Thursday, February 26, 2004
If You're Not a Christian, The Passion of the Christ May Not Be for You
Or maybe the real problem is the message, not the film. And who delivers it.
You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the Power of God.
Matthew 22:29
That was Jesus answering a widowed man with seven dead wives who wanted to know which wife would be with him in Heaven. The guy just didn't get it. It wasn't about rules and regulations, it was about salvation and love. Equate the widower's attitude to secularists when they speak about Christianity. They just don't get it, or don't want to get it.
Critiquing Christianity, along with the film has become the latest version of religion bashing which borders persecution, if you get what I mean--more smugness and pomposity than usual --seemed like another great chance to pile on. And quite frankly, I don't understand why they're all so mad.
I question the motives of people like David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenbach who, net rumor has it, are actively blacklisting Mel. Why? Since when do they care about anti-semitism? Don't they also say they hate Israel? Could it be, oh, I don't know (beat) JEALOUSY?
The film is harsh, brutal, disturbing, vicious, heartbreaking, profoundly serious, deeply touching--for a Christian. I already knew Christ's death was awful, and realizing His suffering on the cross, an image Christians see in every church, is what finally convinced my heart that Christ is real. That indwelling knowledge represents a monumental leap to a higher level of understanding and faith, for which I'm grateful. Imagery helps in comprehending the violence surrounding any crucifixion, especially Christ's.
The much talked about violence is hardly "pornographic" as The Hollywood Reporter self righteously states. It'll sober you up if you're a Christian. But it won't deliver you into a dormant Ku Klux Klan cell as suggested by writers from major print media. Most directors would find it hard to pretty up the death scene of Jesus. Come to think of it, the films we saw at the church when I was a kid were pretty darned gory. "It is as it is, "said the Pope, who evidently listened to all his assertiveness training tapes. He's right.
Mel's portrayal of the Jews is heavy handed, also of the Romans, those absolute monsters with Tails of Nine whips and Morning Stars. There are demons throughout the story, which is appropriate because Satan seems to show up during such events.* But even if the Jews did kill Jesus, which technically, they didn't, yet they did choose Barrabas over Christ--even if they did, who cares? That's the forgiveness part of the story. Christians have been instructed by God that the Jews are His chosen people and they are His. The Jew hating issue, here in America, seems like a bogus argument. This is not Oberammergau, for heaven's sake.
Why Can't Christians Have Their Own Movie?
The securlarists' over reaction to The Passion of The Christ reveals one very unfortunate possibility: they hate Christians. I can only conclude they would like to marginize Christians by grabbing every opportunity to discredit one of Christ's well known followers. If the uproar over a movie is this loud, what's next? I'm beginning to think they're my enemy--something I'm not comfortable saying.
What's obscene, a word overused in The Passion reviews, is not its violence or dialogue. Rather it is that Christians can't produce and distribute into popular culture their own movie without the the secularists becoming dedicated to destroying its producers, writers, directors, actors, back scene people, its existence. That's kind of scary, isn't it?
Frankly, I'm not as worried about secularists not knowing the Scriptures, I doubt it would really make a difference. What these folks should be worrying about is not knowing the power of God.
Thanks for the read
*A scene showing Christ rising up from Hell immediately following his death will interest Bible scholars. There's a debate about whether Jesus saw Hell at that time. Interesting that the director included it.
You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the Power of God.
Matthew 22:29
That was Jesus answering a widowed man with seven dead wives who wanted to know which wife would be with him in Heaven. The guy just didn't get it. It wasn't about rules and regulations, it was about salvation and love. Equate the widower's attitude to secularists when they speak about Christianity. They just don't get it, or don't want to get it.
Critiquing Christianity, along with the film has become the latest version of religion bashing which borders persecution, if you get what I mean--more smugness and pomposity than usual --seemed like another great chance to pile on. And quite frankly, I don't understand why they're all so mad.
I question the motives of people like David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenbach who, net rumor has it, are actively blacklisting Mel. Why? Since when do they care about anti-semitism? Don't they also say they hate Israel? Could it be, oh, I don't know (beat) JEALOUSY?
The film is harsh, brutal, disturbing, vicious, heartbreaking, profoundly serious, deeply touching--for a Christian. I already knew Christ's death was awful, and realizing His suffering on the cross, an image Christians see in every church, is what finally convinced my heart that Christ is real. That indwelling knowledge represents a monumental leap to a higher level of understanding and faith, for which I'm grateful. Imagery helps in comprehending the violence surrounding any crucifixion, especially Christ's.
The much talked about violence is hardly "pornographic" as The Hollywood Reporter self righteously states. It'll sober you up if you're a Christian. But it won't deliver you into a dormant Ku Klux Klan cell as suggested by writers from major print media. Most directors would find it hard to pretty up the death scene of Jesus. Come to think of it, the films we saw at the church when I was a kid were pretty darned gory. "It is as it is, "said the Pope, who evidently listened to all his assertiveness training tapes. He's right.
Mel's portrayal of the Jews is heavy handed, also of the Romans, those absolute monsters with Tails of Nine whips and Morning Stars. There are demons throughout the story, which is appropriate because Satan seems to show up during such events.* But even if the Jews did kill Jesus, which technically, they didn't, yet they did choose Barrabas over Christ--even if they did, who cares? That's the forgiveness part of the story. Christians have been instructed by God that the Jews are His chosen people and they are His. The Jew hating issue, here in America, seems like a bogus argument. This is not Oberammergau, for heaven's sake.
Why Can't Christians Have Their Own Movie?
The securlarists' over reaction to The Passion of The Christ reveals one very unfortunate possibility: they hate Christians. I can only conclude they would like to marginize Christians by grabbing every opportunity to discredit one of Christ's well known followers. If the uproar over a movie is this loud, what's next? I'm beginning to think they're my enemy--something I'm not comfortable saying.
What's obscene, a word overused in The Passion reviews, is not its violence or dialogue. Rather it is that Christians can't produce and distribute into popular culture their own movie without the the secularists becoming dedicated to destroying its producers, writers, directors, actors, back scene people, its existence. That's kind of scary, isn't it?
Frankly, I'm not as worried about secularists not knowing the Scriptures, I doubt it would really make a difference. What these folks should be worrying about is not knowing the power of God.
Thanks for the read
*A scene showing Christ rising up from Hell immediately following his death will interest Bible scholars. There's a debate about whether Jesus saw Hell at that time. Interesting that the director included it.
