Posted on 12/04/2006 7:52:47 PM PST by Pyro7480
'The Nativity Story' Movie Problematic for Catholics, "Unsuitable" for Young Children
By John-Henry Westen
NEW YORK, December 4, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A review of New Line Cinema's The Nativity story by Fr. Angelo Mary Geiger of the Franciscans of the Immaculate in the United States, points out that the film, which opened December 1, misinterprets scripture from a Catholic perspective.
While Fr. Geiger admits that he found the film is "in general, to be a pious and reverential presentation of the Christmas mystery." He adds however, that "not only does the movie get the Virgin Birth wrong, it thoroughly Protestantizes its portrayal of Our Lady."
In Isaiah 7:14 the Bible predicts the coming of the Messiah saying: "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel." Fr. Geiger, in an video blog post, explains that the Catholic Church has taught for over 2000 years that the referenced Scripture showed that Mary would not only conceive the child miraculously, but would give birth to the child miraculously - keeping her physical virginity intact during the birth.
The film, he suggests, in portraying a natural, painful birth of Christ, thus denies the truth of the virginal and miraculous birth of Christ, which, he notes, the Fathers of the Church compared to light passing through glass without breaking it. Fr. Geiger quoted the fourth century St. Augustine on the matter saying. "That same power which brought the body of the young man through closed doors, brought the body of the infant forth from the inviolate womb of the mother."
Fr. Geiger contrasts The Nativity Story with The Passion of the Christ, noting that with the latter, Catholics and Protestants could agree to support it. He suggests, however, that the latter is "a virtual coup against Catholic Mariology".
The characterization of Mary further debases her as Fr. Geiger relates in his review. "Mary in The Nativity lacks depth and stature, and becomes the subject of a treatment on teenage psychology."
Beyond the non-miraculous birth, the biggest let-down for Catholics comes from Director Catherine Hardwicke's own words. Hardwicke explains her rationale in an interview: "We wanted her [Mary] to feel accessible to a young teenager, so she wouldn't seem so far away from their life that it had no meaning for them. I wanted them to see Mary as a girl, as a teenager at first, not perfectly pious from the very first moment. So you see Mary going through stuff with her parents where they say, 'You're going to marry this guy, and these are the rules you have to follow.' Her father is telling her that she's not to have sex with Joseph for a year-and Joseph is standing right there."
Comments Fr. Geiger, "it is rather disconcerting to see Our Blessed Mother portrayed with 'attitude;' asserting herself in a rather anachronistic rebellion against an arranged marriage, choosing her words carefully with her parents, and posing meaningful silences toward those who do not understand her."
Fr. Geiger adds that the film also contains "an overly graphic scene of St. Elizabeth giving birth," which is "just not suitable, in my opinion, for young children to view."
Despite its flaws Fr. Geiger, after viewing the film, also has some good things to say about it. "Today, one must commend any sincere attempt to put Christ back into Christmas, and this film is certainly one of them," he says. "The Nativity Story in no way compares to the masterpiece which is The Passion of the Christ, but it is at least sincere, untainted by cynicism, and a worthy effort by Hollywood to end the prejudice against Christianity in the public square."
And, in addition to a good portrait of St. Joseph, the film offers "at least one cinematic and spiritual triumph" in portraying the Visitation of Mary to St. Elizabeth. "Although the Magnificat is relegated to a kind of epilogue at the movie's end, the meeting between Mary and Elizabeth is otherwise faithful to the scriptures and quite poignant. In a separate scene, the two women experience the concurrent movement of their children in utero and share deeply in each other's joy. I can't think of another piece of celluloid that illustrates the dignity of the unborn child better than this."
See Fr. Geiger's full review here:
http://airmaria.com/
AMEN!
And you . . .
oh yes, buggy bears . . .
uhhh . . .
God pours Himself through you masterfully and it's wonderful that you cooperate so well.
So there!
Was listening to an Orthodox speaker and she said that in Protestant terms Theosis was comparable to justification and sanctification. She said also that Protestant have a habit of dividing things that aren't divided.
:)
"Was listening to an Orthodox speaker and she said that in Protestant terms Theosis was comparable to justification and sanctification. She said also that Protestant have a habit of dividing things that aren't divided."
If the "she" was F M-G, I'd take that whence it comes and with a very large bag of salt. :)
It was! On Ancient Radio.
You consider her not a good source I take it?
Wherefore we sing "O happy fault".
"It was! On Ancient Radio."
Ha! I knew it! Who else would be on the radio trying to shoehorn Orthodox theology into Protestant terms and then take a slap at the Protestants. You know, I posted the link to Ancient Faith Radio awhile back because I like the chanting, but having listened to it for a couple of weeks now, I am horrified at the unOrthodox content of many of the sermons I hear there, bloody atonement theory stuff among other things.
"You consider her not a good source I take it?"
You take it very right. If she isn't the most self absorbed, self righteous, pietistic, legalistic phoney I've ever come across, I'll eat my hat! As our old priest once said to a visting convert "sub deacon", "You're nothing but a Protestant swinging the theemeeato (censor)!" She and her fellow convert travelers are a classic example of the blind leading the blind right over a heretical cliff.
Well that's a shame. I'm ignorant on a lot of things Orthodox and was hoping the station would be educational. I hate having to question the Orthodoxy of the Orthodox source. I do enjoy the chanting as you, and the pieces of the Liturgy.
If you're familiar with this source, please let me know:
http://www.pigizois.net/arxodariki/In_English.htm
LOL! Ya just can't be too careful these days. ;)
"If you're familiar with this source, please let me know:
http://www.pigizois.net/arxodariki/In_English.htm"
I haven't seen this site before, but it looks to be a schismatic Old Calendar site, though I could be wrong. That, by the way, doesn't mean that any of the theology the pamphlets or cds might have are off the mark, though. In fact, they are likely to be more rigourously Orthodox than the SCOBA sites have.
Bookmarked for ease of retrieval -- for I'll be revisiting this wonderful essay/post in future....
I know of no such institution.
Thanks very much.
Sorry for my confusion. Is SCOBA the only choice in the U.S. as far as teaching, churches and missions?
"Is SCOBA the only choice in the U.S. as far as teaching, churches and missions?"
The quick answer is no. ROCOR, though not a part of SCOBA, is excellent for everything you listed. In general the Russian sites are great ones, but sometimes you'll run across some writings, from the 19th century mostly but there are some going back to the 16th, that are particularly Westernized and thus questionable. The Russians are also big on "catechisms". I haven't see one that's any good, no matter who wrote it.At any rate, whatever questions there may have been about ROCOR's canonicity will be resolved with the reunion with the MP in the next month or so. I think its a great jurisdiction myself.
Hmmmm. Don't recall Gladly the cross-eyed bear. I guess my education is more deficient than I thought.
You have a link?
True. True.
There is a ROCOR parish in a large city several hours away and SCOBA mission very nearby that we were considering visiting.
Is SCOBA hopeless?
Wellllllllll, to some degree or another . . . all institutions evolve into various flavors and degrees of that.
The larger, older and more broadly spread and the thicker the hierarchy--the worse such tends to be.
I'm confident you could easily find such within the RC oragnization were you to look closely and discerningly enough.
But they have no monopoly on such.
Keep Thou my way, O Lord, be Thou ever nigh;
Strong is Thy mighty arm, weak and frail am I;
Then, my unchanging Friend, on Thee, my hopes depend,
Till life’s brief day shall end, be Thou ever nigh.
Keep Thou my heart, O Lord, ever close to Thee;
Safe in Thine arms of love, shall my refuge be;
Then, over a tranquil tide, my bark shall safely glide;
I shall be satisfied, ever close to Thee.
Keep Thou my all, O Lord, hide my life in Thine;
O let Thy sacred light over my pathway shine;
Kept by Thy tender care, gladly the cross I’ll bear;
Hear Thou and grant my prayer, hide my life in Thine.
There's no question that there are a lot of religious people who don't question, inquire, or nose around. And a lot of clerical types who like it fine that way. And the Roaming Calflicks are no exception.
But it's everywhere.
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