It is the number one movie in the United States, raking in $77 million in the opening weekend, but it is also the number one controversial issue in the country.

Dan Brown?s The Da Vinci Code has been the subject of recent arguments between Christians. Making a debut on May 19, The Da Vinci Code recalls the story of Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and his search through the mysteries about the ?Holy Grail? passed on by a dead museum curator.

Many Christians have refused to see the movie, but I feel otherwise. My family and I went to watch it this weekend. I think that instead of shunning it, Christians should go and get educated about the other various opinions, and use it as an opportunity for evangelism, dialogue the facts with non-believers.

By getting educated and learning the facts, we can make intelligent conversations with others about the issue.

However, it seemed as though the movie was less controversial than the book. The book claims that Jesus was only a mortal and was married, but the movie presented in a ?cushioned? fashion. The main character states that even if Jesus was a man, he still changed lives.

I agree with Collin Hanson in his response to the movie for Christian History (www.christianitytoday.com/history/newsletter/2003/nov7.html). Hanson states that we should learn about the real facts and decide what the truth really is. As Christians, we should stick to the Bible and talk about the facts with others.

Unfortunately, some Christians have felt betrayed by seeing the movie. I feel that instead of letting this shake one?s faith, instead we should use it as an opportunity to strengthen that faith. We can all use this as a motivator to delve into the Bible and learn more about the facts verses the myths.

For more information, visit www.christianitytoday.com and www.sonypictures.com/movies/thedavincicode.