[Robert Teesdale]

I want to reiterate that last point.

Congratulations to Mel Gibson for doing what he wanted, with his money, in his way.

And to hell with anyone who thinks that Mel shouldn't have offended anyone. Life's too short to worry about that. I expect that the Passion will become one of the most important films in history.

[EggsAckley]

BUMP !!!

Can Free Republic get any SLOWER?

[tractorman]

And few people understand that crucifixion was routine for the Romans. They lined the roads leading to Rome with the crucified in order to deter crime.

[Shermy]

I suspect that people who complain that the movie is too violent, are somewhat ignorant of the facts of life.

I spoke to a friend who saw it. Not only "too violent", but scenes of violence and mistreatment absent in the Gospels, like mistreatment on the way to Caiapas by the Jews.

She thought it would reinvigorate flagellant sects!

[Saundra Duffy]

There was a guy on the radio this morning who saw the movie last night. He said he never could understand why Jesus died so fast. He said that some crucifixions took like 10 days for the person to die. He said NOW he knows why Jesus died so fast - because of the beatings and torture.

It wasn't the Jews who killed Jesus; it was me.

[GailA]

They must not have seen Saving Private Ryan then. I thought that was a very violent gruesome movie. But then I know that war is violent and gruesome.

[airborne]

A friend of mine saw an early private screening of the movie. He told me that he was sppechless for some time afterwards, and that saying the rosaries would never be the same for him. He highly recommended it to me.

[elbucko]

Anyone who thinks that being put to death by the Romans was a clean, well-groomed exercise in peaceful passing to the next world,..........

...will understand from where the inspiration came that compelled the Founding Fathers to prohibit "Cruel and Unusual Punishment".

[marty60]

What gets me is that ole Bill Oreally thinks it;s just tooooviolent for him. I wish Mel had said. Well Bill Crucifixion IS violent,bloody and cruel. But of course the PC version would have not a drop of blood

[theFIRMbss]

> I want to ask them, what do you think you'd look like after a few hours of scourging and crucifixion?

If life seems jolly rotten,      *
There's something you've forgotten,
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps,
Don't be silly chumps.
Just purse your lips and whistle. That's the thing.
And...

Always look on the bright side of life.
[whistling]
Always look on the right side of life,
[whistling]

For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word.
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin.
Give the audience a grin.
Enjoy it. It's your last chance, anyhow.
So,...

Always look on the bright side of death,
[whistling]
Just before you draw your terminal breath.
[whistling]

Life's a piece of shit,
When you look at it.
Life's a laugh and death's a joke. It's true.
You'll see it's all a show.
Keep 'em laughing as you go.
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.
And...

Always look on the bright side of life.
[whistling] . . .

------------------------------------------------------------------
* And for the people
who want to wallow in the
grief and blood and pain,

remember "Gospel"
means good news and Jesus said
we should be happy:

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, "I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, "I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I. "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe."

[John 14:27-29]

[KantianBurke]

Centurion: You know the penalty laid down by Roman law for harboring a known criminal?
Matthias: No.
Centurion: Crucifixion!
Matthias: Oh.
Centurion: Nasty, eh?
Matthias: Could be worse.
Centurion: What you mean "Could be worse"?
Matthias: Well, you could be stabbed.
Centurion: Stabbed? Takes a second. Crucifixion lasts hours. It's a slow, horrible death.
Matthias: Well, at least it gets you out in the open air.
Centurion: You're weird!

[VRWC_minion]

It certainly eliminates the objection he survived and was up and about 3 days later.

[Ichneumon]

I suspect that people who complain that the movie is too violent, are somewhat ignorant of the facts of life. I want to ask them, what do you think you'd look like after a few hours of scourging and crucifixion? Oversensitive dilettantes.

I'm perfectly aware that open-heart surgery is a bloody, disgusting mess too, but that doesn't mean that I'd want to watch such a procedure for a couple of hours.

[Snuffington]

I want to ask them, what do you think you'd look like after a few hours of scourging and crucifixion?

Like this, of course:

[Mo1]

This was just posted on CNN. I gather this is what so many folks are blustering about:

That picture bothers them .. but yet they don't have a problem watching someone's head get blown off??

[aruanan]

Too many people want a pet Jesus that they can use or put away depending on how it suits them. Fully realizing the horror he went through on one's behalf gives the lie to the pet Jesus. Some people don't want to let go of that. The alternative is to have to reject what he did or to accept it and then be as fully committed to him as he was to us. Either of these is too extreme for someone who wants the comfort of a Jesus idol--the former leaves one bereft of illusions; the latter requires one to lay down everything and to pick up his own cross.

[longtermmemmory]

Why is hollywood really really really really pissed?

They did not think of it first. They could have just done a bloody Jesus Christ movie and cashed in. They could have tweeked the script but the gore is marketing genius. (/s)

[NordP]

AGREED! Well said.

Saving Private Ryan wasn't any walk in the park, but it was acclaimed as near genius.

Again, so interesting to watch the Dems be SO transparent, because they aren't "into" the subject matter.