Is The Passion too Violent for Children

ABC ^ | 02/19/2004 | ABC - Good Morning America

[Krodg]

Maybe you should try a whip on yourself. You could feel even more holy.

You responded with all that hate because I pointed out that we were all guilty?

You've picked a stange screenname for yourself...

[skeeter]

Why do you assume all children are as immature and rebellious as you apparently were?

My kids asked if they can see the film. What would you recommend I do?

[mercy]

Well since we are characterizing responses ... yours was positivly DRIPPING with sanctimonius piety. I'm not going to argue with you. Anyone who thinks kids need to be subjected to this over the top movie is beyond reason.

[skeeter]

You ought to see about that chip on your shoulder.

[Theophilus]

Maybe you should try a whip on yourself. You could feel even more holy.

You weild your words with the sadistic cruelty of a Roman soldier. If I wanted to really abuse my kids, I'd have them read your posts! LOL

[workerbee]

Getting back to the subject, though I've been amused by the lengths certain interested parties in the media have for shutting down this picture, but I must say I really don't get the 'for the children' argument. More surprising is it seems to resonate with alot of otherwise reasonable posters here.

This article isn't about shutting down the picture; it merely points out, quite reasonably, that it's something you may want to think twice about having young children view. Which is all that the "otherwise reasonable" posters here are suggesting.

My kids asked if they can see the film. What would you recommend I do?

The same as I imagine you'd do with any film showing graphic, prolonged scenes of torture, sadism, and total evil. Assuming your children are under, say, 14 -- what's wrong with having them wait a few years? Wouldn't it be better to err on the side of caution rather than risk the very real danger of the kind of longterm nightmares, anxiety, etc., this film could cause?

I guess I'm just trying to understand the motives of someone taking, say, an 8 or 10 yr old to this film. (Not addressing you specifically, skeeter, but generally speaking.) It seems this much violence would be bad enough in a fictional film, but to a child who understands the gospel already and knows that this really happened to a real person, his/her savior, it seems the brutality would be just too overwhelming. I can't see this as benefiting a child that age, even a "mature" one. People such as yourself as obviously grown into devout Christians w/o a movie such as this; it seems reasonable that other children will too.

[Theophilus]

...prolonged scenes of torture, sadism, and total evil...

The perfect LOVE the film portrays infinitely outweighs the torture, sadism, and total evil which only serve to provide contrast. Jesus was both victim and priest and the Cross is his and our ultimate triumph!

1 Corinthians 2
¹   And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
²   For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
³   And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
⁴   And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
⁵   That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

[workerbee]

The perfect LOVE the film portrays infinitely outweighs the torture, sadism, and total evil which only serve to provide contrast.

From an adult perspective perhaps. Very few 8 yr olds (actually, none IMO) are going to watch the sheer brutality of this film and digest it to "perfect love". Again, why the big rush anyway? No matter how "mature" you think your child is at that age, is it going to make one bit of difference to err on the side of caution and wait until they're older before viewing?

[Stone Mountain]

I'll be sure to keep that in mind.

Gee - you asked what led me to that conclusion and I answered. Sorry you don't like the answer.

With due respect, considering the images of violence, murder & mayhem available to our kids on TV, in movies, on the news, etc from the time they're born, to worry about any negative effect the image of a crucified Christ might have on them borders on the perverse, IMO.

The violence that I have heard is depicted in this movie is far more intense than anything on network TV. If your (any) kids have already been exposed to this graphic a level of violence at a young age, I would say that there is a problem there too.

The great thing about this discussion is that we will probably get some kind of resolution eventually. It's obvious that a lot of people intend to take their young children to see this movie - hopefully there will be some data available for us to see how they were able to digest it all.

[Stone Mountain]

I don't think that most of us that are talking about children seeing this movie are talking about teenagers who are old enough to sneak into an R-rated movie. I agree with you in that anyone who can handle a Tarrentino flick should have no problem with The Passion...

[I got the rope]

Is The Passion too Violent for Children

Only if you want to raise a Frenchman.

[savedbygrace]

Which meant that for 3 1/2 days, that lamb lived with the family in their dwelling. The family got to know him very well. Then they had to kill him in the midst of the congregation.

[Lanza]

I so agree with all your posts on this subject workerbee.