Holy Hypocricies (Time critic lambastes liberals who sneer at The Passion and Mel)

Time ^ | Feb. 28, 04 | Richard Corliss

[WestTexasWend]

"Today's Hollywood movers and shakers are secular liberals. Religion is a subject that's foreign territory for them."

Their politics IS their religion.

[SendShaqtoIraq]

"Andrew Sullivan is a gay, Christian, masochist,"

No, sorry. He is a practicing homosexual, therefore he is NOT a Christian.

[JLAGRAYFOX]

This is a wonderful film for both Christians and Jews to view together. One must remember that Jesus Christ, and his entire family, friend and associates alike were Jews. The Christian religion is founded with much Jewish input. For secular Jews to say this film is anti-Jewish is absolutely insane. That is the rant of those who live their lives only for power, politics, greed and envy. It is a shame that they do not realize that we are born, live our lives and die, passing on to the blessed unknown that God has prepared for us by giving us his word and our faith. I pray for folks that waste their lives living only for themselves, while portraying themselves as do-gooders! Jews and Christians can strengthen their relationships through the common threads that lie in both our religions! It is the secular, liberal, Godless world that surrounds us that is inhabited by the Devil and his evil doers.

[billhilly]

You are probably closer to the truth than I was. That was a good observation.

[StriperSniper]

BTTT

[NewYorker]

My niece and her husband saw the movie today. They have never been regular church goers by any means. My sister just called to let me know that they are both going to church tomorrow, and plan to get baptized. This is the effect this movie had on them.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29: 11-13

[visualops]

Now comes The Passion of the Christ, an in-your-face, no-holds-barred depictionI>

My thoughts exactly.
After seeing the film today- I felt there was no other way but to portray Christ's suffering but in such a real tangible earthly manner. It cannot be ignored.

[milagro]

I watched one Rabbi (on some Fox show) decry the fact that the mob scene demanding Christ's crucifixion was full of Jews. A minister (fair and balanced) made some lame comment--but I really wish he'd said: "You were expecting in the mob scene--Haitians? Huns? Englishmen?

I mean--sheeeesh!!!

[LowOiL]

Actually, "The Passion" will be the first one for which we'll have set foot in a theatre in the last eight years.

LoL, it has been 5 years for me too (but not 8).

[XJarhead]

What a great article, written by a liberal who has the honesty to keep his convictions consistent. The thing is that the liberal/arty crowd usually would go wild over someone making a "risky" movie with his own money, and on an issue about which he cares deeply. They'd be fawning over themselves about his nobility, integrity, committment to his principles, etc. But their reaction to this movie proves that it never was about principles or integrity. They only liked those movies because they happened to agree with them.

the film, he insisted, is “an appeal to the gay Christian sadomasochistic niche market.” ... Pretty big niche.

That's a line that could have been written by Steyn.

[longtermmemmory]

Those idiotic intentional misdirection comments bother me most.

What next, will the Rabbi complain that Jesus was not Jewish?

[BartMan1]

This author better watch his back...

[Lurking in Kansas]

WOW

First, thanks for the post. This is the most amazing article I have read regarding the movie. I am just blown away by his honesty. Regardless of whatever he has written in the past or what he writes in the future, Mr. Corliss has earned my respect for his honesty on this issue. I plan to read him in the future. This took guts!

How many billions do the movie and TV moguls make each year portraying, in a manner that doesn’t even attempt to be edifying, human suffering, mutilation and humiliation—for cheap thrills or cheaper laughs?

WOW

And…liberal Hollywood isn’t afraid of serving up the occasional helping of traditional values alongside its usual smorgasbord of guns, fists, tits and smirk.

Corliss just nailed them. This film as become something more than the liberal, Hollywood types can understand. There is something happening in this country that can only be explained in spiritual terms. The Holy Spirit is at work in our nation. But just as much, the forces of the Evil One are also at work, working overtime. They are going to fight this film tooth and nail.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Just remember, there is more going on here than meets the eye.

[longtermmemmory]

These are the movie goers who are giving every movie exec. a bad day at their jobs. They have to explain why it was not their movies that got you folks to the theater for 5-8 years.

While the hollyweird types dismiss this as a one time deal. The beancounters and the stock holders are asking, "why didn't you make other movies for these people? Why have you ignored making more money for shareholders?" They have to explain why they turned away box office hit maker Mel Gibson. (BTW, this hollywood attendance shock happened on a smaller scale with "The Patriot")

Every movie after this will pass this appeal test. Their formulas are exposed as underestimating the potential audiences.

[IncPen]

I was reading this thread and was going to ping you when I finished.

Amazing times we live in.

[cspackler]

the left thinks all Christians are rednecks driving pickup trucks with gunracks in the rear window, drink whiskey and screw our cousins all week and shout and sing and eat b-b-q on Sunday.

Yeah, but my cousin's kinda hot... </sarcasm>

[TLOne]

One may notice that those "Fundamentalist Christians" are also staunch supporters of Israel.

[Eva]

Good article. This took guts to write.

[Texasforever]

One must remember that Jesus Christ, and his entire family, friend and associates alike were Jews.

Well as Archie Bunker said "only on his mother's side". I will now sit in a corner.

[Lancey Howard]

Then Rooney had a question of his own for Gibson: “How many million dollars does it look as if you're going to make off the crucifixion of Christ?”

Uh, gee Andy, how many millions did Spielberg make off the mass murder of 6 million Jews when he made Schindler's List? How many millions did James Cameron make off the drowning of over a thousand people who went down with the Titanic? Etc.

Rooney is not just a senile, fossilized old fool - - he is your true, garden-variety scumbag.