Are You Religious...or Real?

As our church has started Da Vinci Code discussion groups, I have read and heard different opinions about Christians seeing this movie/reading the book. Christians basically fall into one of three categories here:

1. They went to see the movie because they like movies and are not really discerning about what they will or will not watch
2. They did not see the movie because the claims of the movie are insulting to Christianity
3. They went to see the movie (or read the book) because they wanted to use conversations about the movie/book to share Christ with unsaved friends

I am in group three. When I first started thinking about a response to the Da Vinci Code, I shared a few things in common with group number two. The main thing I shared was not wanting to give my money to the Da Vinci Code...I did not want to support it. However, as our discussion groups move along, I am getting more frustrated from some in group two who loudly proclaim their belief that preparing a response to the movie/book is a waste of time or drawing us away from time we should be spending with the Lord. If it is their moral belief that it would be wrong for them to see the movie, I will respect that. But for others, I wonder, "Do they even have lost friends they could discuss this movie/book with?"

When Jesus talked to the lost, which did he spend more time doing...quoting Scripture or telling stories and using illustrations from everyday life that people understood? On the one hand, this study is showing me that Christians MUST know the Bible and Christian doctrine if they are going discuss this book/movie with their lost friends and hope to share the Truth with them. And on the other hand, is it such a far stretch from telling parables to using illustions from movies to share the Truth?

This morning, I was reading quotes I have written down in the back of my Bible. I found a quote from a speaker we had at church, Jim Britnell, on January 25, 1995. I think what he said pretty much sums up my opinion as to why our church should be preparing a response to the Da Vinci Code:

"Religioius Christianity simply insulates us from the world.
Real Christianity impacts the world."

So my question for Christians is, "Are we being religious...or real?"

- Rob