Passion bashin' is in fashion

The Globe and Mail ^ | 3-20-04 | MARGARET WENTE

[truthandlife]

Judging by most of what you read, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ is the most dangerous, disgusting movie of all time. Even if you haven't seen it, you know that it's a gore-filled splatterfest with anti-Semitic overtones, that Mel Gibson's father is a flat-out Holocaust-denier, and that Mel himself is a sinister marketing genius.

The movie has been condemned by most reviewers. This paper's Rick Groen said it "comes perilously close to the pornography of violence." Frank Rich, The New York Times cultural writer, has been flaying Mr. Gibson's movie for weeks. "A joy ride for sadomasochists" was among his kinder remarks. The brilliant Christopher Hitchens called it both homoerotic (in a Nazified kind of way) and sadomasochistic. The Toronto Star's Linda McQuaig called it a "torture flick" that will "fan the flames" of anti-Semitism. Commentators of every faith have deplored it as a religious travesty.

So why is The Passion doing such boffo box office?

Because for millions of people across North America, The Passion is a deeply meaningful devotional experience.

"I was profoundly moved," says Ken Godon , who is pastor of Snowdon Baptist Church in Montreal. "It was a very, very emotional experience for me. I saw it twice, and I wept both times. I'm a devout follower of Jesus, and I love him."

The real rift over The Passion is not between the Christians and the Jews. It's

between certain devout Christians and

all the rest of us, especially those of little or no faith. Virtually everyone who mongers opinions in the mainstream media,

including me, belongs to the latter

category.

Rev. Godon is a fine and thoughtful man who counts several rabbis among his friends. His flourishing urban congregation includes Iranians, Filipinos, Africans, West Indians, Chinese and Koreans. Some are converts to Christianity. They feel as he does about the movie. "In the Hebrew scriptures [the Old Testament], there is a chapter which describes what will happen in the future. The Messiah, or the suffering servant, will be marred beyond recognition," he told me. In other words, the gore is precisely the point. "Mel doesn't want people to see a sanitized version of how horrific this was."

In this rendering of Christianity, the suffering is at the very heart of the faith. God allowed His Son to be crushed in our stead. What was done to Jesus is a metaphor for sin. "This is what sin does," says Rev. Godon. "It destroys, it disfigures, it mars. So when you put it all together it becomes a very, very deep reflection. It's a meditation on Jesus and also on my own personal soul."

In the movie, both Jews and Romans howl for Jesus's blood. But Rev. Godon says no Baptist would take a message of anti-Semitism from this. The real message is that we all bear responsibility for Christ's death, and we are all with sin.

In fact, there's no sign that the movie has provoked any upwelling of anti-Semitism. (Some argue that it might be used as a propaganda tool in the Muslim world, but that's another story.) And ironically, the evangelical community is among the staunchest supporters of Jews and Israel. "I have a deep respect for Jewish people," says Rev. Gordon. "I look up to them. I honour them. My faith is connected to their traditions and their scriptures. Everything started with the Jewish people."

He's distressed that some Jewish groups are officially upset by the movie (others are not). "When I look at the film, there is nothing but a profound love for Jesus and a deep respect for the culture from which he came," he says.

Mr. Gibson belongs to a tiny sect of backward-looking Catholics who reject Vatican II and think that everybody but themselves is going to hell. As Andy Rooney said on 60 Minutes, the guy's a wacko.

So isn't it odd that a movie with such wide appeal to Protestants came from him?

"I'm not a Mel Gibson expert," says Rev. Godon. "But I feel reverence oozing out of the film."

Christian evangelism -- which accepts the literal truth of the Bible -- is the fastest-growing brand of religion in North America today. As the grand old edifices of the Anglican and United Churches empty out, the new fundamentalist congregations are booming. It's not hard to guess why. The churches of the Protestant upper classes have neutered Jesus of his terrifying power. They got rid of all the militancy and gore, which were seen as hopelessly primitive. The suffering of Jesus is Christianity's greatest calling card, and they threw it away.

The Jesus I grew up with was a California hippie with a peace symbol. He was gentle, meek, and it never occurred to me that he was Jewish. The revolutionary Jesus condemning sinners to hellfire was nowhere to be seen. Even as I marched up the aisle on the day I was confirmed, it had begun to dawn on me that Jesus was just a metaphor. You weren't expected to take any of this hocus-pocus literally. In which case, why bother?

The up-market liberal churches have pushed God to the sidelines in favour of ecumenism and social justice. He has all but vanished. For evangelicals, God is real. The blood is not a metaphor. The suffering of Jesus is holy, and to contemplate it is to bear witness. "To me, as horrific as it was, the movie was hauntingly beautiful," says Rev. Godon.

You won't see this view articulated in the mainstream media. Most media folks are proudly secular types who regard openly religious people as distinctly odd. If you're gay, bi, or transgendered, we embrace you. But if your orientation is toward Jesus, you'd better keep it to yourself. We are fairly certain that born-again Christians are bigoted, not very intelligent, and possibly dangerous. This stereotype is easy to sustain because we've never actually met one.

After I talked with Ken Godon, I finally went off to see The Passion. To me, the movie was alternately riveting and revolting, moving and unwatchable. Once or twice it almost touched a chord of rapture in me, the sort of rapture that I vaguely remember feeling as a girl.

The Passion is on its way to being the biggest hit in movie history. Something's happening here, and we ought to find out what it is.

[NYer]

"I'm not a Mel Gibson expert," says Rev. Godon. "But I feel reverence oozing out of the film."

Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list

[dirtboy]

So as you define deist, you would define it as one who believes in God?

I use an affiliation to deism loosely rather than specifically, as it is probably the closest description of my beliefs. A lot of Deists are outright hostile to Christianity, and I'm not. I just believe in a higher power, have seen what I consider to be evidence of such, adhere to basic tenets of Judeo-Christian morality - but am not certain of Christ's divinity. Unlike some liberal Anglican types who are bishops in their church while expressing doubts about Christ being the son of God, I'm not going to be hypocritical and call myself a Christian - to me, if you're a Christian, you need to believe that Christ was the son of God and was resurrected - or else you're kinda overlooking key aspects of the faith you profess to believe in.

I don't understand? Do some think you Jewish because you're not sure of Christ divinity?

I was half joking - since Jews adhere to Judeo-Christian morality and question Christ's divinity, there is a bit of similiarity in viewpoints there.

[moonhawk]

"...I must confess that after seeing the Passion I became very violent..."

Me too...

My date and I wanted to go beat somebody up.

But we couldn't find any Roman Centurions, so we went and had dinner instead.

[finnigan2]

As a nominal and not very devout Christian, I too saw the film, if only to show support for Gibson against the literati crowd who have seemed to have ganged up on him. I found the film beautifully shot in a great painting kind of way and the violence strangely endurable because it had a purpose, unlike much screen violence which seems to be grossly gratuitous.
While I did not cry, many in the audience did. For me, the most moving scene happens at the end when Jesus is removed from the cross and rests in Mary's arms. The scene is composed almost like "The Pieta" by Michaelangelo. Anyway, Mary kisses Jesus on the cheek and, as the camera moves in, she turns to face us ( the audience ) and, with blood smeared on her cheeks and lips she stares hard at us for what seems like minutes. Her eyes seem accusatory and demanding; Why did you, all of you, do this to my son? Very effective. It had me choked up there for a minute, I tell you.

[My Favorite Headache]

Yep. It spawned hate in me. It made me want to smack every atheist in the head and say "Get it now???????"

[YourtaxCutMan]

Smakc some athiests ... did they turn the other cheek? But why stop there? The world is full of people who just don't get christ's love. Smack em all until they do.

[YourtaxCutMan]

The part thta got me was when mary thought back to jesus as a child and he falls and she runs after him. I think at times Gibson was tryig to make it seem mary had made a bigger sacrifise than jesus

[kenth]

Something's happening here, and we ought to find out what it is.

I agree, and pray that you do.

[kenth]

I didn't see that at all. Knowing He did that for us willingly drove home the point of His ultimate sacrifice. Mary's anguish was to help show the reality of what happened, to make her real. People are visual and some are better at understanding if they have a visual aid.

I normally dislike grammer police, but it's proper to capitalize Jesus, He when referring to Jesus, and Mary.

[hellinahandcart]

The only Chesterton book I've ever read is "The Man Who Was Thursday", for an assignment back in art school. Your link describes it as "great for starting arguments". :D

It started a few arguments in illustration class. "WTF is this book about??"

I think I'll read it again, it's been a couple of decades...

[sirchtruth]

I use an affiliation to deism loosely rather than specifically, as it is probably the closest description of my beliefs.

Ok, I see. Let me ask you this, there are over eight hundred prophecies in the OT about Christ. Do know of one that he did not fufill? (I'm not talking factual here, just relative to the OT text).

Here's my point: Since you're not sure of Christ divinity and there is no concrete proof that Jesus was the messiah, why would you put more faith in a "God" that there is less evidence of his existance than Jesus'? At least with Jesus there were supposedly eye witness accounts and testimony? In other words, what basis do you decide why God is and Jesus isn't?

This is not a conversion talk, I'm really just trying to gather information for a topic I might speak on.

[dirtboy]

Here's my point: Since you're not sure of Christ divinity and there is no concrete proof that Jesus was the messiah, why would you put more faith in a "God" that there is less evidence of his existance than Jesus'?

I have seen things in my own life and existance that lead me to believe in God. I, however, can see alternative views and explanations as to whether Jesus is divine or not, and to me you need to have a solid faith in Christ's divinity in order to declare yourself to be a Christian.

[sirchtruth]

Ok, thanks!

[Aquinasfan]

It started a few arguments in illustration class. "WTF is this book about??"

I'd like to read that one too. I've read "Orthodoxy" and "St. Thomas Aquinas." He's got some great quotes. I'd like to read "Heresies" too.

[Eala]

The Globe and Mail gets it right from time to time (unlike the sleazy and oh-so-politically-correct NY Times, LA Times, Seattle Times...). Thanks!

[dawn53]

Mr. Gibson belongs to a tiny sect of backward-looking Catholics who reject Vatican II and think that everybody but themselves is going to hell. As Andy Rooney said on 60 Minutes, the guy's a wacko. So isn't it odd that a movie with such wide appeal to Protestants came from him?

I always get a kick out of remarks like this.

The media/critics of the film actually think that Mel Gibson came up with the story of the Passion.

Sure I'm a Protestant and I realize there are some scenes that are Catholic tradition versus actual story from the Gospels.

But that doesn't detract from the fact that most of the movie is straight from the Bible.

I was moved by the imagery, even though I know it didn't actually happen.

For instance, when Christ crushed the head of the serpent that Satan had let loose in the Garden, what a powerful symbolic portrayal of the prophetic pronouncement in Gen. 3:15.

At least this writer is intellectually honest in admitting that she knows there must be more to it, since it is appreciated by so many people.

[Maximilian]

I think I'll read it again, it's been a couple of decades...

Don't bother, it's a horrible book. Chesterton at his worst and most annoying.

[WritableSpace]

You can also find nearly all of Chestertons works online at G. K. Chesterton

[Conservative Iowan]

I saw in that scene where Mary looks directly into the camera not as an accusing look, but one to challenge us with. More of a look of, "He did this FOR you. Now what will YOU do?"

[kittymyrib]

And Johannes Kepler and Malcolm Muggeridge.