Is the mega-bestseller “The Da Vinci Code,” a work of fiction, actually influencing the religious beliefs of its readers? Yes, says a new survey released today by pollster George Barna–but not in the way many traditional Christians fear.

The poll found that instead of changing readers’ religious beliefs, the book served to confirm the beliefs readers held before they read it. In fact, only 5 percent of the 45 million American adults who have read the novel reported that their religious beliefs changed because of the book’s contents. That is a small number, but as Barna points out, “Any book that alters one or more theological views among two million people is not to be dismissed lightly.”

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