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OT: Paul Harvey on Mel Gibson's "The Passion"
Thought you all might like these reviews of Mel's controversial movie:
Paul Harvey Comments on "The Passion" by Mel Gibson The majority of the media are complaining about this movie. Now Paul Harvey tells "The rest of the story" and David Limbaugh praises Gibson. Most people would wait and see a movie before giving the reviews that have been issued by the reporters trying to tell all of us what to believe. Paul Harvey's words: I really did not know what to expect. I was thrilled to have been invited to a private viewing of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion," but I had also read all the cautious articles and spin. I grew up in a Jewish town and owe much of my own faith journey to the influence. I have a life long, deeply held aversion to anything that might even indirectly encourage any form of anti-Semitic thought, language or actions. I arrived at the private viewing for "The Passion", held in Washington DC and greeted some familiar faces. The environment was typically Washingtonian, with people greeting you with a smile but seeming to look beyond you, having an agenda beyond the words.. The film was very briefly introduced, without fanfare, and then the room darkened. From the gripping opening scene in the Garden of Gethsemane, to the very human and tender portrayal of the earthly ministry of Jesus, through the betrayal, the arrest, the scourging, the way of the cross, the encounter with the thieves, the surrender on the Cross, until the final scene in the empty tomb, this was not simply a movie; it was an encounter, unlike anything I have ever experienced. In addition to being a masterpiece of film-making and an artistic triumph, "The Passion" evoked more deep reflection, sorrow and emotional reaction within me than anything since my wedding, my ordination or the birth of my children. Frankly, I will never be the same. When the film concluded, this "invitation only" gathering of "movers and shakers" in Washington, DC were shaking indeed, but this time from sobbing. I am not sure there was a dry eye in the place. The crowd that had been glad-handing before the film was now eerily silent. No one could speak because words were woefully inadequate. We had experienced a kind of art that is a rarity in life, the kind that makes heaven touch earth. One scene in the film has now been forever etched in my mind. A brutalized, wounded Jesus was soon to fall again under the weight of the cross. His mother had made her way along the Via Della Rosa. As she ran to him, she flashed back to a memory of Jesus as a child, falling in the dirt road outside of their home. Just as she reached to protect him from the fall, she was now reaching to touch his wounded adult face. Jesus looked at her with intensely probing and passionately loving eyes (and at all of us through the screen) and said "Behold I make all things new." These are words taken from the last Book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelations. Suddenly, the purpose of the pain was so clear and the wounds, that earlier in the film had been so difficult to see in His face, His back, indeed all over His body, became intensely beautiful. They had been borne voluntarily for love. At the end of the film, after we had all had a chance to recover, a question and answer period ensued. The unanimous praise for the film, from a rather diverse crowd, was as astounding as the compliments were effusive. The questions included the one question that seems to follow this film, even though it has not yet even been released. "Why is this film considered by some to be "anti-Semitic?" Frankly, having now experienced (you do not "view" this film) "the Passion" it is a question that is impossible to answer. A law professor whom I admire sat in front of me. He raised his hand and responded "After watching this film, I do not understand how anyone can insinuate that it even remotely presents that the Jews killed Jesus. It doesn't." He continued "It made me realize that my sins killed Jesus" I agree. There is not a scintilla of anti-Semitism to be found anywhere in this powerful film. If there were, I would be among the first to decry it. It faithfully tells the Gospel story in a dramatically beautiful, sensitive and profoundly engaging way. Those who are alleging otherwise have either not seen the film or have another agenda behind their protestations. This is not a "Christian" film, in the sense that it will appeal only to those who identify themselves as followers of Jesus Christ. It is a deeply human, beautiful story that will deeply touch all men and women. It is a profound work of art. Yes, its producer is a Catholic Christian and thankfully has remained faithful to the Gospel text; if that is no longer acceptable behavior than we are all in trouble. History demands that we remain faithful to the story and Christians have a right to tell it. After all, we believe that it is the greatest story ever told and that its message is for all men and women. The greatest right is the right to hear the truth. We would all be well advised to remember that the Gospel narratives to which "The Passion" is so faithful were written by Jewish men who followed a Jewish Rabbi whose life and teaching have forever changed the history of the world. The problem is not the message but those who have distorted it and used it for hate rather than love. The solution is not to censor the message, but rather to promote the kind of gift of love that is Mel Gibson's filmmaking masterpiece, "The Passion." It should be seen by as many people as possible. I intend to do everything I can to make sure that is the case. I am passionate about "The Passion." You will be as well. Don't miss it! |
This is a commentary by DAVID LIMBAUGH about
Mel Gibson's very controversial movie regarding Christ's crucifixion. It, too, is well worth reading. MEL GIBSON'S passion for "THE PASSION" How ironic that when a movie producer takes artistic license with historical events, he is lionized as artistic, creative and brilliant, but when another takes special care to be true to the real-life story, he is vilified. Actor- producer Mel Gibson is discovering these truths the hard way as he is having difficulty finding a United States studio or distributor for his upcoming film, "The Passion," which depicts the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus Christ. Gibson co-wrote the script and financed, directed and produced the movie. For the script, he and his co-author relied on the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, as well as the diaries of St. Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) and Mary of Agreda's "The City of God." Gibson doesn't want this to be like other sterilized religious epics. "I'm trying to access the story on a very personal level and trying to be very real about it." So committed to realistically portraying what many would consider the most important half-day in the history of the universe, Gibson even shot the film in the Aramaic language of the period. In response to objections that viewers will not be able to understand that language, Gibson said, "Hopefully, I'll be able to transcend the language barriers with my visual storytelling; if I fail, I fail, but at least it'll be a monumental failure." To further insure the accuracy of the work, Gibson has enlisted the counsel of pastors and theologians, and has received rave reviews. Don Hodel, president of Focus on the Family, said, "I was very impressed. The movie is historically and theologically accurate." Ted Haggard, pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., and president of the National Evangelical Association, glowed: "It conveys, more accurately than any other film, who Jesus was." During the filming, Gibson, a devout Catholic, attended Mass every morning because "we had to be squeaky clean just working on this." From Gibson's perspective, this movie is not about Mel Gibson. It's bigger than he is. "I'm not a preacher, and I'm not a pastor," he said. "But I really feel my career was leading me to make this. The Holy Ghost was working through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic. I hope the film has the power to evangelize." Even before the release of the movie, scheduled for March 2004, Gibson is getting his wish. "Everyone who worked on this movie was changed. There were agnostics and Muslims on set converting to Christianity...[and] people being healed of diseases." Gibson wants people to understand through the movie, if they don't already, the incalculable influence Christ has had on the world. And he grasps that Christ is controversial precisely because of WHO HE IS - GOD incarnate. "And that's the point of my film really, to show all that turmoil around him politically and with religious leaders and the people, all because He is Who He is." Gibson is beginning to experience first hand just how controversial Christ is. Critics have not only speciously challenged the movie's authenticity, but have charged that it is disparaging to Jews, which Gibson vehemently denies. "This is not a Christian vs. Jewish thing. '[Jesus] came into the world, and it knew him not.' Looking at Christ's crucifixion, I look first at my own culpability in that." Jesuit Father William J. Fulco, who translated the script into Aramaic and Latin, said he saw no hint of anti-Semitism in the movie. Fulco added, "I would be aghast at any suggestion that Mel Gibson is anti-Semitic." Nevertheless, certain groups and some in the mainstream press have been very critical of Gibson's "Passion." The New York Post's Andrea Peyser chided him: "There is still time, Mel, to tell the truth." Boston Globe columnist James Carroll denounced Gibson's literal reading of the biblical accounts. "Even a faithful repetition of the Gospel stories of the death of Jesus can do damage exactly because those sacred texts themselves carry the virus of Jew hatred," wrote Carroll. A group of Jewish and Christian academics has issued an 18-page report slamming all aspects of the film, including its undue emphasis on Christ's passion rather than "a broader vision." The report disapproves of the movie's treatment of Christ's passion as historical fact. The moral is that if you want the popular culture to laud your work on Christ, make sure it either depicts Him as a homosexual or as an everyday sinner with no particular redeeming value (literally). In our anti-Christian culture, the blasphemous "The Last Temptation of Christ" is celebrated and "The Passion" is condemned. But if this movie continues to affect people the way it is now, no amount of cultural opposition will suppress its force and its positive impact on lives everywhere. Mel Gibson is a model of faith and courage. |
Great Posts! :thumbsup:
I plan on taking my mother to see it......if I can find it when it comes out. |
if you go to either the fan site or the official site for the movie they have theater listings, they are'nt the most complete things in the universe (they listed 3 in Cincinnati, but don't ask me which Showcase goes by Showcase 12. :rolleyes:
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Jewels thank you for posting BOTH of those reviews. :thumbsup:
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Thanks Jewels!
I have only one thing to say to people who call it anti-semetic, or blame any group for crucifying Jesus: Christians believe that Christ was there to take the sins of all men onto himself, so that those who would believe in him would be saved. Therefore, all of us are responsible for putting him on that cross, and to anyone who would say another is responsible, that person is deluding themselves and saying they are not also sinners. We all did it. And, we still do it, even though we know we did it. We aren't perfect, we're human. Christ's sacrifice makes us perfect in the eyes of God, because he took the punishment. The wage of sin is death. Christ died and was resurrected, he died for our sin so that we might live. Ken |
I'm glad that you posted BOTH reviews. I'm jewish and I have
no problem with someone making a movie that is true to the christian scripture. THere is not and never has been any proof that Mel Gibson was or is in anyway ANTISEMITIC. |
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Believe it or not I encountered more Racism, and antisemitism etc........ at the Democratic National Convention .................. and all my 'former' acquaintances wonder why I am NOW a Registered Republican ................ PULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE!!!! |
Very VERY well said Raymar! couldnt agree with you more.
I tend to personalize the sacrifice of Jesus. I am the reason he went to the cross although he offers the free gift of salvation to all of us. I'm looking forward to seeing The Passion thursday, although I will be doing this alot: :cry: :cry: :cry: The Antisemetic argument makes NO sense. The bible itself says the good news comes first to the Jew, then the gentile. and God plays no favorites. I never once heard a Christian talk negative-critically about the Jews. Infact, I know of a Christain who hung out with some Jewish people during one of their religous celebrations and he had a Great time. Hey Shiningstar! welcome to the Republican party, same here. :thumbsup: :) are most Jews Republican? I would think so seeing as how Republicans usually lean to the side of Israel, and the Dems always prefer the Palesinteans. Not only that, polls clearly show that Republicans are much more religous. (generally speaking). |
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that the democratic party has thrown at them since the FDR days. As for Isreal ........many, many Jews believe the crap about the Palestianions being Oppressed by the JEWS and that we DESERVE to be discriminated against. |
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Thats ludicrous, where are the Jews gonna go if they keep giving up land? They gonna live in the Ocean now? I guess humanity is guaranteed to have war and conflict. unfortunatly. |
The Passion comes out tomorrow. It is playing at two local theaters, one is already sold out!
I'm going to try to see it this weekend. Thank you for posting the reviews, I've always liked Paul Harvey:) Raymar, I agree with you 100%, well said :) Amber |
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I haven't seen it but I really think it would be unfair to call it antisemetic from every indication I see. There were no christian's when Christ was born. No muslims. Just jews and pagans(including romans). So of course your bad guys would have to be chosen from that group.
Btw- Mel Gibson felt so deeply about this, that he said in an interview that it was his hands you seen hammering the nails in the cross. While I'm not religious, I see that's a pretty big statement. He felt that let him be the first sinner, that he is no better than another. :) |
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Second of all on your ? ............ask the Liberals who keep pushing that crap. |
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I haven't seen the film that it's unfair to call it antisemetic. Keep posting thomas. |
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I've always liked him too ...........very reassuring voice ......... :thumbsup: |
Thanks for the comments, everyone: especially Ken. You always state things so much better than I could.
I saw the movie last night. It's intense & powerful and made me think, and :cry: (though not as much as I expected to). And I think the ending is perfect. Wow. Wow to the entire thing. Shiningstar, I think that there are individuals playing Sanhedrin & Priests that will disturb you--their callousness to protect their control over their people at all costs, even a man's life, is just flat out disturbing to anyone. The Romans are even more disturbing. But the movie makes it very clear that the story of Jesus is that his death was his choice and he could have stopped it, had he chosen to. The movie is way too personal to "blame" any group. He, himself, forgave those who carried out his death even as they were killing him. The "blame" rests on all of sinful mankind, and is something that I walked out thinking "he did all that for me" on a totally different level than I as a Christian had experienced that before. I walked out wishing that everyone who saw it, finds the hope in the final scene. Thank you, Mel, that was quite a gift you gave us. |
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things in the history of their ancestors .........but rather then hiding away from it or trying to rewrite history ........... I found it was better to face up to it so that no one would repeat it ................. |
Good words, shiningstar.
Oh, the more I think about the movie: the Sanhedrin of the day were really just trying to preserve their political power and safeguard what they perceived as their people's purity of their faith, while they as a nation were occupied by a monarchy that made the monarch a god to be worshipped. If Jesus wasn't who he said he was (and he wasn't the only 1st century Jew to have followers claiming he was messiah--oppression will bring those types out in a people) then his "I AM" statements would have been blasphemy as they identified him as claiming to be God. Anyway, I see it as God had a plan and they had a role. A huge role full of faithful believers, going back to Abraham that laid the groundwork for their to be an understanding of what sin was, what price had to be paid to eliminate it, and how much God was willing to go through to have a relationship with the people he created. |
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his death then he would never had died on the cross and Christianity wouldn't exist today. As a matter of fact he would have been the greatest teacher of the Jewish faith or simply dismissed as a madman instead of being the messanger of the Christian faith. |
There are two truths to the question of who killed Christ. Of course the Jews killed him, as did the gentiles, as did every person on the face of the earth in the past, present, and future. But the second truth is that Jesus was sent to earth for one reason and one reason alone, to die for our sins and be our salvation. So who killed Christ? Christ did. God did.
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Yes it is true that the PRIESTS had a GREAT role to play in his death ........ Perhaps you though should also remember that one of the Popes I think it was Pope Pious the Twenty third gave absolution to the Jews on that matter. And Pope John Paul has been working tirelessly in order to ensure that Jews were no longer considered subhuman or murderers but Spiritual sisters and brothers. |
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Evil is often done in the name of God. I personally have always believed that's Satan's greatest tool, to decieve by doing "God's Will" supposedly, but really doing the opposite of what God would want. Ken |
Just seen the movie and I'm glad I did. I dont think its something that should be "rated" to be honest. It also depends on where your coming from when you go in there. it is something to see though, so I recommend it.
I didnt see any anti-semitisim at all. The Pharisees were the 2nd most nasty bunch in the movie. They happend to be Jews, but it was because of thier power hungry-jeolousy-blindness-phoney-pridefull religousness that made them so bad. The Roman soldiers were really dispicable. They seemed the worst in the movie taking extreme hearltess pleasure out of torturing the innocent. Even still, I dont want to hurt any Romans now. Its a Love story about good vs. evil. The thing that does aggrivate me, is online you see people screaming about how anti-semetic it is. The protesting itself is what kinda gets too me if anything at all. Its like walking down the street, minding your own business, and some people get in your face accusing you "YO! WHY ARE YOU RACISTS???? YOUR A RACIST!!!! I TELL YOU YOUR A RACIST!!!" over and over again. Thats what gets to you after awhile. anyway, the goodnews is, many complainers are retracting their statements. and some Jewish people are not pleased with the false anti-semetic accusations. This guy I listened to on the radio at http://www.lauraingraham.com/public/ was wonderful. here is his site: http://www.towardtradition.org/ |
Thanks
Thanks, Jewels for posting those. I'm trying to hold off seeing the movie, myself. At least until the crowds die down. But I hope Mel makes his money back 10 fold. As a historian, I appreciate his efforts to be as historically accurate as possible. As a Catholic who finds the Shroud of Turin remarkable, I'm burning to see if the detail captured in the Shroud is going to be reproduced.
Shiningstar, you're input on this was a pleasure to read. I don't want to start a political dicsussion, but as a conservative myself, I can't say I was surprised by the lack of tolerance you found with the tolerance police. I'd say it's a case of "Physician, heal thyself," but that would be cliche. In any case, you're a real 'Shinning Star' on this topic, with your words of wisdom shining through... :salute: Thanks, Gunstar Aries |
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Welcome to the club Sycorax! :thumbsup:
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