Posted on 12/04/2006 7:52:47 PM PST by Pyro7480
'The Nativity Story' Movie Problematic for Catholics, "Unsuitable" for Young Children
By John-Henry Westen
NEW YORK, December 4, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A review of New Line Cinema's The Nativity story by Fr. Angelo Mary Geiger of the Franciscans of the Immaculate in the United States, points out that the film, which opened December 1, misinterprets scripture from a Catholic perspective.
While Fr. Geiger admits that he found the film is "in general, to be a pious and reverential presentation of the Christmas mystery." He adds however, that "not only does the movie get the Virgin Birth wrong, it thoroughly Protestantizes its portrayal of Our Lady."
In Isaiah 7:14 the Bible predicts the coming of the Messiah saying: "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel." Fr. Geiger, in an video blog post, explains that the Catholic Church has taught for over 2000 years that the referenced Scripture showed that Mary would not only conceive the child miraculously, but would give birth to the child miraculously - keeping her physical virginity intact during the birth.
The film, he suggests, in portraying a natural, painful birth of Christ, thus denies the truth of the virginal and miraculous birth of Christ, which, he notes, the Fathers of the Church compared to light passing through glass without breaking it. Fr. Geiger quoted the fourth century St. Augustine on the matter saying. "That same power which brought the body of the young man through closed doors, brought the body of the infant forth from the inviolate womb of the mother."
Fr. Geiger contrasts The Nativity Story with The Passion of the Christ, noting that with the latter, Catholics and Protestants could agree to support it. He suggests, however, that the latter is "a virtual coup against Catholic Mariology".
The characterization of Mary further debases her as Fr. Geiger relates in his review. "Mary in The Nativity lacks depth and stature, and becomes the subject of a treatment on teenage psychology."
Beyond the non-miraculous birth, the biggest let-down for Catholics comes from Director Catherine Hardwicke's own words. Hardwicke explains her rationale in an interview: "We wanted her [Mary] to feel accessible to a young teenager, so she wouldn't seem so far away from their life that it had no meaning for them. I wanted them to see Mary as a girl, as a teenager at first, not perfectly pious from the very first moment. So you see Mary going through stuff with her parents where they say, 'You're going to marry this guy, and these are the rules you have to follow.' Her father is telling her that she's not to have sex with Joseph for a year-and Joseph is standing right there."
Comments Fr. Geiger, "it is rather disconcerting to see Our Blessed Mother portrayed with 'attitude;' asserting herself in a rather anachronistic rebellion against an arranged marriage, choosing her words carefully with her parents, and posing meaningful silences toward those who do not understand her."
Fr. Geiger adds that the film also contains "an overly graphic scene of St. Elizabeth giving birth," which is "just not suitable, in my opinion, for young children to view."
Despite its flaws Fr. Geiger, after viewing the film, also has some good things to say about it. "Today, one must commend any sincere attempt to put Christ back into Christmas, and this film is certainly one of them," he says. "The Nativity Story in no way compares to the masterpiece which is The Passion of the Christ, but it is at least sincere, untainted by cynicism, and a worthy effort by Hollywood to end the prejudice against Christianity in the public square."
And, in addition to a good portrait of St. Joseph, the film offers "at least one cinematic and spiritual triumph" in portraying the Visitation of Mary to St. Elizabeth. "Although the Magnificat is relegated to a kind of epilogue at the movie's end, the meeting between Mary and Elizabeth is otherwise faithful to the scriptures and quite poignant. In a separate scene, the two women experience the concurrent movement of their children in utero and share deeply in each other's joy. I can't think of another piece of celluloid that illustrates the dignity of the unborn child better than this."
See Fr. Geiger's full review here:
http://airmaria.com/
"Are you getting this icy weather?"
Its probably about 10 degrees outside and snowing hard. We're in for as much as couple of feet they say. We'll be closing the office in about 1 hour. Virtually all the courts are closed but we all had work to do so we drove in. Left the BMWs home though today! :)
Frankly I think the fragmenting of the church by deeming individuals to be infailable started in the RC if you must know. Then the protestants magnified this approach by making everyone Pope. Both inspired by the same spirit.
Don't you think the Word of God can stand on it's own? Does one really have to have someone interpret the whole thing for him?
By the way, it sounds like you don't believe the pope is infallible.
Same here although we didn't get the snow amounts but the frozen rain is worse. Interesting that the staff was here early and the younger lawyers straggeled in late. Apparently the younger guys haven't trained their wives to shovel the snow early.
I think there's legions of wolves trying to pervert the word of God and that the word should be gaurded against 'infailable individuals' who try to create cults around themselves and their 'interpretations'(perversions of the Word).
indeed i do not beleive the Pope is infailable.
People that think RC doctrines are wrong to not think themselves infallible. Just don't agree that the RCC is "The Church". There is a hugh difference. It's dishonest to suggest that I think I'm infallible because I think the RCC is wrong.
"Apparently the younger guys haven't trained their wives to shovel the snow early."
I'm a sport. I bought mine a snowblower! :)
it's not about you! that's the whole point that folks need to understand no one man has any sort of superior idea of what scripture is or means.
yet every day some new break away schismatics run off after some looped out pastor who insist he alone is the prophet who REALLY knows what scripture means. that is no less arogant and idiotic than is saying that one guy with a pointy hat can speak infailably with regard to doctrine.
that's why the orthodox hold only the 7 ecumenical councils where hundreds of Bishops from every place Christiainity had been spread to got together and decided these things.
Even in scripture we see questions of doctrine being decided in councils. The first council at Jerusalem where James Paul and Peter attended.
These folks were all inspired to Christianity by God and they still were failable in matters of doctrine INDIVIDUALLY.
I can't pin down what you are trying to say. No wonder I usually stick to the topic of Mary. It is the topic that is most clear to me in defining RC doctrinal problems.
We now return you to the regularly scheduled pontifications and diatribes.
you routinely try to disguise your wolves as straw dogs...
So you are saying that Protestants are generally more evil than Catholics therefore it is the protestants that have the false teachers and there are no false teachers or teachings in the RCC? Does that sum up?
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Wellllll, Dear Heart DM, it SEEMS to be like this . . .
When one has a rubber Bible and/or a rubber dictionary and/or rubber tradition . . .
THEN
it is EASY to acquire rubber standards.
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Personally, I have found God to be exceedingly full of 'common sense' as well as well beyond perfect GODLY UNCOMMON sense.
He comes across to me as exceedingly creative. And, in some matters--flexible. If eating meat bothers your conscience, don't eat meat. If you can eat in clear conscience and not cause a brother to stumble--eat to good health.
Sometimes God doesn't CARE whether you want chocolate or vanilla ice cream--CHOOSE AND ENJOY.
And, many times, what MIGHT have started out as a God-preference--ends up being hated of God because of the turmoil flesh driven, problem that prissy "Christians" make of it.
Mostly God is concerned that we Love Him wholly; others as ourselves and do unto others as we'd choose to be done unto AND FORGIVE ALL THOROUGHLY.
To some degree, beyond the core basics, the rest is do much detail that depends on a lot of contextual and heart motive things.
imho.
So, rubber standards depend, too on what we are talking about. So often, it's rubber standards for the person talking and rigid prissy standards that THEY apply to EVERYONE ELSE.
I KNOW God is NOT in favor of THAT by a trillion miles.
well since i'm not an RC I can't help you much there.
the point is the only infailable doctrines come from the ecumenical councils where the whole church was present not some rogue 'prophet' band of 'prophets' or band of rogue 'bishops'.
I still maintain that the bible warns about false teachers. When I hear teaching that is not in the bible and that is often the very opposite of what the bible say that is pretty simple proof that a teacher or even a whole denomination is false. The bible places unlimited confidence in itself but not in man. The bible's definition of the Church has never been the RCC so any verses about the Church can only be about believers, not a particular denomination.
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Well put.
oh c'mon you're Bible's a subjective joke, where the apostles drone on wasting their words for 282 words of scripture which aren't applicable because they contradict your church's traditions.
I think there's legions of wolves trying to pervert the word of God and that the word should be gaurded against 'infailable individuals' who try to create cults around themselves and their 'interpretations'(perversions of the Word).
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Have there been folks who did that? Certainly--in Protestantism and in the Roman system. Probably in the Orthodox system as well.
Is every or even more than a minute percentage of Protesties involved in such. Absolutely not. At least not in the sense it seems to be meant.
Certainly every leader in every group has a human tendency to think they have a corner on truth and everyone ought to believe exactly like them. And that is often a slippery slope to error and other gross junk. But no one is immune from that. It requires constant sensitivity to Holy Spirit and constantly purified motives of the heart to avoid such.
By all individuals in all groups.
imho.
Like the Spanish inquisition?
Or the slaughter of my Huguenot ancestors?
Or facilitating the extermination of the Jews during WWII?
Oh, I forgot, that wasn't the Protestants now, was it.
Hey the Orthodox were AT LEAST AS PERSECUTED.
Check out what happened in Constaninople in 1204. What happened when Catholic Poland conquered Ukraine and Belarus in the late 1500s.
Protestants whine like they're the only folks the Catholics ever persecuted.
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