Scorpion and others who have reservations about the Passion
May I add a few things to hopefully help you in your dilemma about t his movie?
Webmaster and Scorpion , I know that this is a reply I have given elsewhere, but this is an open forum and I wanted others to have the chance to comment as well. Scorpion you are raising issues that must be discussed.
*********************************************************
I have read articles like this one a few times, after having seen the movie myself , and have these thoughts about some of the concerns.
1. I wonder if the author had actually seen the movie before he wrote the article.
2. The author appears to me to have a strong aversion to catholicism. As such, he highlighted things pertaining to the Catholic impression of the Passion. Yes, they were definitely part of the movie, but when I returned home, and having not read about the movie prior to seeing it, I thought the Catholic parts were underplayed, and definitely left no impression on me. The scenes depicting the "road to calvary" left me wishing they would hurry up and get there, and for me, the most profound moment, was when Simeon encouraged Jesus with his words that "we are almost there, it's almost over with."
3. The central role of Satan in the road from creation to the cross was highlighted throughout the entire movie. Equally highlighted was his crushing defeat and expelling to the pit. Would Satan want the world to see him as a totally defeated foe? I think not.
4. Jesus's disciples once asked the Lord the same sort of questions this article raises. In Luke 9 this story is told to us
49"Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us."
50"Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."
I think these verses speak for themselves, but my thoughts are "who am I to say that Mel Gibson has no right to express His thoughts on the Crucifixion and Resurrection in any way he pleases. The proof in the end, is "by their fruits you will know them" and around the world, all indications are, that God is using all means to bring people to Himself, including this movie. Peter learned a very important lesson in Acts 10. Are the same thoughts applicable here?
13Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."
14"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."
15The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."
5. The use of porn stars, if that is what they are, for I must admit, all the websites I have so far looked at, don't actually declare any of them in the way that site does. For Matrix fans, Monica Bellucci also played in both the first two movies.
But, if they are.. well another part of the movie that touched me deeply, was the scene where those who would stone the adulterous woman, had to drop their stones and move away. I guess again Jesus's words ring out to me here "he who is without sin, let him cast the first stone."
May God touch the hearts of all the actors deeply if he hasn't already. May I let Jim Caviezel have the last word (He played Jesus)
"I didn't think I was worthy to play Christ. I felt it was impossible. That's when God's voice came to me, "Hey don't you worry about it. Let me take care of it, and will you allow me to use you to play?"
And that's when I just said " All right, I'm going to let you perform and I'm going to step out of the way. I didn't want people to see me. I just wanted them to see the Christ."