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'The Nativity Story' Movie Problematic for Catholics, "Unsuitable" for Young Children
LifeSiteNews.com ^ | 12/4/2006 | John-Henry Westen

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/


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Religion & Culture; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholics; christmas; mary; movie; nativity; nativitystory; thenativitystory
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To: Blogger

That or a bunch of book worshipers corrupted the faith, and as St Paul warned, began stealing the faithful away like wolves.


5,281 posted on 01/11/2007 8:38:29 PM PST by kawaii (Orthodox Christianity -- Proclaiming the Truth Since 33 A.D.)
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To: Blogger

I really was just asking.


5,282 posted on 01/11/2007 8:39:39 PM PST by D-fendr
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To: kawaii

We don't worship a book. We worship our Lord. We read His Word as what He revealed and use it as the rule of truth for doctrine and practice.


5,283 posted on 01/11/2007 8:41:00 PM PST by Blogger
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To: Blogger

I remember last 'western easter' [The Orthodox don't have a holiday named after a pagan festival] watching a BAPTIST CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHER spend dinner calling the ressurection implausible and unlikely, Christianity an invention of Constantine, and the Da Vinci code 'a very possibile alternative theory'.

Enjoy the number one spot.


5,284 posted on 01/11/2007 8:41:56 PM PST by kawaii (Orthodox Christianity -- Proclaiming the Truth Since 33 A.D.)
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To: kosta50

Some people read it early on...

"For all the saints and the Elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins."- Ephraem the Syrian


5,285 posted on 01/11/2007 8:42:05 PM PST by Blogger
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To: Blogger

Sure you just 'venerate' the book you don't WORSHIP it. (/sarc)


5,286 posted on 01/11/2007 8:42:35 PM PST by kawaii (Orthodox Christianity -- Proclaiming the Truth Since 33 A.D.)
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To: kawaii

I strongly prefer calling it Resurrection Sunday myself.


5,287 posted on 01/11/2007 8:42:58 PM PST by Blogger
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To: Blogger

Pascha is far more fitting, not to mention historicaly accurate in context.


5,288 posted on 01/11/2007 8:44:04 PM PST by kawaii (Orthodox Christianity -- Proclaiming the Truth Since 33 A.D.)
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To: wmfights; xzins; HarleyD; blue-duncan
If your defining heresy as "wrong belief" than looking at the marian doctrines it is clear it is your church and the RCC that are heretical, not various Christian churches that placed Scripture first

Heresu does not mean "wrong belief" (generically or relatively). It means "that which the Church does not teach." The church invented the term.

5,289 posted on 01/11/2007 8:44:42 PM PST by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodoxy is pure Christianity)
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To: kawaii

Not even that. We read it. We take God at His Word which is written in it. We don't pray to it. About the most we do to the physical object is sometimes bind it in leather with our name stamped on the cover so people know who the particular volume belongs to.


5,290 posted on 01/11/2007 8:44:50 PM PST by Blogger
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To: kawaii

Such as passover?


5,291 posted on 01/11/2007 8:45:17 PM PST by Blogger
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To: Blogger

Oh and don't dodge the point; combining all baptists is a stretch, and the baptists are not universally propetuating their 'faith'. There's a reason this joke is funny:

I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump. I ran over and said: "Stop. Don't do it."

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked.

"Well, there's so much to live for!"

"Like what?"

"Are you religious?"

He said: "Yes."

I said: "Me too. Are you Christian or Buddhist?"

"Christian."

"Me too. Are you Catholic or Protestant?"

"Protestant."

"Me too. Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?"

"Baptist."

"Wow. Me too. Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?"

"Baptist Church of God."

"Me too. Are you original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?"

"Reformed Baptist Church of God."

"Me too. Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915?"

He said: "Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915."

I said: "Die, heretic scum," and pushed him off.


5,292 posted on 01/11/2007 8:45:41 PM PST by kawaii (Orthodox Christianity -- Proclaiming the Truth Since 33 A.D.)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg
To whom?

To Christ, naturally. This is to Whom the saints pray.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, amen.

5,293 posted on 01/11/2007 8:45:55 PM PST by annalex
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To: Blogger

Pascha is greek for passover. (Hint the Old Testament holiday Chirst celebrated during the last supper was...?)


5,294 posted on 01/11/2007 8:47:14 PM PST by kawaii (Orthodox Christianity -- Proclaiming the Truth Since 33 A.D.)
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To: kawaii

Baptists don't kill their heretics. Typically it has been done to them by people accusing them of heresy.


5,295 posted on 01/11/2007 8:47:40 PM PST by Blogger
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To: kawaii

Hint, I've been a Christian for 30 years. I know what the Passover is.


5,296 posted on 01/11/2007 8:48:10 PM PST by Blogger
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To: Blogger

Lookup what happened in Ukraine in 1569-1600s and try to play the persecuted card again...


5,297 posted on 01/11/2007 8:48:51 PM PST by kawaii (Orthodox Christianity -- Proclaiming the Truth Since 33 A.D.)
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To: Blogger

Well judging by the baptist sunday school teacher i encountered last 'Easter' not all baptists are so informed.


5,298 posted on 01/11/2007 8:49:43 PM PST by kawaii (Orthodox Christianity -- Proclaiming the Truth Since 33 A.D.)
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To: Kolokotronis; Blogger
she wasn't human the way the rest of us are and she didn't need a savior

In a company of invalids a woman with two legs is not "human like the rest of them". But she is human -- more fully than the invalids.

Of course she needed a savior. This is who redeemed her ang granted her her holiness.

If you could choose your mother, you would wish no less for her.

5,299 posted on 01/11/2007 8:50:32 PM PST by annalex
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To: kawaii

Sigh

Anabaptists and Modern Baptists can differ quite a bit. Sometimes I think we had more in common with Menno Simmons. There were radicalists, but mostly Anabaptists were seperatists. And Anabaptists WERE persecuted. Muenster, for example, was not typical of Anabaptist Behavior.


5,300 posted on 01/11/2007 8:51:14 PM PST by Blogger
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