Posted on 08/27/2003 6:18:43 PM PDT by joesnuffy
Mel Gibson's 'The Passion': Most offensive film ever made
Posted: August 27, 2003 1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com
Have you heard of the controversy and heated debate swirling around Mel Gibson's yet to be released film, "The Passion"? Just to be clear, I will summarize: Detractors, supposedly leaders of Jewish groups, as well as Catholics and Protestants, are concerned that this documentation of the final hours of Jesus Christ's life and His resurrection "will fuel hatred, bigotry and anti-Semitism." Since this portrayal is arguably one of the most accurate of all movies ever made about any aspect of Christ's life, we should be asking what these concerned "leaders" are saying about the Gospel of Christ.
Are they saying that the Gospels fuel hatred? If they are, they hit the nail right on its head. The Gospels have always fueled hatred against Christians as Jesus Christ very clearly forewarned they would. One would think Jesus' message and mission of truth, love and mercy would inspire all men to a perpetual state of warm and fuzzy mutual affection. But if you actually read Jesus' words, He will disabuse you of that notion in an instant.
And He went out from thence, and came into His own country; and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath day was come, He began to teach in the synagogue; and many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "From whence hath this man these things and what wisdom is this which is given unto Him, that even such mighty works are wrought by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at him.
– Mark 6:1-3
Yes, Jesus was offensive to all who were unwilling or not yet ready to believe his message. His message was so offensive that mobs attempted to stone Him or throw Him off a cliff because of His teaching and healing. Yes, as Jesus was healing the dying, the lame and the blind, there were men and women desiring His death. What kind of message could elicit this great condemnation?
It was and is still very simple: Jesus is the Son of God. God chose to sacrifice His Son in order to pay for the sins of all mankind. The only cost to the sinner is the putting aside of our foolish pride in order to accept this free gift. God categorically declares that no man can earn this salvation with good deeds. We are universally and individually altogether too sinful to pay the price. We have to accept that Christ is the Son of God and died for our sins.
So what is the big deal? Free gift. Only have to accept the gift. No biggie, right?
Not so fast. The problem is this: Today's American can't even see they need salvation! "What have I done? I haven't murdered anyone, have I?" This message of redemption is really, really offensive to a whole bunch of people.
So, as it was in His day, the story is just as offensive now as it was then. Millions of Christians over the centuries since Christ have paid for their unswerving declaration of Christ's Gospel with horrifying persecution.
And what did Christ say we Christians should feel when persecuted? Prepare yourself for the most ridiculously politically incorrect characterization of unjust suffering ever offered:
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in Heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
– Matthew 5:11-12
When Jesus says "blessed are ye," how would that be translated into modern English? Blessed" means "happy"! Yes! Believing Christians are told to be happy about their persecution because it is for Christ and truth.
Now Mr. Gibson will not likely pay the greatest price of all (thank goodness!), as so many Christians before him, but he will – as will other Christians – be persecuted for this kind of boldness.
Any movie telling an accurate account of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ will and must elicit a stinging rebuke from the world.
Accordingly, I declare Mel Gibson's "The Passion" as the "single most offensive movie ever made." It is also the finest and greatest tribute to Christ I have ever seen in film.
You might be wondering why some movies about Christ do not offend as well as this one does. There are a few reasons. For starters, in past efforts, Christ's scourging and torture is left unrealistically brief and inconsequential. "The Passion" is the only movie ever made to show the horrifying brutality of the pre-crucifixion price paid by Christ.
The Old Testament prophetically describes the results of Christ's beating as rendering Him unrecognizable by His own people. Gibson and producer Steve McEveety address this modern omission head-on with the single-most graphic depiction of a true-life torture ever filmed. No, the Gospel is not for the faint-of-heart. This violence was not gratuitous, but appropriate.
What other things bother today's critic? To be blunt, unbelief. Jesus is clearly shown as the Son of God. And, importantly, unlike many movies that end with Jesus' death on the cross, "The Passion," in the last brief scene, shows Christ in His tomb resurrected in the promised victory over death.
You see, Christians only see this bodily resurrection as an accurate representation of the life of Christ – unbelievers have to reconcile the claims of the Gospels with their belief systems. Many people today feel particularly offended by Jesus' claim to be "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" and that "no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Anybody can make a film about a great guy named Jesus, an itinerate carpenter-teacher humbly dispensing words of wisdom just like Buddha, Confucius and the Dalai Lama – nobody gets offended, everybody's happy. However, no other recognized spiritual leader in history has claimed deity, nor have they been killed and brought back to life. Jesus drew a line in the sand between Himself and all past and future "spiritual leaders."
Jesus said His message would put His followers on one side of a line and all other humanity on the other. This would extend even to believer's families:
Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in Heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in Heaven.
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of Me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it."
– Matthew 10:32-39
A third reason this film must be reviled is its lack of condemnation for those who were responsible for Christ's death. Critics, disingenuous or ill-informed, believe that because the Gospel's account of the events leading to Jesus' crucifixion, portray Jewish religious leaders and Jewish mobs as actively involved in Jesus' sentencing and execution, is, anti-Semitic!
Let's see how silly this gets with a little illumination. Jesus, the condemned victim of torture and injustice is ... Jewish. His mom, the virgin, the blessed among women, is ... Jewish. Peter ... is Jewish. Simon, the man who sacrificially and with utterly inspiring abandon, carries the cross for Christ at the expense of pain and suffering, is ... Jewish. Jesus' brother James, the "Marys" who discover Jesus' empty tomb and Joseph of Aramathia – the rich man who offered his pristine sepulcher as Jesus' burial tomb – were all ... Jewish! The religious leaders who argued in opposition to the Jewish religious leaders instigating for Christ's execution were ... Jewish! Matthew, Mark, John, and Paul were all ... Jewish. Could I go on? Of course! Almost endlessly.
By the way, most Christians agree that Jews are God's chosen people and they consider the father of the Jewish race, Abraham, the father of all Christians as well! And here we are come full circle. The Gospel of Christ – a Jew – is characterized as "anti-Semitic," and therefore its portrayal in film is as well. Most wonderful of all, Jesus, hanging from the cross, prays to His Father and asks forgiveness for His persecutors as they "know not what they do."
Lastly, a particularly bizarre charge is made that Gibson's film inaccurately portrays the Jewish religious leadership and the mob as orchestrating the illegal execution of Jesus. Maybe some of the films detractors haven't read the New Testament Gospels yet. I suggest they do.
Yes! Corrupt Jewish religious leaders whipped up the primarily Jewish mob, to demand Jesus' death. The execution was illegally conducted, Jewish law was broken. The story is therefore not a condemnation of the Jewish faith and its law, but of sin and corruption. All times, all institutions have experienced corruption at the hands of greedy, power-hungry men. Nothing new here – and certainly nothing anti-Semitic.
Everyone should see this movie. Not only is it "the greatest story ever told," it is a cinematic tour de force. I predict this movie will become a classic: millions will see it, millions more will buy it in DVD. It will be shown in millions of homes every Easter. It will be seen around the world. And best of all, many viewers, once "offended" will be transformed.
Elizabeth Farah is co-founder of WorldNetDaily and serves as senior vice president of marketing.
It does no such thing. It makes a moral equivilancy between Christian Fundamentalism and Islamic Fundamentalism. Pat Robertson and his fellow "Chirstians" forever showed their true evil nature right after 9/11 when they said the attack was God's retribution on the sinful west. Those words are indeed identical to UBL and his followers.
You (or your ilk -- it is all lost in the thread) said that no one but Chrsitians are Saved. This condemnation to Eternal Damnation for all but the Insider's Club is truly rude and uncalled for.
Don't shoot the messenger for pointing out the inherent arrogoance of this position. A position that is the SAME as the Taliban -- just honoring a different diety and suggesting a different way to damnation (they want to hurry the process along).
In no way do I make UBL=Christ. That is a strange and disingenuous interpretation. You clearly never read my post on my personal feelings on God and Christ.
Making thre truth available to all is not rude. If you want to subscribe to a philosophy where hurt feelings trump honest reasoning, go join the DU.
Vatican Says Jews' Wait For Messiah Is Validated by Old Testament - post#250
Verified and accurate prophecy is God's signature of authenticity of the bible, and thus that Jesus is His annointed begotten Son whose words are truth.
No, Christ said that noone is saved but through him. Right there in the Bible. I don't speak for Christ anymore than UBL speaks for Allah. But I know what He said.
You can play all the word games you like. Your morally equivocating Christians and terrorists reveals your true bigotry.
If by "bigotry" you mean "accurate comparison" I agree.
If by "bigotry" you mean "dislike of self-important procelytes" I am guilty as charged.
As far as Christianity goes, I think it is the one and only hope of Mankind to overcome its savage nature. It has been the only philosophy that has said, in no uncertain terms, that every Human Being is a precious thing and that all are infinitely loved by a divine Creator who sent His Son to die for each and every one of us. And this Divine Loving Creator had His Son Carry His Message of redemption and grace, which unleashed upon the world a knowledge of what Love truly is, and what it can accomplish.
I believe this to the core of my being. I think that Christ died for all whether they accept it or not.
I do no think that the passages about getting to God "but through Me (Christ)" meant necessarily becoming a Christian, but rather adherence to God's Word. Remember: Christ was the first to say that heaven was available to everybody not just the "Chosen Ones."
I believe Christian extremists have perverted this message into a creating a new set of "Chosen Ones."
Maybe if I had put this together for you a few posts ago, we could have cut to the chase. But you're funny and I enjoy watching you chase your tail.
Nice to see, but I don't think Christ's authenticity nor His being the Messiah is at issue here (but hey, who knows -- I haven't been able to keep up with MY comments much less the rest of the thread).
But it is a good reference and I'll bookmark it. Thanks for the scholarship.
Amen!
You're very welcome.
Implicit in that 'authenticity' with which you agree is the stark absence of such authenticity in other philosophies.
Christianity is not a philosophy. It is a personal relationship with the Son of God who authentically declared Himself to be so, as well as being the only 'Way' through relationship with Him - His knowing us, not merely our academic agreement that He lived and is the Son of God (since demons also believe and yet tremble) but that we acknowledge Him and he will likewise acknowledge each of us to the Father. But such acknowledgement is restricted to God (Father, Son & Spirit) and no other - We are to have no other gods.
Yet while being restrictive as to Jesus, the offer is all inclusive as to any whosoever will believe in Him.
The Bible is the most published book ever. It is also the most interpreted and misinterpreted book ever. You choose to misentrepret it, that is OK. I notice you ignore all of my post that lays out the basis for my argument against intolerance. These are also based in the Bible (read almost all of Matthew concerning the one-on-one relationship between Man and God).
You chase your tail because you selectively use the Bible as a basis for your self-built pedastal. Your continued return to this thread, despite my many efforts to let you off the hook, suggests that you understand that the house of cards you have built is feeling the winds of reason. You are NOT a member of the exclusive "God Favors Me" Club and it bothers you that all you have believed for your entire life (I assume -- but you may be a Convert which is even worse) of being Better than Everyone Else is slipping.
If "adherence to the Bible" was even POSSIBLE there would only be one "Christian" religion. Instead, there is a Tower of Bable of Christianity -- I have clearly staked my position in this debate. I have set the parameters of my belief and they stand uncontroverted. They are also more charitable than the position you have suggested that you, "as a Good Christian," have reserved for youself.
You selectively quote me as you do your Bible.
I have been accused of a lot of things on FR (being flat-out wrong being the most frequent and accurate). But equivocation is not one of them, nor is it in this case.
I make my case clear. "Simple: Follow Christ"="Simple: Follow Islam" as far as I am concerned.
I have a loooong thread about this. But let me summarize:
Amen....
I did not "Equivocate" Christian Believers and Islamists (in fact I equivocated nothing).
I presented a difficult to rebut argument equating Christian Fundamentalists and Islamic Funamentalists. They both beileve They Are Right. They both believe They are the Only Ones Who Are Right. They kill Those Who Disbelieve and do so In The Name Of God. They Condemn to Eternal Damnation Those Who do Not Agree With Themselves.
Shame on you (if you have done this) for providing aid and comfort to Killers In God's Name.
Christ spoke the Gospel of Love. He spoke the Gospel of Tolerance. He set forth rules that all could live by. His was the first Gospel that said that all mankind has been freed. Nowhere did he say My way or the Highway
That has been the position of Holier-than-thou (i.e. "better than thou since my life is too small to actually matter") holy rollers who need God's Special Protection from the Unwashed Masses.
IOTW: I have no rebuttal to your argumentation, so I Shall Pray For You to My God And Ask Him to Make You as Good As Me.
Perhaps you are ready to cross swords with Jesus?
Joh 14:6 (ASV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.
(CEV) "I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father.
(Darby) Jesus says to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father unless by me.
(GLB) Jesus spricht zu ihm: Ich bin der Weg und die Wahrheit und das Leben; niemand kommt zum Vater denn durch mich.
(GNB) Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.
(ISV) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
(LITV) Jesus said to him, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
(MKJV) Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.
(RSV) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.
(WEB) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
(Webster) Jesus saith to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me.
(WNT) "I am the Way," replied Jesus, "and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(YLT) Jesus saith to him, `I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one doth come unto the Father, if not through me;
Seems to be a general concensus among all the translators that that is EXACTLY what Jesus said! So anyone who claims that there is another way to heaven other than through Jesus, they are the real CINOs. They are the ones who refuse to follow what Jesus said.
Personally if I am a Christian and Jesus said that he is the only way, then I'm gonna believe Jesus. Not some CINO who claims that there are other ways. There aren't. Either Jesus was a liar or Jesus is telling us the truth. IF there is any other way, then Jesus was a liar. If Jesus was telling the truth, then that means that those who claim that there is another way besides Jesus are the liars.
Great argumentation. Except that a proper interpretation is that Christ wanted people to follow His Example and Love Everyone. I don't take it to mean that there is a specific mandate to believe in Christ as The Only Way To Salvation.
Christ opened the door (don't forget, this was when God only had One Chosen People) and fundamentally changed the rules - anyone and everyone could go to heaven -- by doing what God through His Son asked. This was a new paradigm and quite unnerving to The Chosen Ones of the Moment.
Christians who believe they are the Only Ones Saved are merely The New Chosen Ones.
btw: I believe Christ was God's Son and died for Me. He made it crystal clear how we are to treat one another and how to live our lives to have everlasting life.
But His teachings are universal and intuitive for loving people -- but seldom heeded. THAT message is what the world needs today. Not the Christian Fundamental Intolerance.
For this one, even if you are a Jesuit, I am ready to go the distance.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.