Krauthammer: "Gibson's Blood Libel"

Washington Post ^ | Mar. 5, 04 | Charles Krauthammer

[churchillbuff]

Gibson's Blood Libel

By Charles Krauthammer Friday, March 5, 2004; Page A23

Every people has its story. Every people has the right to its story. And every people has a responsibility for its story. ...[snip]

Christians have their story too: the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Why is this story different from other stories? Because it is not a family affair of coreligionists. If it were, few people outside the circle of believers would be concerned about it. This particular story involves other people. With the notable exception of a few Romans, these people are Jews. And in the story, they come off rather badly.

Because of that peculiarity, the crucifixion is not just a story; it is a story with its own story -- a history of centuries of relentless, and at times savage, persecution of Jews in Christian lands. This history is what moved Vatican II, in a noble act of theological reflection, to decree in 1965 that the Passion of Christ should henceforth be understood with great care so as to unteach the lesson that had been taught for almost two millennia: that the Jews were Christ killers.

[ambrose]

Because it would have been impossible.

And you know this how?

[stands2reason]

No one can tell me how this movie in its antisemitism differs from the Gospels. Critics claims inaccuracies in from the Gospel and antisemitism in the movie, but the inaccuracies they quote aren't antisemitic at all. So I must conclude that the movie is antisemitic in its accuracy to the Gospel, not in its inaccuracy.

Does Krauthammer state the antisemitism is inconstant with the Biblical account of the crucifixion? I've yet to see an accusation of antisemitism in this movie that made that point.

[stands2reason]

Too late. GWB is already being blamed for wanting to see the movie. He's being "divisive," of course.

[Concerned]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that Jesus didn't utter even ONE word against the "death penalty" for the two THIEVES dying on the cross with Him!!!

That would have been a PRIME opportunity for the Saviour of the World to denounce the "death penalty" for ANY crime, let alone for mere THEFT. But He DIDN'T denounce the "death penalty."

To me, by His NOT denouncing the "death penalty," He condoned the it---for crimes even as minor as THEFT!!!

Of course, in the OLD Testament, God DEMANDS the "death penalty" for murderers. Genesis 9:6 says Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed..."

[CWOJackson]

Damn! Must be Vincente Fox behind it all.

[Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek]

Hitler and his movement were definitely out to eliminate both Jewish and Christian influence in the "Greater German State" = Europe + as much of the rest of the world as they could grab. However, they received enthusiastic cooperation in their stage 1 plan to eliminate the jews from large populations of European Christians who had been indoctrinated in hatred of the jews for many centuries.

A good place to begin facing up to this is the book "Neighbors" by Jan Gross:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0142002402/qid=1078480235/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-0754165-0672806?v=glance&s=books

"One day, in July 1941, half of the population of a small east European town murdered the other half--some 1,600 men, women and children." This short sentence summarizes the subject of Neighbors, historian Jan Gross's account of a massacre that occurred in Jedwabne, in northeastern Poland. Gross describes the atrocities of Jedwabne in almost unbearable detail. Men and women were hacked to death with knives, iron hooks, and axes. Small children were thrown with pitchforks onto a bonfire. A woman's decapitated head was kicked like a football. Historians before now have blamed the massacre on the Nazis--whose participation in and responsibility for these crimes has been exaggerated, Gross says. In fact, he argues, a virulent Polish anti-Semitism was liberated by German occupation. Instead of explaining the horrors of Jedwabne, which would be impossible, Neighbors sets the record straight as to the identity of the criminals. In doing so, Gross has ensured that future histories of the Holocaust, particularly in Poland, will be more honest, because future historians will be answerable to his argument that the evil of the Nazis was not only forced on the Poles. In places such as Jedwabne, it was welcomed by them.

The most balanced response I've seen to the movie is this intresting essay by Dennis Prager:

Mel Gibson's Two Movies
It is crucial for Jews and Christians to try to understand
what version of 'The Passion' the other is watching and reacting to.
By Dennis Prager
Reprinted with permission of the author.
Early this past summer, Mel Gibson invited me to see "The Passion," his film on the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. The invitation was significant in that I was the first practicing Jew and active member of the American Jewish community to be invited. He did so because he believed, correctly, that he could trust me. I have long worked to build trust between Jews and Christians, especially traditional Christians.

The increasing tension over this film has reinforced impressions I offered Mel Gibson that day. When watching "The Passion," Jews and Christians are watching two entirely different films.

For two hours, Christians watch their Savior tortured and killed. For the same two hours, Jews watch Jews arrange the killing and torture of the Christians' Savior.

In order to avoid further tension between two wonderful communities that had been well on their way to historic amity, it is crucial for each to try to understand what film the other is watching and reacting to.

First, what Jews see. The Jews in the film (except, of course, for those who believe in Jesus) are cruel and often sadistic. One prominent Christian who saw the film along with my wife and me said that while watching the film he wanted to take a gun and shoot those who had brought such pain to Jesus. I couldn't blame him. The Jews in the film manipulate the Romans -- who are depicted as patsies of the Jews and in the case of Pilate, as morally far more elevated -- into torturing and murdering a beautiful man.

Why does this bother Jews so much? Because for nearly 2,000 years, attacked as "Christ-killers," countless Jewish men, women and children were tortured and murdered in ways that often caused more suffering than even Jesus endured (e.g., not only tortured and murdered themselves, but also seeing their families and friends raped, tortured and murdered). For Jews to worry that a major movie made by one of the world's superstars depicts Jews as having Christ tortured and killed might arouse anti-Semitic passions is not paranoid. Even though Islam denies the crucifixion, it is difficult to imagine that this film will not be a hit in the virulently anti-Semitic Arab world.

It is essential that Christians understand this. Every Jew, secular, religious, assimilated, left-wing, right-wing, fears being killed because he is Jewish. This is the best-kept secret about Jews, who are widely perceived as inordinately secure and powerful. But it is the only universally held sentiment among Jews. After the Holocaust and with Islamic terrorists seeking to murder Jews today, this, too, is not paranoid.

However, what Jews need to understand is that most American Christians watching this film do not see "the Jews" as the villains in the passion story historically, let alone today. First, most American Christians -- Catholic and Protestant -- believe that a sinning humanity killed Jesus, not "the Jews." Second, they know that Christ's entire purpose was to come to this world and to be killed for humanity's sins. To the Christian, God made it happen, not the Jews or the Romans (the Book of Acts says precisely that). Third, a Christian who hates Jews today for what he believes some Jews did 2,000 years ago only reflects on the low moral, intellectual and religious state of that Christian. Imagine what Jews would think of a Jew who hated Egyptians after watching "The Ten Commandments," and you get an idea of how most Christians would regard a Christian who hated Jews after watching "The Passion."

Jews also need to understand another aspect of "The Passion" controversy. Just as Jews are responding to centuries of Christian anti-Semitism (virtually all of it in Europe), many Christians are responding to decades of Christian-bashing -- films and art mocking Christian symbols, a war on virtually any public Christian expression (from the death of the Christmas party to the moral identification of fundamentalist Christians with fundamentalist Muslims). Moreover, many Jewish groups and media people now attacking "The Passion" have a history of irresponsibly labeling conservative Christians anti-Semitic.

I cannot say that I am happy this film was made. Nevertheless, if the vast majority of Christians and Jews of goodwill try hard to understand what film the other is watching, some good can yet result. The last thing Jews need is to create tension with their best friends. And the last thing Christians need is a renewal of Christian hatred toward Jesus' people.

[lonevoice]

Because it seems some Liberty Forum types have crawled out from under their rocks

Is that what's going on? I've followed nearly every thread about The Passion from the beginning. This one has a very odd (and ugly) undertone and some names I haven't seen on other Passion threads.

[DestroytheDemocrats]

"The Passion" was NOT BLOODY ENOUGH!!!"

This movie is by it's very nature more graphic than the bible which did NOT come with pictures. All one is ever required to do to understand the passion of Christ is to READ the gospels and meditate on them. Nobody has to make a movie about it. Nobody has to go see a movie about it. And nobody has to like a movie about it.

[Neets]

Christians understand that distinction because they believe Christ was ordained to die and be resurrected. Jews have no such faith so they fear blame for killing a man and project that fear onto Christians. If God sent Jesus to die then all of those involved in his death had no choice in the matter because it was already ordained. The only person that could have stopped the crucifixion was Jesus himself.

This is the crux of the issue TF...THANKS for posting it....

I have often stated that if you believe that Christ was our Savior, then you can go into this movie and reafffirm your belief....If you DON'T believe it, then obviously you are find some sort of "quibble" with this movie...

The purpose of this movie to Mel's credit, is his personal tribute to Jesus and his own reflection on his religion. One that Christians share. His tribute is understanding and reflection of the fact that Jesus died on the cross to deliver us ALL FROM SIN.

[MEG33]

There is a site that lists what is and isn't Biblical,Belief.net...Think you might benefit from a trip there .

[Texasforever]

It just seems to me that the Judeo-Christian tradition is a real thing but it stops with the New Testament. That is a fact of life and the difference in how both religions view Jesus is not reconcilable nor is it something that requires reconciliation.

[maryz]

I've noticed several Jews conservatives considered the movie antisemitic.

I heard Rush on the radio quoting a rabbi (whose name I didn't catch) who pointed out that Jews should like the movie for one thing anyway: Jerusalem of 2000 years ago, and all the people are Jews or Romans; who are conspicuous by their absence from their so-called "historical homeland"? Hint -- it begins with a "P".

[Concerned]

TEXASFOREVER WROTE TO MERCY: "Not all Jews called for his crucifixion. Jesus was sent to earth by his Father to die on the cross. The Jewish tradition does not recognize Jesus as the Son of God so they do not accept the fact that God sent him here for the very purpose of death and resurrection. Christians understand that distinction because they believe Christ was ordained to die and be resurrected. Jews have no such faith so they fear blame for killing a man and project that fear onto Christians. If God sent Jesus to die then all of those involved in his death had no choice in the matter because it was already ordained. The only person that could have stopped the crucifixion was Jesus himself."

The sad thing is that it is spelled out perfectly in THEIR OWN OLD Testament at Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12!

[Concerned]

OOPS: "He condoned the it---for crimes even as minor as THEFT!!!"

should have been:

He condoned it---for crimes even as minor as THEFT!!!

[DentsRun]

There have been other very good movies made about Christ ... including well done scenes of the crucifiction. The Jews were not outraged. Why are they so hurt now?

They weren't outraged because nearly all previous Christ movies were bland and boring and none of them stuck closely enough to the gospels to make you feel for once just how cleverly the greasy, sleazy Caiaphas manipulated the Romans into killing Christ. Pilate may be weak and cruel but he's also an honest man put by the priests in the no-win situation of either crucifying an innocent man or letting him go free and thus causing an insurrection that would cost Pilate his job (and also his neck when word got back to Rome).

Caiaphas and his fellow priests, on the other hand, are far worse than cruel. They're craven, manipulative liars who shamelessly tell Pilate "We have no King but Caesar," when everyone including Pilate knows they don't believe it for a second.

I think most Jews were willing to live with the Gospel portrayal of them as long as it stayed on the printed page, but when you portray the same events as dramatically as Gibson does in "The Passion of the Christ" the mendacity of the high priests just leaps off the screen. I'm sure that's what they're upset about. Gibson's portrayal of the Gospels just has too much power.

[Fledermaus]

No no...the "gospels" themselves have different versions of certain events.

It's a compilation...hasn't anyone brought that up yet?

[DestroytheDemocrats]

"There's a helluva lot of anti-Christian garbage being hurled at us on a regular basis by this culture--and "

Oh poor us. I live in a small city in Texas and there are five Christian churches within a mile of my house. Episcopal, Catholic, two Baptist and a Methodist. And most of them are big huge expensive churches and they are always adding on. Combined worth at least 30 million at least. And that's just one little city. We belly acke but when you look at the reality it is not THAT gloomy.

[Fledermaus]

And we vote! That's what scares them. Or at least we used to. I'm sad to say more and more Christians are staying home on election day.

I don't blame them. The concept is about God and the entire Bible talks about corrupt politicians.

[dennisw]

And when we're talking "blood libels," what else can one call Krauthammer's obscene, if implicit, indictment of christianity for the holocaust...........

Wake up kiddo. You think Christianity, for centuries calling Jews Christ killers, didn't lay the groundwork for it? Didn't set the stage for the Holocaust? The Holocaust took place on a Christian continent called Europe. And we are in Iraq to take care of Islamic extremism, Islamic sanctuaries for terror, and to secure MidEast oil. Israel is happy we got rid of Saddam Hussein but that's not why we went into Iraq.

[dennisw]

If paranoia is remembering my sister-in-law whom I never met, a toddler of two and a half years old, killed for only one reason, along with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins - that the biggest and longest standing hatred - hatred of Jews for killing Christ - was still going strong in this century, then, yes, you can call me paranoid. If paranoia is watching the Islamic terrorists adopting Christian blood libels against Jews as their own is paranoia, then I'm indeed paranoid. If I'm outraged that Jews would be accused by the Arab world of perpetrating 9/11 and that people would actually believe it, then I'm paranoid. If it frightens me to see a minister put a sign up on his lawn saying Jews killed Christ after he saw the movie, then I am paranoid. If I am sick of seeing synagogues and Jewish community centers and their visitors fire-bombed in the U.S., Great Britain, Russia, the Ukraine, Turkey, France, and Argentina, than, yes, I'm paranoid. Most would say I'm just paying attention.

Truth! Got nothing I can add to your above post.