Why does church take some books so offensively if, sometimes, they are fiction?
99476
I think the church has a lot of different motivations for why they take offense to certain books.  There is the simple offense, where people deem certain content inappropriate because it is morally questionable.  For example, a group of parents discover a book that includes violence or sex inappropriate for their children and want to protest or boycott to have the offensive content removed.  The motivation is straight forward not surreptitious.  The solution is to restrict expose for the children you are responsible for, but it is extreme to try to decide what is appropriate for other people.  The second reason is not so pure.  The church may fear the challenge of different ideas.  They may feel that it weakens their power or control over people and situations.  Case in point, literature that is pro-birth control or not anti-abortion may be banned by the church because it challenges what they say and they may loose control over people when individuals read the information and become educated by the information.  The church used to only allow the Bible to be translated into Latin so that only a select few could read it and they would only share ideas that they wanted people to be exposed to.  This gave them control to manipulate the masses; it robbed people of their right to make their own decisions and to educate themselves.  I believe the church still engages in this practice and it is manifested in the church becoming offended and banning.
832947
Christianity being hopelessly self-contradictory to begin with, it's not all that amazing that you heap more contradictions on top of it to create your own special witches' brew of a religion.  It's basically what every so-called "christian" does.  \n\nSure, the bible was altered.  Over and over again.  Compiled from scraps, edited, misinterpreted, mistranslated, edited again.  The result is a document that one would have to be technically insane to take seriously, let alone "literally."  It's fascinating legendary fiction, and I read it for entertainment at least as much as the average "christian" reads it for enlightenment.  But it's absolutely crazy to try to rationalize your actions based on texts from the bible.  You might just as well look for precedent for everything you do in the works of Edgar Allen Poe.\n\nAs for "magick," "Christ" himself, or rather the historical personage(s) from whom the legend of the gospels is partially drawn, would certainly qualify as a "magician" or holy man of the standard Middle Eastern type.  He'd probably be amused to know that people continue to worship his image, conflated with legendary elements from pagan mystery cults, to this day.
1109699
its a BOOK..a FICTIONAL BOOK! Its not meant to be taken as TRUTH! I am Catholic, I know what I believe in, and I read the book. It doesn't go against the Bible, it just suggests possibilities that maybe someone in history altered the truth. Dan Brown is an incredible writer because of the fact that he can write FICTION and make people believe that it is the honest to God truth! Its a wonderful book & he NEVER says that it is the truth...he says the CHARACTERS in the book believe it is the truth! \n\n**steps off soapbox**
662931
well if they are they shouldn't, like that stupid da vinci code book, where everyone beleives it, and it's fiction. I guess it's just what you beleive in and people should respect it
312141
They try to judge a book by its cover. Just be yourself and let God be the judge.
1006814
Well at risk of igniting an unintended flamewar I think you're 100% correct about the "selective" nature of modern christian morals.  I think the justification is more along the lines of that magic and witches/wizards are portrayed or "glorified" as heros in the HP series while in Snow White, Narnia, etc.... they're always portrayed as evil villians.  Many of the conservative christian parents choose to shelter their children from any culture/lifestyle etc... that does not glorify God as they know God to be.  Not to mention that many of the christian movements now follow church leaders almost as if they were prophets themselves.  The very minute a man like Jerry Falwell speaks out about the evils of something like Harry Potter you can expect hundreds of thousands if not more of those in the Baptist Church to immediately shun Harry Potter when they perviously may not have had a problem with the books in their house.  I agree with you wholeheartedly when you state that it's "parenting" not "sheltering".  When a child is sheltered from the mainstream world (however evil or sinful it may or may not be) and brought up to view the world in the rose colored glasses of the church they have a very difficult time adjusting to life on their own and dealing with those who may have different beliefs and at least from my personal experience people raised in households like that tend to be quite intolerant of others because they view them as inherently different from themselves due to the lack of diversity in lifestyle and belief they experienced in their formative years.  \n\nGood Question!
476993
Because churches are evil.
302845
The implication of the author's work is no fault of the author's.  It's the fault of stupidity.  I'll bet that 90% of the book's protestors have never even READ the book.  Normally book burners don't.  Illiterate bastards with tunnel vision in my opinion.  \n\nOh, yes I REALIZE it is fiction, because I didn't by it from the HISTORY section of B&N!  Get a compass people!
890886
Most religious books are full of some hatred. Even the Bible is full of such hatred. It's not fair to single out one text.
267030
add: The Book Your Church Doesn't Want You To Read, editor Tim C. Leedom, then actually go and read the Koran, the Bible, The Vedas, etc. to help understand what they are arguing about.  It is always unfortunate that neither side of an issue is that interested in understanding what they disagree with.  I'll take a look at them, haven't read them, but from the descriptions thought I'd add the third.
54058
It's not wrong. Actually I think it's great!\n\nThe bible doesn't say that it's wrong. Even if it did, so what? It's just a book. Fiction, too.\n\nDoesn't it also say "Don't judge, lest ye be judged"? Or something like that?
1005190
Heck no!! that doesn't even follow the guidelines of the bible! the church is supposed to be based on the bible, not what some hippies think is spiritual
816147
What you are not entertaining, is the other possibility, that they CAN be reconciled, and you aren't seeing it, or not letting yourself.  It is not hard, it is right there.   The reference you give supports itself within the bible.  I don't see the problem, sorry.  Perhaps, your bible (Catholic Bible), could be off?    Do a study of the Christian cannon, and how the books were chosen to be included, or left out.  It is fascinating and eye opening.  Don't just assume the catholic church has it right, study for yourself.
1025601
it was because the book sold the idea that Jesus was a mortal man, not a divine being, and that he did something as 'dirty' as having sex with Mary magdelene and having a baby. christians do not want to believe or accept this, so it is controversial.\n\ni am not bagging christians by the way (i am athiest)
748634
This is all just a story of fiction, so believe whatever you want to.  The bible has been written, re-written, translated from one language and back again so manty times, it's even more of a work of whoever was writing it and whatever was believed at the time than anything to be taken for "truth".
630790
They think it's a fictional piece of work...or should.
621380
Most Christians are what I like to call "cafeteria Christians." They ignore all the bad things in the Bible and overlook all the traditions that they don't feel like doing, and embrace the rest as 100% true. Of course, most do realize in the back of their minds that the Bible is not to be taken literally (is fake), but is still a good guide to how to be a moral human being. When religion is taken too far, we get Crusades and religious cults. As you have expressed, it is obvious that the writers of the Bible contradicted themselves a few times, but all in all the Bible is a good way to live, despite the fact that God does not exist.