"I SAW [Mel Gibson's] THE PASSION" [the attacks are pretty much demonic]

Act One: Writing for Hollywood | 6/26/03 | Barbara Nicolosi

[CGASMIA68]

I remember the lines as a kid fot the 10 Commandments and Ben Hur.......I hope this produces the same reaction just to let the libs know its not a fad.........this is real....

[Hermann the Cherusker]

John 19.25-30. Blessed Mary was at the foot of the cross throughout the crucifixion. Are you going to tell me Christ's own mother would not have waited for Him to be brought down to hold His Body and tell Him goodbye? See also Luke 23.50-56, Mark 15.42-47, and Matthew 27.57-61, where it is said Mary and Mary Magdalene helped Joseph of Arimathea bury Jesus.

You Protestants should REALLY try reading your Bibles sometime, instead of reading your prejudices. The ignorance and disdain I constantly see displayed about Blessed Mary is appalling!

[Burkeman1]

I think they won't dare rip it to shreds. They will comment nicely on it but not hype it. It will do extremely well though. But expect it to be ignored for awards. And on another line: I still think the made for TV production of the last days of Jesus done back in the 70's and that is shown every Easter on one of the Networks (and now the History Channel) is a good piece of work. I look forward to comparing the two.

[Commie Basher]

I heard KFI-AM's Bill Handel (who is Jewish) discuss The Passion this morning. The issue was: Are the Gospels inherently anti-Semitic because they portray some Jews as participating in the death of Christ?"

Handel thought that because it's historically true that some Jews did participate in Jesus' death, that it's not anti-Semitic. However, Handel's father thinks that protraying Jews as "Christ killer" is anti-Semitic even if historically true. (Handel got his father to admit that yeah, some Jewish leaders at the time did participate in bring Christ before Herod and Pilate).

Of course, it's nonsense to say that "the Jews killed Christ." But it's also nonsense to say that "the Romans killed Christ." In truth, a few individuals participated in his death, some Jews, some Romans. In fact, according to the Gospels, Jesus came to die. He didn't even defend himself against Pilate.

This fear of portraying bad individuals of whatever race or religion is just the usual manifestation PC sensitivity. People should get over it.

BTW, I thought The Last Temptation Of Christ was the most believable (and pro-Christ) film I've seen to date. I don't understand why so many Chirstians were upset over it. It humanized Christ (in a good sense), unlike all those other films that portray him like a fantasized caricature.

[what's up]

Silly person...don't put words in my mouth. I never said Catholics were pagans.

However, the practice of attributing characteristics and practices to Mary that are not in the Bible can lead to bad theology, by Catholic, Protestant...whomever.

[Dajjal]

God bless Mel Gibson!

[Notwithstanding]

Just as when a stupid film is boycotted, the hype of hated agsainst this film will ensure that it is widely seen.

And apparently, once it is seen, anyone with sense will be moved by its artistic quality, and anyone with faith will be moved by its content.

[Dan from Michigan]

Awhile back, a good friend of mine(I believe he's Evangelical Presbyterian) told me "Jesus doesn't care about politics". It really set in with me.

It's tough. Especially with the left wing politics(For the record, I'm Catholic), especially when I know for a fact they are wrong.

[TheSpottedOwl]

You honestly didn't expect this film to be reviewed on its' merits, did you? /sarcasm

Mel Gibson has done something that means a lot to him, and there will be many thousands, if not a couple of million people, who will appreciate his labor. Good for Mel! Will I go see it? Probably not. I take a quiet approach towards my beliefs. These days I prefer mindless drivel from Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey, because I want to laugh...

[what's up]

Are you speaking of "Jesus of Nazareth" by Zeferelli? That is one of the finest, if not the finest work done about Jesus, IMO.

[Thorondir]

Wow! I cannot wait to see it. I rarely like any movie I see, because they are usually intellectually insulting, immoral trash. But this sounds great.

Sometimes, at the consecration of the host (latin rite, not Nervous Disorder Wrong) it's all I can do to keep from silently crying. I can't imagine what this film will do to me.

Dominus vobiscum

[Pyro7480]

Sorry. Sometimes I see similar things all the time that I forget who said what. I think the issue is that of the Bible itself. Who decided what was going to be in the Bible and what wasn't? Humans decided that. Before this was decided, there were probably a lot of sources for early Christians about Jesus, the people who knew Him, and the first leaders of the Church. The Early Church Fathers referred to them. So it is obvious that even though the Bible and its components are divinely-inspired, it doesn't mean that teachings that derive "outside" of it must automatically be excluded. Later humans decided to take some books out that didn't go along with their theological perspective. Depending on your point of view, this was a good idea, or a bad one. So as you can see, the issue(s) are very complex.

[Burkeman1]

Yes- that is the production. It seems we end up watching it every year after an early lamb Easter dinner. My recently converted Japanese sister in law was a little upset that the History Channel was showing it with commercials this year. I seem to remember that even the Networks would show it uncut without commercial interuption.

[janetgreen]

I won't miss this film. I like all of Mel Gibson's historical films. His attention to detail is wonderful.

[Notwithstanding]

Most of Mary's and Jesus's life was extra-biblical.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

See #42.

[b9]

Does anyone know if this movie includes the Resurrection as well? I haven't heard it mentioned,
only that it depicts Jesus' last 12 hours. It would have to
be 3 days later to include the Resurrection, wouldn't it.
How could the story be complete without it?

[ALOHA RONNIE]

Here's a ..GOD is LOVE.. Bump 4-U

[DannyTN]

"Awhile back, a good friend of mine(I believe he's Evangelical Presbyterian) told me "Jesus doesn't care about politics".

When I was in MBA school, I took a course named "power and politics" because I knew I was weak in that area. And I knew it was a skill I needed, to survive in the corporate world.

The first thing I learned, was that EVERYTHING IS POLITICAL.

Every decision that gets made in any organization whether it's family or church or corporation or government or whatever is political. Decisions are made by whomever has the formal or informal authority to do so. And informal authority can take a lot of forms.

What gives politics a bad name is when unethical techniques are involved. And politics often includes conflict and how that conflict is handled by respective parties can make politics distasteful as well.

But the use of ethical techniques and respectful conflict resolution is the hallmark of good leadership.

Jesus didn't come to set up an earthly administration. But to say he didn't care about politics is wrong. He ran the moneytraders out of the temple. And He wasn't very diplomatic about it either. He fought a lot of spiritual battles. He fought for his disciples through prayer. He excorcised political skill with pharisees when they were constantly trying to trap him. And He exercised both formal authority and informal authority brilliantly.

The church needs people who are willing to seek the will of God, do what's right and fight for the church, fight the spiritual battles. Paul didn't teach about spiritual armor for nothing.

[AD from SpringBay]

What this film does, not even having been released, is to bring to the surface, for all to see and consider, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When beliefs become so internalized and so unpolite in common discussion - that we feel we must be personal and private about them, that we dare not bring them to any public discussion, those same beliefs become, for a society, meaningless. This film seems to break at least one barrier.