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

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | 12/4/2006 | John-Henry Westen

[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/

[hosepipe]

[ You would disagree strongly with anyone who says that we maintain that Jesus somehow bonds with our genetic code? ]

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit(GOD) were alive and well far before human beings were created..

You know.. before Mary became pregnant.. and after the cross too..

Murdering GOD is just not possible..

[Alamo-Girl]

For the discussion of works:

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. – Luke 10:38-42

Which of course brings up one of my favorite poems:

Kipling: The Sons of Maratha

The Sons of Mary seldom bother, for they have inherited that good part;
But the Sons of Martha favour their Mother of the careful soul and the troubled heart.
And because she lost her temper once, and because she was rude to the Lord her Guest,
Her Sons must wait upon Mary's Sons, world without end, reprieve, or rest.

It is their care in all the ages to take the buffet and cushion the shock.
It is their care that the gear engages; it is their care that the switches lock.
It is their care that the wheels run truly; it is their care to embark and entrain,
Tally, transport, and deliver duly the Sons of Mary by land and main.

They say to mountains ``Be ye removèd.'' They say to the lesser floods ``Be dry.''
Under their rods are the rocks reprovèd---they are not afraid of that which is high.
Then do the hill-tops shake to the summit---then is the bed of the deep laid bare,
That the Sons of Mary may overcome it, pleasantly sleeping and unaware.

They finger Death at their gloves' end where they piece and repiece the living wires.
He rears against the gates they tend: they feed him hungry behind their fires.
Early at dawn, ere men see clear, they stumble into his terrible stall,
And hale him forth like a haltered steer, and goad and turn him till evenfall.

To these from birth is Belief forbidden; from these till death is Relief afar.
They are concerned with matters hidden---under the earthline their altars are---
The secret fountains to follow up, waters withdrawn to restore to the mouth,
And gather the floods as in a cup, and pour them again at a city's drouth.

They do not preach that their God will rouse them a little before the nuts work loose.
They do not preach that His Pity allows them to drop their job when they damn-well choose.
As in the thronged and the lighted ways, so in the dark and the desert they stand,
Wary and watchful all their days that their brethren's ways may be long in the land.

Raise ye the stone or cleave the wood to make a path more fair or flat;
Lo, it is black already with the blood some Son of Martha spilled for that!
Not as a ladder from earth to Heaven, not as a witness to any creed,
But simple service simply given to his own kind in their common need.

And the Sons of Mary smile and are blessèd---they know the Angels are on their side.
They know in them is the Grace confessèd, and for them are the Mercies multiplied.
They sit at the feet---they hear the Word---they see how truly the Promise runs.
They have cast their burden upon the Lord, and---the Lord He lays it on Martha's Sons!

[D-fendr]

You Latins care way too much about what your disobedient and obstinate children think!

Perhaps. But, what would a Greek say to an obedient and not obstinate child who asked: "But it still tastes like wine"?

[annalex]

I don't argue with the Rock typology. How could I -- it makes the naming of Peter so much more significant.

However, among the translations the Septuagint has a special place, as it is the evidence of the Jewish Scripture at the time of Christ, and prior to the Council of Jamnia.

[hosepipe]

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."- matt 5;9

[hosepipe]

[ Perhaps. But, what would a Greek say to an obedient and not obstinate child who asked: "But it still tastes like wine"? ]

LoL... Exactly..

[D-fendr]

Exactly, and you know why, right?

[D-fendr]

Oops. You and I were gonna let this drop if I remember right. Sorry.

[annalex]

Definitely; but the story of Mary and Martha dovetails just fine with the Catholic teaching. When Mary Magdalene annointed Jesus, he praised her: her work was work of worship. When Martha works, she works ate the expense of contemplation and study. Her work is a work for social recognition, or perhaps of obligation -- not the work a Christian is asked to do freely. Works done for obligation or for reward is very clearly described as not salvific in Romans and Galatians -- we don't have any dispute with St. Paul on that score. "Give what you have to the poor and come follow me" is the formula for works of love that are asked of us. Note the last part: if the young rich man were to give everything to the poor but not follow Christ, then he would be akin to Martha and afoul of the request of Christ.

[hosepipe]

[ Oops. You and I were gonna let this drop if I remember right. Sorry. ]

I think the truth bleeds through... if you know what I mean.. ;)

[D-fendr]

Now I KNOW we're gonna let it drop.

:)

[Kolokotronis]

"Perhaps. But, what would a Greek say to an obedient and not obstinate child who asked: "But it still tastes like wine"?"

You know, in rather more than 50 years, I have never heard any Orthodox, child or adult, say that. I don't think anyone thinks about the Eucharist that way. Remember, we receive our "First Communion" at baptism. Its something we grow up with so the idea that its the same thing as the wine at lunch or dinner doesn't really occur to us (its a sweet wine anyway, usually "Commandaria" or something like it so its not like its the sort of wine kids would have much to do with).

If some child did, I suspect the answer would be, "Yes, it does taste like wine, but its not. The Holy Spirit made it the blood of Christouli." The kid then asks, "How?" and we'd say, "Its a Mystery of God." and the kid would go away satisfied because Mysteries of God are not foreign to our kids.

[hosepipe]

[ Works done for obligation or for reward is very clearly described as not salvific in Romans and Galatians ]

Reading Galatians and understanding it is not a given..

The Judaizers(J) were taken on full force by Paul..
After all who could understand them better than Paul..
He used to BE one of them..

Paul in that book took them(J) to the whipping post and those fooled by them..
Judaizers or those following the works of/by tradition come in many colors..

Can a christian be a Judaizer?.. (Roman Catholic or Protestant)
Interesting question wouldn't you say?..

[D-fendr]

thanks very much.

A close friend said to me recently when we were discussing Orthodoxy, "We really don't live like Christians anymore." In context his meaning was close to what your reply describes.

And I think it is a great loss. I hope that over time it will cease to be true.

[Mad Dawg]

Yes. Who is disagreeing with that?

[hosepipe]

[ Yes. Who is disagreeing with that? ]

Earlier in the thread.. "a" subject was justification by works.. (by somebody)
Judaizer = justification by works..

[Mad Dawg]

I don't think explaining a mystery is possible. I think it's a matter of sort of setting the dialogical ground rules.

For example, the Trinity is fundamentally incomprehensible. All we know is "unless we say THIS" or "if we permit ourselves to say THAT" we will miss the mystery and say something not only not true but confusing.

I don't think Thomas explains the Eucharist, I think he sets out the ground rules and, maybe more importantly, says what we DON'T say it is."

If the objecting child referred to downstream is old enough, we say,"Yes, it tastes exactly like wine (only sweeter - we also tend to go with sweeter wines), but what it tastes like is not what it is, any more than being stabbed by a needle is an attack, when it's a vaccination. It FEELS like torture. It isn't."

Then you smack him a good one. No. Wait.

[Kolokotronis]

"Then you smack him a good one. No. Wait."

I thought, given the delicate sensibilities of so many here on FR, I'd leave out the part about yiayia giving the kid a good beating with a wooden spoon, but hey, there's the truth of matter! :)

[Mad Dawg]

I'm at sea here. Do you think I am saying we are justified by works, that we earn salvation? Or is there some conneciton between Transubstantiation and "works-righteousness" that I'm missing?

[Mad Dawg]

I'd leave out the part about yiayia giving the kid a good beating with a wooden spoon,

Gives a whole new meaning to "The truth hurts."