The Jesus War (New Yorker Piece on Mel Gibson, "The Passion")

The New Yorker ^ | September 15, 2003 | Peter J. Boyer

[Commie Basher]

This reporter's bias is the reason I dumped the New Yorker about 10 years ago. For background he only consults leftist and paleoliberal scholars.

Maybe it's not bias, but fear. On some subjects, one dares not be too objective.

[mlmr]

Fear? Fear that Christians are going to march lockstep and kill all "intellegent life" perhaps...but not fear of the Lord.

[mlmr]

What a great article. The New Yorker is the best magazine, ever. And what does it say? Gibson is a human being ... just like the rest of us ... imperfect. So what.



Used to be the Best Magazine Ever. This is from a woman who treasures her hand typed letter from William Shawn.

[Urbane_Guerilla]

Used to be the Best Magazine Ever. This is from a woman who treasures her hand typed letter from William Shawn

Oh my goodness ... that is a great tease. You got a letter from Shawn?

And (less importantly ... lol) you do not believe the New Yorker is anymore the greatest magazine?

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Mel is under a tremendous amount of pressure these days. I am going to cut him a whole lot of slack. Lesser men would have succumbed by now.

[bethelgrad]

"both sides are coming together because both sides think this is a very faithful movie. Ain't that great?"

I really do think it is great and can't wait to see this movie. I've been a Gibson fan for a long time and have always appreciated his storytelling. He has a way of reminding me that I am a man with a duty to protect my family and the inocent, which is very rare these days.

[aimhigh]

Abraham Foxman, the head of the Anti-Defamation League. Foxman was equally alarmed by the Gibson project, and had written to Gibson, seeking assurances that the movie “will not give rise to the old canard of charging Jews with deicide and to anti-Semitism.”

Do you suppose he is as concerned about anti-German sentiment that might arise from the next holocaust film?

[duckln]

Good post.

I was taken back by Foxmans' remark...

‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' Now, has the Jewish state, or have Jews, practiced the Old Testament by taking an eye for an eye? No. So a literal reading of almost anything can lead to all kinds of things.”

The fact is the Jewish state does take 'an eye for an eye..'. Whenever the Palistinians 'kill', the Israelis recipricate, but only in 'equal' measure. And IMO so it should be. It would be wrong to respond beyond measure. Seems the Bible is right on the money in this case.

If a person kills, it's right that he forfeit his own life.

[The Iguana]

Speaking with Foxman made me realize just what it was that Gibson had done in making “The Passion.” Gibson had said from the start that he was going to make a movie taken straight from the Gospels. Foxman was saying that, for better or worse, Gibson had done just that.

The horror of it all!

[dennisw]

bttttttttttttt

[nickcarraway]

I had never seen the trailer before, and I saw it on the big screen on Saturday. I have never had the reaction to a whole movie that I did to that trailer.

[karenbarinka]

...but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong... I Cor. 1:27.


So, Abe Foxman is convening his war council tomorrow morning. Drudge has had rumblings for 2 days that The Vatican is about to endorse Mel's Passion. Abe's summoning his legions to take on The Pope.


Deal Hudson had a story recently mentioning that Mel had quit smoking and was even giving away his stash of contraband Cubans. Fascinating to find out Mel's fair-weather show-biz friends threatened to spit on him if he ever returned to their smoking club. They're soooo tolerant out there in Hollywood -- unless you happen to be a Christian.


I've respected Mel since he was the only one at the Academy Awards 3 years ago with the decency to look disgusted and embarrassed as tolerant Hollywood presented award after award to a pro-abortion movie. If they do kill Mel's career and he departs La La Land, I predict God himself will blow the fault lines and cast California into the pit of hell. Wonder what the NY Times headlines will be?


As for me and my house, I usually see a movie once and then buy the DVD -- spending 100 bucks, max. For The Passion, I'm planning to spends thousands at the box office alone, taking everyone I know. Then I'm going to spend thousands more on DVDs. I hope The Passion makes Mel a billionaire.

[Dataman]

Do you suppose he is as concerned about anti-German sentiment that might arise from the next holocaust film?

Excellent question! One gets the feeling that they'd like to see some violence so they could blame the film.

[Dataman]

I have never had the reaction to a whole movie that I did to that trailer.

You and me both.

[Hildy]

You're an ass.

[Hildy]

I'm astounded that a group "insists' on consulting on a movie when they're not asked to. Name me one other director that would put up with this?

[Dataman]

To: Rain-maker

You're an ass.

He deserved that.

[nickcarraway]

Did you see it on the big screen?

[Cap'n Crunch]

Wonder what the Aramaic word for "dickead" is?

I'm of the opinion that perhaps early on there may have been some profanity but I would bet that after being in the presence of Jesus for a day or two, and seeing how holy He was, the profanities ended real soon.

I think Mel, devout catholic, needs to work on that. The references to ripping out the guys intestines and killing his dog is a bit much also.

[Commie Basher]

No, not fear of Christians. Fear of being perceived as anti-semitic or intolerant if his report is too favorable to Mel Gibson.