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Mel Gets Hell On His ‘Passion’
jewish week ^ | (07/04/2003) | Eric J. Greenberg

Posted on 08/11/2003 7:39:54 AM PDT by dennisw

Mel Gets Hell On His ‘Passion’

Eric J. Greenberg

Hollywood hero Mel Gibson may be a straight shooter on the silver screen, but his accusation of theft against a group of interfaith scholars is way off target.

So says the Anti-Defamation League and a group of Catholic scholars, who dismiss as Hollywood fantasy Gibson’s charge that the scholars used a stolen script to criticize as dangerously anti-Semitic his forthcoming movie about the final hours of Jesus’ life.

The ADL last week declared its support for the seven interfaith scholars — four Catholic and three Jewish — only days after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops washed its hands of the interfaith team and its 18-page report.

The report cites numerous anti-Semitic scenes and violations of Roman Catholic teachings in the “The Passion,” which Gibson is directing and co-wrote. Gibson said the film, which is to be released next spring, is based on the Four Gospels.

“ADL fully stands behind their report” calling on Gibson to revise the film.

ADL noted that in the report, made public by The Jewish Week, the scholars “unanimously agreed that the screenplay ... was replete with objectionable elements that would promote anti-Semitism.”

In a new twist to the controversy, ADL said that contrary to Gibson’s claims, his ICON Productions was well aware that the interfaith team had been reviewing the script in late April and early May. At that point, Gibson and ICON “indicated their willingness to consider the scholar’s suggestions,” ADL confirmed.

Rabbi Eugene Korn, ADL’s director of interfaith affairs, told The Jewish Week that on May 2, Gibson was privately sent the scholars’ report, which outlines the anti-Semitic scenes and violations of Roman Catholic teachings. But ICON responded by threatening a lawsuit, Rabbi Korn said.

In a letter dated May 9, ICON for the first time hurled the accusation that the scholars had used a stolen early draft of the script.

Meanwhile, the controversy has caused a rift between the Bishops Conference and four of its top interfaith advisers.

The Catholic members of the interfaith team drafted a strong letter to the Rev. Arthur Kennedy, the conference’s director of ecumenical affairs, expressing their outrage at USCCB capitulation to Gibson’s legal threat. They said the action threatens Catholic teaching and their own credibility. (Their position is posted at www.bc.edu/cjlearning.)

“The charge that we stole [the script] is absurd and insulting,” said the June 25 letter signed by Mary Boys of Union Theological Seminary, Philip Cunningham of Boston University, the Rev. John Pawlikowski of the Chicago Theological Union and the Rev. Lawrence Frizzell of Seton Hall University.

They disputed as “regrettable” the Bishops Conference apology to Gibson and as “misleading” its June 11 press release claiming that the conference did not “establish” the interfaith team to study the script.

“We were in fact assembled by Dr. [Eugene] Fisher [associate director of ecumenical affairs at the Bishops Conference] and Rabbi Korn,” the letter stated.

The scholars called on the Bishops Conference to issue a public clarification that they did not steal the script and support their recommendations.

“We do not deserve being left ‘high and dry,’ ” the scholars said.

The team of scholars has not said how it obtained the script.

Gibson’s critics also warned that he is apparently using as sources an 18th century mystical anti-Semitic book by a German nun, Sister Anne Catherine Emmerich, and a tome by Mary of Agreda, a 17th century Spanish aristocrat. This contradicts Gibson’s claim that he is using only the Gospels.

Emmerich’s book is a diary of the nun’s visions, many of which are anti-Semitic, according to Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Emmerich “told of a vision she had in which she rescued from purgatory an old Jewish woman who confessed to her that Jews strangled Christian children and used their blood in the observance of their rituals,” Rabbi Hier said.

Mary of Agreda wrote that all Jews continue to be afflicted because of their involvement in Jesus’ death.

“For filmmakers to do justice to the biblical accounts of the passion, they must complement their artistic vision with sound scholarship, which includes knowledge of how the passion accounts have been used historically to disparage and attack Jews and Judaism,” ADL said.

Asked by The Jewish Week if Gibson has or will consult with interfaith experts before the movie is released, ICON producer Steve McEveety said in a statement: “As is consistent with the filmmaking process, we have, and will continue to consult the resources necessary to create the most accurate and honest presentation of the story as possible.”


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: melgibson; thepassion
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To: dennisw
You would think Gibson is a goose stepping nazi by the way he is being attacked. Don't like the movie don't go see it. Get off the guys back. He is a more respected than most Hollywood types.All of this belly aching will only help his movie.He can interpret the death of Jesus any way he likes.
21 posted on 08/11/2003 8:54:23 AM PDT by novacation
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To: wimpycat
I can't speak for the Catholics, but the Baptists (2nd largest Christian group in the U.S.) don't trust the word of those who play fast and loose with the Bible, aka "Word of God", and would stay home in droves.

The gospels are not the word of God. They are the recollections of people, some of which contradict others at various points. There were also other gospels that were not included in the canon because the church judged them inaccurate hundreds of years after the fact.

The gospels leave out the key fact that Caiaphas, the High Priest, was not a legitmate High Priest but was appointed by the Romans. There is also a striking difference between the way the Pharisees are portrayed in the gospels and their recorded statements at the trial of the apostles and the trial of Paul in the Book of Acts, presumably taken from actual court records. The Pharisees were apparently not mentioned in any court records of the trial of Jesus, by the way.

22 posted on 08/11/2003 9:02:29 AM PDT by Inyokern
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To: Inyokern
The gospels are not the word of God.

Bzzzzzzzt! Wrong answer.

23 posted on 08/11/2003 9:22:39 AM PDT by wimpycat (Down with Kooks and Kookery!)
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To: wimpycat
"I can't speak for the Catholics, but the Baptists (2nd largest Christian group in the U.S.) don't trust the word of those who play fast and loose with the Bible, aka "Word of God", and would stay home in droves." -wimpycat

I think christians of all denominations will go to see this, even the baptists. Mel's work of art will be like water to thirsting christians. It's been a long while since a movie like this has been presented to a wide audience.
24 posted on 08/11/2003 9:26:29 AM PDT by Johnbalaya
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To: wimpycat
The gospels are not the word of God.

Bzzzzzzzt! Wrong answer

Which gospels are the word of God? The ones that are in the NT or the ones that were deleted?

25 posted on 08/11/2003 10:09:01 AM PDT by Inyokern
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To: novacation
You would think Gibson is a goose stepping nazi by the way he is being attacked........


How about the avalanche of attacks right here at FR on those such as ADL who are concerned about Mel's version of the Passion? Mel is hardly lacking defenders at FreeRepublic. My own opinion is when shown outside America this film will generate some anti Semitism. We won't know for sure about anything until it's released.
26 posted on 08/11/2003 10:23:45 AM PDT by dennisw (G_d is at war with Amalek for all generations)
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To: Inyokern; wimpycat
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.

The only Gospels. 16.5% of the Word of God.

Spare me the "deleted gospels" crap. The "gospels" of Thomas, etc. were/are not part of the Word of God. Never were.

27 posted on 08/11/2003 10:26:21 AM PDT by Skooz (Tagline removed by moderator)
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To: Inyokern
ALL scripture is written by the Inspiration of God, yes by man but under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Each gospel writer brings to his tome his version of what happened, to be sure, but that doesn't make it any less inspired.
28 posted on 08/11/2003 10:39:57 AM PDT by Marysecretary (GOD is still in control!)
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To: dennisw
“ADL fully stands behind their report” calling on Gibson to revise the film.

I'd say that statement pretty much sums it up.

29 posted on 08/11/2003 10:46:05 AM PDT by MrConfettiMan ("It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." - Voltaire)
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To: dennisw
Turn on the light and watch the roaches run.
30 posted on 08/11/2003 10:47:55 AM PDT by TomHarkinIsNotFromIowa (Feindhammer!)
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To: dennisw
I'm not going to see the film but would say that having seen some of his other movies the graphic violence is probably too much. Religions are all nuts anyway.
31 posted on 08/11/2003 10:54:15 AM PDT by novacation
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To: dennisw
So Mel should hire the ADL to do his press? To create a good pre-opening buzz?

Actually yes. The ADL is a joke, and they with all of their nashing of teeth and tearing at their clothes, all they're doing is creating a huge buzz. Gibson couldn't have bought this type of publicity for millions.

You and Veronica are being ridiculous, the both of you. More Jews are heroes than villans (inlcuding Christ Himself and the apostles) in the story of Christ. Is this not glaringly obvious, historically speaking?

I've got news for you two. The type of inspiration this movie causes is the type that leads to glorification of Israel, it's people and it's tribes, not the other way around. People of the spirit "get it", it seems you don't.

But go ahead and be of the mindset of the hand wringing creeps over at the ADL if you must. I must say that it's a little disappointing though.

32 posted on 08/11/2003 10:57:16 AM PDT by AAABEST
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To: dennisw
"My own opinion is when shown outside America this film will generate some anti Semitism"

IMHO outside America, anti-Semitism is rampant without the film...
33 posted on 08/11/2003 11:04:06 AM PDT by myrabach
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To: AAABEST
More Jews are heroes than villans (inlcuding Christ Himself and the apostles) in the story of Christ. Is this not glaringly obvious, historically speaking?

I just wish the gospels had mentioned the fact that the biggest villian, Caiaphas, was not an independent actor but was, in fact, a Roman appointee and served at the pleasure of Pilate.

34 posted on 08/11/2003 11:45:20 AM PDT by Inyokern
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To: Inyokern
The Gospels were never intended as a history lesson or to assign blame. Only very simple minded people choose to assign blame to some or absolve others. Christ's birth and death was prophecy long, long before it happened and has and still is having a profound affect on the world 2,000 years later.

It really doesn't matter who did what. That's what makes these threads so silly.
35 posted on 08/11/2003 12:11:16 PM PDT by AAABEST
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To: Inyokern
And would you care to share some of these "contradictions"?
36 posted on 08/11/2003 12:12:15 PM PDT by DittoJed2
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To: Inyokern
Wrong again. The differences among the Gospels are minor, they differ in nothing essential. Most eyewitness accounts differ in this way--and, in fact, such discrepancies in non-essential details argue for authenticity, not the other way around.

As for the suggestion there were other Gospels--this is only true insofar as there were about twenty false Gospels which emerged in the second century. But it is false to suggest the Church judged them inaccurate centuries later. From the very beginning the appearance of the apocryphal gospels made it imperative for Christians to distinguish what was true from what was false. In 1740 an ancient fragment was discovered listing what was genuine. This fragment dates back to 165 A.D. and corroborates anti-Nicene writers who also affirmed the traditional canon. Tertullian, for instance, in arguing against the Gnostics, makes a careful distinction between the Four Evangelists and the apocryphal gospels which he calls false. There is a great deal of internal evidence for this as well.

Finally, it is absurd to think that because Caiaphas was appointed by the Roman procurator, he was considered illegitimate by the people. He came from a distinguished Levite family of priests and his sons in turn became high priests, according to Josephus.
37 posted on 08/11/2003 12:16:40 PM PDT by ultima ratio
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To: ultima ratio
Finally, it is absurd to think that because Caiaphas was appointed by the Roman procurator, he was considered illegitimate by the people. He came from a distinguished Levite family of priests and his sons in turn became high priests, according to Josephus.
Marshall Petain was a hero of the first World War. That did not mean that he was not a patsy for the Nazis in Vichy.
38 posted on 08/11/2003 12:32:37 PM PDT by rmlew ("Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute.")
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To: ultima ratio
Finally, it is absurd to think that because Caiaphas was appointed by the Roman procurator, he was considered illegitimate by the people. He came from a distinguished Levite family of priests and his sons in turn became high priests, according to Josephus.
Marshall Petain was a hero of the first World War. That did not mean that he was not a patsy for the Nazis in Vichy.
For 100 years, the Romans chose the High priests, either directly or through their imposed Kings.

PS. The High Priest was a Kohain, not a Levi.
39 posted on 08/11/2003 12:34:08 PM PDT by rmlew ("Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute.")
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To: dennisw
"For filmmakers to do justice to the biblical accounts of the passion, they must complement their artistic vision with sound scholarship, which includes knowledge of how the passion accounts have been used historically to disparage and attack Jews and Judaism," ADL said.

The ADL and its backers need to expound on this new rule they propose. Is telling the Passion story according to the Gospels now forbidden? Where does the Church stand?

40 posted on 08/11/2003 12:36:28 PM PDT by Longshanks (How many truths are there? One or many?)
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