[nmh]

I'm not a Catholic and have NO intentions of becoming one. I couldn't become a Catholic since I am Bible based. The author raises many valid points that other non-Catholics need to be aware of.

"Even the worst physical torments inflicted by the Sanhedrin and the Romans upon Jesus were nothing by comparison to the anguish of having the sins of all the elect imputed to Him and making full satisfaction for them. "

This is very true. His death was horrible yet the focus is misplaced. The above phrase has it right. By far the physical was tolerable compared to the emotional pain.

[Bohemund]

"I couldn't become a Catholic since I am Bible based.

FYI--the Catholic Church is Bible based too.

[kenth]

I don't think the focus was misplaced. I think this was the most effective means of communicating the sacrifice of our Lord with it being able to reach us on on our level. I don't know how effective a movie trying to portray Jesus' spiritual anguish could have been, in regards to our identification.

[B-Chan]

I couldn't become a Catholic since I am Bible based

That's too bad. True, the Catholic Church is not Bible-based. It is Jesus-based. Jesus is at the center of everything we do in the Catholic Church. Jesus gave us the Church and the Church gave us the Bible. In fact, without the Church, there would be no Bible.

In any case, why should I believe what you preach? Are you an infallible teacher of Christian Truth? If so, then you have set yourself up as a pope — a Papacy of One.

Well, no offense, but when it comes to the Christian Truth, I'll stick with the teacher that God gave us — the one in the Vatican, aka His Holiness Pope John Paul II.

[Ronzo]

"Even the worst physical torments inflicted by the Sanhedrin and the Romans upon Jesus were nothing by comparison to the anguish of having the sins of all the elect imputed to Him and making full satisfaction for them. "

And exactly how do you show that in a film??????

And exactly which of the Gospel accounts tells us about this particular fact in the course of their passion narratives?

_{This should be good...}

[rwfromkansas]

There is no way to visualize that in a film.

What Gibson does is bring up lots of Scriptures in the film where Jesus explains what his death does.

What I found interesting is that the verses he chose were very Calvinistic (speaking about a limited atonement....dying for his sheep, his friends etc).

Gibson did not use universalistic passages, which I must admit I found quite refreshing and wonderful. He may not know it, but he is spreading the truth of limited atonement with this movie.

[steve86]

By far the physical was tolerable compared to the emotional pain.

Rather than giving an intellectualized answer I'll just say: Yeah, Right!

[drlevy88]

This is very true. His death was horrible yet the focus is misplaced. The above phrase has it right. By far the physical was tolerable compared to the emotional pain.

Well, why didn't God script this little earthly act we know as the Incarnation as something a little nicer, such as Jesus having his head cut off? Or better yet, put it in what we know as the 20th century and get the electric chair or the needle? It was grueling and nasty to the max for a reason. It was a picture which, precisely because it is so ghastly looking, makes the point like nothing else could. Paul practically berates the Galatians for forgetting about Jesus "who was portrayed before their eyes as crucified."