However, I am a bit concerned over the attitude, displayed by some people on this board, that anyone who expresses any misgivings whatsoever about the impact of this movie, its scriptural and historical accuracy, or Mel Gibson's motivations, is immediately an "anti-Christian bigot." Ironically, it's usually the very same people who complain that they can never criticise Israel without being called "anti-Semitic."
I am also angered by the hysterical comments from some allegedly "Orthodox" Jews (Eli Yisah and Tzvi Weinreb) who ought to know better. I know that viewing this movie is not goint to make me doubt my own religion and run out to become a Christian. What an insult to my faith and my commitment, to claim that it could be swept away by a movie and therefore I shouldn't be allowed to see it!
1) Orthodox Jews who know the Torah is from Heaven and that not one single letter or even part of a letter may ever be erased should show a modicum of sensitivity to people who mistakenly believe that the "new testament" in its entirety is also from Heaven. Until chr*stians are made to understand that the "new testament" is not from Heaven they cannot be expected to disobey or alter it. Jews who refuse to tell chr*stians that their religion is false, but who instead are making absolute demands in relativist terms ("let's forget about who's right or wrong, but you always have to make concessions and we never do") is committing a great chillul HaShem because no Bible-beliving chr*stian is going to associate this hypocritical liberal philosophy with genuine Biblical Judaism. Instead, he will be reinforced in his belief that the Jews apostasized from Biblical Judaism when they rejected J*sus.
2) Abe Foxman is not a nice person. To simple people who know only the composite chr*stian bible (ot/nt) his attacks on the gospels are indistinguishable from his attacks on `Aseret HaDibberot (the Ten Commandments). As a matter of fact, according to Don Feder, Foxman has publicly stated that literal interpretation of the "old testament" is as bad as literal interpretation of the gospels. What do naive chr*stians assume from all this? That Jews are not only against the "new testament" but "against the Bible" as a whole. I hope I am not the only Jew or Noachide on this forum who realizes what a great blasphemy this is.
3) Finally, as a former chr*stian myself who realizes the bind Jews are putting chr*stians in by refusing to speak in absolute terms ("we are the true religion") while demanding chr*stians violate the tenets of their religion, I want to go on record once and for all. J*sus deserved to die!!! Blasphemy is a capital offense and only a secular humanist would disagree with this. Under Torah, a Jew who commits blasphemy is to be executed by strangulation. And when Jews are not in a position to carry out Halakhic executions G-d often intervenes to carry them out Himself. How does crucifixion (which is NOT a Halakhic form of punishment) kill? By strangulation!!! G-d carried out the punishment!!!
I know my last point will offend many of you, but that is far better than telling you to go ahead and believe J*sus is G-d but don't obey him. What an unspeakably cruel demand to make of anyone!!! You don't have to obey him or believe the "new testament" because they are not true, and those "tolerant, compassionate" people who will not tell you this but still expect you to change your beliefs and practices are cruel.
You are being led to believe that Judaism opposes the gospels because it opposes Absolute Truth. In fact, it is because it is dedicated to Absolute Truth that it opposes them. I suppose it had to take a non-Jew and a former chr*stian to tell you all this.
But that was not their central reason.
Do not let political opportunism cloud your reason.
The pope has gone senile.
I might agree that it is a legitimate concern, but do not agree that what happened should be defended as a current problem nor should Jews be collectively blamed then or now.
As to now, having seen the film, I believe that if you went in antisemitic, you would come out that way.
If you went in without any hate, you would come out that way.
Gibson, in no way guided the viewer to consider blaming anyone this in the film. No, quite the contrary, he guide the viewer to understand that Jesus died for our/my sins and forgave those who contributed in any way to his death. He forgave all, individually and collectively.
Especially me!