Mel Gibson - Our "Christian" Hero - (The Passion of the Christ) Summary
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1. What follows is a compilation of the concerns we have about Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ. By way of introduction, here are some preparational thoughts:
a. Take heed that no man deceive you. (Matt 24:4)
b. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (I Thess 5:21)
c. "if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there ... behold he is in the secret chambers; believe it not." (Matt 24:22-26)
d. Perhaps a theatre today is a secret chamber. ... every man in the chambers of his imagery ... (Ez 8:12)
2. In addition to our own thoughts about this movie, we have relied heavily on the following sources for this summary: (SOURCE DOCUMENTATION HERE):
a. Baptist preacher David Cloud has a wealth of articles about the Passion, including many secular quotes, testimonies, and comments of fellow Christians at: "http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/fbns-index/index2fbns.htm" (These articles have been removed from David Cloud's website, the Roman Catholic portion of which is available at: http://www.wayoflife.org/database/rccheader.html)
b. Deception in the Church, Sandy Simpson, has many extensive reviews written by various Christian authors at: http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/bookreviews.html#p
c. Roger Oakland reviews the Passion here:
1) http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/passionevangelism.shtml and
2) http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c23.shtml
d. For even more detailed analysis:
"http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/melgibson-thepassionofthechrist/dowehave-artistic-license.html" (These articles have been removed from David Cloud's website, the Roman Catholic portion of which is available at: http://www.wayoflife.org/database/rccheader.html)
3. Here is our summary of concerns, which is by no means exhaustive, primarily from the information in the source documentation above: IMPACT ON VIEWER AND BASIC REASONS FOR CONCERN:
1) burns vivid images of tortured man into one's mind (of actor Jim Caviezel playing Jesus).
2) difficult to erase these images when praying - some people regret having seen the images
3) movie stresses physical things - torture, pain and human responses: man looks on outward appearance (I Sam 16:7);
4) bible avoids presenting "image" of God/Jesus; we walk by faith and not by sight (II Cor 5:7)
5) bible avoids focus on suffering; movie 'revels' in suffering (Catholic imagery/doctrine of suffering Christ, mass)
6) movie's images and music evoke emotional response, do not convey truth of gospel, nor of historical events (despite claims of ecumenical leaders - Robertson, Dobson, Falwell, Graham, etc
7) Viewers recall events and speak as if movie is the actual word of God. A recent P&R caller wanted to know prophetic significance of two events (didn't realize they were unscriptural); Another lady was heard to say, "The Bible just kind of glosses over what He suffered, but the movie goes into so much more detail." [Note from Brother Cloud: This poor lady has things exactly backwards, judging the Bible by the movie, but that is the power of the movie media today. http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/melgibson-thepassionofthechrist/positive-responses.html]
(These articles have been removed from David Cloud's website, the Roman Catholic portion of which is available at: http://www.wayoflife.org/database/rccheader.html)
8) bible stresses purpose of Jesus' death; movie stresses method of death in slow motion, excruciating detail
9) NOTHING in the movie is real, NONE of the events really happened as depicted, NONE of the people looked like the actors who portrayed them
10) the movie is Restricted - excessively brutal violence
11) produced by a staunch Catholic, ungodly man, who was full of obscenities and filming other violent movies while planning production of this 'Christian' movie. http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/melgibson-thepassionofthechrist/moral-vileness.html
(These articles have been removed from David Cloud's website, the Roman Catholic portion of which is available at: http://www.wayoflife.org/database/rccheader.html)
12) many ecumenical leaders endorse the movie, including: Billy Graham, James Dobson, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. Some of these have signed the Evangelical and Catholics Together Document
13) doesn't explain why Jewish leaders want Jesus to die
14) doesn't explain who Jesus is
15) no purpose for death, no explanation of sin, no repentance, no judgment to come, no need for acceptance of Saviour, no gospel message (therefore no real evangelical power)
16) events were missing that would otherwise validate old testament prophecies - ex: casting lots for his garments
17) Jesus and disciples had long hippy hair in contradiction of (I Cor 11:14); Roman soldiers had short hair (historically accurate)
18) Gibson claims not to know scriptural account well himself; relied on two catholic mystics for things he "never would have thought of"
19) Jim Caviesel shouted obscenities at actor playing Roman soldier who hurt him with real whip during filming (not part of movie)
20) Caviesel describes on 700 Club how he was angry at God while hanging on the cross. He had obscenities boiling up in him, he says, and he screamed at God, ' We're breaking our backs down here and you don't even care!!' Originally at "http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/ScottRoss-Jim_Caviezel_2.asp", now at: http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/ScottRoss-Jim_Caviezel_2.aspx
21) Mel Gibson has built his career on violence and restricted movies
22) Three of the main female actresses (Mary Magdalene, Pilate's wife and Satan) are hard core pornographic actresses
23) Two of the main female actresses (Mary and Mary Magdalene) also played in Dracula movies
24) foundation of faith is shifted from simple faith in God's word as written, to sympathy for the brutally treated fictional character depicted onscreen
25) movie as a "tool" for evangelism may be "image" of God in contravention of 2nd commandment - Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above ...
26) There was a reason why God simply said they "scourged Jesus" and "they crucified him." (Matt 27) Therefore, there is a problem when Mel Gibson takes approximately two hours to graphically portray a vision of these events from his own heart, in excruciating detail.
27) There was a reason why God included great detail and many infallible proofs regarding the resurrection of Jesus. (Acts 1:3) Therefore, there is a problem when Mel Gibson spends only a few seconds on this pivotal event and corrupts even that truth with a concluding image of a naked Jesus.
CATHOLIC:
1) opened on Ash Wednesday
2) Pope calls Lent a time for conversion, looks ahead to Ash Wednesday http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=49456 (This article is no longer available at the link. See next link for more.)
3) Vittorio Messori calls the movie "a MASS"
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=49259
4) Roman Catholics understand that it is a Catholic movie http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/melgibson-thepassionofthechrist/melgibsons-film.html (These articles have been removed from David Cloud's website, the Roman Catholic portion of which is available at: http://www.wayoflife.org/database/rccheader.html)
5) Gibson and Caviesel are staunchly Roman Catholic and attended Mass each day to be 'squeaky clean' for the production
6) Catholics, Charismatics, protestants, Evangelicals are working side-by-side to promote this movie (United Gospel??)
7) Other participants were "saved" while working on the project and joined with Gibson in celebrating Mass
8) movie follows the catholic teaching of 14 stations of the cross
9) Mary is strong; Jesus is weak
10) While praying, Jesus refers to himself as 'son of God's handmaid' (Mary, Mother of God?)
11) Mary 'senses' that Jesus has been captured
12) young woman, Veronica, wipes Jesus' face and discovers his image imprinted into the cloth (Shroud of Turin concept)
13) Mary participates in key stages of story - mops up Jesus' blood, watches the scourging, provides strength along route
14) Subtitles refer to Mary as Mother, with capital "M"
15) Only Jesus and Mary are able to "see" the woman who plays Satan
16) Mary asks Jesus to let her die with him (Co-redemptress)
17) Mary is mystically linked with Jesus as he is suspended from shackles in the room below her floor.
18) Peter kneels before Mary, calls her "Mother" and confesses he has denied Christ. She reaches out in forgiveness and he runs away saying he's not worthy. (But, Peter didn't sin against Mary.)
19) a flashback of the Last Supper, as Jesus is crucified, clearly teaches the purpose of the Mass and the unfinished work of the cross.
20) Jesus dies on crucifix; thieves die on Tau crosses
21) Mary kisses Jesus' feet on the cross and steps back with blood on her face and dripping into her mouth (literal transubstantiation)
22) Mary cradles the dead body of Jesus (Pieta) at the foot of the cross
UNSCRIPTURAL/EXTRA-BIBLICAL:
1) Jesus is tempted by Satan in Garden of Gethsemane
2) Satan is female, despite the bible's clear reference to his masculinity
3) Satan knows that Jesus intends to die for sins of the world when bible says he didn't know this (I Cor 2:8)
4) Satan (a woman) carries around a hideous 'demonic' baby, as a contrast to virgin Mary and her Holy child (catholic Madonna and child)
5) Jesus is dangled over a bridge on a chain and is jerked back up
6) Judas tells two Jewish children (complete with Kippahs) to leave him alone. They mock him, bite and tear his flesh with their teeth, morph into devils and chase him into the desert to suicide (unscriptural and anti-Semitic)
7) Final scene of movie burns image of naked Jesus in minds of viewers
8) No one fell backward when Jesus said "I am he" (John 18:6) - (movie denies his deity)
9) Movie has disciples in sword fight when bible says only Peter resisted and was rebuked
10) Pilate's wife gives towels to Mary, to wipe up Jesus' blood
11) Jesus is nailed to cross, the cross is lifted up and dropped on him, face into the dirt
12) a bird pecks out eye of the unrepentant thief on cross
13) floggings, beatings, etc are so excessive that normal person would have died a few times - credibility is lacking
14) soldier attempts to break Jesus' legs, but is stopped by earthquake
15) roman soldier is showered in excessive blood/water when he pierces Jesus' side