I finally broke down ...

My response has been because of the massive acceptance of it by evangelicals.

I even read claims that this would be the start of a Third Great Awakening and the beginning of world wide revival.

 

Being a former Catholic who studied RCC dogma carefully before I left the Church of Rome, I was able to spot the more subtle teachings hidden in the film.

I truly have mixed feelings. It definitely promotes Catholic heresy.

On the other hand, we have several people who have begun coming to our Church, probably about 15, who are coming (humanly speaking) because they saw the Passion and it apparently awakened them to spiritual things.

I have several of these folks in the Sunday School class that I lead and they seem eager to learn. I spend a goodly portion of the time teaching the basics. No one seems to mind and we are all learning anew. We'll see what manner of fruit developes. No one has asked to be baptised yet.

HankD

 

Hmmm.......

A chance for the RCC to rise out of the muck it created. Very interesting.

 

I was extremely disappointed in the film. Before it's release, I had read that Gibson stated that he wanted to make the most accurate depiction of the passion possible.

Unfortunately, his source for 'accuracy" wasn't limited to the Bible, but also included the works of at least two Catholic mystics who claimed to have inspired insights beyond what is recorded in the Bible (another "Gospel"). This explains the "odd" scenes of Jesus being pushed off a bridge, Mary wiping up blood, the demons haunting Judas, etc.

Mel Gibson believes all of this is fully Gospel - and presents it as such. A lot of people who view this movie believe it is Gospel. That half of this movie is based on this other "Gospel" offends me.

 

It truly amazes me just how carnal most Christians choose to remain, and this will be all I will respond to "The Passion", excepting that it should read: "His Compassion", passion is too closely related to sexual desire, hint, hint.

 

Ralph, I remember someone else making the argument once that the translated term "charity" was superior to "love" in 1 Cor. 13 for much the same reason: because "love" could imply sexual overtones.

As I recall, the person who made that claim quickly acquiesced when someone replied with the question of whether that made Jesus' questioning of Simon Peter in John 21:15-17 sexual in nature!

 

What I meant by "truth" was in this case, superficial - no deeper than that it was "true" that Christ did indeed suffer greatly for us.

 

THe most common reply is because it's so widely accepted by the evangelical community. But, so was "Jesus of Nazareth" and "The Prince of Egypt", neither of which were any higher on the scale of scriptural accuracy that this film. In fact, I never heard one bit of concern that the animated "Prince of Egypt" has an excerpt from the Koran, as well as the OT and NT, at the beginning of the film (probably because the film came out prior to 9-11, when we weren't yet influenced by islamiphobia). The more likely answer to your question is because this is the first time the graphic nature of the crucifixion has depicted graphically.

 

There was quite a buzz around "The Passion" long before it ever hit the theaters. I have never seen "Jesus of Nazareth", and I never took "Prince of Egypt" to be serious. But all of the comotion around "The Passion" drew a lot of attention. The idea of a famous (and popular) star like Mel Gibson making such a movie out of his own pocket was quite interesting.

 

I highly recommend "Prince of Egypt". It's great viewing. I've got it on DVD and have seen it several times. I've also got "Jesus of Nazareth", which was just shown on cable this past Christmas week. I've seen it a few times, but it's rather long.

 

You have clearly got a gutter mind, Ralph. Like a little school boy who giggles when someone uses the word "nuts". Equating with word "Passion" with sexual desire, that's completely infantile, ridiculous, and frankly, stupid.

 

Passion
The sufferings of Jesus in the period following the Last Supper and including the Crucifixion, as related in the New Testament.
A narrative, musical setting, or pictorial representation of Jesus's sufferings.
Archaic. Martyrdom.
Archaic. Passivity.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin passiō, passiōn-, sufferings of Jesus or a martyr, from Late Latin, physical suffering, martyrdom, sinful desire, from Latin, an undergoing, from passus, past participle of patī, to suffer.]

 

Originally posted by Johnv:

Aren't you the one who just about accused the shepherds watching over their flock of bestiality, a few years ago ?

I believe you were, as I was a moderator at the time. You were describing a conversation you were having with fellow chior members at the time. Ah yes, I remember it well.......

 

Seems to taking an ugly turn here.

 

This is an unwarrented charge against the film. "The Passion" is the traditional name for the events surrounding the death of our Lord.

 

Jim
"What was that bit with Jesus being pushed off a bridge and laying there near strangled by the chain?"
"
I think that was a touch of Gibson (or possibly a touch of Anna Catherina Emmerich) instead of a RC thing. The part where the woman wipes the blood of His face and a portrait of Jezus get's imprinted on the cloth THAT'S a RC thing.

"The Scriptures are our sole authority for faith and practice?"
"
Assuming we want to keep it that way, maybe we shouldn't pretend Mel's movie is the 5th gospel, but see it as what it is. A recreation of what well read late 19th century Roman Catholics thought the 12 hours leading up to the crucifixion were like. Which is interesting and worthwhile in it's own right.

[ January 12, 2005, 08:26 AM: Message edited by: mioque ]

 

I can live with that

 

Hey everyone, I'm sorry that it did get ugly. Just holding people to the same standards they set for others.

Anyhoo, I still don't wanna see the film. I can't get thru the gospels, especially Luke, for some reason, without breaking down. It still makes me shiver to read what Christ willingly went through for me.

 

My father-in-law's (unsaved) fiance (also, unsaved) is Jewish. The subject of The Passion came up during our vacation visit with them last Spring. Quite a conversation along with related e-mails later. A number of articles written by Rabbis claiming the movie would result in an anti-Semitic backlash. A number also written by Rabbis distancing themselves from such claims.

Anyway, as I recall (and I may be mistaken) the term "The Passion" was used by Christians in the Middle Ages for plays attempting to encite the Christian majority agains the Jewish minority. The anti-Jewish pograms of the RCC. Thus the modern claims of anti-Semitism.

 

After this thread, I am kind of wanting to see the movie. I think I will only be looking for the bad though.