February 25, 2004

• ::relieving soapbox tension now::

  “‘The Passion of the Christ’ is the most horrific film I’ve ever seen. I mean that literally and not as an artistic insult” (Cathleen Falsani,
  page 18). Read her article in the Chicago Sun Times today. It is
  amazing. I love how Falsani uses the same phrases I’ve been using for
  the past few days like, “physically impossible for me to watch” and “I
  believe that was [Gibson's good] intention and that it was heartfelt”
  and it has “nothing spiritually inspiring” nor “anti-Semetic.” Falsani
  actually saw the movie, but came to the exact same conclusion I came to
  days ago with out seeing the movie. The next quote is on page 22, and
  it fits me very well.

  “I have no intention to see the film- in
  fact, am making a point not to, which is not exceptional, since I don’t
  see many movies . . . I am missing it, not for any idealogical reasons,
  but for the simple fact that I don’t like bloody films, and this one by
  all accounts is a pip” (Neil Steinberg, Sun Times, 22).

  And now I get to soapbox.

  I,
  a zealous Christian addict, am boycotting The Passion of the Christ. I
  am boycotting the movie not because it is anti-Semitic, or because it
  is out of line with biblical passages (in fact, I suspect that it is
  neither anti-Semitic nor unbiblical), but because it disrespects the
  very person it honors

  First of all, if it is violent enough to
  be rated “R,” then it is violent enough to offend me. Christ himself
  condemned violence, promoting instead love and peace. We read in
  Galations (5:22) that the “fruits of the spirit”‘ are ” love, joy,
  peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
  temperance”. Violence does not create any of those emotions, and yet we
  put pure violence in a supposedly spiritual film. It is not possible
  for me, personally, to feel the Spirit manifest in love, joy, peace,
  gentleness, etc. while watching the most horrific crime in history.

  This
  is not to say that violence is not part of the spiritual world. The
  scriptures are full of violent scenes. However, the violence is always
  a result of sin. Couldn’t we instead show in our entertainment the
  results of righteousness?

  If technology was different and Christ
  was excecuted in an electric chair, would we watch him be electricuted
  to death? I can’t. I can’t watch my Savior be tortured and murdered, I
  would throw up and run to the screen at his feet, begging them to stop
  what was going on. If I didn’t, then would I be different from Pilot?
  What makes the crowds of thousands who will flood theaters to see “The
  Passion of the Christ” any different from the mobs who went to see the
  real Christ crucified. Both are looking for a bloody show.

  Now
  saying that I realize that there are some who will go to see the movie
  because they are devout Christians who want to understand Christ
  sacrifice. I believe, though, that this movie will not teach you
  anything that you do not allready know or could not discover by reading
  the scriptures. Go to the closest source. Study scripture, ponder, then
  Pray. If you want to understand the sacrifice of God, ask God. Don’t
  ask Gibson, ask God.

  If you have the means and desire to really
  honor Christ, why choose to show his darkest hour, when he is betrayed
  by his friends and crucified by his people. Why do we celebrate the
  torture of Jesus? There are so many moments in Christ’s life to
  capture. So many miracles, teachings, and triumphs. Show him on the
  Sermon on the Mount, or at the wells of bathsheba. Show him ascending
  into Heaven. Show Mary crying by the garden tomb.

  Clearly the
  movie was meant to draw a large audience, and with good intention and
  purpose, but do we need to use violence to draw a large following of
  believers, or can we use God’s word? Don’t we have the faith to believe
  that God’s word is powerful enough to draw God’s crowd?

  • 6:47 pm
  • 4 Comments