[wideawake]

‘‘Here’s the first time we’ve heard that linkage: We support Israel, so shut up about anti-Semitism,’’ he added. ‘‘If that’s what support of Israel means, no thanks.’’

Foxman is a walking stereotype, a complete embarrassment.

Many journalists claim that Agreda and Emmerich are the basis of the movie script, but I have never heard Gibson reference anything other than the Gospels.

And I highly doubt that the florid ramblings of nun of the Counter-Reformation could produce a version of Christ's Passion that would be so palatable to American Evangelicals.

Put this on the mounting pile of hatchet jobs.

[Mike Darancette]

Rich can't handle our truth.

Passion Plays are a Christian tradition and anyone using them to justify hating Jews is already a 'Jew Hater' that misses the whole point of Jesus's life.

[LiteKeeper]

Here we go again - they "can't handle the truth." (to coin a phrase.)

[Alberta's Child]

If "The Passion" is kosher, couldn’t Gibson give Jews the same access to a Washington media screening, so they could see for themselves? Such inhospitality is not terribly Christian of him. One Jewish leader whose requests to see the film have been turned away is Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League.

If this shmekel Abe Foxman hadn't raised such a big stink about this movie before anyone had ever seen it, then maybe his request to attend a screening would have been taken more seriously.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

If certain Jews do not want the story of Christ's death told for fear of putting them in a bad light. Then shut the hell up and bombarding us every other week by broadcasting a new or old take on the Nazi holocaust. It too is ancient history and makes the Germans of today look bad and prejudices the world against them.

What's the difference, some people were bad in both scenarios, not all, so move on and leave Mel Gibson alone. It appears artistic expression for some is only for the chosen ones.

[DittoJed2]

Good bloomin' grief! Get the baby a hanky!!!!

A couple of points:
1) Since when does not allowing someone to see a movie called "jew-baiting"? Mel has gone OUT OF HIS WAY to calm the fears of those who think this movie is anti-semitic and these kind of hysterical denunciations of the movie and Mel before the movie has even been seen are not doing their cause one bit of good.
2) Evangelical's support of Israel is not going to wane because some cry-babies don't like a movie. Our support is theological, not circumstantial. If there is any bigotry going on here it is the unchallenged notion that Christians are naturally out to get the Jews. That we are somehow seeking to promote a film that will cause more Jews to be killed and if they don't like it then we are going to blackmail them by withdrawing support from Israel. How idiotic!

Finally, okay that's 3 points. Their whining and hysterics is ensuring that this movie will be a huge success in America. Thanks Abe, for helping the gospel be spread in ways in probably never would have if you hadn't made it your sole obsession to get Mel over telling the Bible account.

[Kharis13]

There is an old expression: "If you're taking flak that means you're over the target". Mel's movie is being hit heavily already, which to me means he's got something that speaks the truth and may change lives for Christ. The Devil doesn't care for that.

[Alberta's Child]

To steal a line posted by another Freeper a couple of days ago . . .

This movie sounds like it's going to be a great one -- all the right people are pissed off about it.

[macamadamia]

"(Even now, no one has called for censorship of the film — only for the right to see it and, if necessary, debate its content.)"

THE RIGHT?!! Who does this little turd fascist think he is?!! You have no right, Mr. Rich, to see Gibson's film, you punk!

I think in this new century, we will see a concerted effort to rewrite the Gospels. They are, according to leftist Biblical scholars, inherently anti-semitic. Some will rewrite it according to p.c. standards. Hmmm, wonder which church will be first?

[TAP ONLINE]

It was my understanding that no Christians existed when Christ was put to death. There were jews, jewish followers of Christ (himself a jew), Romans and others. Christ came to die so we all could be forgiven. He came to die. It could not be changed. His death was everyones salvation, if only they believed. I see here no way to condemn jews for all of man's sins (the real reason God chose to send his son to die for us). If we change the story it is fiction. Mel is not trying to produce a work of fiction. Christ preached love and forgiveness on the cross...."They know not what they do"- There is no hate there. Some may hate because of his treatment, They are not true Christians.

[Verax]

Why do Jews try to pretend they didn't murder Jesus?

I don't know any Christians who would hate the Jews for doing what was God's will to save all of humanity.

[pgyanke]

What garbage.

The Jews involved with Jesus's death were "bloodthirsty, vengeful and money-hungry"... get over it. They were the ruling elite who were threatened by Jesus's popularity and message. Mel is telling a true story that happened nearly 2,000 years ago... is he wrong for portraying mankind at the time as "primarily agrarian, without electricity and decidely lacking in modern conveniences"? No... that was the times and that is the truth... just as true is his rendering of Jesus's killers.

The hearts of His own people is also the greatest message of Christ. Jesus didn't come to save us because we were worth saving. He came to us when we were at our worst and willingly died to save even those who had him killed--simply out of His love for us. If Mel has captured that fact, then he has captured the essence.

Lastly, the Jews at the time were not held blameless by God Himself. Jesus told of the punishment that would befall His killers:

Luke 11:49 "For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.'

...and...

Luke 17:22 And He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 "They will say to you, 'Look there! Look here!' Do not go away, and do not run after them. 24 "For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. 25 "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

And finally...

Luke 23:27 And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him. [on His way to Golgotha] 28 But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

Jesus was crucified somewhere in the vicinity of 30-33 AD. Jerusalem and the Temple were completely destroyed in 70 AD. It was the worst massacre in the history of the Jews. Truly the generation present for His death and their children suffered greatly as He said they would.

[Taiwan Bocks]

How could the New York Times be permitted to view this film?

The Enquirer would insist on equal rights on the basis of trustworthiness.

[fortunecookie]

Rich should read, for its research value only, of course, all of Matthew Chapter 27. But he won't (/sarcasm) - its New Testament. Catholics aren't taught to believe all Jews killed Jesus, just the Jewish leaders who were religious when it counted - in public. Not all Jews, just that power wielding group.

When we talk about the Jews who had Jesus put to death, it doesn't mean modern day Jews. To deny that Jews had Jesus put to death, is to mutate the Bible and history.

Jews have already been libeled by Gibson’s politicized rollout of his film. His game from the start has been to foment the old-as-Hollywood canard that the ‘‘entertainment elite’’ (which just happens to be Jewish) is gunning for his Christian movie.

Wow. Libeled?? (Call the lawyers..) His game?? Yet another article attacking the movie, but hey, they aren't gunning for it or anything. Nooo.

[eastsider]

Indeed, it’s hard to imagine the movie being anything other than a flop in America, given that it has no major Hollywood stars and that its dialogue is in Aramaic and Latin (possibly without benefit of subtitles).

Keep dreaming, Frank : )

[fortunecookie]

But the real question here is why Gibson and his minions would go out of their way to bait Jews and sow religious conflict, especially at this fragile historical moment. It’s enough to make you pray for the second coming of Charlton Heston.

Wow, he's really pissed. Another whiner insisting he (and his people) are being insulted and using insults to make his point. Since when is preaching the Gospel equivalent to baiting Jews and sowing religious conflict??? Try a search in Amazon - there exists modern day, recent books by Jews denouncing Jesus and proving he is not the Messiah and worse. Where's the outrage? Wow. Would anyone believe or care that he is Catholic/Christian baiting?? Fragile historical moment?? Did I miss something? Are Christians at war with Jews??

Godspeed, Mel!! Everyone go see this film.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Yawn....some else screaming anti-semite at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, some freepers are guilty of this too.

[goldstategop]

Rich gets in that dig about Charlton Heston. As a liberal, Rich's a gun control zealot. The second coming of Charlton Heston, indeed. Bwahahahaha!!!

[Gritty]

Frank Rich is a vicious little piece of work, isn't he?

If he genuinely wants people to stop "hating" Jews, he would do well to keep his own nasty mouth shut and stop provoking such a reaction!

[dix]

I'm sorry, but other than to say that Rich and his group wrote the book on being victims, and the truth is the truth, I'd better just shut up.