By Michelle Boorstein and Alan Cooperman
New York - Greg Beatty's first look at The Da Vinci Code came when a neighbour reached across his fence in 2003 and handed the Catholic lawyer the book and a question: Is this true?
Beatty read the novel and saw the questioning spread from his yard to his central city office and beyond.
Was Jesus really married? Do some members of the Catholic group Opus Dei really wear self-mutilating belts? Beatty could answer some things but not others.
Historical inaccuracies Now, 45-million copies later, his challenge is about to get bigger: Hollywood will release its version of The Da Vinci Code on Friday.
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But Beatty - along with many other Christians - is ready.
Hundreds of churches have distributed books and DVDs meant to expose what they say are the film's many historical inaccuracies. Pastors are delivering sermons about issues raised by the movie. In classes and seminars, Christians of several denominations are being trained in how to talk about the themes.
Many people in these programmes say they view the movie as a disguised gift: a historic evangelising moment in which Christians will have a ready opportunity to speak with non-believers about God's word.
That's where Beatty, who attended such a seminar, fits in. "This is a chance to teach people a whole lot more than they might have learned if they hadn't read the book," Beatty said.
Thoughtful dialogue "And they are bringing the subject to you, so now you are free to really explore it with them."
While some Christian authorities, including top Vatican officials, have urged Christians to boycott the movie, some see it as the religion's growing engagement with mainstream culture.
"This is how young people find things out, through the media," said the Reverend Terry Specht, a Catholic priest.
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