Gibson's passion film 'too Catholic'

Belfast Telegraph ^ | 19 March 2004 | Alf McCreary

[presidio9]

THE controversial Mel Gibson film 'The Passion of the Christ' has been dismissed by the Evangelical Protestant Society as a 'Catholic' interpretation of events which "does not present the Gospel".

Wallace Thompson, secretary of the Evangelical Protestant Society, said the film displayed "an un-Biblical fixation on Mary, the mother of Jesus. None of this should surprise us, for both Mel Gibson and Jim Caviezel, who plays the part of Christ, are enthusiastic devotees of the traditional teachings of the Church of Rome."

He further claims that Mel Gibson "belongs to an ultra-conservative Catholic group which does not recognise the reforms of Vatican II, and celebrates Mass in Latin".

Mr Thompson says that "this malign influence of Rome ought to cause all evangelical Protestants to reject The Passion of the Christ" and refuse to be swayed by the subtleties of the alleged arguments in favour of it.

Sadly, however, it will be welcomed and praised by many who ought to know better."

Mr Thompson also says that the film is "extremely violent", and that "anyone who watches it will be shaken and possibly terrified by its graphic and bloody scenes."

[BibChr]

Not at all. Jesus was Lord from conception on. And He was God from eternity. And Mary, who did not exist from eternity past, was not the mother of that Deity. Nor, by defnition, could Deity have a human mother.

This is Biblical ABC.

Look, if you're RC, just say "I believe this because The Church{tm} tells me to, no matter what the Bible or logic say," and let's be done with it.

Dan

[dangus]

Well, let's be clear:

We do PRAY to Mary. But, according to legal documents I just filed, I "pray" to the state of New Year to rule in my favor. To "pray" simply means to beseech, to request favor, etc.

Protestants, ignorant of this, believe that praying to someone means worshipping that person, and we do not *worship* anyone but God. We beseech the saints, angels, and Mary, however, to pray for us to God so that our prayer may be joined with theirs, for it is pleasing to God that our prayers be so united. And we pray only to those deceased souls whom we are certain are saints, so that we know their will is in unity with God's, to help us pray for things which are in God's will.

[Praxeus]

"That's the Jewish argument for why Jesus cannot be God"

Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. - (John 4:22 KJV)

Jesus seems to have confidence in the Jews' view of whom they worship. They just didn't get the Messiah part right. The flesh was a veil that hid/hides the glory/deity of God from them.

[Paulus Invictus]

According beliefnet.com, almost 40% of the scenes in the film are taken from non-Biblical sources, especially the writings of an 18th century nun named Ann Catherine Emmerich. If this is true, then these critics may have some basis for their complaints about the film.

[dangus]

>>Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. - (Heb 7:3 KJV)<<

O, my aren't we having fun misusing scripture! Here you say that Christ has no mother, but also that he had no FATHER! We know the divine nature of Christ has a FATHER!

>> Creed schmeed.<<

That does reveal a lot, doesn't it.

[Outer Limits]

Jesus called Mary his mother. Do you deny that He is God?

What I have said, I have said.

[TRY ONE]

"That allows the Catholics to pray to (and even "worship") Mary

We do NOT worship or pray to Mary."
_______________________________________

How many Catholics pray, or have prayed the following:

"Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women & Blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Hail Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, now and at the time time of our Death. Amen."

If this is not praying to Mary, what is?

Mary WAS a great woman! But she is NOT God and she is dead. It is blasphemous to pray to anyone but Jesus!

[Praxeus]

"It's only a step from there to saying that it was the human nature of Jesus that suffered and died while the divine nature, Christ, remained distant from the corrruption of human sin"

What nature died on the cross?

[hopespringseternal]

Prayer for the Dead

Is this what you are referring to?

That is weak, really weak. An obvious defense after the fact, an excuse for something that men do for reasons of their own rather than a commandment of God.

And not a single solid scriptural reference in the whole thing. Your statement was unequivocal. Surely you can do better than that.

[dangus]

>> What I have said, I have said.<<

Do you, OL, purposely invoke Pilate?

[dangus]

>>Dear Dangus, my sister has a thyroid problem. Will you pray for her, please?<<

>>Oh, darn it! I just worshipped Dangus.<<

Any praise I get, I commend to the LORD who created me. And join in any prayers asked of me. And wish graces upon the one who asks.

See how cool this works :)?

[Praxeus]

"O, my aren't we having fun misusing scripture"

How so? To whom does this passage refer?

"Here you say.."

No.. the Scripture says it. I merely quoted it.

"We know the divine nature of Christ has a FATHER"

Argue with the Scripture.

"That does reveal a lot, doesn't it."

I hope so.

[BibChr]

Mary was the mother of the human nature of a person, the only person ever, who was God and man. She was not "mother" of his Divine nature.

Just because I don't choose to do the 500-word essay dances doesn't mean deep study isn't behind this. I just refuse to get drawn off target. God, as God, has (and can have) no human mother, though He who is both God and man did. She was the mother of His human nature.

It really is as simple as that.

Dan

[Cronos]

"Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou among women & Blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Hail Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, now and at the time time of our Death. Amen."

Let's Break it down, shall we?

Hail Mary, full of Grace

We salute you  Mary, filled with the Grace of God (God's Grace)

 the Lord is with Thee

God's GRace shows through Mary

Blessed art Thou among women

And who wouldn't be considered blessed if they were chosen by God?

Blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus.

Of course.

Hail Mary, Mother of God,

Proven in a good post above

Pray for us sinners, now and at the time time of our Death. Amen

This seems to be the part you have a problem with.

Well, firstly, this is asking her to pray for us, not praying to her.  When we pray to God we ask him to save us.  When we beseech Mary we ask her to pray for us to add along to our prayers. 

SEcond point:  She is dead.  But you do believe that she is in heaven as per scripture, correct?  Well then, another person to pray for my soul, and I need all the help I can get!

[Cronos]

Mary was the human fallen instrument used to produce the incarnation

Why do you say fallen??