The Pope's Thumbs Up for Gibson's 'Passion' (Liberal Jewish writer accuses Mel of using the Pope)

NY Times ^ | January 18, 2004 | FRANK RICH

[antiRepublicrat]

If I were doing a story on the Rolling Stones, I'd want to get Mick's thumbs-up. If I were doing a story on something deeply held by the Catholic church, I'd also want a thumbs-up by their leader. Add to that the fact that Mel is Catholic and would surely want to know that he's not misrepresenting his faith to the world pretty much seals it for me that the endorsement was a good idea.

[freedomson]

Messianic?

By the grace of God, yes.

[freedomson]

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, And her salvation like a torch that is burning.

Isaiah 62:1

[presidio9]

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." Matthew 5:38-41

[RobbyS]

The thing to remember, IMHO, is that this film offends liberal Catholics more than Jews. Liberal Catholics simply hate the baroque Catholic culture that Gibson presents in this film.

[freedomson]

And then they expect love in return?! Ridiculous!

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? "If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the pagans do the same?

Matthew 5:43-47

[Shryke]

That's it! And they will do absolutely everything to show the contempt to us catholics! And then they expect love in return?! Ridiculous!

A ridiculous lie and unbelievably un-Christian attitude. And what Jew ever asked you for your "love"? Interesting that you would project your hostility and hypocracy onto the Jews. It is you that show contempt, and you that asks for love in return.

[SJackson]

Nowhere does this parting shot specify a certain type of Jew.

You missed my sarcasm. It's laughable to contend this statement pertains to only "certain Jews".

It's impossible to say that

Why do Jews try to kill the Truth? What do they want to gain?

I've rather sympathized with Jews so far. This time my viewpoints have changed completely. I am a Christian and I'm not going to sit and watch Christ being savaged by the group of hateful Jews.

Jews! Leave Christ and Christians alone!!!

[FreedomSurge]

I know many wonderful Jews and are very close to many. My message was not of hate but of fact. My suggestion to you AAABEST is to get close enough to your Jewish friends to be able to discuss religion honestly. All my close Jewish friends have blamed Christianity for the Holocaust, from a little bit to allot. My father fought and almost died in WWII so I find this belief hard to believe.

I do not believer Christians were responsible for the holocaust but my Jewish friends believe Christians are responsible from a small amount to a great amount. Does this mean that I love them any less? No, not at all.

[Thorin]

Well, there's lots of hate to go around. For example the hate expressed by a rabbi writing in the Jerusalem Post saying the passages in Gopsel of Matthew where the crowd accepts respsonsibility for Jesus' death were "crude forgeries" and saying that the New Testament had been edited to make it hostile to Jews. Or Abe Foxman of the ADL telling all who would listen that the Gospels were anti-Semitic. Or the entire ADL effort (assisted by some self-hating Christian theologians) to censor Gibson's film precisely because it is faithful to the Gospels' depiction of the Passion. When people outside my faith presume to tell me what I may believe, or claim that the Gospels are "anti-Semitic," that's offensive.

I'm glad Gibson is succeeding, in spite of the hate campaign against him.

[SJackson]

I'm afraid you're right. Too many Jews will scream "persecution" when the film comes out, and too many Christians will use the film as an excuse to dredge up old and inaccurate prejudices against the Jewish race...Maybe Gibson's best legacy will be to teach both sides to behave themselves.

We're all going to have the opportunity to confront bigots on both sides. Of course the more proper time is largely AFTER the film comes out, we've seen it and the reaction.

[presidio9]

half were Polish Jews and the other half were Poles.

Meaning "Catholics." Whenever people talk about the Holocaust, the fact that nearly half the victims were Catholic is always lost in the recollection. I have seen people on this website devote a lot of time and energy trying to prove that Pope Pius XII collaborated with Hitler.

[Shryke]

Who is stopping him? A Jewish liberal film-critic? Good Lord, what power he must wield!

Anyone can make a film about anything nowadays, and someone is going to whine about it. Some Jews want to complain about a Passion Play. I don't see how this is surprising. No one is going to stop the movie from being shown. Most people will surely enjoy it and some won't. That's life.

[RobbyS]

The Poles, Ukranians, and Russians who were killed by the Nazis are conveniently forgotten, although Hitler's program for providing "Lebensraum" for the Germans required their extermination/reduction to slavery. The concern of liberals for Jews is limited to discrediting the Christians. The contempt they show for an Israeli government that does not behave as they think it should, their pandering to Islamofascists like Arafat, shows them in their true colors.

[RobbyS]

Gibson has played his cards well. Peopke will go to the movie and say: "What was all the fuss about?"