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."

[Qwinn]

Ahem. I'm not Catholic, I'm agnostic, but I would be quite interested in hearing where the Passion actually -deviates- from the Bible.

Yes, it -adds- to the Bible - it fills in details that the Bible doesn't comment on. But I found nothing in the movie that contradicted the biblical account, other than the sanhedrin meeting at night versus the morning, and if that's a reason for people to pick their denomination........ sheesh.

Qwinn

[presidio9]

It has helped clarify why many are not Catholic and could never turn to Catholicism since it is not in agreement with the Bible.

Thanks for sharing.

Catholics believe, that we are the only ones who actually are in agreement with the Bible, but that's another story. It all depends on your interpretation.

[Taiwan Bocks]

Yes, the gospel covered in the movie can be read in a quarter of an hour tops.

The rest is dramatic expression.

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

[Hacksaw]

Whenever I have a religious discussion with my hard core Protestant friends, they always seem fixated on
1. Purgatory
2. The legitimacy of the Pope
3. Veneration of Mary (and saints).

They do have some interesting points, and increased my knowledge of the differences causing the split.

[Burkeman1]

About 5 percent of of Irish in Northern Ireland- both Protestant and Catholic- regularly attend church services. I doubt most even know what the differences in theology are between the two sects.

[Aracelis]

Yes, the gospel covered in the movie can be read in a quarter of an hour tops. The rest is dramatic expression.

Please tell Jesus that what He endured was simply, "dramatic expression".

[Former Fetus]

churches who went in groups go back and discuss that movie as well as where it departs FROM the Bible

I couldn't agree more with you. I was brought up a Roman Catholic, although now I'm a Southern Baptist. Yes, I saw all the "Catholic angles" in the movie, but it didn't bothered me a bit. On Sunday I'm having my adult Sunday school class discuss the movie and I intend to discuss what is or is not biblical in the movie. I have a list of discussion points and we will cover (hopefully) the whole range from Catholic to Fundamentalist. Most important, we will discuss which of the objections to the movie are significant and which are just nit picking.

[presidio9]

1. Purgatory

Protestants are demonstrably wrong on Purgatory. The idea of Purgatory stems from Maccaabees, which Luther removed from the Bible. However, as that book points out, were there no purgaroty, there would be no need to pray for the departed, as we are instructed to do numerous times in both the Old and New Testaments.

[B Knotts]

Aside from number two, I see these as largely misunderstanding.

Many Protestants think that Catholics must believe that Purgatory is a place, and that we believe it is some "third" place between Heaven and Hell, when in fact it would more rightly be considered only a "waiting room" on the way to Heaven, and can be thought of as more of a process than a place, as Cardinal Ratzinger has opined.

They also get the false impression that we worship Mary and/or the Saints. When the idea of intercessory prayer through Mary and the Saints is properly explained to them, while they may still disagree with the practice, they at least understand that it is not worship.

[kailbo]

The only specifically catholic scene I noticed was when Veronica wiped the face of Jesus and his image remained on the cloth.

I don't believe that is found in the gospels or anywhere else in the 'Protestant' New Testament-- but I do recall it from my days in catholic school.

[hopespringseternal]

However, as that book points out, were there no purgaroty, there would be no need to pray for the departed, as we are instructed to do numerous times in both the Old and New Testaments.

Can you post those references?

[Hacksaw]

Protestants are demonstrably wrong on Purgatory. The idea of Purgatory stems from Maccaabees, which Luther removed from the Bible. However, as that book points out, were there no purgaroty, there would be no need to pray for the departed, as we are instructed to do numerous times in both the Old and New Testaments.

What their argument is is that by being crucified, Jesus paid the penalty that souls would otherwise have to spend in purgatory. The question I had to this would be the case of a man who led a completely evil life, but begged forgiveness at the end of it. The response is that the rewards for a good life would be granted in Heaven, not by less time waiting to get into Heaven. But that would then imply that some in Heaven outrank others.

[Alberta's Child]

2. The legitimacy of the Pope

If anything, the history of the various Protestant sects is a compelling case in support of the legitimacy of the Pope and the role of Sacred Tradition in Christianity. If we rely entirely on Sacred Scripture for guidance, we end up in a situations where moral chaos results from the inherent limitations of a document that is 2000 years old -- specifically with regard to moral questions that weren't addressed in Scripture because they weren't relevant at the time (abortion, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, etc.).

The fat that you even have multiple Protestant sects (and even additional divisions within them) ought to tell us something.

[presidio9]

Can you post those references?

If you are questioning weather those referrences exist, you'd be better off looking for them yourself. You seem to be in need of a better acquaintance with the Bible.

[biblewonk]

O love that movie!

[aruanan]

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".

What political axe-grinding morons. Figures, coming from Protestants in Belfast. Without the crucifixion and resurrection there IS no gospel.

[kailbo]

I don't recall any New Testament references of praying for the departed either.

Not a Bible scholar by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm certainly familiar with and have read through the New Testament on a number of occasions.

[latina4dubya]

i've had these discussions with some "well-meaning" Christian friends... as Protestants, my husband and i both favor this movie... our friends however were "jealous for Jesus because so much of the movie focused on Mary."

i am sad for them... they have no regard for Mary... do i think we should worship her? no... but she was obedient to a calling--bearing and raising the Son of God--a calling given to no one else in all of history... a calling that no one else will ever receive... i see nothing wrong with her having a place in this movie... after all, it was her son who was crucified... it was only right that she should be of some focus... she didn't take away from what Jesus did...

[Truthsayer20]

"About 5 percent of of Irish in Northern Ireland- both Protestant and Catholic- regularly attend church services. I doubt most even know what the differences in theology are between the two sects."

True. And the conflict in Northern Ireland is fundamentally ethnic in nature, not religous.

[hopespringseternal]

If you are questioning weather those referrences exist, you'd be better off looking for them yourself. You seem to be in need of a better acquaintance with the Bible.

I asked a simple question. I did not question whether those references existed.

But I would like to thank you for your loving, patient Christian attitude and care in instructing your fellow brother in Christ. /sarcasm