Liberals most likely to believe Da Vinci tale

May 16, 2006 / 22:00 pm

Data from recent surveys indicate that liberals and people who are not regular churchgoers are more likely to believe the tales proposed in The Da Vinci Code about Jesus having children with Mary Magdalene, said Catholic League president William Donohue.

“There is an inverse correlation between religiosity and belief in the Da Vinci Code’s thesis,” explained Donohue in a press release. “The more likely one is to attend church, the less likely he or she is to believe the book’s thesis.”

According to Donohue, a Barna Group survey found that liberals were twice as likely as conservatives to have altered their religious beliefs after reading Dan Brown’s book.

Donohue also cited statistics indicating that the British are twice as likely to believe Da Vinci’s “moonshine” than Americans. Donohue attributed it to the fact that British Christians attend regular church services less often than Americans. The 2001 British census revealed that 72 percent consider themselves Christian, but only 8 percent regularly attend church services.

Donohue also quoted a USA/Gallup poll taken this month, which found that 72 percent of Americans said no movie had ever had a profound effect on their religious beliefs in any positive or negative way; 21 percent said they saw a movie that strengthened their beliefs; and four percent said they saw a film that caused them to question their religious beliefs.

As well, a Barna Group survey reported yesterday that 24 percent of those who read the book said it was helpful in relation to their ‘personal growth or understanding.’ Only five percent said they changed their beliefs because of The Da Vinci Code.