Radio Archive #11: Carl Olson and The Da Vinci Hoax

I’ve read the “Da Vinci Code”. My priest has read it. My brother read it first and he was talking to my parents about it, saying, “And this is what the Church did! Jesus isn’t ‘divine’ — the Church decided that!” At the time my father wasn’t Catholic and my brother and mother, while they were Catholic, did not believe in Catholicism. I emailed my priest very upset and told him that my brother was spreading these lies from this stupid book! And my priest told me, “I’ve read it, it’s just a book and it’s not even a good one at that. Your parents don’t listen to your brother so don’t make a big deal out of it.” And then I was mad at my priest for reading this horrible book himself! I couldn’t believe that this holy man would read this drivel! I was very upset about that …

And then I heard a voice in my head say, “Read the book.” And I told it, “I am not reading that book!” and the voice said, “Read the book.” And I said, “I am not reading that book! I don’t want to! I don’t want to! I’m not!” and the voice said, “Read the book. I’ll be there with you.” So I asked my brother for the darn thing and started reading it. I started reading it the summer before my Confirmation, which was 2 years ago, I think. I read it at the exact same time I was taking Adult Faith — my parish’s version of RCIA.

And I didn’t read it alone either, that I am sure. In one of the chapters of the “Da Vinci Code” it tells you about the Church’s history and how it came into being, and while reading it I got very upset and I said to myself, “That’s not true!” And I shut the book pretty much ready to not open it again. But I still wanted to read so I got my Adult Faith reading out and I opened that to the chapter I had to read that week … and the chapter was on the History of the Church and how it came into being. I knew absolutely right then that I was not reading this book alone and that it was God speaking to me, telling me to read this horrible book, and that He was with me as I read it.

I ended up absolutely LOVING it … for all the wrong reasons : ) I absolutely LOVED the “bad guy”. I think I cried when he died at the end. I could totally understand where he was coming from, his every move, why he did what he did … and it sort of makes me laugh because it was his dedication to God and doing what he thought God was calling him to do that was supposed to make him the Bad Guy but I totally didn’t see it that way. That’s so funny to me.

I wouldn’t read it again, however — once is more than enough! I haven’t seen the movie and I don’t want to. And because I hated the writing I don’t intend to read “Angels & Demons”.

My brother was Confirmed last October, along with my father who joined the Catholic Church last April, and my Mom has also come back to the Church. And I have an absolute LOVE for reading that I did not have before reading this book. I will literally read anything give to me. I really enjoy and love reading, and because of my love for reading I have met a lot of interesting people who also love to read — interesting people I would not have met if I didn’t read and always have a book with me. God works in mysterious ways and, oh, how I love Him : )

Adrianne