The Passion of the Christ

Dr Lobster*
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From BBC News Online:
Journalists appeared "mildly shell-shocked" after a screening of Mel Gibson's controversial film The Passion, said the BBC's David Willis.
The film about the crucifixion of Jesus has already drawn comments over its highly violent nature.

Mr Willis told BBC Radio Five Live the film was a "harrowing portrayal" and it was definitely not for the squeamish.

But he said the violent scenes appeared to be justified because of the religious tone of the film.


Gibson has directed The Passion of the Christ as a personal project, investing $15m of his own money in to it.

Before showing it to journalists he screened it to many church leaders and Christian groups, including TV evangelists, to help market the film by word of mouth.

But Jewish groups have accused the film of provoking anti-Semitism saying it blames the crucifixion of Christ entirely on the Jews.

Jewish group the Anti-Defamation League is pressing for a post-script reminder to be added to the film along the lines of "Jesus died for the sins of all men".

Mr Willis said some Christian groups had called it the "greatest recruiting tool" for the faith, with one evangelist saying it would help spread the word.

The Passion of the Christ is released in the US on 25 February, Ash Wednesday, and in the UK on 26 March.

Telegraph critic John Hiscock wrote that there is "little respite" from violence in the film, questioning if adults would be able to endure the bloody scenes.
What a suprise, if it isn't the arabs, it's the jews.

Now they are crying anti-Semitism over actual events portrayed in the bible?

Why can't they just shut the f*ck up and just get on with life like the rest of us? Crikey.

It's only a film boys and girls.
Dr Lobster*
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CraigF wrote:Anti-semitism, you can't win. What a great tool for them to use in their everyday lives. :roll:
Indeed, its now becoming almost as much as a Cliché as Ali G's "... is it cos i is black"

Call every bit of critical analysis on a specific group of people as racism or anti-Semitism. It controls us, and stops you asking the most important questions about the way things are.
cat
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How silly. I don't see what they're getting so cross about - it says it in their own relgious book too! Honestly. So much fuss about a fictional story.
Erm... not really.

The fundamental point is that Jews do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, they do not follow the idea of a Holy Trinity - father, son, holy spirit.

Jews believe that God exists... full stop. Any attempt to dilute God, by giving him a son or whatever is frowned upon.

There's no doubt that there was a man called Jesus, and that he was crucified, so not a fictional story from that perspective. The debate is whether he did what Christians claim - i.e. miracles.
johnnyboy
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Jewish Groups Calls 'The Passion' An Act Of Terrorism

"WASHINGTON D.C. (Capitol Press) - A prominent Jewish organization has denounced Mel Gibson's "The Passion" as an act of terrorism and can prove the movie violates the Patriot Act.

Jews Against Anti-Semitism, a recently formed Washington D.C. based defense league for Jews, has issued a press release pointing out sections of U.S. law which are being violated by Mel Gibson's film.

"Clearly there are laws on the books which have outlawed the inciting of riots or acts civil disobedience which endanger human life. Mel Gibson's movie will incite violence against Jews and put the lives of million of Jews in danger" said Rabbi David Feldman, a spokes person for Jews Against Anti-Semitism.

According to Rabbi Feldman "Under Section 802 of the 2001 USA Patriot Act, any crime which endangers human life is defined as an act of domestic terrorism. Mel Gibson's incitement of anti-Semitism is a civil disobedience crime which endangers human life and under the Patriot Act "The Passion" is an act of domestic terrorism"

The USA Patriot Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C. in order to protect Americans from terrorism.

"We are hereby calling on Attorney General John Ashcroft, the Department of Justice, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and the Department of Homeland Security to arrest Mel Gibson as a terrorist, confiscate all prints of "the Passion", confiscate all materials related to the film as "terrorist paraphernalia" and shut down every terrorist hate site on the internet supporting the film" said Rabbi Feldman.

The Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security have yet to respond to the inquiries made by Capitol Press regarding this story."
Dr Lobster*
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Surely though this is a valid interpretation of the biblical text? it's not the film that incites racial hatred, but the bible itself [or ones interpretation of it]?
chinajan
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Shamelessly stolen from another site:

'I would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for you meddling yids'
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MrTomServo
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I'm probably going to be labeled anti-Semitic for this, and not having seen the movie myself, my thoughts are probably groundless anyway.

But frequently, fundamentalist Christians *do* tend to blame "all Jews" for the death of Christ. Even though this is clearly not true, because only "some Jews" were even involved in the death itself, and the crucifixion was carried out by Roman soldiers (who conceivably aren't Jewish). Nevertheless, fundamentalist Christians, who might also tend to be more racist toward any non-white ethnic group, do tend to use the article "all" when referring to the noun form of said groups. For example, "all asians can't see well," or "all blacks are gang members." This is a cultural difference, and not one defined in the Bible or Torah.

Jewish community groups, though, are taking this as a religious affront, and not a cultural one. I can understand and appreciate their desire to ensure that no Jewish man or woman is the subject of a hate crime. And I think Jewish groups think that closed-minded people who see the movie will be angered by the actions of a few in the film, and choose to take out their hostility on "all" the Jews around them.

But the press release Johnnyboy mentioned above is overreacting, I think.

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johnnyboy
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CraigF wrote:That's a bit of a contradiction. We can't accept that there is no God at all because we can't currently prove it, like you said. You have to remain neutral and open-minded, as I mentioned earlier.

I can't believe that people dismiss God because of a belief in science.
Exactly - even with all the scientific instrumentation we have created, as well as the five senses we possess, it is *estimated* that we are only aware of 5% of the world around us.

We can't discount anything with confidence. We also can't affirm anything with confidence. Science and religion are far too confident about their claims.
cdd
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CraigF wrote:am able to predict what is going to happen to me the next day in a dream the previous night?
Hey -- that happens to me too. Really obscure things, too!
noelfirl
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cdd wrote:
CraigF wrote:am able to predict what is going to happen to me the next day in a dream the previous night?
Hey -- that happens to me too. Really obscure things, too!
It's quite the same for me... I may or may not have a very very vague recollection, but when it happens I know I have seen it before, and nothing will convince me that it is not some form of "sixth sense".
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Pete
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I went to a C of E school myself and don't believe in any of it. I do remember drawing our vision of heaven in year 3 though, Sarah who was sitting next to me had a big sign at the entrance to her's.

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