Well I have finally finished reading the DaVinci Code. Finally.

I have been laboring through this book for several months. (Several unusually dramatic months, I must add.) Since I purchased the book, I have read (and re-read) Wishful Thinking (by Frederick Buechner), Like the Lion's Tooth (Marjorie Kellog), The Lake of Dead Languages (Carol Goodman), and parts of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere (ZZ Packer), The Cloister Walk (Kathleen Norris), and Affluenza --- All of these books I love. They easily distracted me from completing the task. It's not that The DaVinci Code was a bad book. It had an "Indiana Jones" appeal and all the qualities of a well-crafted page turner. It's doctrine offended me. And it deeply troubled me for more reasons than I can write at this time.

I will say that the book took hold of pieces of truth -- the demonization of women by the church, the bible's history ("it wasn't faxed to earth from heaven, you know") The Apocrypha -- and infused them with fiction, supposition, and Pagan religious belief and ritual. I'm sure this must have been discussed somewhere -- I'm so late in reading this book that I've missed the chatting it seems.

I see an equation derived from this book that troubles me. Those who oppose the way things are -- who question the validity of the bible and the role of women -- are (as history has indicated) in the "Witch Camp" once again (even if they are good witches, witches non-the-less). And of course as soon as we utter the "w" word, any bits of truth that might be floating around in there will be spilled out with the bath water so to speak.. (You're either "with us" or "against us".) Is there no place for people who question but yet still believe? I have yet to find that place.

I have searched for the Creeds of my childhood -- I wanted to remember what it was I professed to believe. I am pasting them here: The Nicene Creed:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

And the Apostolic Creed

I believe in God, the Father, almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary,
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* church,
the communions of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

*that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places : the church universal.

I am glad to revisit these. These beliefs have never changed for me. Never. In all of my life's travels. (And believe me, I've been places you wouldn't want to go). I have said it before and will say it again: Everything I know to be true could crumble around me -- but God would remain. He may truly be the only real thing that exists in my life. "Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and lead me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." Psalm 25

More later.