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/
"If anathematizing me because I don't believe in Icons doesn't speak of a works salvation, I'm not sure what does (unless of course I repent of my Iconophobia)."
Why do you think that anathemizing Iconoclasts smacks of a works based salvation?
"K: "Orthodoxy can't be fully explained, it has to be experienced."
Pity."
Yes, indeed it is. So many Westerners, children of the Enlightenment and the Reformation, followers of a system created by Europeans who were angry at some pope, are far too proud to humble themselves before God and worship Him as He commanded and through that learn.
Oh trust me - if there's one thing I would never accuse Orthodoxy of, that would be of their accepting Holy Scripture as the highest, supremely infallible voice of authority within their churches.
I'm still looking for how that's done.
Because I don't believe that there is anything that I can do to earn my salvation, nor lose my salvation. My salvation is dependent upon Christ alone.
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." -- 2 Corinthians 3:2-6"Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
I thank God for the Holy Spirit which gives life through the new testament of Jesus Christ.
What's your view of what to do when different folks claim they hear quite different things from that "highest, supremely infallible voice of authority"?
Amen!
"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God" -- 2 Corinthians 3:5
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." -- Hebrews 12:1-2
It is comforting to see your random scripture generator in fine shape.
Is it that you have no free will or that there is no cause and effect or... ?
How is someone free who is a bound in sin?
His scriptures aren't random. They are rather specific. It would do you good to stop quipping at him and read them.
Your question is framed to answer itself in only one way.
I just can't see anything but a total loss of cause and effect in it. A loss of meaning.
Could you blaspheme the Holy Spirit and... no effect?
A true believer will not blaspheme the Holy Spirit.
Does it seem like to you that you never had any, or made any, choices along the way?
And you were born a True Believer?
My salvation was settled before the foundation of the world.
Is that a yes?
Is everyone either born a True Believer or born never to believe?
The choices made were only made because the Holy Spirit made my dead soul alive, gave me faith to believe and drew me to the Father. So, even with my faith itself, the credit belongs to God.
I've heard the rhetoric, forgive me, it sounds parroted. I'm asking whether you feel, believe you ever had choices to make, ever made choices.
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