A Passion That Offends (by a pundit-political hack who offends)

WALL STREET JOURNAL COMMENTARY ^ | March 25, 2004 | ALBERT R. HUNT

[OESY]

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Five deeply spiritual, religiously knowledgeable men and women bring different perspectives but all agree that the most popular religious movie in years, Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," is too violent, unfaithful to history and incendiary.

[OESY]

This is a transparent attempt to split Bush's base. This Hunt don't hunt.

[Unam Sanctam]

Gee, get five liberal religious professionals to criticize and no one to rebut who supports the movie. That's not "fair and balanced".

[OpusatFR]

" The love of God is not simply revealed in the brutality of the cross."

This is fundamental misunderstanding and absolute ignorance of the Redemption as viewed through the Old Testament and the Gospels..

[kcvl]

Now I'm convinced since Al Hunt says I shouldn't see this "violent" movie. /sarcasm

[steplock]

Hey Hunt! - Kiss My ...

[hellinahandcart]

The movie has been out for a MONTH today, why are they still reviewing it?

[dawn53]

Yet, for all their criticism, the movie has more fans among their students, especially undergraduates

What a bunch of academic snobs!

If only we were as intelligent as these professors, we'd surely see that the movie is too violent and not consistent with Scripture (end/sarcasm)

[eureka!]

Too late Al. There's no stopping the Passion train. Hehehehe....

[formercalifornian]

embraced chiefly by Fundamentalist Protestants.

Wow! I had no idea there was such a surge in Fundamentalist numbers!/sarcasm

[AnAmericanMother]

The movie has been out for a MONTH today, why are they still reviewing it?

'Cause nobody's listening to them, and they can't believe it. They think if they just scream their message louder and longer, it will "take." Just like the sort of American tourist who thinks that if he shouts loud enough he can somehow make the Italian or Frenchman understand English.

[Mamzelle]

re: absolute ignorance of the Redemption)))

Not ignorance, but willful rejection and contempt. Just like the phony, posturing concern over anti-Semitism.

There has been nothing as revealing in American cultural life than the reaction to Gibson's Passion of the Christ.

[Sweet Land]

Five deeply spiritual [...] men and women

How does the author know they're "deeply spiritual"? Because they say so? And what does it mean to be "spiritual" anyway? As far as I can tell, it's shorthand for "I want all the comforts of religion with none of the demands."

[I still care]

"The love of God is not simply revealed in the brutality of the cross."

This man is clueless. He smacks of those seeking to negate the cross, which is "to them that perish foolishness".

"For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Paul- the Letter to the Romans

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

Yet, for all their criticism, the movie has more fans among their students, especially undergraduates>>>

Because graduate students who are fans have learned to keep their mouths shut rather than get religiously cleansed from academe.

[kenth]

The only evidence of incendiary behavior so far has been that directed AT Christians.

[Naspino]

Five deeply spiritual, religiously knowledgeable....says Diane Wudel, a New Testament scholar

I'm sorry to anyone that is a "biblical scholar" -- but these two statements conflict. Its by my experience that "biblical scholars" are about the most unreligious and most blasphemous people in our society. Whenever the God-hating media needs an "expert" opinion they find a "biblical scholar" which then proceeds to assault the Bible with their "expert" knowledge.

[fqued]

I was raised a Catholic, went to a grade school taught by nuns and a high school taught by Jesuits. My theology, though, is essentially Protestant.

I have a Catholic outlook on life with a Protestant theology. I thus could follow the Passion from both the Catholic and the Protestant perspective.

Although Mel Gibson did show the Passion from a Catholic standpoint, the passion does not vary in any significance from Catholic to Protestant. There really isn't anything there of importance to split along Catholic / Protestant lines, but it did help to fill out the story.

Now, as to this article--I suggest that these five "scholars" go back and read the Gospels quite thoroughly. Jesus was beaten, scourges, mocked, etc.

Secondly, even though there are four Gospels, we do not read them as completely separate units, but we try to unite their different perspectives into a coherent whole. Thus, to get a complete picture of the passion of Christ, one NEEDS to combine portions of each of the Gospels.

Thirdly, it appears that these "scholars" missed the flashbacks--the Sermon on the Mount does appear, as do many other incidents, not least of which is the almost stoning of Mary Magdelene--forgive at its greatest.

I am ashamed of the WSJ

[Elsie]

 

 To varying degrees, they all worry about an anti-Semitic message.....

 

Oh????

---

Acts 3:12-18
 12.  When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
 13.  The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.
 14.  You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
 15.  You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
 16.  By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
 17.  "Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.
 18.  But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ  would suffer.

 

Acts 5:27-33
 27.  Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.
 28.  "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood."
 29.  Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!
 30.  The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead--whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.
 31.  God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
 32.  We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."
 33.  When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.   (*)

 

Acts 7:51-60
 51.  "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
 52.  Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him--
 53.  you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it."
 54.  When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.
 55.  But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
 56.  "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
 57.  At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,
 58.  dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
 59.  While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
 60.  Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.   (*)

 

Acts 9:22-24
 22.  Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
 23.  After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him,
 24.  but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.  (*)

 

Acts 9:29
 He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. (*)

 

Acts 10:34-40
 34.  Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism
 35.  but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.
 36.  You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
 37.  You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached--
 38.  how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 
 39.  "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree,
 40.  but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.

 

Acts 23:6-14
 6.  Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead."
 7.  When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
 8.  (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)
 9.  There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. "We find nothing wrong with this man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"
 10.  The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.
 11.  The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."
 12.  The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
 13.  More than forty men were involved in this plot.
 14.  They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.
15.  Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here."
 16.  But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
 17.  Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him."
 18.  So he took him to the commander.   The centurion said, "Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you."
 19.  The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, "What is it you want to tell me?"
 20.  He said: "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.
 21.  Don't give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request." (*)

 

Acts 25:1-3
 1.  Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,
 2.  where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.
 3.  They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. (*)

 

Acts 25:10-11
10.  Paul answered: "I am now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.
 11.  If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!"  (*)

 

Acts 26:21
 That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. (*)

 

1 Thessalonians 2:14-16
 14.  For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews,
 15.  who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men
 16.  in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

(*always wanting to KILL someone...)

---

 

I guess these detractors will REALLY be upset

when Mel films the history of the early church!!!

[ottothedog]

I don't know why I ever bother reading his article, since they are so igrnorant. He says:

very few mainstream Catholic leaders and almost no liberal Catholics have had anything good to say about "The Passion of the Christ."

I guess the Pope doesn't count as a Catholic leader. He should read Peggy Noonan.

BTW, If you search around you find out Bill Leonard is completely wacked liberal freak, who appears to be a big gay rights supporter.