The Code

Normal Scenario:
You go to the mall on Sunday night to see a movie. Arrive at 6pm, planning go to a 7pm movie. You get your combo plate of fried rice, “chop suey,” and pollo agridulce (sweet and sour chicken), YUM! At 6:55, after eating, you go buy your movie ticket, enter the theater and watch a movie.

What ACTUALLY happened last Sunday:
I arrived at the mall at 6pm, planning to see a 7pm movie. Jenn was already there waiting for me. We went immediately to buy our tickets, because we were going to see the newly released “DaVinci Code.” (Yeah, I know, it’s a heathen movie… oh well). Oh, I need to mention that this was the same night as the final for Mexican league futbol, and here EVERYONE loves futbol, I thought the mall would be deserted. Well, the movie was sold out for the 7pm showing, so we got the 8pm ones. Oh, also, the movie was showing on THREE screens at this theater, and also showing at two other theaters in QRO. This is Mexico. NO ONE buys tickets early for a movie here! But, we have heard that the Pope said not to watch DaVinci Code, hence all the Queretanos going to see the movie… ( I still got my pollo agridulce…!)

About the movie:
Yes, I am in complete agreement that the movie is totally un-Biblical. I wanted to see it to see what my non-Christian friends will be seeing and possibly relating to Christianity. Thankfully, in my opinion, the movie was unrealistic enough that I can’t see a lot of people buying the main point – that Jesus had a kid. The fact that the movie had an actual person who was supposed to be the offspring on Jesus, I think is enough to make people know that the movie is fiction.
The point that was made that I DO think people will buy is that the Catholic Church is deceiving the world. After living in Mexico for only 4.5 months, I have heard enough of the teachings of the Catholic church here to know that this is more or less true. People in the States have no idea what kind of teachings people are taught here, that are sanctioned by the Vatican. Catholics here don’t pray to Jesus or God, they pray to Mary, and an assortment of other saints, depending on what they are asking for. (Schools here have offering boxes where the students can put money so the saint of education can give them good grades. The offering box is mandatory, which is probably why any Christian schools that exist are not recognized by the Mexican government as giving a creditable education). I have a feeling that this movie will hugely impact this country, in that peoples’ already wavering faith in the Vatican will fall. The movie makes the Catholic Church look like the spiritual enemy of the world because of their dishonesty and cover-up of important things. While also potentially damaging to the True Message of the Bible, I hope the movie makes people open their eyes and realize that they can’t believe everything the Vatican tells them, to finish loosening the grip of the Catholic Church on this country. It is scary because that leaves people open to other false religions, ones that have nothing to do with the Bible. However, here, people see enough of a difference between Evangelical Christianity and Catholicism to not clump Evangelicals in with the Vatican. I suppose only time will tell which way the movie sways people – away from religion in general, or open to the TRUTH.