MONA LISA'S SMIRK:

Was there a Da Vinci Conspiracy?

The Da Vinci Code is not to be ignored as a fictional plot. Its premise, that Jesus Christ has been reinvented for political purposes, attacks the very foundation of Christianity. Its author, Dan Brown, has stated on national TV that, even though the plot is fictional, he believes its account of Jesus' identity is true. So what is the truth? Let's take a look.

Did Jesus have a secret marriage with Mary Magdalene?
Was Jesus' divinity invented by Constantine and the church?
Were the original records of Jesus destroyed?
Do recently discovered manuscripts tell the truth about Jesus?

Has a gigantic conspiracy resulted in the reinvention of Jesus? According to the book and movie, The Da Vinci Code, that is exactly what happened. Several of the book's assertions regarding Jesus smack of conspiracy. For example, the book states:

"Nobody is saying Christ was a fraud, or denying that He walked the earth and inspired millions to better lives. All we are saying is that Constantine took advantage of Christ's substantial influence and importance. And in doing so, he shaped the face of Christianity as we know it today."¹

Could this shocking assertion from Dan Brown's best-selling book be true? Or is the premise behind it just the stuff of a good conspiracy novel--on a par with a belief that aliens crash-landed at Roswell, New Mexico, or that there was a second gunman on the grassy knoll in Dallas when JFK was assassinated?

Either way, the story is compelling. No wonder Brown's book has become one of the best-selling stories of the decade.

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