What’s DA point?

I would like a very convincing explanation for 2 things which haven’t been answered satisfactorily by the pious followers of the Gods (I call them fanatics).
1. Why is it that when the Da Vinci Code was released in 2003 there was not much racquet created by the Christians all over the world? Why is it that while the book sold millions and millions of copies, the so called ‘vulnerable’ children of the God sat on their hands?
2. Why is it of all the countries in the world, a country such as India which probably harbors a peanut size population of Christians in the world (which also form a peanut size percentage of the country’s population itself), has to ban the movie the Da Vinci Code while most other Christian-laden countries allow it to be screened?

The questions seem very valid as they question the validity of the freedom to be creative and the freedom of expression themselves. While there is no such legal asset such as freedom of creativity, it is very much ingrained in the concept of creativity itself. A seamless boundary of thought is obviously given as a basic characteristic of creativity. It is very easy to explain the violation of freedom of expression legally and otherwise anyways.

Amongst all the reasons given for banning the movie, probably the strongest argument the fanatics have been able to put up (and quite a valid one according to me) is that many Christians are gullible and would not be able to differentiate fact from fiction. It’s needless to add, that the protestors do not present a very ‘sensible’ or ‘mature’ picture while trying to preserve their ‘faiths’. Otherwise, why would they imagine that people of their ‘kind’ would be confused? Are they not sensible enough to differentiate fact from fiction (something called research might help) and are they not mature enough to be able to believe and stand by something? More importantly, do they not have so much confidence in their ever-lasting, so-eternal ‘truth’ that they have to shoot down a single man’s thought and stifle his creativity? These questions, however, still lie unanswered in vain.

Since it is quite obvious that the two questions posed would go unattended, I would try to answer them myself.
1. While there were a few insignificant protests after the release of the book, it was just left it at that as it was considered a mere work of ‘fiction’. It was widely believed that such a book would anyways raise a few interested eyebrows and then fade into obscurity. Ofcourse the power of sensationalism harnessed by Dan Brown had been underestimated by the protestors and the book soon developed a cult status and that’s when the problems for the poor old church began. Suddenly a lot of people worldwide, who were in any case growing disillusioned with church / religion, began using the book as a way to shun the (lost faith in) church. By the time this came to light, it was probably too late. The earlier merely disregarded work of fiction was suddenly drawing people away from the church and therefore putting a dent in its power and authority. Finally, the marketers of Sony pictures realizing this, clearly saw an excellent marketing ploy (no expenses whatsoever) and started fuelling the debate hoping someone might catch the bait. And someone surely did.
2. This is a very simple question to answer yet difficult to swallow for many. It’s a typical dilemma faced by a country and its people trying to be much more ‘modern’ than they actually are. After all, most modern/ developed nations (widely accepted) must not actually be lying about their status by approving the movie to be released. They understand the difference in the domains of art and religion and decide to let them be separate. We, on the other hand, have it all bungled up. Plus our politicians (who have it all wrong I may add) see the Christian population not as a religious sect with some demands but as a vote bank which must be preserved in any case. That’s probably the reason why the Information and Broadcasting ministry viewed the movie first and then sent it the Censor Board. I’m sorry, but I thought it was the Censor board’s job to review movies and not the ministry, I thought the ministry was just to make the policies so the industry develops in a sustainable and proper manner (I must be crazy for thinking that!).

The movie may or may not be released. The movie-pirates are always there for the rescue. I would just like to give my hats off the Sony Marketing executives.