AFP
Armenia's Apostolic Church on Tuesday added its voice to worldwide religious condemnations of the film "The Da Vinci Code", calling on Armenians to boycott the blockbuster and the book it is based on."The book by Dan Brown is disrespectful in regard to a sacred part of Christianity and insults the feelings of believers," Church spokesman Vahram Melikian told AFP. "It contradicts the Bible and distorts Christian truths," he said.
"The Da Vinci Code", based on a best-selling novel of the same name by US writer Brown, centers on a theory that Jesus Christ fathered a child with Mary Magdalene, and that the Roman Catholic Church covered it up. Since the film's release last week, it has sparked protests from Christian and Muslim groups in numerous countries, some of which have banned it.
"We cannot ban the film. That is done by individuals, whom we call on not to show the film on (cinema) screens in Armenia," Melikian said, adding that Armenia "made Christianity the state religion 1,700 years ago."
(Photolur photo)