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."

[Jaded]

So that's how things like this start.... This

[Cronos]

As Jesus said.. Before Abraham was, I AM

Good, we all agree on that. But he was birthed through Mary, and a nice little post above gives a good explanation of the two natures etc. argument.

[Cronos]

Jesus was Lord from conception on. And He was God from eternity.

No, he was Lord God from eternity, unchanging.

[Praxeus]

LoL!

Nah.. I'm just having some sport. I believe it was a wonderful movie and that the Catholic undertones were fine.

[AFPhys]

Looks like The Passion will be the #1 "R" film after tonight.

Kudos, Mr. Gibson.

[Praxeus]

He doesn't believe different than that. Why are you parsing him?

[Praxeus]

"Why do you say fallen??"

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; - (Rom 3:23 KJV)

[tjwmason]

-----He's Catholic, influenced, by his own admission by catholic nonscriptural mystic writings.-----

Of course, there are many many things not in the Bible. The prots could do well to look at the final verse of S. John's account of the Gospel.

"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." S. John 21, 25.

[Praxeus]

"Perhaps God the Father and God the Spirit are not Bib Chr's Lord."

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? - (John 14:9 KJV)

Nope. If he has one for Lord, he has them all.

[Jaded]

;-)

[Dazedcat]

"Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our Death. Amen"

That's how us really good Catholics say the last part of this prayer...........

What you consider blasphemy we consider exhaulting the woman who bore Christ. Whereas you trivialize her role to be little more than "born of a virgin"....we consider it to be serious stuff, worthy of prayer. Yes, prayer.

I don't pretend to speak for all catholics, but that's how I've always viewed this whole Catholic/Protestant argument over her role in the faith. If there is any woman in recorded history who's worthy of prayer, she is.

You may of course disagree.....which you do.

Regards;

[presidio9]

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.

Do you pray for the dead? If not, I can't understand why we are having this conversation. If so, you need to continue your research. Good luck!

[Praxeus]

I believe.. He is a Baptist and you are a Catholic.

You both believe in the concept of the dual-nature of Christ. The doctrine of the Trinity cannot stand without that concept.

[BibChr]

No, you read too hastily. God has always been Lord. But God has not always been Jesus, in a manner of speaking.

Dan

[tjwmason]

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.

May I, in all humility, suggest that you read the history of the Second Council of Ephesus. The Council settled that Our Lady was to be called Theotokos (literally God bearer, translated into Latin as Mater Dei, thence to Mother of God), the opposition was lead by Nestorius who maintained that she was merely Christotokos (Christ bearer/ Mother of Christ). Nestorius was declared a heretic, and all who support his view were anathematised.

[tjwmason]

You know who the REALLY big sinners were?

You missed out those who prayed for the dead to Christ himself. I refer of course to Mary and Martha 'praying' to Jesus for their dead brother Lazarus (S. John 11, 21-22).

Golly, now we've found these big bad people who prayed to Our Lady, and prayed for the dead right there in the Gospels, perhaps we should just chop out the Gospels, after all Martin Luther chopped out part of the Old Testament, and wanted to get rid of S. James, Jude and the Apocalypse.

[TRY ONE]

""Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our Death. Amen"
That's how us really good Catholics say the last part of this prayer..........."

Response: If Mary were alive that would be a great prayer. Otherwise, one could ask Moses, King David, Daniel or your dead Grandmother to pray for you now.....but they're all dead. So why not just pray to Jesus now (Who's ALIVE) or ask someone still breathing to pray for you.



"If there is any woman in recorded history who's worthy of prayer, she is."

...See above!