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The Passion of the Christ's theme is that suffering, not joy, is man's proper fate."

Sigh..., wishing this to be true does not make it so. Demonstrate the veracity of the above statement from the article by citing; Christian Scripture or other Christian dogma universally held. Please provide links to sources.

You expect there to be a Scriptural reference that explains the theme of Mel Gibson's film?

The statement is about the theme of the film, not the theme of the Bible. But, if you are asking if that is the theme of the Bible, how about these?

Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

2 Cor 12:9 ... Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

James 5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

While Christians universally use such passages to promote the idea that human suffering is a virtue, I personally do not believe that is the intended meaning of these verses.

Hank

"While Christians universally use such passages to promote the idea that human suffering is a virtue, I personally do not believe that is the intended meaning of these verses."

You keep posting on this subject, but I don't see that you are willing actually to address the central issues.

Many of us see where your logic leads you astray, and would be glad to tell you, but you don't have ears to hear.

Once again Hank, the virtue is not in the suffering, it's in how we deal with the suffering. A concept devoid of meaning to "Brights" who serve no one but their own ego. And I might point out that instruction on bearing suffering patiently hardly demonstrates that suffering is man's prescribed "proper fate" either in the movie or scripture. The author’s opinion does not render fact.

Christianity is not the root of all evil, contrary to the author’s opinion. If that were true, atheistic regimes would be paradise by comparison. If you want to see a system of suffering as a prescribed fate look no further than material liberalism: suffering in action. Atheism is the ultimate expression of material liberalism. Talk about suffering, you must believe that this is as good as it gets. What a burden, what a cross to bear...

Hank, you've traded an imaginary reverence for physical suffering for a very real worship of mental and even spiritual suffering. This is as good as it gets and as bad as that may be it's made worse because you have traded slavery to your own Id for slavery to the collective superego. All so you can be rewarded with what ever the collective decides to leave you as payment for your labor and submission to the collective will. And in the end you die...Congratulations on your ability to see this as superior to the Christian belief of and eternal joy.