Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: Puritans, A City Upon a Hill

Milo, of course, didn't yet possess the personal clout to secure an endorsement from President Clinton. But his family certainly did. Through certain… exchanges, such as unwavering support for Clinton in the upcoming election from most of Massachusetts, they were able to arrange the endorsement.This was a relatively easy task. Clinton's charisma was undeniable, and his re-election the following year was practically guaranteed. Moreover, Massachusetts was increasingly leaning Democrat, steadily solidifying its blue state status. The Blackburns had to exert minimal effort.Likewise, Clinton's required contribution was equally small. He simply had to say a few pre-arranged sentences during an interview. A mutually beneficial, low-cost agreement that Clinton was happy to participate in.But the real driving force behind the book's explosive popularity was "The Da Vinci Code" itself.In America, and arguably the world, it was similar to the "Harry Potter" phenomenon that would emerge two years later. Both practically invented their own subgenres of fiction. Nothing quite like them had existed before, guaranteeing their success upon release.Just consider its achievements in the original timeline:It broke American fiction sales records with 7.5 million copies sold, achieving global sales of over 65 million. It held the number one spot on the New York Times bestseller list for an astounding 76 weeks.It was translated into 42 languages, achieving sales figures comparable to the "Harry Potter" series.It also reignited public interest in the history of the Catholic Church.And this last point was what drew criticism from a prominent American Catholic bishop just two weeks after the book's release, who claimed the novel was a work of fiction and historical inaccuracies.And thus, one of the most powerful political forces in America entered the fray.Before delving into this, it's necessary to understand that America was founded by Puritans.It was their "city upon a hill."But remember, the "pure" in Puritan was never about asceticism or abstaining from worldly pleasures.It was about "purging."The original Puritan aim was to purge the Church of England of its Catholic remnants. In other words, they were radicals.And what percentage of Americans belonged to this group?Roughly 57%.In other words, out of the current 266 million Americans, approximately 150 million were Protestant Puritans.Among Puritans, whether they were Episcopalians, Baptists, Presbyterians, or Congregationalists, the differences were relatively minor, mainly concerning organizational structure and regional distribution.The significant distinctions lay in which faction of Puritanism they adhered to.Protestantism was essentially an umbrella term for a collection of denominations.Ignoring organizational structure, these denominations could be broadly categorized into three factions based on their core doctrines: Evangelicals, Charismatics, and Fundamentalists.Evangelicals formed the vast majority, exceeding 100 million, representing roughly 35% of the total US population.This group of nearly a hundred million people was largely responsible for the perception in other countries that Americans were anti-intellectual.Their literature proclaimed the necessity of unwavering faith in God, that the moon was created by God, that the Grand Canyon was carved by God's flood, that evolution was false, and so on.But even more remarkably, this was the most liberal of the three factions.The other two were far more fundamentalist.One of the Evangelicals' favorite pastimes was engaging in ideological clashes with the Vatican.Thus, after the Catholic bishop's criticism, the Puritans, led by the New York Evangelical leader Bishop Benjamin Butcher, entered the scene.Bishop Benjamin Butcher declared:Milo must have been divinely inspired to write such a novel. It contained divine revelations, otherwise, how could it possess so much detailed religious theory, including facts unknown even to theology professors?It was the novel containing the most divine knowledge, the most church secrets in the world.Through Milo Blackburn, God was sending a message of gospel and divine revelation to the world.And so, the leaders of various American denominations engaged in a heated debate, inadvertently fueling the fire for "The Da Vinci Code."This led to the aforementioned record set by New York Times critic Eddie McGoodrick:1.2 million copies sold in September alone, holding the top spot on the New York Times bestseller list for five consecutive weeks starting in its second week on sale.And the book continued to sell rapidly, fueled by the ongoing verbal sparring between religious leaders.And the instigator of it all, Milo Blackburn, heavily promoted by his family, chose to remain in Los Angeles and continue filming his movie after many phone calls and communications.He did, however, hire a significant number of security personnel.He even brought in some of his own people from Massachusetts to maintain order on set and around the studio.He was now famous, extremely famous.Not only were countless media reporters eager to interview this man whom Bishop Benjamin Butcher and other leaders called divinely favored, but many genuinely devout Evangelical Christians also wanted to see the man chosen to deliver God's message.But they were all turned away, blocked by bodyguards and security.Without exception.Until October 15th, 1995.On the road leading to the Hollywood Park racetrack:"Haggis, could you please drive faster? At this rate, we're going to be late," Eddie McGoodrick said, a hint of frustration in his voice as he watched the scenery blur past."Relax, Eddie, we're almost there. I promise," his assistant, Haggis Duval, replied nonchalantly from behind the wheel."You've said that about eight hundred times, and we still haven't seen a single sign," Eddie retorted, turning to look at his assistant with a suspicious gaze. "You don't happen to be lost, do you? I seem to recall you're from Miami?""What? Of course not! I may be from Miami and this might be my first time in Los Angeles, but I studied the maps countless times before we left!" Haggis Duval exclaimed, his voice rising in apparent indignation, though his eyes betrayed his nervousness."Then I'd appreciate it if you could find the location quickly, thank you," Eddie said wearily, rubbing his forehead.Just then, Haggis suddenly shouted, "Look, Eddie, there they are! The film crew! There are so many people gathered, that must be it!"Following his assistant's pointed finger, Eddie saw a large gathering of vehicles and people outside the perimeter of the Hollywood Park racetrack. Many of them were carrying cameras—clearly entertainment reporters."Pull over here. We'll walk the rest of the way."Eddie instructed his assistant to park the car on the side of the road. After a quick check of his appearance and belongings, they exited the vehicle and headed towards the crowd."Finally, we're about to meet this remarkable young man," Haggis said, his excitement growing as they approached their destination. "Honestly, Eddie, I still can't believe there's someone in the world who could be chosen by God to deliver his message! How did he do it? Why would God favor him so?" Haggis, besides being a reporter and writer's assistant, was a devout Evangelical Christian."Save your incessant chatter, Haggis. If you keep this up, you can conduct the interview yourself," Eddie said without turning his head."Are you serious, Eddie?!" Haggis's eyes lit up with excitement.But seeing Eddie's stern expression, he quickly raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, I, I know you're kidding."They soon reached the outer edge of the crowd.Eddie McGoodrick stopped a security guard, presented his press credentials and a letter of introduction."Hello, I'm Eddie McGoodrick, a columnist with The New York Times, and this is my colleague, Haggis Duval. We have an appointment with Mr. Blackburn."