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/
A woman and her three daughters in our Spirit-Filled church wore a covering on the back of their heads for a couple of years. She said God told her to do that as an act of submission. When He told her they could remove it, they did. I saw a lot of growth in her during that time.
ME EITHER!
OPINION is the problem with people who write books, whether it's church leaders and fathers or other layfolk. That's why I try to stick to what the Bible says. I do read other books for sure and enjoy them, but they aren't scripture!
To Bible believing protestants,the teachings on faith and morals are also the same. Catholics don't have the last say on that point.
Amen, and we're ALL saints when we do!
annalex, I really, really hope you begin to read what scripture has to say about all this. Priests and Popes are only human and they are NOT infallible. They have no right to decide who is in purgatory or who is in heaven. Only God has that right.
Maybe I could be sick that day, or have to work or somethin'.
Indeed, as do the consequences of sin. They live with us forever as well (or at least it SEEMS like forever--LOL).
Dr. E, it's all ado about NOTHING. Yawn.
HEY! He told ME and you and I need to talk (smile).
No. God does not kill people. He does foreknow it. Incidentally, doesn't the Presbyterian church believe in infant baptism?
2 Thessalonians is about the truth being proclaimed by tradition, which is both by word of mouth and by the scripture. In other words, Truth -> Scripture. The relationship between Chruch and Truth is in 1 Timothy 3:15, as well as in several chapters from John.
What? "Good works" as defined above?
No, I was referring to conscience - law written in our hearts - love, and a choice to do good based on love.
God shows no partiality and all have sinned.
I think we might agree that not all sin all the time. My question doesn't require partiality, just whether someone other than a saved Christian could choose to do a single good thing. To be clear, I'm not talking about the sum total here or their salvation.
OTHO, if you means can non-Christians do works that glorify God, sure. Joseph's brothers did a very "evil" thing…
No, not a choice to do evil, a choice to do good. Is it your view that a non-saved Christian is incapable of make a single good choice?
And who will keep it clean, FK? Big houses are a big problem (LOL). mxxx
Sorry, should have pinged you to 9873 above as well.
Of course. The Church ministers to the Gentiles also. You did not know that?
God sends, but St. Peter preaches and prays.
Sometimes I just cannot believe the stuff I read on this forum!
I don't suppose you've read Genesis chapter 7?
Or maybe this verse:
(Luke 12:5 KJV) But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
I think you can see me daily on this thread. Many, and I'd say most substantive posts of mine argue from scripture. I am well aware of what the scripture has to say on the subjects I speak about.
Priests and Popes are only human and they are NOT infallible.
Human they are. Infallible is the Church as a whole:
I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.(Matthew 16:18)
Peter and his successors are infalible when they speak for the Church:
31 And the Lord said: Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren.(Luke 22)
They have no right to decide who is in purgatory or who is in heaven.
Christ said Peter can:
19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.(Matthew 16)
LOL! I see. Should we just leave it to yet another mystery then? :) My suppositions are only based on what God DOES tell us in scripture. Elementary reason is also used. For example, I said: "Yes, from GOD'S POV I would say the elect are saved before they are created." This is based on simple Biblical principles. God is sovereign. God is omniscient. God predestinates the saved. If you believe the Bible provides for all of these, then it is easy to suppose that the elect are, for all intents and purposes, saved from the beginning. It is God's POV because of His omniscience and sovereignty.
Second, even if one were to admit 'double predestination' as a correct description of God's foreknowledge, the doctrine is corrosive of good morals, ascetic discipline, prayer, and all other aspects of the Christian life.
Would you care to say how? :)
To call His foreknowledge, 'predestination' makes God a tyrant, the author of damnation which is, in fact, freely chosen by the damned. To tell people that they are already 'predestined' to salvation or damnation creates fatalism and spiritual sloth.
I'm not following you at all. First of all, Reformers do not call God's foreknowledge "predestination". In fact, that is my understanding of the Catholic view, along with Arminian Protestants. Reformers, OTOH, say that predestination is based on specific action by God, wholly independent of His foreknowledge. Secondly, we Reformers don't tell anyone that he or she is predestined one way or the other. We can't know which for anyone other than ourselves. Therefore, we preach that ALL are potentially of the elect. This is what scripture teaches. In addition, Reformers do not teach any sort of "sloth". That is unbiblical. God tells us clearly in scripture what our work is to be about. That's what we teach.
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