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/
My former pastor used to give at least 30% of his small salary to the church, as well as gifts to other organizations. When you tithe, God releases blessings, not only financial either. All Christians need to tithe because God says you are robbing Him (Malachi) if you don't. I enjoy it.
And how many of these folks do you know who actually do that? I doubt there are many. I know they can be redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ, but the thought life is always in motion. We sin just by being alive because of the sin nature within us. I believe a homosexual can be delivered of all that and set on a new path.
Back at ya. ;-)
Wasn't it in Joel that says in the end times men AND women will prophesy (preach)? We are in a different time than we've ever been before--near the end. God IS releasing men and women to work together. I've heard some truly dynamic and spirit-filled women preach. Most don't run a church but they evangelize. If God can use Baalam's ass, well... (smile).
OK, whatever.
You're right, Blogger. WE make the choice to sin or not to sin but we're covered under HIS blood and the longer we serve Christ, the more we don't WANT to sin because it hurts Him. Hallelujah, what a saviour!
You are SO wrong, kosta. Your apparent hatred for protestants is disgusting.
Yes, that's right.
A fair description, to me.
Justification by faith is a biggy.
What's so difficult about Hebrews?
Oh, that's right Hebrews is trumped by
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!TRADITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yuck!
It seems pretty straight forward to me that Jesus' ministry was not about replacing the legalistic structure of the Pharisees and Sadducees with another structure of the same ilk. I believe God telling Israel that he did not want Kings is a foreshadowing of this as well.
God wants us to trust in him. The Holy Spirit guided the creation of the Canon so that we would always have a sure foundation to find the truth and not be misguided by the social, or political pressures, of the day.
I think it's interesting that the merger between State and Religion occurred after the Canon was recognized. It could well be that the Holy Spirit was ensuring that when the pressures of the State began to try and change how we would understand God there would always be SCRIPTURE to testify to the truth.
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
i AGREE.
No one can or should decide another is hell-bound.
However heresy is a term that applies to a belief or opinion contrary to what is orthodox or right. Protestant doctrine is heretical to Catholics and Catholic doctrine is heretical to Protestants.
These threads are heresy rooms.
True.
Dennis Jernigan was instantly when Anne Herring gave a word of prophecy about some such at a concert.
For most others . . . it's a long hard struggle.
They sure seem to be, and hateful as well.
Would have to look that passage up.
Sons and daughters, I think is mentioned in one passage.
As St. Forrest would say: "Christian is as Christian does."
I think all of us have at one time or another retired from threads because they were no longer conducive to our spiritual well-being. It's a personal judgement you have to make.
Or you can look at it as an opportunity to learn patience. :)
I DO think Protestants are at least in error. If I didn't think that, I'd still be one. And they think the same of us Catholics. And the sorts of things we disagree on are of very great importance, and have spiritual consequences. If most of the Protestants here are right, we are committing idolatry and do not fully believe in Christ's saving grace. That's got to matter. And if we're right, lots of Protestants are, at the least, depriving themselves of great and powerful graces and not trusting the Holy Spirit. That's serious stuff.
If you (laboriously) check through this mess, not that I am recommending this, you will see a bunch of us saying that Protestants who are Baptized are members of the Church, though not perhaps in good standing. And the response that gets is, ah, reference to an Italian city. The disagreement includes a disagreement about Ecclesiology, so Bologna doesn't really need to be mentioned. It was already evident that there was a difference of opinion.
But I don't think any Catholic here says that Protestants are going to Hell just because they're Protestants. And we're certainly not saying that Catholics and EOs go to heaven just because of being Catholics and EOs.(But I do understand that Baloney is bad for the blood pressure and artieries -- all that sodium and fat.)
Truly, I am a sponge for ancient manuscripts, but I take nothing as words of God without the direct authentication of the Holy Spirit! He brings His own words alive within, the words of man are dead by comparison.
It amazes me that so many Christians who confess that Jesus Christ is God from the beginning, that everything that was made was made by Him and for Him, that He was born of a virgin, made the blind see, turned water into wine, walked on water, raised the dead, healed the lame, died on a cross and was resurrected, and now sits at the right hand of God the Father and will come again --- believing all of these supernatural truths ---- would nevertheless demand empirical evidence (archeology, carbon dating, etc.) and a “chain of custody” before they will take the plugs out of their ears to listen for the words of God!
As if it were possible for science to authenticate God’s words. Jeepers… talk about an observer problem.
Only God knows Himself and there is only one way to know Him:
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. – 1 Cor 2:11-14
Jesus, The Word of God (John 1, Rev 19) was speaking to those who were physically hearing Him but could not spiritually hear Him (“ears to hear”) in this passage – but these words are recorded for our benefit, so that we will understand the power of God:
Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. – Matt 22:29
You forgot a third choice; they're not really Christians.
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