Lord commanded Adam to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil:

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Genesis 2:16-17

It was the knowledge of good and evil that tempted Eve. Satan’s temptation found in Genesis e was too much for Eve:

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Genesis 3:4-5

Satan’s temptation hasn’t changed. It’s still the lust for the secret "knowledge of good and evil." It’s that forbidden desire that is the heart-beat of Gnosticism, witchcraft, the occult and Satanism. The word "occult" literally means "secret, hidden." Infoplease defines Gnosticism as, "The term designates a wide assortment of sects, numerous by the 2d cent. A.D.; they all promised salvation through an occult knowledge that they claimed was revealed to them alone." The word gnosis literally means "knowledge." Satan’s temptation to mankind leads to a secret "wisdom," "knowledge" or "code" such as the Da Vinci Code.

Echoing Satan’s temptation of "wisdom," Satanist Aleister Crowley writes in Magick in Theory and Practice:

"This serpent, SATAN, is not the enemy of Man, but He who made Gods of our race, knowing Good and Evil; He bade "Know Thyself!" and taught Initiation. He is "the Devil" of the Book of Thoth, and His emblem is BAPHOMET." (Crowley, Aleister, Magick in Theory and Practice, Book Four, p 277)

H.P. Blavatsky, the mother of the New Age movement also credits Satan bestowing wisdom unto mankind wisdom by opening the eyes of Adam:

"Satan, the Serpent of Genesis is the real creator and benefactor, the Father of Spiritual mankind. For it is he . . . who opened the eyes of the automaton (Adam) created by Jehovah. . . he still remains in Esoteric Truth the ever loving messenger . . . who conferred on us spiritual instead of physical immortality." (H.P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Vol 3, p. 246)

Brown’s perverse translation and anagram of the word Baphomet removes any remaining disguise of Satan’s influence. Through a bizarre series of anagrams (and several pages), Brown renders Baphomet (Satan) into Sofia or "wisdom." Exactly, what Satan whispered to Eve.

"Yes! Sophia literally means wisdom in Greek." (Da Vinci Code p. 320)

While Brown ardently defends blatant Satanic symbols such as the pentagram and the Baphomet. He is not so kind with the Cross of Jesus Christ. Brown’s diatribe against the Christian cross plainly demonstrates his burning hate for the Lord Jesus Christ:

Langdon was always surprised how few Christians who gazed upon "the crucifix" realized their symbols’ violent history was reflected in its very name: "cross" and "crucifix" came from the Latin verb cruciare—to torture. (Da Vinci Code p. 145)

The occult and New Age agenda of the Da Vinci Code is clearly revealed on page 268:

The millennium has recently passed, and with it has ended the two-thousand-year-long astrological Age of Pisces—the fish, which is also the sign of Jesus. As any astrological symbologist will tell you, the Piscean ideal believes that man must be told what to do by higher powers because man is incapable of thinking for himself. Hence it has been a time of fervent religion. Now, however, we are entering the Age of Aquarius—the water bearer—whose ideals claim that man will learn the truth and be able to think for himself. The ideological shift is enormous, and it is occurring right now. (Da Vinci Code p. 288)

May I remind my readers of Brown’s "belief" in the Da Vinci Code:

In an interview on Good Morning America, November 3, 2003, host Charles Gibson asked Brown: ". . . This is a novel. If you were writing it as a non-fiction book how would it have been different?" Brown’s answer blow’s the cover off the "fiction" disguise:

"I don’t think it would have. I began the research for ‘The Da Vinci Code’ as a skeptic. I entirely expected, as I researched the book, to disprove this theory. And after numerous trips to Europe, about two years of research, I really became a believer."

Again, on Primetime Live: (Jesus, Mary and Da Vinci, November 3, 2003), Brown confesses to Elizabeth Vargas:

"I began as a skeptic. As I started researching ‘Da Vinci Code,’ I really thought I would disprove a lot of this theory about Mary Magdalene and holy blood and all of that I became a believer."

On NBC’s Today Show (June 9, 2003), host Matt Lauer asks Brown, "How much of this is based on reality in terms of things that actually occurred. Browns reply:

"Absolutely all of it."

Many more attacks on Jesus Christ and praise for the occult are found in the pages of the Da Vinci Code.

After all this occult baloney and Brown’s futile diatribe against the Lord Jesus Christ, we’ll let the Apostle Peter, writing through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, respond to the "cunningly devised fables" slithering in The Da Vinci Con:

16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2 Peter 1:16-19

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