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/
As eternal God, Christ eternally receives the Spirit from the father, and He eternally sends the same Spirit of love to the Father. There never was a time when the Word, Incarnate or not, was without the Spirit.
Christ's divine nature was sufficient to guide Jesus into the desert.
For the record, I assert that there is no conflict at all. What appears as a conflict is the result of applying Aristotle's Law of Identity (logic) to God.
Further, I maintain that we should not superimpose logic on our understanding of God lest we inadvertently anthropomorphize Him in our minds. Which is to say, a thing is true because God says it.
Hmmmmm....are you saying that the Greeks can't even get it right? ;O)
True.. a choice is a test.. God allows us to make choices..
Our spirit seeks its own level.. and cannot accuse God..
Satan has a purpose which is beyond our comprehension – which is the point of Jude 1:8-11. His end is already written (Revelation 20) – but note in the self same chapter that Satan is merely bound for the term of Christ’s 1,000 year reign on earth and then must be released for awhile:
But I will hasten to point out that Christ could have healed everyone when He was enfleshed. He could have begun the new heaven and the new earth. Children of Abraham could have been made from the stones laying around. And so on.
Everything that is happening is according to God’s will - either His creative will or His permissive will.
My understanding in the Spirit is this: “all that there is” is the Father revealing Himself, establishing a family, His only begotten Son as the head of the household - a family with whom He will ever dwell and commune. It is not about this heaven and earth, but the next heaven and earth. From Alpha to Omega, everything is working together to that end. Romans 8 is the map, Colossians 1:15-20 is the summary.
Thus I strongly disagree with you, and strongly agree with betty boop. Satan has a purpose known to God.
As to why I sometimes merely quote Scriptures (as Dr. Eckleburg also is wont to do) - spiritual Truth is hidden in plain sight and can only be spiritually discerned. (I Cor 2)
Seems to me that some things - such as the body and the blood in John 6, the spiritual rebirth of a Christian in John 3, the purpose of good v. evil - should be presented in His words alone, trusting the Spirit to reveal whatever He wants to reveal, personally to each one of us according to His own will.
That makes me very sad because then it is not God Who is being worshipped, but one's concept of God - a smaller "god" the mind can comprehend.
Of all the myriad "observer problems" anthropomorphizing God is the most costly.
” Hmmmmm....are you saying that the Greeks can’t even get it right? ;O)”
Well, at least that bunch didn’t. But then again, when I look at who among others were doing the work, one has very, very odd ideas (some think he is a heretic; I don’t agree. I think he just wants mainline Protestant types to like him.) and another is a non ethnic Orthodox convert priest from an evangelical Protestant background who, well we’ll just leave it at that. :)
No one comes to the son unless the father draws them.. One sows the seed, another waters, but God gives the increase..
A spirit seeks its own level.. what being human is all about.. All humans are spirits..
Where a spirit is, is exactly where its supposed to be..
Manifesting "what/who" it really is.. What a plan..
ALL human(spirits) live forever.. somewhere..
In a New heaven, a New earth, or possible even a New Hell..
What a plan.. An amazing plan.. We are all being qualified..
For WHAT?.. Now thats a good question...
Not buying it. Nice try.
INDEED, a Family.
And, a sign of a healthy family is it’s capacity to look at and address it’s flaws meaningfully, redemptively, growthfully.
Human life is a Maze.. a test.. Failure is Draconian, success is Utopian.. Could even be a contest.. or better a qualification for some future Universal Authority over a “few or many things”.. I like qualification better.. but test works.. Jesus implied many of these things.. If his metaphors can be decrypted its not a secret....
The parable of the talents comes to mind...
= = =
Sure fits my construction on reality.
Was blessed for more than a year at a home church that had Derek Prince come and hold a series of classes before my joining.
Kind of got excessive at some point about seeing a demon under every chair and incident but he still had a lot on the ball in terms of his discernment and teachings.
Thanks thanks.
Well put.
Certainly that Scripture as all Scripture is quite true.
However, there are other Scriptural indications that this whole life is a test, training etc.
And, of course, there’s the case of Job.
I think there are myteries and complexities on the issue that are difficult to sort out and articulate.
Not how I construed it.
Our perspective is finite.
A few years back I prayed about this very issue, asking God in prayer about the disposition of the soul or spirit. Adamic man has the breath of God (Gen 2) and yet Jesus warned:
2. ruach - the self-will or free will peculiar to man (abstraction, anticipation, intention, etc.) – by Jewish tradition, the pivot wherein a man decides to be Godly minded or earthy minded (also related to Romans 8, choosing)
3. neshama - the breath of God given to Adam (Genesis 2:7) which may also be seen as the “ears to hear” (John 10) - a sense of belonging beyond space/time, a predisposition to seek God and seek answers to the deep questions such as “what is the meaning of life?"
4. ruach Elohim - the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2) which indwells Christians (I Cor 2, John 3) – the presently existing in the “beyond” while still in the flesh. (Col 3:3)
But the ruach can be destroyed in hell and along with hell itself be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20) - the second death.
And the nephesh of a man could likewise be destroyed – or the Jewish mystics might be right, it just folds back into the physical creation (I don’t have a leaning either way though I would be surprised not to see animal or carnal life in the new heaven and the new earth.)
At any rate, that is my spiritual understanding of the matter at this time.
In short, since the Church is the kingdom of Christ, and he reigns only by his word, can there be any doubt as to the falsehood of those statements (cf. Jer.7:4) by which the kingdom of Christ is represented without his sceptre, in other words, without his sacred word?Scriptural support for this "reigns only by his word" nonsense? "The sheep hear my voice" and also "you are fellow citizens with the saints, and the domestics of God, Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Eph 2:19f). This fool thinks that since the Church is apostolic and the Lord speaks to her, Christ reigns through the scripture alone. The man is an anticatholic propagandist uncapable of coherent thought.
With Calvin, you repeat
The church is not the wrangler of the Holy Spirit. The church exists to faithfully proclaim the Scriptures.
In the passage you cite, the Holy Spirit is associated with Baptism. You could have added also
Do penance, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins: and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)
So, one receives the Holy Ghost and is baptized, or one is baptized and receives the Holy Ghost. Plain and simple: if you have a whiff of the Holy Ghost in you, thank the Church which baptized you.
I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father (and the Son), who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the Prophets. And one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I believe one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.You want to be counted among Christians, drop Calvin and take up the Nicene Creed.
I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. - Mark 1:8
John answered, saying unto [them] all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: - Luke 3:16
And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. - John 1:33
A new heaven and a new earth boggles the mind..
A new hell(earth) is a concept that crossed my mind..
Also degrees of not only heaven but hell(this solar system) is interesting(to me)..
The future seems to be bright and hopeful to me..
The spiritual creation is becomeing ordered and metaphysically natural..
Maranatha Jesus.. Such a large Universe should be used and populated..
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