Posted on 02/21/2004 7:52:54 PM PST by churchillbuff
As this letter from Bill Donohoe of the Catholic League, two years ago, noted, the Disney/Miramax sex movie, "40 days and 40 nights" not only mocked Lent (and, hence, Christianity), it heaped insult on injury by opening during Lent. Wasn't this an example of Christian bashing by Hollywood (and by two Jewish executives)? But WHERE WAS ABE FOXMAN TO DENOUNCE THIS SACRILIGE? Apparently he can only denounce Christian movies, like Mel's. I for one am tired of the Passion being labeled "controversial," when anti-christian crap is put out incessently by the Hollywood trash and hate merchants -- without a peep from Foxman.
February 5, 2002
APPEAL TO MICHAEL EISNER AND HARVEY WEINSTEIN: RESCHEDULE “40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS”
Catholic League president William Donohue has asked Disney chairman Michael Eisner and Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein to reschedule the opening of “40 Days and 40 Nights” (the movie is a Miramax production and Disney is the parent company of Miramax). The film portrays actor Josh Hartnett as a Catholic who pledges to give up sex for Lent but has his will tested by his ex-girlfriend. It is scheduled to open March 1. Lent begins February 13 and runs through Easter, March 31. Donohue is requesting that the movie open sometime after Easter. He explained his reasoning as follows:
“In my letter to Michael Eisner and Harvey Weinstein, I asked each of them to ‘intercede on behalf of Catholics’ by doing whatever they could to reschedule the movie. ‘To show a film that parodies Lent in a most vulgar way is bad enough,’ I said, ‘but to show it during Lent is outrageous.’ It is no wonder the Fort Worth Star Telegram commented, ‘Pretty sensitive of Miramax to schedule a film mocking Lent during Lent, eh?’ Indeed, the movie is rated R for ‘strong sexual content, nudity and language’ and is noted for its ‘vulgar sex gags.’ Now if this is Weinstein’s Lenten gift to Catholics, he can keep it.
“On the Miramax website, it says the movie is based on the real-life experience of the film’s writer, Rob Perez. Yet the movie’s publicist tells us that Lent was used merely as a vehicle for the character to give up sex—so as to ‘make the story cute.’ But wouldn’t it have been just as cute to portray the character as a Muslim who gives up sex from sundown to sunset during Ramadan and is tempted during the day? That, however, would have cast Weinstein as being insensitive to Muslims and that is not a sin he wants to commit. Indeed, Weinstein postponed the film ‘Gangs of New York’ after 9-11 saying, ‘in light of the ever-changing current events, we have chosen to err on the side of sensitivity and postpone the wide release of the film until 2002.’ Wonderful. Now if only he treats Catholics the way he does Muslims and New York thugs, Catholics will be delighted.”
What about the ferociously films Kadosh and A Price Above Rubies portraying Hasidic Jews as loathesome criminals? Made by Israelis no less.
You simply have no evidence for that assertion, when they only mock Christianity.
'The difference between you and me is that I can point to theit anti-christian movies; that's pretty strong evidence that they're anti-christian. You can't point to anything that counters the evidence of their own consistent and persistent work product.
Yes it is. Because Foxman claims the status of a tribune against bigotry, and in this instance, "bigotry" from hollywood. But the most consistent Hollywood purveyors of bigotry have been Disney and Miramax, in their anti-christian films, but Foxman has been silent on them. This exposes him as a fraud, who lives by a double standard.
I don't know of any currently, but this article details some frightening statements.
"When convenient, Hitler and his Nazi henchmen dredged up the anti-Semitic writings of an elderly Martin Luther to justify their hatred for Jews." If this is true then Martin Luther is one prominent leader from the past.
"There is no innocent blood of Jewish children in the world. All Jewish blood is guilty. You have to die. This is the punishment that has been awaiting you because of that sin [of deicide]," he replied." From a slovakian papal nuncio, whatever that is. But we could possibly assume a higher level Catholic official?
There are some ugly things said in this writing that I have no reason to doubt. There are some hugely ugly things said by Chrysostom, beloved of the Orthodox (my) church.
How can the Jewish people know these things and not be worried? What an opportunity we have to show them the real love of Christ. Instead I see some posters here turning on them and saying they hate us.
My point has to do with the kind of bigotry that we see today, not 500 years ago with Luther or 1800 years ago with a church father. Today - - as you point out - - - American business and cultural leader who happen to be christian, at least nominally, do NOT mock, ridicule or defame Judaism --- thank God. But there are quite a few business leaders who happen to be Jewish - in Hollywood - - who make a nonstop practice of denigrating Christianity. Yet we hear nothing in protest from Foxman and the others who are libeling Gibson and his movie.
As for fears about persecution - - I remind you again that the two teens who shot up Columbine appeared to have been gunning for christians in particular. In fact, in the video they made before the event they curse Jesus and some of the christian students, for being christian. Now, do you think that some of the anti-christian stuff out of Hollywood might feed such vicious mindsets? I suggest you start thinking about the possibility that Jews aren't the only ones who should be worried when bigotry in the media raises its head (indeed, christians might have even more reason to be worried, because there's more media bigotry against christianity than against any other religion (though you wouldn't know it to hear Foxman)
Indeed!! That is exactly what it's all about. I simply can't wait till this movie opens and see the reactions!!
I think it's more than that. Gibson's critics fear that "The Passion of the Christ" will create both more Christians and more passionate ones (including some who will actively oppose Hollywood's attempts to turn America into the Weimar Republic).
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