'The Nativity Story' Movie Problematic for Catholics, "Unsuitable" for Young Children

'The Nativity Story' Movie Problematic for Catholics, "Unsuitable" for Young Children

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."

Hey, you know the old saying, lack of evidence is evidence of lack...

And what is Lack?

Well, it hust happens to be a small village on the Old Sod.

And what was the principal religion on the Old Sod, Ireland?

That's right. Catholic.

And the Catholics have a Church, right?

Right.

So, if you think about it - lack of evidence is evidence of lack (or, another way of saying Church)

In other words, the Baptist Church has always existed and that is proved by its LACK of evidence

It is all so easy to judge the truth of these assertions when you just break it down using logic...

Directly, and indirectly: he did press a cloth to His face, creating an image of himself--very much a direct action--and King Abgar was cured--indirect I suppose. Neither action, direct or indirect, is recorded in the Gospels, and the Gospel of John states that there are more deeds Christ did than can be accounted for by the Scriptures (even allowing St. John's 'I suppose' to indicate a bit of hyperbole in his estimate of the volume of books needed to record them)--a good fat, handwritten codex of the entire canon of Scripture will fit quite conveniently on my dining room table, hardly a volume anywhere near filling the world to overflowing.

Wait a minute! You can't have it both ways. The bible said the world couldn't contain the books which means He did almost infinite things. You can't call that hyperbole when you just said "Either there are not enough deeds of Christ not recorded in the Scriptures so that (on the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John's estimate) the world could not contain the books recording them, and we have a false passage in Scripture,"

From wiki:

History

The popularization of the term is associated with teaching of John Nelson Darby[citation needed], prominent among the Plymouth Brethren, and the rise of premillennialism and dispensationalism in English-speaking Churches at the end of the 19th century.
In 1908, the doctrine of the rapture was further popularized by an evangelist named William Eugene Blackstone, whose book, Jesus Is Coming, sold more than one million copies[1], and then by its inclusion in the Scofield Reference Bible in 1909.
The rise in belief in the "Pre-Tribulation" rapture is sometimes attributed to a 15-year old Scotch-Irish girl named Margaret MacDonald (a follower of Edward Irving), who in 1830 had a vision that was later published in 1861. Some pre-Tribulation proponents maintain that the earliest known extra-Biblical reference to the "pre-Tribulation" rapture is from a sermon by "pseudo-Ephraem", attributed to a fourth century Byzantine, Ephraem of Nisibis, in which he is quoted as saying, "For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins."[2][3] However, the interpretation of this writing, as supporting pre-tribulation rapture, is debated.[4][5]
Others argue[citation needed] as well that the oldest known reference to a great tribulation to come and a possible escape from it is contained in The Shepherd of Hermas manuscript dated to the second century. This text includes a series of visions that appeared to the shepherd. The first vision was of a giant raging bull, and the Shepherd was able to escape harm from it by relying on God for protection. The next vision encountered was that of a beautiful maiden, identified by the shepherd as the church. She identifies the bull as the great tribulation to come, and tells him he escaped it by putting his trust in God. She then charges him to go tell all other believers they can also escape the coming tribulation but only if they also put full faith in the Lord [citation needed]. This interpretation, however, is not accepted by scholars[citation needed], as it is clearly taking the visions out of context. The "escape" of the "beautiful maiden" does not refer to a rapture, or being taken out of the tribulation, but it refers to going through the tribulation and yet coming out victorious from it by faith in the Lord.[6]
There exists at least one 18th century and two 19th century Pre-Tribulation references prior to Macdonald - in a book published in 1788, in the writings of a Catholic priest Emmanuel Lacunza in 1812, and by John Darby himself in 1827.[7] However, both the book published in 1788 and the writings of Lacunza have opposing views regarding their interpretations, as well. It is inarguable, however, that John Darby held the pre-tribulation position[citation needed].
In 1957, Dr. John Walvoord, a theologian at Dallas Theological Seminary, authored a book, "The Rapture Question," that gave theological support to the pre-tribulation rapture; this book eventually sold over 65,000 copies.
In 1958, J. Dwight Pentecost authored another book supporting the pre-tribulation rapture, "Things to Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology" that sold 215,000 copies.
During the 1970s, the rapture became popular in wider circles, in part due to the books of Hal Lindsey, including The Late Great Planet Earth.[8] Lindsey based his analysis that the rapture was imminent on world conditions at the time. The Cold War and the European Economic Community figured prominently in his predictions of Armageddon, and other aspects of 1970s global politics were seen as having been predicted in the Bible. Lindsey believed, for example, that the seven-headed beast with ten horns, cited in Revelation, was the European Economic Community, a forebear of the European Union, which at the time aspired to ten nations. (Now it has 27 nations).
In 1995, the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture was further popularized by Tim LaHaye's book series, Left Behind, which sold tens of millions of copies and was made into several movies.
The doctrine of the rapture continues to be an important component in fundamentalist Christian eschatology today. Many Christians continue to feel that world conditions point to the rapture occurring soon. Although this belief is strongly held in many English-speaking denominations, these views continue to resonate in certain circles around the world [citation needed].

Thank you for your reply!

Very good. But note how the Church here is like a plant, planted once, watered by many. Protestantism, depsite of course, great many sincere believers, as a movement, was an effort to separate from the root.

Except for those of us who share the “mind of Christ” (I Cor 2:16) – and only to that extent - I cannot read the mind of my physical neighbor must less those who lived so long ago. So I cannot say why a religious leader did this or that.

Therein also my point is underscored. I recognize my brothers and sisters in Christ many times by what they write, having never seen them in person nor having heard their physical voice. betty boop is a great example, .30Carbine another, xzins another and so on.

More relevant to this discussion are the Scriptures themselves. It is the indwelling Spirit Himself who testifies to me that He is indeed the author of them – thus they are the living words of God not just another interesting ancient manuscript.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am [he]. – John 4:21-26

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.