The Da Vinci Code and The Fountain -- Misunderstanding Sin

"It is finished." -- Jesus Christ (John 19:30)

Two movies, The Da Vinci Code and The Fountain, depict clergymen whipping themselves in an attempt to atone for their own sin:

Silas (Paul Bettany) in The Da Vinci Code

and the Grand Inquisitor Silecio (Stephen McHattie) in The Fountain.

Supposedly they are both men of the church. But self-flagellation is a gross misrepresentation of Christ's work on several levels. Enduring the pain and humiliation of the cross was the method by which He atoned for humanity's sin, an accomplishment that we could never have carried out ourselves. He has already made up for our spiritual shortcomings; we would honor Him to the extent that we embrace this fact.

Any man who tears at himself to atone for his sin demonstrates, first of all, a gross misunderstanding of sin. Even worse, such religiosity implies that Christ's redemptive work is not finished, which is the same as calling Him a liar (refer to aforementioned quote). It is also highly presumptuous for any man to think he can make God happy by beating himself up.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Try casimodo: the hunchback of notre dames..or something like this. features salma hayek (that's why i remembered the movie..lol). A priest in the movie whips himself just to get his desire for a woman out of his mind. Scary though.