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/
And, as you've said, come up with different interpretations.
Why? Because that is one of the ways that God helps us to learn.
Not doubting the value of reading scripture. But who then teaches and corrects when one asks: What does Christ's Church teach?
He left teachers here to teach.
Yes he did and they taught others who taught others in the manner Christ established..
"some centralized hierarchical structure saying "yep, it's from God." ?"
If you have a Church - excepting perhaps a Unitarian one - somebody, somewhere said that. Does you not teach that what you teach is "from God."? Our disagreement is about who teaches what and why and what their method and authority is.
How do you know the church got it right?
That's the question isn't it? Your answer is 'they agree in what I think are essentials according to (my interpretation of) scripture.
Personally I see that as a formula for invent your own religion based on this book.
I don't look for The Church, The Christian Church, to give me this assignment. I want to know from it what is the Orthodox Christian Faith. I can reject or accept this. But I can't even get this far with Protestantism.
Quite so. Quite so.
I've met some.
The Communion of Saints means what it always meant since the Creed was formed.
I haven't seen my REALS LIFE EXAMPLES from China and tribal groups
Defended against at all--much less with a shred of validity.
DOG ON NOW KAWAII!!! YOU DONE BROKE THE BIG FONT METER!!!!
Which is?
I'll help here.
You look to your church for the assessment because your church says it has the assessment. The Church claims this right to assess based upon their interpretation of Scripture. How do you know they are right? You accept it by faith.
How do we know we have it right? Ultimately by faith - but in our case without the intermediary.
In my opion y'all have regural meetings...
I think it would be more correct to say it's meant what it's meant since before the Creeds.
Not meaning to complicate things but it does depend on what you mean by faith.
If I understand your meaning correctly, I would say, 'no, not just by faith.'
Then what by? How do you know your church teaching is right?
I'm a free agent, Blogger. Born Protestant, raised in the Bible Belt.
And yet, you trust the church as an intermediary between your understanding and Scripture.
The first is incredibly obvious to me on the basis of history and scripture. The more I learn, the more that to find otherwise is just incredibly stubborn or uninformed or perhaps habit or prejudice or based on a bad experience. (No offense intended.)
The second question is a more personal and internal matter.
On the second question, I must point out in keeping to a topic that whether I "know it's right" or not, first I must know what it is. And again, Protestantism is sorely lacking in that teaching aspect.
My case is quite different, but I won't bother you with it.
The point is again, before I can choose to trust or not to trust, I have to know what it's understanding of scripture is.
Not "all you need is the Word."
That, IMHO, is no answer to the question I've asked.
Uh, no it isn't. And you know that if you came out of Protestantism.
What a sweet thought.
BTW, my college roommate--was a Japanese Hawaiian from Eleelee sp? Kauai
Well I did and I don't.
Bottom line is if I read it differently.. you're wrong and I'm right.
I know that's simplified but that's the Protestant testing by scripture.
Of course you will say I'm wrong based on Scripture or I did it wrong or..
Bottom line is.. You can't tell me what the Christian Teaching is. Not with anymore authority than I can tell you. If we're both Protestants. All we can do is debate it.
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