You mean like the church shown here where people adorn a tomb with flowers and there is a statue of a man praying to other statues?
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/
"Mary was "blessed among women"
I hadn't looked at it that way. It does seem kind of sexist. I wonder why she wasn't considered "blessed" among women and men or above all people or above all creation? Why only women? Maybe it's a code or something.
But He wasn't born before she was "blessed".
With all due respect, don't you think the worshipers of Zeus would say the same thing? "This statue isn't really Zeus but it helps me to revere him. Zeus is really in heaven."
I understand the distinction Catholics try to make of veneration over worship. It's theological hair splitting in my opinion. All one has to do is look up veneration in the dictionary.
I think the reason there's so many different churches is that Satan has succeeded in stealing a bunch of folks away from the faith, to fight amongst one another, and to (contrary to what St Paul taught) deliberatly proselytize against the true church.
You mean like the church shown here where people adorn a tomb with flowers and there is a statue of a man praying to other statues?
I think there is some secret code about this. Maybe the liberals are right and all this about women being in subjection and keeping silent is a conspiracy to keep men from finding it out.
Beautiful.
Thank you.
What do you mean?
Kosta;s point on this makes perfect sense. Folks venerate the flag during the pledge of alligeance, it's not flag worshipping.
That picture is so beautiful.
One thing I hope I can do before I die is visit great Cathedrals. I would love to travel Europe and see as many as I can.
I would also visit Mount Athos.
Kosta, Kolos, have you ever visited there?
"I think the reason there's so many different churches is that Satan has succeeded in stealing a bunch of folks away from the faith"
Maybe it is the reverse and people have escaped to the true faith. When people are set free there is pandemonium for a while "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ". Unity is not uniformity.
It is a historical, not a scriptural fact; we do, however, see St. Paul mentioning that he consecrated Timothy and Titus, and he tells them to ordain others.
So your position is that nobody lived in the "true faith" before the early 16th Century? And if this is the case, then why didn't everyone flee the Church in order to embrace a SINGLE "true faith"? The fact that Protestant groups have as many disagreements with each other as they do with the Church indicates that your suppositions are invalid.
I dunno.
There began 1 church.
At the time of the Great Schism it could be argued there were as many as 4-6. That was within 1000 years of Christ.
At which point the West has gone from 1 church into 20,000+.
To be sure Satan is leaping for joy at this.
He must laugh ecstatically when he sees churches professing to be the church Christ established but advocating women preaching in church, abortion to 'help the poor', blessing gay marriages, ordaining gay church leaders...
In 1250 Christians were crusading against other Christians. Murdering them, stealing from them, raping nuns.
By the Reformation Christians were murdering Christians for baptising children.
Today 'Christians' work hard to steal other professed Christians into churches that condone abortion, gay marriage, hay lifestyles, and every manner of sin which Christ spoke against.
I fail to see that as a sign that things are 'getting better'.
Christ prays for our unity, and St. Paul cries out "Is Christ divided?" I doubt they would agree with you.
However, there is a divine providence in that. If the Orthodox did not separate in 1054 we would not have their powerful witness to the Church of the Seven Councils today. If Luther did not leave the Church, we would not have a warning in front of us on how not to do Church.
You are not sure if a statue of a kneeling man indicates that he is praying but you are sure that a kneeling Catholic in the flesh is worshiping a saint?
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