Jews blamed more for death of Christ after Passion

The percentage of Americans who say Jews were responsible for Christ's death is rising according to a poll taken since the release of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ."

The poll released by the Pew Research Center in Washington is the first statistical evidence that the film's box-office success may be associated with an increase in anti-Jewish feeling, although social scientists cautioned that cause and effect are not clear.

As Christians prepare to celebrate Easter week and the Jewish holiday of Passover also approaches, the poll could sharpen the focus on what some perceive as the film's anti-Semitism.

Some say the film unfairly portrays the role of Jews in Jesus' death, while Gibson and others insist the film is not anti-Semitic and is faithful to Gospel accounts. A judge in France also ruled that the biblical text was not manipulated in the film but a catholic Bishop suggesting that it presented an "incomplete theological picture".

In a random telephone survey of 1,703 adults, 26 percent said Jews were responsible for Christ's death, up from 19 percent in an ABC News poll that asked the same question in 1997.

The increase was especially pronounced among two groups. The portion of people younger than 30 who say Jews were responsible for killing Jesus has approximately tripled, from 10 percent in 1997 to 34 percent today. The portion of African Americans who hold that view doubled, from 21 percent to 42 percent.

The Pew poll found a statistical link between Gibson's film and belief that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus. But the correlation is not simply that a relatively large proportion of those who have seen the film hold Jews responsible. That view is also somewhat more common among those who plan to see the film than in the general public.

Researchers therefore say that it is unclear whether the change in attitudes is down to the film or the publicity surrounding it.

While attitudes toward Jewish responsibility are changing, the Pew poll found that Americans' views of the Crucifixion generally are not. Forty percent say the Bible is the literal word of God, about the same proportion as in 1996. Ninety-two percent believe that Jesus died on the cross, and 83 percent believe that Jesus rose from the dead - both essentially unchanged since 1997.

A poll last week suggested that people in the US are reading the Bible more as a result of the film. It also said 75% of people believe that the film was "very close" to the Bible's account of Jesus' death. 15 percent responded "somewhat close" and five percent answered "not close at all."

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Ekklesia

The Passion clearly portrays Christ letting his spirit escape his body at His own will, and that no one could kill him. The people delivering him to be killed or punished for transgressing is the main apparent error.

Should we be responsible for people who do not get it? who do not get in bad faith what Passion is portraying? Obviously those who do not are not Christians, whether they are the antisemites who believe Jews killed Jesus or whether they are Jews who do realize what Passion portrays.

Also it's not the killing of Jesus but the not realizing that he was being delivered for a wrong done. Technicaly Christ did not do wrong in the eyes of God but to mere mortal he did do wrong. Our incapability of realizing what he did right is to show how little we comprehend things and how we should repent.

So that Jews et al. found him in the wrong was meant to be. It is the reaction to this perception of him having done wrong that is wrong.

Punishment is not about hurting someone because they did wrong, but it is about making them REALIZE what they did. If not punishment would be useless and would be about whether one follows orders or not, as opposed to whether one does what God wants to be done. What is the use of punishment when one knows what was done wrong? If one knows, then one needs no more punishment since one is then compliant in realizing future actions and doing it right. Keeping them in jail or whipping them while they are doing right is ridiculous.

So the error is the wish not to realize what Christ did or did not do. It is one thing to not want to realize what oneself has done bad, it is another to not want to realize what others or Christ have done that is good. Christ took it upon Himself to realize the damage the world did and to pay back what the world had taken from God. Realizing that is all that is needed , according to the principle.

A child inherently believes in God because a child does not care whether one is good or bad, a child only wants to know what is going on and that others realize what is going on. So this dispute about Passion is a dispute of the blind and the deaf, blindness and deafness not brought by old age, but one brought by aged and decaying souls which are living already in hell because all they can follow is the madness of blind orders like the fiery flame ordering the hand to "not go there".

We have to realize that the antisemites does not want to care how the Jew lives in the ghetto, but the insular Jew must realize that he may not understand either what the antisemites around are all about. Isn't that the lesson of the Holocaust? Not realizing the difference between true Christ worshipers and other "Christians" is a deadly sin indeed.

Dang! By just READING THE BOOK one would think that THE JEWS killed Jesus!

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...)

Note that the real error was to hasten judgment and to not wish to realize what was going on. This wish for blindness was the most wrong. Christ forgave those who whipped him, but not those who did not realize their deeds or what was going on.

Delivering Christ was not so wrong in itself, it was the taking of the forbiden fruit without wishing to realize what wrong was done, relying on alibis of right and wrong, good and evil, to "shallow" justify an action. The wishing not to see the pain or meaning of Christ was only meant as a reflection of the wrong done in the Garden of Eden to God, a last resort explanation.

Those who cannot figure that out, who are not open minded - who are afraid what Passion or belief in Christ may yield in terms of antisemitism, do not realize that antisemitism was already there and that it did not occur by the viewing of the film. They do not realize either that the battle should not be about the movie itself, but should be about quashing "idiots wannabes" in the world. Passion serves a very good purpose at that, realizing the division of the world between those who want to realize and those idiots wanabe who want to stay blind. The movie does not divide, it alludes to divisions which have been ignored and which must be realized.

Not wishing to bring to fore the realization about Christ in some forms or others only helps the antisemite forget his evil deeds during persecutions of Jews. And indeed, if I myself would be encouraged to forget that harm had be done to me, how could others blame me if such blindness practiced allows me to induce others to forget the harm I do to them?

Who are "they"?

Who are "those"?

Who is "our"?

Psalms 22:14-19
14. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.
15. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.
16. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.
17. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.
18. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.
19. But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

Isaiah 53

1. Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2. He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10. Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Zechariah 12:10
"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

John 19:33-34
33. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
34. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

John 19:33-37
33. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
34. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
35. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.
36. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken,"
37. and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."

Revelation 1:7

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

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