Gibson's religious beliefs come under scrutiny

Los Angeles Times (by way of PittsburghLIVE.com) ^ | April 28, 2003 | Bettijane Levine

[Jacob Kell]

HOLLYWOOD -- Mel Gibson's upcoming film "The Passion" is being questioned by scholars who worry that the film -- which they have not yet seen -- might fan religious animosity and misunderstanding. The movie, which depicts the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus, features actors speaking only in Latin and Aramaic.

The controversy swirling around Gibson, his film and even his personal religious beliefs is built largely on conjecture. It is based on the few comments Gibson has made about the movie, which he claims will be historically accurate. It also is based on a magazine article about a church the actor is building in Agoura Hills, Calif. The article quotes his father, who claims that the Holocaust never happened and that the World Trade Center was destroyed by remote control.

[TexanToTheCore]

aI can't wait to see this movie. I'm just guessing but it may be that on opening night, the theatre will be packed to the gills with several Bible Study classes from our church.

The "panel of scholars" comments are so thick with irony that you can taste it. Try it, it tastes like chicken....no wait.....more like gator. Pecan wood barbecued gator.....

[elbucko]

(a radically novel concept for a purportedly "traditionalist" catholic church),

Is this the "Resurrection" of Father Coughlin?

[TexanToTheCore]

There are many private chapels in Texas, many of them quite beautiful. We are going to be building our own, open timber frame with grape vines woven into the roof. One of my choir buddies ( an engineer) is designing it for us and we hope to have a community "chapel raising" when the time comes.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

When he has spoken about it publicly, his remarks have been somewhat cryptic. In a March appearance on Eternal Word Television Network, he said, "This is not a Christian versus Jewish thing. '(Jesus) came into the world and it knew him not.' Looking at Christ's crucifixion, I look first at my own culpability in that."

What is "somewhat cryptic" about that remark? Does the reporter need it translated into Aramaic or Latin?

[dighton]

Mel Gibson's father may be a crank and anti-semite. I can't see how the son is to blame for it, and the article gives no evidence that he holds his father's views.

[onedoug]

"Come what come may,
Time, and the hour
run through the roughest day."

[TexanToTheCore]

The grape vines will be, of course, Cynthiana.

[Rodney King]

Well, given that the director/producer is building his own private church building, for the renegade sect his wacko father belongs to, which church "will not be open to the public" (a radically novel concept for a purportedly "traditionalist" catholic church), I'm pretty confident that any religiously themed film that he financed out of his own pocket is going to be on the wacko side. Just like if I heard that Martha Burk was producing and directing a film about the modern women's rights movement -- would I really need to see the film before deciding it's going to be an idiotic piece of socialist trash?

There is a huge difference. Martha Burke is a wacko, so it would be safe to assume that any movie she did would be wacko. You are saying that because Mel's dad is wakcy, that therefore Mel is wacky, which is a decidingly prejudicial and un-american way of looking at the world, especially for someone who purports to be concerned about a movie being judgemental.

[It's me]

...I dislike viewing a "movie" in a theater full of people who can't seem to be quiet and pay attention beyond, oh thirty seconds or so.

Gee. Where do you see your movies? The few I have seen lately have been in quiet movie theaters. Maybe you should come here to San Diego...

[ex-snook]

For those who would like a translation, I think this is close.
==============\

The Holy Bible: King James Version. 2000.

The Gospel according to

St. John

19

1 

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
 

2 

And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
 

3 

and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
 

4 

Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
 

5 

Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
 

6 

When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.
 

7 

The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
 

8 

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
 

9 

and went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
 

10 

Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
 

11 

Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
 

12 

¶ And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
 

13 

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gab'batha.
 

14 

And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
 

15 

But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
 

16 

Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.
 

The Crucifixion

Mt. 27.32-50 · Mk. 15.21-37 · Lk. 23.26-49

17 

¶ And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Gol'gotha:
 

18 

where they crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
 

19 

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
 

20 

This title then read many of the Jews; for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.
 

21 

Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.
 

22 

Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.
 

23 

¶ Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
 

24 

They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith,
 

They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. Ps. 22.18

These things therefore the soldiers did.

25 

¶ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cle'ophas, and Mary Mag'dalene.
 

26 

When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
 

27 

Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
 

28 

¶ After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
 

29 

Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. Ps. 69.21
 

30 

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
 

Jesus' Side Pierced

31 

¶ The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was a high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
 

32 

Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
 

33 

But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
 

34 

but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
 

35 

And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
 

36 

For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. Ex. 12.46 · Num. 9.12 · Ps. 34.20
 

37 

And again another Scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. Zech. 12.10 · Rev. 1.7
 

The Burial of Jesus

Mt. 27.57-61 · Mk. 15.42-47 · Lk. 23.50-56

38 

¶ And after this Joseph of Arimathe'a, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
 

39 

And there came also Nicode'mus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, Joh. 3.1, 2 and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pound weight.
 

40 

Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
 

41 

Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
 

42 

There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
 

[El Gato]

How will anyone know, since the film will be completely in Latin and Aramaic (with no subtitles)?,

While there aren't many out there who understand spoken Aramic, there are many who understand Latin. Including in both cases many Jesuits, other Roman Catholics, and other religious scholars. If the film is anti-semitic, it will come out when it is shown, but until then, these critics need to get a life.

[Khepera]

Truth hurts don't it?

[My2Cents]

Truth hurts don't it?

Does it?

[travelnurse]

The movie, which depicts the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus, features actors speaking only in Latin and Aramaic.

---

I take this to mean the movie features actors speaking only in Latin and Aramaic, but also there will be English speaking actors and actresses as well.

[sinkspur]

Mel and his father know a whole lot more of what is going on in the world than most people realize.

Really? You think the planes were flown into the WTC by remote control?

You sound like those idiot blacks who call into C-SPAN every day.

Gibson's OK, but his father is a nut.

[freepatriot32]

says Sister Mary Boys, professor of practical theology at Union Theological Seminary in New York

To...many..jokes...must..control...sense..of...humour

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

I take this to mean the movie features actors speaking only in Latin and Aramaic, but also there will be English speaking actors and actresses as well.

No really ALL of the dialogue is in latin and aramaic. That's another point of controversy. How will such a film do?

[cookcounty]

""The movie, which depicts the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus..."

Had me confused too. Was wondering if that's the last 12 hours since the ressurrection or the the last 12 hours beginning at 7 this morning!!