Mel Gibson is urged to change Jesus film

The Associated Press From correspondents in Vienna, Austria ^ | August 16, 2003

[joobers]

Gibson urged to change Jesus film From correspondents in Vienna, Austria August 16, 2003

AN organisation working to bring Nazis and other anti-Semites to justice urged actor-director Mel Gibson today to make changes to his controversial film The Passion about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The Vienna-based Simon Wiesenthal Centre said the movie, which has not yet been released, had generated "an unprecedented wave of hate mail" in response to the movie, which depicts the final 12 hours of Jesus' life.

Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Wiesenthal Center's office in Los Angeles said in a statement issued overnight that the centre had received hate mail accusing it "of being Christ killers" after the group publicly expressed reservations about the film.

"For 20 centuries, the false charges ... have been the core reasons for anti-Semitism, causing the death and persecution of millions of Jews," Hier said.

The Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish groups have also spoken out against the film, contending it reinforces stereotypes that Jews were responsible for Jesus' death.

"While we fully understand that the crucifixion is central to the belief of more than a billion Christians and in no way want to censor or impede anyone's right to make a film about The Passion, it is clear that there is a problem," Hier said. "I feel that the only way to resolve it is for you to seek input and dialogue with Jewish leaders."

The centre, which has focused for decades on bringing those responsible for the Holocaust extermination of six million Jews during World War II to justice, cited a letter it claimed to have received after The Passion was screened in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

It quoted that letter as saying that Jews "do not want the real truth to be shown on a public setting that will remind millions of Americans that the Jews were in fact totally responsible for the death of Jesus Christ".

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre said it was also seeking input from Christian leaders about the film.

On Monday, the Anti-Defamation League expressed concern that the film will promote anti-Semitism by reinforcing a belief that Jews were guilty for Jesus' death.

ADL chief Abraham Foxman said he feared that if it was released, the film "will fuel the hatred, bigotry and anti-Semitism that many responsible churches have worked hard to repudiate".

Gibson, the star of the blockbuster Lethal Weapon movies and Oscar-winning director of Braveheart, has spent nearly $US30 million ($45.84 million) of his own money to produce, co-write and direct the film, starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus and Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene. It has yet to secure a distributor.

Gibson said in a statement issued in June that neither he nor his film were anti-Semitic.

The Associated Press

[MEG33]

Please edit the New Testament and change your faith?

[MHGinTN]

Amazing! ..."For 20 centuries, the false charges ... have been the core reasons for anti-Semitism, causing the death and persecution of millions of Jews," Hier said. I wish these history revisionists would shut the hell up! The presence of Malchus in the grove mob is evidence that the High Priest sent them for Jesus. That isn't an indictment of Jews as much as it's an indictment of the evil one who twisted their hearts to such treachery. Enough already. Release the movie as Mel has filmed it and let the truth be served.

[pbear8]

Which pages of the Good News would they like deleted?

[Threepwood]

This is starting to get really ugly. I'd like to say that if I was Mr.Gibson I'd find a dramatic way to silence and circumvent my detractors and get the film out as is. Sadly, I suspect he's under really, really heavy pressure, and might have to decide between putting out a bad, castrated Christian movie or nothing at all. That is a damn hard decision to make. Wonderful world we live in no?

[MEG33]

Calling Jews Christ killers isn't the message of the New Testament.Jesus was a Jew.

[spunkets]

"The Vienna-based Simon Wiesenthal Centre said the movie, which has not yet been released, had generated "an unprecedented wave of hate mail" in response to the movie,"

Right. Folks ain't seen it yet and the only mouths flappin' are theirs. Where's the hate mail come from, the movie goers, or them?

[John Beresford Tipton]

Original:
"Crucified by the Jews"


Rewrite by ADL:
"Dissed by some people in the Middle East,
and out of towners from Rome"

[The Iguana]

Methinks the angry mail - "hate mail"? - is mainly and probably wholly generated by the ADL's graceless and public criticism of this move - not the mvie itself.

Which after all, only a handful of people have seen.

[rockfish59]

Barabbas rules!

[Threepwood]

So, I take it the bible isn't exactly the most important book in your home, and practicing Christians aren't your favorite people.

Protip: No one cares.

[John Beresford Tipton]

"Is it me, or are the Jews mostly a whiney lot?"

Well, their word "kvetch" has been imported into everyday English speech.

Do you know of any other foreign language word meaning "whining" that has been likewise imported into everyday speech?

[Threepwood]

Come now, it's impossible to say "the Jews are x" or the "the Jews are y". That's silly talk, they're a mixed bag just like anybody.

As for the holocaust, it's not unreasonable to try to make sure people don't try to rub you out *again*. Given the snarling hordes even today who would regard that as the high point in their regional history, it's really not that odd a hangup to have.

[AnalogReigns]

I've read articles by Ellie Wiesel which called the gospels themselves, especially that written by the (Jewish) Apostle John, anti-Semitic. I think deep down, that's pretty mainstream thinking in certain (non-Christian) scholarly circles--but of course never admitted in public.

Christianity contradicts contemporary Judaism--saying they missed the Messiah 2000 years ago, and that's not something Jewish people want to hear. It's preposterous though to think this film--being accurate to the historic record of the gospels, will stir up anti-Semitism. Ridiculous whining about a Christian film they haven't seen is much more likely to do that...

[observer5]

"had generated "an unprecedented wave of hate mail" in response to the movie"...

what a buch of horsesh....t

[StatesEnemy]

Come now, it's impossible to say "the Jews are x" or the "the Jews are y". That's silly talk, they're a mixed bag just like anybody.

Well then some of those "Y's" better start speaking up, cuz all I hear is screeching X's.

And ya ever think that perhaps a lot of their problems lie with this "Chosen People" chip on their shoulders?

[TBall]

Show the film as is. A whole lot Christians also died fighting against hitler.

[DPB101]

The Hollywood Ten were communists. Communists murdered tens of millions of Christians. To this day, the Hollywood Ten are heros in Tinseltown. Ergo the Pope and other Christian leaders should be able to change the script of every Hollywood movie lest it incite communists to kill Christians. That is the logic here.