'Passion' shakes North Jersey clergy to the core

The Record of Hackensack ^ | 02.29.04

[MissAmericanPie]

"I saw it as religious barbarism ... in my opinion, God did not send his son to die,'' said Lasch, of St. Joseph's Church of Mendham. "God sent his son to live, to be faithful. And in being faithful, it cost him his life.''

Where in the world did this guy go to seminary school? It needs to be closed if that is what he came away with.

[Arthur McGowan]

It's a distinction without a difference. Jesus did not commit suicide, and so in that sense didn't die "on purpose." But his death was an inevitable, necessary consequence of his coming into the world and revealing the Father and doing the will of the Father with perfect fidelity.

[185JHP]

The Jews Our Lord referred to in Matthew 25:13 were the Jews who hated Him and schemed to have Him killed. The other Jews loved, supported and later died for Him.

[des]

Wow. I can't event believe he said this.

[Heatseeker]

Where did this guy get his priestly credentials from? The ACME Theology School?

LOL! I think the good father is going to get a call from a guy named Ratzinger soon. This is not a good thing career-wise, methinks.

On a side note: Padre, if this dumb old Southern Baptist redneck knows more about Catholic theology than you do, that's not a good thing either. :)

[schmelvin]

Isn't it basic Christian theology that Jesus was sent to die for mankind's sins? I'm not Christian so correct me if I'm wrong.

Celtjew, you're correct. It seems these days that most non-Christians (and even many atheists) have a better understanding of the basic tenets of Christianity than some of our so-called Christian clergy. It's scary.

Correct me on the theological point that is, not on my beliefs. 8>)

LOL!

[Aquinasfan]

One Catholic priest in Morris County was so appalled by Mel Gibson's "The Passion of The Christ'' that he described the film as "religious barbarism.''

Behold the Man, and the lash marks.

[Aquinasfan]

It would seem to me to be the rankest sort of hypocricy to fraudlently claim membership in a church, but not believe in the church's basic items of faith and its scriptures.

True. But then, we're all sinners. He may have had the faith and lost it, or had it slowly corrupted.

Life is a very fluid situation.

[RinaseaofDs]

This does not surprise me in the least. I personally want to hear what the retired Episcopalian archbishop Spong has to say about this movie.

He of the, "Christ is not the only road into heaven" school of secular salvation.

[utahagen]

This priest is just plain wrong from a theological perspective. Catholic teaching is unequivocal on the point that God did in fact send His son to die for our sins.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I would wonder if the Shroud even depicted the whole horror. Someone else is claiming something like 5400 wounds. That would not be a man, that would be hamburger.

[HiTech RedNeck]

One of the reasons I am not a member of an organised religion, is I have not found one with a basic belief system I can fully embrace.

I had that same conundrum at the time I first became a Christian. "Gotta find someone with all the right doctrines or I'll go to hell." I ended up choosing Lutheran, but that's another story. A decade and a half of experience has taught that there is one basic belief issue, that of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Everything else is on the side. The worst church that still claims Jesus as only God, Lord, and Savior, would be better than nothing.

[GraniteStateConservative]

And since the Romans came off as the bad guys, flaying Jesus as they did, I wondered why the two thieves who were crucified along with Jesus didn't come in for the same treatment.

I think for two reasons-- that Satan wanted them to overdo it and because the point was to get the Jewish priests to back off the crucifixion by showing them that Jesus had been punished severely already. The whipping they did was a separate punishment from crucifixion.

[ladyjane]

Didn't Northern New Jersey have that same 'little problem' that Boston had? Maybe this guy is one of the boys.

[Skooz]

"I saw it as religious barbarism ... in my opinion, God did not send his son to die,'' said Lasch, of St. Joseph's Church of Mendham.

Get another job, Mr. Lasch. You were not called to this one.

[philosofy123]

It wasn't THE Jews, it was SOME Jews. Actually, it was some Jews two thousand years ago. How can any stupid Christian or Jew think that is a reason for us today to hate each other. The children are responseble for their own conduct, and not for the conduct of their great great great great great grand parent. As a Christian, if my great great great grand parent were Jews, now do I hate my self brcause of that?

[philosofy123]

This priest is too buisy molesting alter boys. The Catholic church ran out of priests and their screening standared has been lowered to STUPID! If you are stupid, you can make it to be a priest. If they ran even shorter on finding recruits to the priesthood, they will lower the standered further, to VERY STUPID!

[philosofy123]

This stupid priest is probably trying to become famous. He will get interviewed by the major networks, and be a guest on Oprah, and hang out with Michael Jackson with some kids. He will be a celebrity in Hollyweird!

[PogySailor]

"God did not send his son to die"

Wow. Kind of goes against everything I ever learned about Christ.

[NELSON111]

in my opinion, God did not send his son to die,'' said Lasch

Well Father, your either an idiot...or chose to ignore the truth of the scriptures.

John 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

John 10:17, 18 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren.

Matthew 26:54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

I really despise liberal clergy taking away from the work of the cross.

Nelson W. Lee, Th.D.