A Freeper Review of The Passion of Christ

Vanity | 2/21/04 | John Fields

[jonboy]

I'm not sure where to start. I'm a fellow Freeper who also happens to be minister. I was invited today to see a screening of the Passion of the Christ at our local theater. I have been fascinated, and you might even be able to say obsessed with this movie ever since I heard about it a few months ago and first saw the trailer (I cried every time I saw it).

Given that I have watched and listened to several interviews and read several news stories about this movie I was as prepared as I thought I could be to watch it. I HAVE NEVER BEEN THROUGH ANYTHING LIKE THIS MOVIE! I sobbed, I throbbed, my Kleenex became a fairly useless mess that occupied the hand not tightly gripping the seat. IT WAS HARD TO WATCH. The cruelty was overwhelming, but approximated what we have a glimpse from in scripture. The violence and horror of what was done to Him nearly overwhelming, but not gratuitous as some have claimed.

As to the charges of anti-semitism, I can understand how a Jew who does not believe that Jesus is their Messiah would be frightened by this film. However, it was NOT anti-semitic. I could just as easily be moved to be against Italians for what the Romans did as I could be against the Jews. If one were inspired to hate the perpetrators if this event, they would be anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, anti-Arab, anti-Japanese, and anti-__________ (fill in your own blanks). I was filled with the grim overwhelming knowledge of my own guilt as much as anything else. As I watched Him writhing in pain, the ribs virtually exposed from the beating that He had taken, as I watched His shoulder ripped out of socket as they stretched his hand to make it to the pre-drilled nail hole, as I watched the blood flowing and the breath ripped from His body from the pain, one thing entered into my mind above all else. I PUT HIM THERE! He could have come down, He could have called in excess of ten-thousand angels. He could have stopped that horrible mockery and evil in its tracks by coming down off of that cross, healing His own wounds, and then saying go to it boys as He releases the angels to take care of business. BUT HE DIDN'T. I am in awe.

I admit that I has moments when I felt like ripping the Jewish and Roman perpetrators apart. How dare they laugh in the face of such agony! How dare they spit on Him! How dare they stand in pompous, arrogant, self-righteous judgment of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (how dare MYSELF go on sinning after what He did for me)! But as the High Priest is walking away from making fun and mocking. He hears Jesus softly say, taking up precious breath, "Father forgive them, they don't know what they are doing." The High Priest pauses in uncomfortable silence, then walks on. Later, after Jesus has died and the earthquake has damaged the temple and they are very aware that they have done something terribly wrong the High Priest is seen crying out and holding his face in grief and horror.

This movie was about love and forgiveness and about our sin and what God and His Son did together about that sin. It is about the horrible things that men do to their fellow men which can still be forgiven if they will but repent. Some of the Jews were depraved and some were compassionate. Some of the Romans were depraved, and some of them were inclined towards compassion. Anti-Jewish? NO WAY! Besides, the early church was exlusively Jewish. The movie is not about Mel Gibson having some kind of point to prove to anyone, let alone the Jews. It was Mel's passion, a labor of love. Will it profit Him? Unbelievably! Did he do it for the money, not a chance.

Were there any liberties taken with the scripture? Maybe a few. Poetic/artistic license was taken to a degree. There were some scenes with Judas that were extra Biblical, but imaginable. Surprisingly, he was shown as a somewhat sympathetic character, which is something I've felt to a degree for him. I doubt that he was a completely depraved man, he just wanted to speed things along so that Jesus would have to rise to the throne and have to take His true place. When he realized he had been horribly mis-lead he admitted guilt but then went out and killed himself. There was a scene in which the unrepentant thief had his eyes pecked out by a crow. I thought that didn't gel well with the theme of forgiveness and should have been left out. It seemed to represent Divine retribution since the thief had just been blaspheming Jesus. But the cross wasn't about retribution, that will come later at Judgment, it was about mercy.

As to this movie being appropriate for children? That's a hard call. I think it would be best if conscientous parents screened it for themselves first. It is hard enough for mature adults to stomach. However, there is something to be said for exposing young tender hearts to the truth of what He did. Maybe knowing what He did at a younger age would lead to more mature Christians later. Again, it's an individual call.

Is this movie Catholic? Yes and no. Those who see the relationship between Jesus and Mary who are Catholic will likely see Mary as divine. Those of us who believe that Mary was a mere woman who was blessed enough to have been chosen to be the mother of the Christ will see the relationship between a mother and her Son. THIS MOVIE IS FOR ALL!!! I can wholeheartedly recommend this movie to others for personal devotion or to touch the hearts of those who are lost. I believe very much that it will be a culturally defining movie and that it will break most IF NOT ALL of the box office records both nationally and world-wide. The Lord will not be silenced. I truly feel He has spoken through this movie. Maybe its His way of saying WAKE UP before He comes again. If it is, this Christian is awake (wiping away tears).

[what's up]

Yes, the Jews did have traditions which they placed on a par with scripture, and for this they were condemned by Jesus. Consider His castigation of the Pharisees for their extra-scriptural teachings on the Sabbath.

You are right...Jesus did do other things not noted in the scriptures. However, orthodox christians do not make these extra-Biblical and legendary events into doctrine as is done with Mary. To attribute to Mary an Assumption into Heaven which is not stated in scripture but only legend is going beyond what is done even with Christ.

[Leonine]

Good night, my sister(?) or brother(?). God bless.

[JulieRNR21]

Is this movie Catholic? Yes and no. Those who see the relationship between Jesus and Mary who are Catholic will likely see Mary as divine. Those of us who believe that Mary was a mere woman who was blessed enough to have been chosen to be the mother of the Christ will see the relationship between a mother and her Son

Excellent review. However, as a Catholic I feel the need to tell you that Mary is not viewed as 'divine'. She was chosen by God to bear his Divine Son.

Catholics believe that she was given the special gift of an 'Immaculate Conception' meaning that she was born without 'original sin' (the sin of Adam & Eve). She is fully human but born without sin like the rest of us.

[Ohioan from Florida]

As for me, I have faith in the Word, which is Christ (cf. John 1); and, nowhere in the word is any such event as the Assumption even hinted.

As in other posts, please understand that Catholics believe that the Scriptures are about the history of man's salvation, as told by God. Mary's Assumption is not part of that. Whether she was assumed or not will not save your soul. She is not the focus! It is the Protestants who seem to constantly want to focus on our different views of Mary, but she is not the important one! Jesus is!

[what's up]

she was not to be the focus of the Scriptures

I didn't imply that she needed to be the focus; however, even one mention on the very important subject of the sinlessness of the only person in history other than Christ would have to be necessary in order for me to believe it.

The only person in history to not need a Savior, and this is not mentioned by one Biblical writer?

[GirlShortstop]

I understand now. You have very little scriptural knowledge.

Thanks for the laugh.
Take care now.

[Leonine]

The Ave Maria has scriptural quotations (two of them) but is mostly non-scriptural. I am not making a value judgment, just stating the facts.

[Fiddlstix]

Bump

[Ohioan from Florida]

If you want to get to Jesus, you have to pray thru Mary--that's how I understood the Catholic dogma. My hairdresser explained it to me that way. Please clarify if this is not what Catholics believe.

This is NOT true! If this is what your hairdresser told you, then she misunderstands her own faith. Or perhaps you misunderstood what she was really trying to say, and that's what you walked away with. In any case, a good read through many of these posts will help you understand to a degree what Catholics believe about Mary.

[Positive]

Think Santa Maria then see if you can translate that.

There is a town on the West coast usually called Los Angeles. I understand the real name of the town is La Cuidad de Santa Maria de Los Angeles.

I.E. The City of Saint Mary of the Angels.

[Leonine]

The Scriptures are about many things, but you are right that the FOCUS of the Scriptures, from beginning to end, is on Christ and His purpose.

[Ohioan from Florida]

Catholics understand prayer to be a form of conversation. Since we cannot speak to Mary in her person, we "pray" or communicate with her our needs, our thoughts, just as you would have any conversation with a friend.

You are understanding Scripture in a different way than I do. I do not know where it is said specifically or if it even is mentioned specifically in the Scriptures about praying to the saints. I keep trying to explain that just because something isn't EXPLICITLY written in the Bible does not necessarily make it untrue. Sometimes you have to dig a little deeper. The best way for me to explain this is that when I was a kid, I used to understand the scripture on a simple level. As my faith and my relationship to God grew, I understood the same passages in deeper, more meaningful ways. The Holy Spirit educates us.

Finally, Catholics do not believe that Mary died. It's not in the Bible! We know that already, and we are okay with it, because the Bible isn't about Mary. The main focus of the Bible is Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah. Wouldn't you agree?

[Ohioan from Florida]

I have found passages in the Bible that I have the understanding from the Holy Spirit that Mary's sinlessness can be understood. If I'm not mistaken, I think I remember it somewhere in the Book of Romans, but I'd have to find it to tell you for sure. I have studied the Bible (less intensely in the past two years than the previous seven) where I did seven years with a group called Bible Study Fellowship. It was wonderful! I have to tell you that I found nothing that contradicted my Catholic upbringing whatsoever, in fact, it enhanced my faith. I'll try to find you what may help you to understand where I'm coming from. It may take me going through the whole thing to find it, cause my notes are in storage right now (moving!), but I promise to keep looking for it till I find it, and then I'll let you know! OK?

[jonboy]

In the scene in question, the Jewish soldiers had taken Jesus into custody and were abusing Him as they were walking along. When they got to a bridge they shoved Him so hard that He went off of the side of a medium sized foot bridge. Before He hit the bottom He was stopped short by the ropes and chains and the breath knocked out of Him. While down there He sees Judas who is hiding under the bridge. No words are spoken (Jesus couldn't have if He had wanted to since the breath had been knocked from Him) but words were not needed. After looking at each other Jesus is hauled back up. Judas then sees that he is not the only one under the bridge, Satan is under there also. This begins a prolonged scene in which Judas struggles with either real or imagined demons before he loses the struggle and hangs himself. It is extra Biblical but plausible enough and as far as I'm concerned allowable poetic license.

[jonboy]

Mary was special. There isn't any doubt of that. She was mortal though and she was fallible, like everyone else, saved by her Son's sacrifice.

[what's up]

Well, I know for a fact that Mary is not mentioned in Romans, as I have studied the book in Bible School.

But I would like to know what reference you are referring to.

Remember, no one is sinless but Christ.

[Ohioan from Florida]

Ok, I've done a cursory look through Romans, and it's not leaping out at me. I think I remember coming upon this during my year of study of Romans, but that's just a gut feeling. I'll have to try to retrieve my notes out of storage. I'll get back to you.

[Budge]

I have been avoiding the posts about Mary i.e. Catholicism. I can't even remember who is in this discussion, so please forgive me for posting only to you (and All).

There are the missing books of the Bible that I noticed where never mentioned in this thread.

I'm NOT attempting to start or prolong this particular discussion, but only wish to remind Catholic AND Protestant alike of the Apocrypha - those books deleted by King James as he (and his scholars) deemed unnecessary.

For you who are interested, Comparative Religion has some information all may find informative.

[jwalsh07]

In the mid-1800s, the Church adopted a doctrine known as the Immaculate Conception. This is the belief, based on tradition, not the Bible, that Mary's mother, who has been dubbed "Anne," conceived Mary without sin even as Mary conceived Christ without sin.

Not quite. The Immaculate Conception Tradition states that MAry was conceived in the usual manner but was free from original sin. Big difference, no?

In the 1950s, the Church adopted a doctrine known as The Assumption. This is the belief that Mary ascended by her own merit, which is quite different from Enoch or Elijah who were drawn up but did not ascend. Again, this is not a Biblical but a traditional doctrine.

Not quite right again. Only the divine can ascend by their own merit, the rest of us ascend through the Lords grace. There is scripture testifying to the fact that Mary was "full of grace", as spoken by the Archangel Gabriel leaving no room for original sin.

The dates are a little fuzzy as well since the traditions go way back.