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/
I have an image for you (No, not THAT kind of image ...): In VA the summers are dry. And on my farm I had several humongous lengths of hose to water all the sheep in all the different paddocks. And sometimes there's a leak in one of the hoses, or where two hoses are linked. How you know the location of the leak is that that's where the grass is greenest. You can't see the hose, you can't see the leak. You can see the growing grass.
Now THERE's a vocation!
When I was a Pepsicola priest I had a "high" theology of preaching: If I beg God to give me good utterance, and you beg God to give you good hearing, then we have a reasonable hope that this sermon will have a discernible relation to what God wants spoken and heard.
So when I began,"In the name of the Father ..." somebody might have thought I was claiming some authority. Not at ALL! It was just Church talk for "This is dedicated to the one I love," and I encouraged "my" people to listen in the same vein. I guess one difference is that when I thought I was truly ordained (as I do NOT now think) I thought that God would use my mouth, if I offered it to Him.
I would like to see quix froathaly refute each
= = = =
Sometimes, some things are not worth the bother.
Besides, Mary herself or The Lord will refute such in His timing.
God knows the Truth. Indeed a thing is true because He says it.
And concerning your two presumptions, God knows the truth of the matter on both points. Ask Him if I belong to a schismatic sect and whether you know His will.
display whatever emotion you like the fact that you're wrong is true regardless of your reaction to it.
Mary has rightly been called the mother of God by all real Christians.
If you're not in communion with the true church but somehow suggest that you're a Christian then you're a member of a schismatic sect plain and simple.
What a strange thing to say. Is there a reason for it?
aw an i was so looking forward to another of your rants...
folks who reject the teaching of Christ and the Apostles and the church which Christ established which has been guided by the Holy Spirit indeed protest against God's will...
Neither AlamoGirl or Quix reject the teaching of Christ or the apostles or the church. You should apologize or go home
sure they do. they propel separatist ideas that fracture the church Christ established, they refuse to heed simply commandments with regard to women in church, they do everything they can to rationalize their own invented ideas and project them onto scripture which utterly denounces them.
all real Christians.
= = =
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh more offensive language . . .
Oh, dear.
Oh, me. Oh, my. Oh, dither. Oh, fret, Oh, bother. Oh outrage. Oh hail Monica full of grapes. Whatever will I do.
Let me polish my shoulder chips. Let me get my ranting clothes on. Let me flail about and rend my clothes.
Oh, dear, kawaii considered me not a real Christian. Oh, my. How can I survive. How can I be at peace. Oh fret. Oh fluster.
I'd better rush out and get umpteen volumes from the magesterical to refute such an outrageous, horrendous idea.
naw.
God knows.
He's the one that counts.
So "worshipping Mary" is also just me being me ... doing what I think/feel is the most righteous thing to do. So what.
So complaining about needlessly confrontative and gratuitously offensive languages is also just me being me ... doing what I think/feel is the most righteous thing to do. So what.
I think considering the effects of one's words on others is part of using them well.
not in communion with the true church
= = =
More offensive language.
Oh, dear.
How can A-G survive such horrific assaults. Whatever will she do. Oh, me, Oh, my.
You been around them there sheep too much. Don't they often come down with foot and mouth disease?
The Spirit is the Living Water that flows from the belly of every Christian. It is the water that makes the grass grow, not the hose - not the person handling the hose - not our errant doctrines and traditions:
For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, [and] hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. - Jer 2:13
Looking forward to one of my rants? Are you being truthful?
Oh, me.
Welllll, stay tuned . . . one should be along any day now.
ok quick poll who here goes to a church where women cover their heads while praying?
oh?
but it says plainly in scripture...
*waits for the slew of drivel defending mankinds right to ignore God's commandments*
:)
folks who reject the teaching of Christ and the Apostles and the church which Christ established which has been guided by the Holy Spirit indeed protest against God's will...
= = = =
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, and we can build a much more solid
HISTORICAL AND BIBLICAL CASE
that the RC edifice does that and has repeatedly done that far more horribly and far more routinely than virtually any of the better Protestant denominations and for far longer.
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