“The government of China has decided to put a halt to the runaway success of The DaVinci Code, pulling the high-grossing thriller from all of the country’s movie theaters, according to the film’s distributor, Sony Pictures.” (CNN, June 8 2006)
Why would the Chinese government decide to ban The Da Vinci Code? Some news stories suggest it was due to pressure from Catholics and other Christian groups within China. But Christians comprise only a tiny portion of China’s population (3-4% according to the CIA Factbook), and China is officially an atheist country. Could the real reason China banned the movie is to try to prevent discussion of the movie like we do on this blog? Persecution.org reports that “Foreigners are not allowed to proselytize … Illegal materials (any unapproved foreign religious material) cannot be sold, distributed, copied, or shipped.”
Perhaps the Chinese government was worried that discussion of the movie would lead to opportunities to proselytize (share the gospel) and banned the movie for that reason? (Thanks to ChristianCADRE for the idea for this article)
The group behind this blog had planned an in-theatre ad campaign to encourage The Da Vinci Code movie-goers to come online and discuss what they had seen. In an unexpected move, Cineplex Odeon decided today the ads were too controversial and has pulled the spots from theatres in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto.
You can see the banned ad for yourself.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://media.truthmedianetwork.com/davinci/bannedad.swf" width="400" height="228" /]
In response to the decision, Campus Crusade for Christ, Canada issued a press release:
Vancouver – May 17-06 — Cineplex Odeon theaters today cancelled a planned in-theater advertising campaign by Campus Crusade for Christ. Valued at more than $60,000, the ads were part of the organization?s program encouraging the public to view The Da Vinci Code movie and explore religious issues raised by the film.
. . . . . . . . . .
?Aside from the obvious concern for free speech, our campaign is a thoughtful and positive one with messaging that the public will find interesting,? Douglas said. ?Judging by the public?s response so far, people are eager to explore their religious faith, which we believe is a positive step.?
Does the ad seem insidious to you? Harmful? Controversial? Something tells me there?s something more going on here.
In an article in the May 16th edition of the Toronto Star, Business Reporter Rick Westhead accused Campus Crusade for Christ of using the ads as part of a campaign to stalk theatre-goers. That?s simply not true. Campus Crusade for Christ exists because we believe that knowing Jesus is a life-changing experience. Where people are discussing spiritual things, we want to be part of the discussion. The Da Vinci Code has got people discussing Jesus and we want to be part of the conversation.
The truth about Jesus, as we understand it, is basic and fundamental. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully human came to Earth, lived a sinless life and died to bring fallen humanity back into relationship with God. You can read more about it in ?Uncover the Truth?. Campus Crusade for Christ wasn?t planning to be a public nuisance or decry the film. We just wanted to talk. Cineplex Odeon doesn?t seem to think that?s such a good idea.
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