Gibson's religious beliefs come under scrutiny

Los Angeles Times (by way of PittsburghLIVE.com) ^ | April 28, 2003 | Bettijane Levine

[Jacob Kell]

HOLLYWOOD -- Mel Gibson's upcoming film "The Passion" is being questioned by scholars who worry that the film -- which they have not yet seen -- might fan religious animosity and misunderstanding. The movie, which depicts the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus, features actors speaking only in Latin and Aramaic.

The controversy swirling around Gibson, his film and even his personal religious beliefs is built largely on conjecture. It is based on the few comments Gibson has made about the movie, which he claims will be historically accurate. It also is based on a magazine article about a church the actor is building in Agoura Hills, Calif. The article quotes his father, who claims that the Holocaust never happened and that the World Trade Center was destroyed by remote control.

[lavrenti]

How dare you insult the Greenlanders!

It was the Dutch!

[cookcounty]

Whyy latin, rather than Greek? The soldiers of the Roman army serving in the east were Greek-speaking, NOT Latin speaking.

[cookcounty]

" The article quotes his father, who claims that the Holocaust never happened and that the World Trade Center was destroyed by remote control.

Mainstream Palestinian opinion. Is his father Abu Mel?

[John Beresford Tipton]

"It was the Dutch!"

Then I throw my shoes* at them!

*Wooden shoes of course.

[webstersII]

Uhm, I suppose it was little green men from Mars instead?

[webstersII]

"Mel Gibson's father may be a crank and anti-semite."

Do you say that simply because he believes that the Jews killed Jesus? I thought that was one item of historical fact that scholars did not argue over.

[webstersII]

This is from the article:
"Rabbi Eugene Korn, director of Interfaith Affairs at the Anti-Defamation League in New York, says, "Historically, Passion plays have been very dangerous productions in terms of Christian attitudes toward Jews. Many dramatic presentations of the Passion contained anti-Semitic elements ... that led to the charge of deicide and responsibility of Jews for the crucifixion. Not only Jews who lived then, but Jews for all time."

Who could blame the Jews who are living now? That is ridiculous.

[Jhoffa_]

Mel Gibson's upcoming film "The Passion" is being questioned by scholars who worry that the film -- which they have not yet seen -- might fan religious animosity and misunderstanding.

Rabid Semitism..

The Jews persecuted Jesus (who was himself a Jew) everyone knows it and there's no reason to cover it up. If they are ashamed of it, then that's just too bad. I see no need to re-write history to please a bunch of nit-picky semites.

If you don't like it or Gibsons "ultra-conservative" Catholic faith (which is also constantly under attack) then I would advise you to just not watch it.

[GovernmentShrinker]

You are saying that because Mel's dad is wakcy, that therefore Mel is wacky,

No, I'm saying that because Mel's dad is wacky, and cites his bizarre religious beliefs to support his wackiness, AND Mel responds to his dad's religiously-based wackiness by paying to build a "not open to the public" church for the group that dad is wacky about, that therefore Mel is wacky.

If your dad belongs to Matt Hale's World Church of the Creator, that doesn't make YOU wacky. But if you proceed to finance the building of a church or compound or whatever for the World Church of the Creator, then I have no problem writing you off as wacky too.

[NewJerseyJoe]

>> "What we have here is a rich filmmaker whose beliefs may counter what the teaching of the church has been for the last 50 years," says Sister Mary Boys

The good sister says more than she intended. The Church has only one doctrine, one Truth -- and what it has been "teaching" for the last 50 years is most certainly NOT in accord with centuries of Catholic teaching, revelation, and doctrine. Many Catholics of conscience are finally starting to wake up to the modern heresy, following as it does the pattern of Arianism, Manichaenism, Albigensianism, etc.

"Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it; right is right even if no one is doing it." -- St. Augustine

[Jhoffa_]

PS: I didn't mean "YOU!" specifically.

It was a general "you" kinda thing..

[hardhead]

There aren't a lot of people in the world who speak Aramaic or Latin. Isn't the film supposed to show and have the viewers FEEL the raw emotion of the occasion? Who in hell gives a damn what 'scholars' think! They carry about as much weight as critics who write daggers about a popular film. It is pretty obvious that Mel is not making this film for the money - but - mark my word, people will go to see it. It will make tons of money, though secondary.

[travelnurse]

No really ALL of the dialogue is in latin and aramaic. That's another point of controversy. How will such a film do?

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If this is indeed the case, then "actions" will have to "speak louder than words." This could turn out to be a really spectacular film.

[dighton]

Underlining for emphasis, "Mel Gibson's father may be a crank and anti-semite." That's what this article suggested, and beyond that I've read nothing about him.

Do you say that simply because he believes that the Jews killed Jesus? I thought that was one item of historical fact that scholars did not argue over.

Some Jews had a hand in it, as of course did some Romans. Blaming THE JEWS is going overboard.

[GovernmentShrinker]

That sounds very nice, and I trust that it will not be providing cover for wackos who preach that "the Holocaust never happened and that the World Trade Center was destroyed by remote control". The church that Mel Gibson is building is no little family chapel, however -- it is reportedly a 9,300 square foot facility, costing $2.8 million. See aerial photos here http://aux.isifa.com/www.isifa.com/data/dispatch/splash_Gibson-100303.htm

[StriperSniper]

as I dislike viewing a "movie" in a theater full of people who can't seem to be quiet and pay attention beyond, oh thirty seconds or so.

I think this movie might draw a different crowd.

;-)

[LauraJean]

I'm going to have to brush up on my Latin.

[Blessed]

My Bible says all sinners are responsible for Jesus Crusifiction
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

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Gal 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

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Hbr 1:3 Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

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1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

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1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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1Jo 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.

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1Jo 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

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1Jo 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.

NO ONE TOOK HIS LIFE HE SURRENDERED IT VOLUNTARILY.He could have avoided the cross if he chose to.

[TexanToTheCore]

9,300 square feet for a church is quite small.

The church I attend holds 5600 people and covers acres. If I had 2.8 mil to spend on a family church, you bet I would.

I am rather pleased to see that it appears to be quite pretty, not the industrial chic that is so often used in our modern church architecture.

I am uncomfortable with your comments concerning the possibility of our chapel housing whackos. It seems as if you have taken it upon yourself to regulate, even in small degree, the beliefs of parishioners. I take it that you believe that "whackos" shouldn't be allowed to congregate in or form their own churches, a rather odd approach, I must say.

[Rodney King]

No, I'm saying that because Mel's dad is wacky, and cites his bizarre religious beliefs to support his wackiness, AND Mel responds to his dad's religiously-based wackiness by paying to build a "not open to the public" church for the group that dad is wacky about, that therefore Mel is wacky.

Does that religious group subscribe to the belief that 9/11 happend by remote control, or that the holocaust never happened? If Mel's dad was a Mormon, and Mel built a Mormon tabernacle, would you then conclude that all Mormon's subscribe to the same beliefs that Mel's dad does?

You just can't seem to get over subscribing the beliefs of one man to others.