Photo from "The Passion"

CNN ^ | 2/24/04 | Icon Productions

[Robert Teesdale]

I can't wait to see the film. Anyone who thinks that being put to death by the Romans was a clean, well-groomed exercise in peaceful passing to the next world, is an absolute idiot.

I suspect that people who complain that the movie is too violent, are somewhat ignorant of the facts of life. I want to ask them, what do you think you'd look like after a few hours of scourging and crucifixion?

[Robert Teesdale]

I want to reiterate that last point.

Congratulations to Mel Gibson for doing what he wanted, with his money, in his way.

And to hell with anyone who thinks that Mel shouldn't have offended anyone. Life's too short to worry about that. I expect that the Passion will become one of the most important films in history.

[EggsAckley]

BUMP !!!

Can Free Republic get any SLOWER?

[tractorman]

And few people understand that crucifixion was routine for the Romans. They lined the roads leading to Rome with the crucified in order to deter crime.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

And if people choose not to see violence it's their right as well.

[_Jim]

Hey, the Hollywood elite should be elated "for doing what he wanted, with his money, in his way" - but, apparently, no ...

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Can Free Republic get any SLOWER?

I think it is the Internet as a whole.

Probably some massive DOS attack generating large volumes of traffic.

[Shermy]

I suspect that people who complain that the movie is too violent, are somewhat ignorant of the facts of life.

I spoke to a friend who saw it. Not only "too violent", but scenes of violence and mistreatment absent in the Gospels, like mistreatment on the way to Caiapas by the Jews.

She thought it would reinvigorate flagellant sects!

[Robert Teesdale]

But... but... I thought that they used lethal injection? And they gently stroked your forehead while you slipped into a quiet peaceful sleep?

Killing people is a messy, violent business at best. When state of the art is bladed weapons and part of the sentence includes a punishment so painful that a new word was necessary to describe it - excruciating - it's really not going to be a Bambi's-mother-quietly-vanishes-offscreen-to-the-sound-of-a-bangstick ending for you.

[Saundra Duffy]

There was a guy on the radio this morning who saw the movie last night. He said he never could understand why Jesus died so fast. He said that some crucifixions took like 10 days for the person to die. He said NOW he knows why Jesus died so fast - because of the beatings and torture.

It wasn't the Jews who killed Jesus; it was me.

[GailA]

They must not have seen Saving Private Ryan then. I thought that was a very violent gruesome movie. But then I know that war is violent and gruesome.

[Robert Teesdale]

Sure. No one's being forced to see it.

But lots of effort and time and money has been put into attempting to prevent Mr. Gibson from even making the movie, let alone showing it. I find that repulsive, and hope that his $25 million investment is repaid with the biggest gross in the history of cinema.

[Modernman]

And few people understand that crucifixion was routine for the Romans. They lined the roads leading to Rome with the crucified in order to deter crime.

The Romans were harsh masters, but they had to be. They were trying to hold together a multi-ethnic, multi-religious empire that spanned from Scotland to the Danube to the Sahara. A man who challenged the status quo (like Jesus) could only expect one fate.

[tractorman]

Bring back the public gallows and watch the crime rate instantly drop.

[South40]

Congratulations to Mel Gibson for doing what he wanted, with his money, in his way.

So did Michael Moore...the difference being Gibson's story is based in truth, Moore's is based on lies.

[ElisabethInCincy]

Im glad u posted that pic From this movie, i been studying about crucifiction under the romans and would like to share this with u...... Preparations for the scourging are carried out. The prisoner is stripped
of His clothing and His hands are tied to a post above His head. It is
doubtful whether the Romans made any attempt to follow the Jewish law in
this matter of scourging. The Jews had an ancient law prohibiting more
than forty lashes. The Pharisees, always making sure that the law was
strictly kept, insisted that only thirty-nine lashes be given. (In case
of a miscount, they were sure of remaining within the law.) The Roman
legionnaire steps forward with the flagrum (or flagellum) in his hand.
This is a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two
small balls of lead attached near the ends of each.

The heavy whip is brought down with full force again and again across
Jesus shoulders, back and legs. At first the heavy thongs cut through the
skin only. Then, as the blows continue, they are cut deeper into the
subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the
capillaries and veins of the skin, and finally spurting arterial bleeding
from vessels in the underlying muscles. The small balls of lead first
produce large, deep bruises which are broken open by subsequent blows.
Finally the skin of the back is hanging in long ribbons and the entire
area is an unrecognizable mass of torn bleeding tissue. When it is
determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner is near death, the
beating is finally stopped.

The half-fainting Jesus is then untied and allowed to slump to the stone
pavement, wet with Hiw own blood. The Roman soldiers see a great joke in
this provincial Jew claiming to be a king. They throw a robe across His
shoulders and place a stick in His hand for a scepter. They still need a
crown to make their travesty complete. A small bundle of flexible
branches covered with long thorns (commonly used for firewood) are plaited
into the shape of a crown and this is pressed into His scalp. Again there
is copious bleeding (the scalp being one of the most vascular areas of the
body.) After mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers
take the stick from His hand and strike Him across the head, driving the
thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, they tire of their sadistic sport
and the robe is torn from His back. This had already become adherent to
the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal, just as in
the careless removal of a surgical bandage, causes exruciating
pain...almost as though He were again being whipped - and the wounds again
begin to bleed.

In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans return His garments. The heavy
patibulum of the cross is tied across His shoulders and the procession of
the condemned Christ, two thieves and the execution detail of the Roman
soldiers, headed by a centurion, begins its slow journey along the Via
Dolorosa. In spite of His efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy
wooden cross together with the shock produced by copious blood loss, is
too much. He stumbles and falls. The rough wood of the beam gouges into
the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. he tries to rise, but
human muscles have been pushed beyond their endurance. The centurion,
anxious to get on with the crucifixion, selects a stalwart North African
onlooker, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. Jesus follows, still
bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock. The 650 yard
journey from the fortress Antonia to Golgotha is finally completed. The
prisoner is again stripped of His clothes - except for a loin cloth which
is allowed the Jews.

The crucifixion begins, Jesus is offered wine mixed with Myrrh, a mild
analgesic mixture. He refuses to drink. Simon is ordered to place the
cross on the ground and Jesus is quickly thrown backward with His
shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at
the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail
through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moves to the other
side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too
tightly, but to allow some flexibility and movement. The patibulum is
then lifted in place at the top of the stipes and the titulus reading
Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews is nailed in place.

The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both
feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each,
leaving the knees moderately flexed. The victim is now crucified. As He
slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists,
excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to
explode in the brain - the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the
median nerves. As He pushes Himself upward to avoid this wrenching
torment, He places His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again
there is the searing agony of the the tearing through the nerves between
the metatarsal bones of the feet.

At this point, another phenomenon occurs. As the arms fatigue, great
waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless,
throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push Himself
upward. Hanging by His arms, the pectoral muscles are paralyzed and the
intercostal muscles are unable to act. Air can be drawn into the lungs,
but cannot be exhaled. Jesus fights to raise Himself in order to get even
one short breath. Finally carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in
the blood stream and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically, He is
able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in the life-giving oxygen.

[ElisabethInCincy]

Feel free to add to it ur own knowledge . I guess i as a born again christian for 16 yrs never realized it was that brutal.:(

[Robert Teesdale]

Yeah, the pre-nail treatment isn't terribly life-extending.

The entire purpose of the scourging and crucifixion is to kill the person it's inflicted upon. It's a sentence, of death, imposed by the ruler of the day.

It was intended not just to punish, but also terrify the onlookers. Did a good job, too, from the Roman perspective. Otherwise it wouldn't have been such a common practice.

[Ladysmith]

Hear, hear!! Because of all the cleaned up painting, crucifixs, and all of Jesus hanging so "peacefully" on the cross, people do not seriously think through what He did for us. I say get the truth out and shake these folks out of their lethargic souls.

[nopardons]

And the Romans weren't the only people who used Crucifixion either. Other nations, not under Roman rule did too and they weren't influenced by Roman methods;it was part of their "culture" as well.