Angels and Demons!!! :D

Being born as a Catholic like majority of the Filipino population, I know it’s a taboo to question Christianity but since I can’t even write about all the things that’s going through my head right now, I guess discussing such a complex issue would somehow make me more relaxed.

We all know the story, from the Immaculate Conception up until that day of His fated crucifixion. We all know of his miracles, He can heal all kinds of sickness and he even brought a person back to life. Jesus and his divinity—the very foundation of our faith and the religion we all grew up with.

But, What if??

The greatest story ever told was a lie?

The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons made a controversy on a global scale. This is no surprise considering that 33% of the estimated 6 billion people on the planet are Roman Catholics. The perfect example of this statistics is of course—the Philippines being considered as the only predominantly Catholic nation in Asia. Our religion pretty much defines us in many ways. It influences our values and traditions in more ways than we can imagine. Many historians actually consider Catholicism as the greatest influence of the Spanish colonization in the country and perhaps that is why the outbursts against the Da Vinci Code were understandable.

Angels and Demons just like The Da Vinci Code focuses on Vatican’s attempt to suppress the truth behind Jesus Christ’s divinity and Christianity as a religion based on a Supreme Being. However, unlike The Da Vinci Code that used historical facts, Angels and Demons approaches the topic using science as a basis to disprove the teachings of the Church. Unlike most Hollywood movies where stories are exaggerated, I guess Tom Hanks’ character Robert Langdon is actually softer compared to the Langdon on Dan Brown’s books. Like what they did in the movie “Da Vinci Code”, Langdon actually debated and argued against the idea that Jesus may actually have a descendant through Mary Magdalene’s child. If you read the book, Langdon’s character was more aggressive and that it actually appeared he was supporting the idea. I guess they intentionally soften his character for the movie to pass many countries film review board just like our MTRCB.

The battle between History and Science against Religion is a matter of perspective–therefore there could be no end to this struggle unless one side is willing to think about the other perspective too. Also, religion is not limited to Christianity and what is told in the Bible. Though I personally believe in the existence of God/Yahweh/Allah/or whatever you wish to call Him, I do not limit myself with just the teachings of the Bible. I am in fact a non-practicing Christian–I do not attend the mass every Sunday and in fact I would probably avoid attending one whenever possible because I believe in the existence of a Supreme Being that much that I don’t think attending a Christian Mass (or any religious ritual) is even a necessity for anything when it comes to worshiping “The Guy Up There”. I think, believing that a Supreme Being exists is well enough. On the same ground, I don’t limit myself to ideas and concepts that history and Science has to offer because gaining a bit of knowledge of His greatness is by no means against him. It’s human nature to contradict each other but I personally think these things, despite of the competition that the differences implies…can actually be put together to make much more sense.

There is a clear distinction between God and religion. Unfortunately for Filipinos, we are often limited to just the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church which gives us a very narrow stand on religious differences. Just consider how we treat our Muslim brothers in Mindanao and how we stare at them on the streets whenever we see them practicing what they believe in.

Religion is a double-bladed sword. It can do both harm and good but on some occasions it can actually do more harm. History tells us of those incidents in the past and even in the news today…we still see conflicts due to religious differences.These issues are way too complicated to touch since each perspective has great ideas and means to prove them. In addition, no particular side can be considered as perfect and in fact, gray areas always outweighs those already proven facts. It’s more than just a debate, like how Dan Brown put it…it’s more like a war in search of knowledge and truth. It’s like a battle between what is true and what we would like to believe as true. A battle between faith and man’s never ending curiosity…

To those who have read Dan Brown’s bestseller, Angels and Demons, a movie version is certainly something to look forward to. After all, Angels and Demons has all the makings of a great movie. The plot, the action, and tour to the Vatican City makes you think you’re watching a movie by just reading it. His other books, Digital Fortress and Deception Point  which were not as popular were also my favorites.

Angels and Demons features Robert Langdon, long before he was searching for clues in the Da Vinci Code. If you have not read it, I suggest you grab a copy and follow Robert Langdon’s adventures as he discovered a “cult” within the Vatican, followed trails of “sacred” murders and discovered secrets of the group, Illuminati or “freethinkers”.

Meanwhile, enjoy the Angels and Demons movie trailer…  

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