Mel's 'passion' Put To The Test

[ddlewis86]

November 17, 2003 -- The Post recently obtained a copy of Mel Gibson's controversial, still-unreleased biblical epic, "The Passion of Christ."
Although it has been seen by relatively few people, the film - slated for release on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2004 - has revived fears of renewed Judeo-Christian discord after years of hard-won harmony.

"The Passion" has been denounced by some Jewish leaders as anti-Semitic and likely to incite violence. They claim it portrays the Jewish people as culpable for Christ's death - contrary to Vatican II's declaration that "what happened in [Christ's] Passion cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today."

The film has been lauded by most conservative Catholics as a powerful and biblically accurate depiction of the last 12 hours of Christ's life. And they contend that most of those who condemn it haven't even seen it.

Gibson, an ultraconservative Catholic who rejects the reforms of Vatican II, insists he made the film "to inspire, not offend."

To find out how viewers of wide-ranging backgrounds would react to the film, The Post held a private screening for a small panel: a rabbi, a priest, a professor of early Christianity, and a Post reader - a Baptist - picked at random.

Here's what they had to say about the rough-cut version of the film that we screened - with temporary English subtitles, no credits and further editing changes likely.

http://www.nypost.com/cgi-bin/printfriendly.pl

[InHisTime]

Gibson, an ultraconservative Catholic who rejects the reforms of Vatican II

What does that mean exactly? Sorry, I don't know alot of Catholic history.

dawn

[ddlewis86]

Originally posted by InHisTime
What does that mean exactly? Sorry, I don't know alot of Catholic history.

dawn


There have been several councils that allowed the RCC to define itself as a religion. Vatican 1 and Vatican 2 were the last two councils to take place. I am not a Catholic but I know that many Catholics feel that Vatican 2 was a "REDEFINITION" of Catholicism.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html

[tractsforchrist]

I used to be catholic but that was a couple of years ago.. [I grew up completely catholic in a catholic school<--my dad is a blue blood catholic and my mother is a converted from methodism)

From what I was taught in elementry school, Vatican 2 made a lot of changes that I personally feel that are necessary (please excuse catholisicism for a sec , i.e. beliefs as I try to define it)

1. One thing is that the masses are no longer required to be in Latin :freaked
That would of been so bad! They would make you in the old days learn Latin in elementry school

2. The bars were shut down. There used to be a half-wall that would separate the priest and the congregation.. This sort of sounds like the jewish custom of the curtain covering God in the temple? The priest was considered to be communing with God and that the priest should be separated from the congregation

Here are the parts I THINK went into VII

3. A lot of liberal catholicism was introduced

4. Open talking with other christian faiths... I think this meant no more excommunicating at the drop of the hat..

Other than that I have no real clue.. Though I know until VII the RCC was very much like the Greek Orthodox I think except with differences..

[TyTex]

I found the reactions of the five screeners fascinating.

Of the five, only the woman identified as a Baptist reader of the newspaper reacted positively to what she saw. It made her appreciate even more the sacrifice made by our Lord.

Of the remaining four, the rabbi, the priest, and the religion professor all reacted very negatively to the film. The paper's film critic wandered around with his opinion before apparently deciding the film would ultimately have little impact.

This makes me wonder whether the film will simply strengthen the faith of those who already believe and harden even more those who have already rejected Him thus far. What effect will it have on someone who is teetering on the edge of trusting in Jesus? Hopefully, it will be the final push they need to believe.

[pilgrimian]

I'll still see the movie...I am already curious whether I will agree with it. But we shall see. It can't be any worse than what Scorcese did (though on a totally objective level what Scorcese did was not horrible...but just not particuarly wise). Christ was tempted, indeed.

Hmmmm...yes, I'll see the movie.

Godspeed,
Matthew