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/
Thanks tons.
Much appreciate your kind words. Just came to me as was prayerfully pondering a post a few days ago. I think I posted it then, too.
A RC once said to me that everyone should follow the Pope because "someone must be in charge" and my 12 year old son piped in "shouldn't that be Jesus". All I could say to my son was God Bless You!
LOVE IT.
INDEED! AN ANOINTED ANSWER.
I hope you took him out for ice cream.
It's a year and a half later and I still tell him how proud I am of him. :-)
Paul preached Christ crucified, and that is the big difference. Please point out the changes in the gospel with biblical verses to support your charges, thanks in advance.
Very impressive.
"Protestantism is not anarchy. It is a family with Jesus Christ as the head of that family."
Rom. 8:14, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
A.W. Tozer puts it this way,
"Private prayer should be practiced by every Christian. Long periods of Bible meditation will purify our gaze and direct it; church attendance will enlarge our outlook and increase our love for others. Service and work and activity; all are good and should be engaged in by every Christian. But at the bottom of all these things, giving meaning to them, will be the inward habit of beholding God. A new set of eyes (so to speak) will develop within us enabling us to be looking at God while our outward eyes are seeing the scenes of this passing world.
Someone may fear that we are magnifying private religion out of all proportion, that the "us" of the New Testament is being displaced by a selfish "L" Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshippers met together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become "unity" conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified. The body becomes stronger as its members become healthier. The whole Church of God gains when the members that compose it begin to seek a better and a higher life."
What a great way to illustrate the point. This example will stick with me.
Thanks
Hi W.
From the mouth of babes...
And I say, of course, He's the Head of His Church! Ubi Christus, ibi ecclesia (Hermann Sasse).
He's King, not CEO.
He says "Suffer the little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for to such belongeth the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:14), not go ask a saint and remember don't take my name in vain like that again. do you hear?
And so He has. 8~)
Amen. See Acts 15, where the issue was brought up regarding the requirement for the Gentiles to follow Jewish Law and where Peter defended faith alone.
And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. And now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they. (Acts 15:9-11)
Amen.
See Acts 2 where God's word was spake in a language that could be understood by the hearers.
Besides what good would the Greek do if they have the wrong Greek texts (Critical).
Also, they would also need the Hebrew as well for the Old Testament since that was the language that was originally written in.
They are using a translation when they use the LXX, and a bad one at that!
They understood that the final appeal is always to the written word, not to tradition or the authority of men.
You need to read a little more than the banal phraseology constantly recycled in Christian communities.
I won't do your home work for you. If you want the truth, seek it, but you won't find it on a silver spoon. However, I will give you a few hints (believe me, there is a lot, lot more!).
The obvious issues are the law and circumcision. Christ never taught that it should be stopped or dropped or that they are "empty rituals," or that the gentiles should not be required to abide by the dietary restrictions, or not to be subject to God's laws.
Paul faced considerable opposition to his teachings from +James and his Jerusalem Church which the Acts tries to smooth and perfume to make it look like it was all resolved, when in fact it wasn't.
In II Cor 4:4, +Paul says that Christ is the "image" of God!
In Mat 6:25-34 Christ says not to worry about what we will eat, for God will provide if we seek righteousness of His kingdom. In II Thes 3:10 +Paul says "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
In Galatians 2:15-16 Paul says that no one is justified by law (because no one can fulfill it perfectly...ts,ts,ts), yet in Matthew 5:17-20 Christ is quoted as saying "but whoever practices and teaches these commands [of the law and the prophets] will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
If you look up what is Law and the Prophets, you will understand that it is what saves us.
Leave the banal commenatries aside. They are worn-out clichés or pre-fab 'catechisms.' Look up history, bible, facts and fiction, try to reconcile dinasaurs and cavemen with Genesis, and if you still believe, you will be ahead.
I don't go through all the threads, so if the passage is addressed then point out the post and I will read it.
Clearly you aren't going to deal with it.
Thanks, Dr. E. Love ya,Maryxxx
Your son has my respect for knowing exactly what to say. And I know who taught him--thank you.
Sorry to see that you missed the point.
Abraham is saved when he first believed (Rom.4:3) and then grows in faith, showing that faith until his last test in Heb.11:17 where he is tried and passed then shows his close relationship with God, being called God's friend.(James 2)
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh (Heb.11:4).
Faith gives witness what one believes, by working, but works do not add to the faith, they are a result of it.
We will just have to agree to disagree, my FRiend.
Life was too full at times (smile) but yes, God WAS and IS with me continually. His grace has been sufficient. Mxxx
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