The Passion of the Christ: The Key to a Republican Landslide

Men's News Daily ^ | March 11, 2004 | Bruce Walker

[My2Cents]

I know of at least one liberal secularist who saw the film, and her response was, "It was really clear from the movie that those who killed Jesus was all of us." Praise God.

[ZULU]

No. BUt MOST Conservatives believe in the core Judaeo-Christian values upon which this nation was founded, and all liberals reject them.

[RightWhale]

Passion may be viewed as a strong response to WTC911. It is war, total war. War fought in the postmodern style of corporate packaged culture. The battlegrounds are aesthetics and symbolism through semiotics. The weapon is art.

[jaime1959]

> President Bush begin the refrain "I am a conservative and my opponent is a liberal." <

Well, half of that statement is true (the liberal part).

[My2Cents]

Dittos, regarding your comment on Lord of the Rings! Good versus evil, and the character qualities required to fight on behalf of the good. I thought it either a blind coincidence, but more likely God making a direct point, that the evening in which Return of the King was sweeping the Oscars, "The Passion" was the number-one movie in America.

[AMDG&BVMH]

"I get the distinct feeling that a lot of folks around these parts believe that only conservative christians are going to see this movie. Or, that the message of the movie has no meaning to liberals. Both ideas don't make any sense at all to me."

That is a very valid observation. However, among the viewers are many Christians who have been maligned and marginalized. They don't have to let themselves be.

[My2Cents]

Well-said. I agree with you 100%. And Mel's movie is the equivalent to "D-Day" in the culture war, IMHO.

[Jim Noble]

The wedge issue is, "Is the American state legitimate?"

If you answer yes, it is, the next question is, do you acknowledge that Men are created, that their Creator exists and endows them with rights, and that governments are instituted among Men to secure those rights as the Creator intended?

If you answer "yes", you're on the right side.

If, however, you don't believe any of this Creator and government stuff-then what possible basis to you claim for the American state to rule?

[Jim Noble]

And Mel's movie is the equivalent to "D-Day" in the culture war, IMHO

And gay marriage is Stalingrad...

[nickcarraway]

interesting

[AlbionGirl]

Would that his analysis be true. If GW started down the Church/state road this author is recommending, he would lose the election in landslide proportion. The electorate is inarguably philosophically Conservative but as inarguably operationally liberal.

A people truly jealous of their liberty would have never allowed government to grow to the size it's become. NEVER! Additionally, any people jealous of their liberty would have started dragging judges by the collars of their polyester robes down the flight of stairs leading to Halls of Justice, nationwide, decades ago.

The only way his assertion becomes vital is if GW can mobilize that part of the electorate that usually doesn't vote to vote his way.

[Qwinn]

Oh, I believe completely that there are people who self-describe as liberal (or, at least, Democrat) who are religious and who appreciate this movie.

The thing is, though, that most of them -have- to realize that -most- of the vicious attacks against Christianity and this movie came from the Left (Krauthammer, Safire and Malzberg excepted - and it's going to be hard for me to forgive them for blurring what would otherwise have been an extremely distinct line).

I think the point of the article is that this is going to disaffect a lot of self-described liberals from the Left. They're going to soon see that they'll have to side with their Faith, or with their leadership, because they can't side with both.

The author thinks they'll side with their Faith - and that will result in a landslide. I don't know about that - I'm a bit more cynical - I think that -most- of them will side with their politics. After all, they were slow-witted enough to stick with that leadership up until now. However, I think that -enough- of them (even if just a minority) will side with their Faith to tip the balance and make it a decisive victory for Bush, if not a landslide.

Qwinn

[MEGoody]

"It does not however, completely override my deeply ingrained cynicism when I see people making a ton of money on their faith."

Seems like everyone thought (and told Mel) that this was going to be a big flop. But Mel made the movie anyway out of a commitment to bring the account of the last 12 hours of the life of Christ to the big screen.

The fact that he is making millions off it is a "happenstance" (a pleasant one I'm sure). No one else had the slightest inkling it would be such a financial success.

[presidio9]

Actually, I think the assumption here is that charging up the Religious Right is far more useful than respecting the sensitivities of the handful of coservative athiests, and I agree with it.

[presidio9]

Oh, I believe completely that there are people who self-describe as liberal (or, at least, Democrat) who are religious and who appreciate this movie.

Sure there are. But they are the ones who volunteer in soup kitchens, and think that the primary role of government is to care for people. They opposed the war on truely moral grounds. They are naive. The expect the best of intentions. If they can be persuaded to take some interest in how government really works, they are fairly easy to convert to conservativism. Abortion often keeps them from voting at all.

[SedVictaCatoni]

The Republican Platform ask for a constitutional amendment that requires the words "Under God" be included in the Pledge of Allegiance, that the phrase "In God We Trust" be on all American currency and coins, and that the existing references to God in our national anthem remain.

Wow, that's a great idea. I further propose the following additional amendment:

Amendment XXIX

Section 1. The twenty-third day of May shall be known as National Pickle Day.

Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

[Blood of Tyrants]

As Rush says, the only way that liberals get elected is by fooling the people into believe that they aren't liberal.

[My2Cents]

I hadn't thought of it like that, but I think you're right.

[meema]

Unfortunately, I think it's all of the above. Ignorance of many things plus political expediancy.
It does not make me happy to believe this now. I believed in his veracity to the point of tears.
I wish I still did. It would make me a lot happier.