Israellycool: Mel's Passion

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I know that Mel, being a hard-core catholic, feels that Jews are, at the very best, simply misguided in their entire outlook on life. At worst, of course, he’s prodding non-Christians to convert, though there’s no reason to believe that such is the case here. That’s just the worst-case view.

I know from my own experience that all of Jewish culture is basically invisible to the average, and even not-so-average, catholic. Therefore, I believe he has no idea why there is so much concern about the movie on the part of Jews.

Israellycool: Mel’s Passion

Newsweek has a detailed analysis of Mel Gibson’s controversial film The Passion. And it would seem that Jewish concerns – about the film and Mel Gibson himself – may not be entirely unfounded.

After viewing the film, Newsweek believes that Gibson has portrayed the Jews in an unfavorable light, especially when compared to the Romans.

12 thoughts on “Israellycool: Mel's Passion”

  1. The problem is that Newsweek is run by liberals. And liberals are often wrong. They are wrong about taxes, Palestinians, self-defense, war, abortion and a host of other important things. No Christian, including Gibson, blames the Jews for Christ’s death. We blame ourselves. He died for OUR sins. He GAVE his life. If anyone took it, I did. And I’m Irish. No, Christians stand side by side with Israel even though we disagree about the Deity of Christ. When the movie comes out we’ll be able to judge for ourselves just how objective Newsweek has been in it’s opinion.

  2. As a Christian I hold no grudge against Jews for being people who were part of crucifying Christ. It is history.

    It would be like me holding a grudge against the English for murdering Aboriginal Australians. What’s done is done. What matters is the where to from here.

  5. Ummm, like did you read lots of lines of the bible or just the ones that supported your point. I think the bible, and Vatican II, pretty clearly say that the jewish leaders during christ’s crucifixion were complicit in his indictment. Not all the jews then…and not the jews today. But, the jewish leaders are pretty clearly held accountable in the bible and Vatican II.

  6. Accountable, yes, but the Romans were finally accountable. Pilate could have overruled Caiaphas for any reason, at any time. But he did not.

    And as for my views on the Vatican, the pope can take a flying leap up my saggy white ass. But that’s just my personal opinion.

  7. I don’t quote the vatican out of some huge dedication. I quote it because they probably give more respect to the topic than any other group. I’m pretty sure that the catholic church is more ecumenical on the topic then all the other christian churches….thus, would be going the furthest to prove your point. But in fact, they don’t.

  8. Yeah, I understand that Jewish religious leaders were behind the death of Jesus. Tah dah! My point: Who cares? As a Christian, I believe that Jesus CHOSE to die. He laid his life down. The race or religion of the human beings who carried this out has no bearing on the act itself. Sure, some idiot somewhere on the planet will “blame the Jews”. So what? Stupid people will always be with us.

    The problem lies in our view of the crucifiction. It seems as if you want to get to the bottom of it as a historically probable happening and assign blame – or you fear people who may do the same. I’m looking at the event as perfectly historically viable and spiritually necessary for the redemptive plan to be carried out; God’s will, if you will, and an integral, literal part of my faith.

    Gibson is no anti-Semite. I think we’ll find that his movie communicates, where relevant, the acts of some corrupt, individual, religious leaders without denigrating Judaism itself. Ignoring the crucifiction for fear of a pointless offense is as offensive to Christians as true anti-Semitism is to Jews.

    Once again, Jesus proves to be the “rock to make men stumble.” And thus shall it ever be…

  9. The Christian assigning of blame for the cruxifiction to Jews goes way, way back, and has remained a durable, if not universal, belief.

    Speaking of corrections, Gibson’s not a Catholic, nor a mainstream Christian. Check out his sect.

  10. Word to Ben. I agree. I was only disputing the post “Just for the record, it was the Romans who killed Jesus…”. I just think that level of simplicity is dismissive to the event itself, and the religious texts that support it.

    If you give away the historical happenings and the story itself, then you are dismissing the Bible, and then there’s resolution for noone. I’m not a blame-tracker…I’m just trying to say, don’t ignore the story. If from the very beginning you ignore the simple story, then you have no chance of interpreting the spiritual side, because you have ignored everything. If none of what I said makes sense….look at Ben’s paper. I think he got it right.

  11. Snopes is, as ever, worth reading on Gibson, Gibson’s father, and their sect.

    One name for the sect is “sedevacantists“. My previous post saying Gibson’s not a Catholic is a bit strong – he rejects Vatican II and doesn’t recognize the current pope, is what I was thinking. Sectarian, fringe, not on the outside.

    For that matter, we’re neglecting the other book upon which this film is based: Anne Catherine Emmerich’s The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Here’s an outline of the book, and the CE’s entry on Emmerich.

  12. Hmm…. if my reading is correct, doesn’t every piece of Paul’s scripture (yes people, it’s found in the Bible) blame the Jews for Jesus’ death? Paul doesn’t even mention Pilate!

    As for Pilate, the reluctant Roman Governor…. is he not quoted as saying, “I find no sin in this just man, take him and judge him for yourself”. “I wash my hands before the son, I am innocent of the blood from this just man”, with the Jews then screaming, “His blood be upon US AND ON OUR CHILDREN”.

    The Jewish authorites wanted him dead, but they had no cause…. and they knew that the Jewish people ultimately accepted him as a prophet. They needed an escape goat, which, of course, was Pontious Pilate!

    Isn’t it funny how most ‘Christians’ tend to forget what actually happened to Pilate after Ceasar found out! Pilate was BE-HEADED!

    And let’s not forget, if it were’nt for the ROMAN Emperor Constantine, Christianity would not even exist! Who dares to argue this?

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