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/
Rom. 2:6-7, "Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:"
This is no more than Jesus' statement, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness". Paul is saying to persevere in the faith for only the saved can inherit eternal life.
22!
Did I tell it right?
I'm sure we all look different through your "Catholic eyes" :-)
Good night.
Okay, real quick. I normally don't post links and run. I would usually insert my own 2 cents worth but I thought I would give you a head's up on how I feel about consecrating myself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. You'll have plenty of time to tear it apart before I can even reply!!
Read if you'd like.
http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/fatima/immaculh.html
I'm really going to sleep now!
Goodnight Samiam.
I am not going to attempt to "tear it apart." I will simply state that the Marian Apparitions preach a works salvation and idolatry.
The quote I gave you above was from a group that had the official sanction of the Vatican under JP2, the Marian Pope. Say what you will, in practice and in teaching Mary is prayed to and worshipped by the Catholic church. I know you disagree. But that's my 2c based upon these non-Catholic eyes that see words for what they are not what I'm told they should be.
To clarify: those who finish smeniary schools are ordained deacons. Deacons are properly addressed as 'Father Deacon.' They are not priests.
Many, but not all, deacons are eleveated to full priesthood. Only a priest can serve the Divine Liturgy (aka Mass).
Some priests are elevated to bishops.Thus all bishops are priests, but not all priests are bishops.
A deacon cannot serve without the presence of a priest. A priest cannot serve without the permission of his bishop.
Thus, a deacon has no authoirty without a priest and a priest has no authoirty without a bishop. A bishop is the only an final authority in the Church.
When it comes to authority, all bishops are equal, just as all Apostles were equal.
For practical reasons, areas having many bishops become an admnistrative issue. Bishops appoint one of their peers to be the archbishop, representing many bishoprics, but not lording over them.
Several archibishops will appoint a patriarch (usually, but not always, national churches will have patriarchas ).
Again, presbuteros was the term the Greeks used to describe Jewish priests (Sanhendrin) who were, for all practical purposes, equal to bishops (Orthodox bishop's vestments come from Judaism, as does the liturgical worship).
At the time of +Paul, there were bishops and deacons. Since bishops could not serve liturgies in more than one place and more than once a day (the Catholic Church changed that after Vatican II I believe), and since the number of faithful was growing among Gentiles, a clear need developed for a 'bishop's deputy' which is what we know today as the priest (or ierei in Greek), a rank higher than a deacon and capable of serving the Eucharistic Liturgy, but not fully autonomous.
Anoyther way of looking at it is for instance doctors. medical students would be 'deacons.' Third and fourth-year medical school students are on wards and run around with interns and reisdents. However, they are not doctors yet although thye are allowed to perform many procedures under direct supervision of a doctor.
Among those who are considered 'doctors' are people who graduated medical school and received their medical license. They are your 'priests.'
Among these medical 'priests' you have interns and residents (doctors undergoing post-graduate specialty training) who work under a supervising attending physician (somone who already finished specialty training and can practice independently), i.e. the 'bishop.'
Pardon me, BD, but I was under the impression that Protestants need not worry about perseverance since God won't let them fall away once they are 'saved.'
And so he won't. Those who leave the faith were never of it to begin with or else they would have stayed with it. Many will profess in that day Lord, Lord, did we not do many wonderful works in your name? And he will say "depart from me, I never knew you." But of all that the Father has given Christ, he will lose nothing but raise it up on the last day.
Does the wording of 4978 bother you as Orthodox?
You don't have to worry. You're absolutely right, and on target when it comes to Scripture vs. dogma. I'm 100% with you on this one.
OK. The elements of any indulgence are present here: confessed sin, intentions of the Pope, and avoidance of even venial sin. Like I said before, the specific devotions may vary grant to grant.
Right. The woman giving birth to child named Christ is Israel. Where has your sole scriptura literalism gone?
Many comments I have seen on this thread appear to be Israelophobic
Mary does represent the entire Israel of the patriarchs. Her eternal purity -- something you dispute -- is an expression of the Jewish purity laws. She may not be a representation of the political structures of m'dinat (the country of) Israel.
Sure. And the holy images have nothing to do with the "gold, or silver, or stone, the graving of art, and device of man" that might accompany them.
After I understood that the Protestant Bible is truncated I lost respect for the notions of Sola Scriptura, which at the beginning of my journey sounded like a sensible position. Then, cautiously, I practiced Catholic scriptural apologetics fearful that there is some esoteric knowledge of the scripure in the Protestants that I somehow missed. Now I can say, with confidence, that the king has no clothes. Anyoner reading the scripture without the Protestant spin implanted under the skin ends up Orthodox or Catholic.
Nope. For one thing, he says "every man". Besides, we have Matthew 25 and Apocalypse 22.
Mary preaches works salvation because it is in the scripture. Works of love (mot of law, not fro social or monetasry reward, not for obligation) increase faith and contribute to salvation, as I explained to you from the Scripture.
Where do you see idolatry?
Not so esoteric; quite clear, actually.
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints" -- Colossians 1:25-26"Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Anyone reading the scripture without the Protestant spin implanted under the skin ends up Orthodox or Catholic.
That's not spin. That's Him.
"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" -- Colossians 1:27
Uh-hum. How does that validate Protestant countrascripturalism?
What's "countrascripturalism?"
5,000
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