Jews, who do not subscribe to the divinity of Christ, and who have a long history of being the victims of pogroms and persecutions, view this movie differently from those of us who understand Jesus as a blood scarifice for all mankind. It is not out of malice, but simply from their different view of history.
Christians viewing this movie cannot understand why Jews don't understand that we view the people in Jerusalem as an emblem for all mankind, and that Christ took our place in order to save us from our sins.
Both sides need to make an honest attempt to understand the other side. When Mona Charen and Charles Krauthammer, who have been loyal allies in the cultural and political wars, are trashed because of their opinions on this movie, those of us who are Christians need to stop and ask WHY they have that opinion.
And people like Charen and Krauthammer need to ask themselves why many of their loyal readers love this movie.
It is obvious to me that the Jewish community carries fears handed down from generations of persecution. It is also obvious that those of us in the Christian community don't understand Jewish thinking on this.
Rather than getting into a full-blown war with our friends, I think we should each make an effort to explain our differences and our similarities, and also attempt to maintain respect and civility. Calm discussion will do more to assuage fears of the Jewish community than attacks. And calm discussion from the Jewish community will do more to make friendship with Christians than attacks on the movie.
Words of wisdom
"Attacks"? You're peddling the line that there've been "attacks" because of "The Passion" on Jews? What do you mean precisely by "attacks"?
Substantiate your charges, or I don't see why we need this Rodney King wisdom.
Gibson and "The Passion" have been under attack for as long as a year before its release, mostly by people who hadn't seen it. There're still a lot of people---including a lot who haven't bothered to pay $8 to see the film---who throw around the most outrageous charges about the film---such as that it uses "Nazi" techniques, and comparing it to Leni Riefenstahl's movies. Nothing of the same order of rhetorical magnitude has been served up from Gibson's defenders, much less the physical intimidation or violence routinely predicted as a result of the film's release. I don't buy your attempt to morally equate the opposing positions, and I don't consider any of the people making the scurrilous, baseless charges against the film and, directly or indirectly, the tenets of my faith, to be my "friends."