Krauthammer: "Gibson's Blood Libel"

Washington Post ^ | Mar. 5, 04 | Charles Krauthammer

[churchillbuff]

Gibson's Blood Libel

By Charles Krauthammer Friday, March 5, 2004; Page A23

Every people has its story. Every people has the right to its story. And every people has a responsibility for its story. ...[snip]

Christians have their story too: the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Why is this story different from other stories? Because it is not a family affair of coreligionists. If it were, few people outside the circle of believers would be concerned about it. This particular story involves other people. With the notable exception of a few Romans, these people are Jews. And in the story, they come off rather badly.

Because of that peculiarity, the crucifixion is not just a story; it is a story with its own story -- a history of centuries of relentless, and at times savage, persecution of Jews in Christian lands. This history is what moved Vatican II, in a noble act of theological reflection, to decree in 1965 that the Passion of Christ should henceforth be understood with great care so as to unteach the lesson that had been taught for almost two millennia: that the Jews were Christ killers.

[claudiustg]

---I'm a Protestant but do not have the issues with Catholicism so many do here.---

Well the LCMS does not always play well with others, but I do see where the February issue of "The Witness" has an article favoring the movie for outreach.

[wardaddy]

Excellent synopsis...shame some can't see it.

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

If paranoia is remembering my sister-in-law whom I never met, a toddler of two and a half years old, killed for only one reason, along with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins - that the biggest and longest standing hatred - hatred of Jews for killing Christ - was still going strong in this century, then, yes, you can call me paranoid. If paranoia is watching the Islamic terrorists adopting Christian blood libels against Jews as their own is paranoia, then I'm indeed paranoid. If I'm outraged that Jews would be accused by the Arab world of perpetrating 9/11 and that people would actually believe it, then I'm paranoid. If it frightens me to see a minister put a sign up on his lawn saying Jews killed Christ after he saw the movie, then I am paranoid. If I am sick of seeing synagogues and Jewish community centers and their visitors fire-bombed in the U.S., Great Britain, Russia, the Ukraine, Turkey, France, and Argentina, than, yes, I'm paranoid. Most would say I'm just paying attention.

[mercy]

I had previously defended it in that I refused to see it as anti-semetic. I have atacked the movie repeadedly in many posts and some on this thread can bear witness to that.

Now Krauthammer has gotten to me. I went in and admitted this to my wife and took a few more spoonfuls of crow from her.

I don't think it is 'Christian' to be blatant and reproachful about this movie to our Jewish brethren. Christ was meek. A bruised read would he not break nor a smoldering wick snuff out. Being pushy about our faith is not spreading the Gospel.

[wardaddy]

I have nothing but respect for LCMS....is that not the conservative Lutheran branch?

[drlevy88]

But the gosples never say a word about the Romans wanting to kill Jesus for any reason. The myths about the Romans being mad at Jesus because he was inciting rebellion is pure Hollywood left-liberal myth; no such accounts are reported in the gospels, nor in any other historical document that exists from those times.

It's logical that Pilate and a lot of other Romans would have some reason to fear Jesus, because of the Jewish hopes of a political Messiah that He raised. That would mean an uprising which would be a major headache for the Romans. But it was the Sanhedrin who (in earthly view) fed Him into this buzzsaw.

[Dianna]

I saw the movie tonight and had a little different take on it than many I have read here. Most people seem to be saying that they came out with a new understanding of what Jesus sacrificed for them.

I have to be honest (and please feel free to correct me if I seem to be straying), I saw the bloodshed and thought to myself, "I'm not that bad. That isn't all my fault." Some was, of course. I am a sinner. But Jesus died for our collective sins. What struck me was that Jesus died not only for me, but he died for the soldiers who spit on him. He died for people he knew would reject him. He died for people he knew would actively further the cause of evil in this world.

He did it out of love. How much easier it is to die for people like us (here on this thread)! We are sincere, we believe, we love God and try to follow the path he has laid for us. It says much more about God's love for humanity that he died for murderers, rapists and traitors too.

This is why I must love and forgive my fellow man. I have a perfect example set before me. I must pray for them too. God doesn't want any to be lost. I hurt him by not loving those that he adores.

Is the message, "I am worthless, sinning scum and Jesus chose to be tortured to save me."? Is that a loving message? It does demonstrate love, Jesus did CHOOSE to die for me. But think about saying this to your children. "Gosh honey, you're awful and beastly and worthless but I love you anyway." I have a hard time with that. It's part of it, certainly. But is it the central message?

I guess what I am trying to say is that I came out of this movie not focused on what Jesus did for me. But what Jesus did for everyone. I have a very hard time being that selfless (or even close). Maybe that is why it was striking for me.

[DestroytheDemocrats]

"They have never complained like this before. Try to take a step or two in their mocasins. It's the way that Gibson made this movie they disagree with. I think it very telling how you all toss Krauthammer to the wolves when he was just yesterday one of your best friends."

You are totally correct. I am beginning to think that whether or not the movie is antisemitic some of its defenders might be. And the anger at those who don't like the movie is starting to boil down to bashing and trashing people for not being Christian or not understanding the gospel. What good does that accomplish? None. I am not at all impressed with the fruits this movie has produced so far.

[beckett]

Krauthammer didn't see the same movie I saw. Maybe that's because, as Dennis Prager wrote last October, Jews and Christians are Watching Different Films. But still, Krauthammer has really gone out of his way to see malevolent artistic choices in Gibson's work where I think none exist.

[Outraged]

ooh yer gonna get flamed

I got flamed from the on high (as far as Freerepublic goes)...Yer post made me laugh...But the conceivable flaming and resultant removal of my statement does not negate the possibility that 6,000,000 may be an inflated number (1 is too many). To blame Christians for Hitler's crimes is much more incindiary than anything I might have said.

The Jewish venom at the Christian doctrine only bears witness to the darkness within which they walk by rejecting GOD.

1 Corinthians 1:21-24 -- "Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never find him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save all who believe. God's way seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven to prove it is true. And it is foolish to the Greeks because they believe only what agrees with their own wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God."

So, we find unfortunate place we find Krauthammer, and modern liberalism for that matter.

[Texasforever]

flaming and resultant removal of my statement does not negate the possibility that 6,000,000 may be an inflated number (1 is too many).

Why did you post it again if it was removed once?

[wardaddy]

A qualified BTTT.

I'm partially Huguenot descended...lol

[stands2reason]

Anyway, why wouldn't they just translate the English subtitles? How many people in the world can translate Aramaic, vs. how many able to translate English?

Safire came up with that idiotic talking point, and Passionbashers have been running with it. Every tiny country aparently has its own Aramaic translators just itching to take on "the Passion", as it will be the only job they will ever have in their lifetimes.

[mercy]

****What makes you think being flogged and crucified wasn't violent?****

Putting words in my mouth does not make me see your side of things.

How much trouble would it have been for Mel to make it clear that it was only the corrupt Roman controlled San Hedrin under a corrupt Roman apponted king along with a juiced up rent a mob (yes that's in the Gospels) that was responsible for the whole deal? He could have shown that the majority of the Jews loved Jesus of Nazareth.

He did not.

He is suspect and Krauthammer is right.

[Outraged]

You are going to have to do better than that, like remove the quoted excerpt from my statement...The ball is still in play if you look at the poster's post I responded to.

Don't you have anything better to do?

[Al Simmons]

"If paranoia is remembering my sister-in-law whom I never met, a toddler of two and a half years old, killed for only one reason, along with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins - that the biggest and longest standing hatred - hatred of Jews for killing Christ - was still going strong in this century, then, yes, you can call me paranoid. If paranoia is watching the Islamic terrorists adopting Christian blood libels against Jews as their own is paranoia, then I'm indeed paranoid. If I'm outraged that Jews would be accused by the Arab world of perpetrating 9/11 and that people would actually believe it, then I'm paranoid. If it frightens me to see a minister put a sign up on his lawn saying Jews killed Christ after he saw the movie, then I am paranoid. If I am sick of seeing synagogues and Jewish community centers and their visitors fire-bombed in the U.S., Great Britain, Russia, the Ukraine, Turkey, France, and Argentina, than, yes, I'm paranoid. Most would say I'm just paying attention."

The way you are heaping everyone together, it is obvious that you have a real tough time telling your friends from your enemies.

[DestroytheDemocrats]

"The Jewish venom at the Christian doctrine only bears witness to the darkness within which they walk by rejecting GOD."

This post ought to be removed.

[drlevy88]

What I've seen is that the Jewish death toll could have actually been worse. I suppose a UFO could have spirited these missing Jews off to Mars, but Occam's Razor suggests we should look to Hitler's hordes first.

[Texasforever]

Sure but I like playing with mice.

[mercy]

Not stretching even a little bit. See my # 194.