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/
In a perfect sola scriptura world that you occupy, this would be the only position to take. However, since Luther, Protestantism moved away to denial of things Catholic in general, at the exclusion of all reason, this is why.
I am sure you did.
Have a Douay (E Sword computer version), my wife bought me a New Jerusalem, and I have about a half dozen other translations laying by my bed. My wife gets annoyed when I am sitting in bed, with four or five Bibles spread out and a few commentaries.
People attack Marian pieties because they don't know how to worship God themselves, so anyone with a rich spiritual life is an irritant to them.
??? Not sure I got your point.
That post is alone enough for ANYONE to come to the conclusion you are a good man...
You know, it would be an interesting exercise to see evangelicals try to assemble at an Evangelical Ecumenical Council and hammer out just what are and are not the "fundamentals" of the Faith all evangelicals must agree upon to be considered orthodox Christians.
Has anythimg like that been considered?
I can not find the exact article that I read. It has been several years I know, but I believe it had something to do with Catholic Feminists. Article below is an example of the train of thought, but not specifically about Mary...
http://www.thedailystar.com/opinion/letters/2005/06/lt0627.html
I do have problems with it, and prefer to stick to what Scripture explicitly says about Mary. I believe it is explicit that she had other children. Some people disagree. I'm fine with that. I consider her as mother of other children a matter of interpretation. I consider her sinlessness anti-Scriptural. Her perpetual virginity, I consider a violation of the EWS, Until, but others disagree.
Mary with any titles of Christ, I object to. She is depicted in Scripture as Mother of Jesus and blessed among women. That's where I stand with Mary.
I will bring the beer and sausage!
I s'pose you might speculate that it was because my life doesn't revolve around your posts.
*That is simply a lie. Two consecutive Bishops of Mostar have declared the Medjugorge "apparitions" are not visions of Mary. Both Bishops have declared the seers liars.
Please, Sir. Take some time to learn the facts. When you make such posts, you do not prove the Catholic Church is heretical, you illustrate you do not know what you are talking about
I'll serve as an observer - if I am guaranteed safe passage :)
I could, but, because I am solipsistic, that would be an impossibility for me
In any event, I will note you continue to ignorte that post - as does every other sola scripturist
As a Catholic, I worship God at the sacrifice of the Mass. This is the primary and necessary element of the Christian worship. But I also worship God through the family and friends of Christ. That is Mary and the Communion of Saints, with whom I pray daily, whether or not I make it to Mass daily.
This rich spiritual life of a Catholic appears to irritiate, primarily, the new Protestant communities of faith, who worry that I will somehow take away from Christ by doing so. This is anyway my hypothesis, -- I can conceive of no other reason people would alot so much energy to the devotions they don't understand no matter how patiently we explain them.
What you show me has to do with the hatred some feminist feel toward the Papacy. I was wondering where is the substantiation that some Catholic groups pleaded with the Pope to deify Mary.
Others familiar with the language in question disagree.
I quite like your reductio ad absurdum of 'sola scriptura'. I must remember it for use in other contexts.
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