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/
The scriptural fact that Blue Duncan mentioned was that Mary had to undergo purification "according to the Law of Moses". It does not mean the Evangelist believed she was objectively impure, as another example of following the ritual despite the absence of objective need was the baptism of Christ, as Adiareton cogently points out.
Regardless of the physiological manner of Christ's birth, the scripture is silent on the issue of Mary loing her virginity or having other children. This is one instance when adherance to the Scripture Alone superstition would do you untold good.
It is all good for you to focus on the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ, if you do not wish to also focus on the Incarnation, the other pillar of Christian faith. One way to do so is to refrain from blaspheming the Holy Mother of God and find something positive to say, in the spirit of the, hm, "holiday" season.
"The original point that you were trying to make (in 283) was to show that Mary undergoing the purification rite shows that Mary was impure"
"the premises are true, and the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises"
No, your original statement is false, therefore your conclusion is false. My original point was that because Mary gave birth to a male child she fits within the requirements of the Law that says she is impure and must go through the purification rites.
Jesus was sinless and did not need baptism to purify Him from sin, He submitted to it voluntarily to identify with sinners and to confirm to John He was the Messiah, the Son of God. For Jesus, baptism was necessary to fulfill the Law as a sign; for Mary, purification was necessary to fulfill the Law because she was impure.
What we have from all this is that Mary was ritualistically impure "according to the Law of Moses" and obeyed the law. You may infer that she also experienced the pains of chidlbirth, although that is not stated int he scripture. None of that points to personal sin, -- that is sin committed by the will of the sinner, -- or to subsequent sexual activity.
"None of that points to personal sin, -- that is sin committed by the will of the sinner, -- or to subsequent sexual activity."
That all comes from her own admission that she needed a savior and the testimony of the Apostles and Luke that she had other sons, James and Jude.
Back in #150 you wrote: "BTW -- if we stand of the faith of the ecumenical creeds, we are of the same faith."
But both the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed refer to the "Virgin Mary". Therefore, either you are not "of the same faith" as those of us who affirm the ecumenical creeds, or, you don't really believe that Christian doctrine about Mary is an oxymoron. Which is it?
-A8
Back in #150 you wrote: "BTW -- if we stand of the faith of the ecumenical creeds, we are of the same faith."
But both the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed refer to the "Virgin Mary". Therefore, either you are not "of the same faith" as those of us who affirm the ecumenical creeds, or, you don't really believe that Christian doctrine about Mary is an oxymoron. Which is it?
-A8
Rather, the psychic and psychological space had been formed in all men to anticipate the Incarnation through a human mother.
where does scripture say Mary had other sons? careful now
Oh, dear. When people start invoking alternate deities on my behalf, I get a little nervous!
That is a non sequitur. Just because she had to go through the purification rites does not entail that she was not the immaculate Mother of God.
-A8
Yikes!
Please name one thing that the Catholic Church teaches about Mary that "just isn't true", and show that that it isn't true.
-A8
James and Jude are sons of Mary Cleopas, as the scripture makes clear.
Yes, Blessed Virgin Mary required our Savior like the rest of us. This is the Catholic teaching.
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