A Freeper Review of The Passion of Christ

Vanity | 2/21/04 | John Fields

[Cicero]

I appreciate the honesty of this review. As a Catholic I'll add my two cents worth that no Catholic ever saw Mary as divine. The "Hail Mary" is mostly made up of a collection of biblical texts. The traditional Catholic view is that Mary is willing to intercede for people with her Son, and that He is pleased to grant her wishes as he was at Cana.

As for what I have heard about the movie, it is this: Mary teachers the viewer, who can barely stand watching some parts of it, how to view the Passion. We see it partly through her eyes and with her help. If she can look, so can we.

As I understand it, Satan is another witness of the Passion. He also is an interpreter, but a false interpreter, of what is happening. Mary and Satan are, as it were, proxy witnesses for the theater audience, who help teach us how to view it.

I would add that if you read the collected works of Martin Luther, you will find great honor and respect for Mary throughout. He only denied her the title "Queen of Heaven." It was some later Protestants who feared that Mary would detract from the centrality of Jesus. But she always points us back toward Him.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Thank you for this informative and heartfelt review.

My adult daughters and I have talked about how difficult it will be to see the portrayal of such suffering, yet knowing that it does depict reality.

Judging by your account, I can assume it will be as difficult as we imagine. However, I trust that the horror will touch us as it touched you.

All Christians know that the perfect and sinless lamb of God, Jesus, suffered and died for imperfect and sinful us. The visual may be hard to withstand, but the message knows no equal. We should think of it every day and then celebrate the gift of the Resurrection and the life everlasting.

[jwalsh07]

Those who see the relationship between Jesus and Mary who are Catholic will likely see Mary as divine.

You know it's funny. I just got done explaining this to my son in law who is an Episcopalian from my Catholic pointof view.

We do not see Mary as divine, we see her as the moratl, divinely chosen to bear Jesus Christ and as one of the first true Christians.

Nor do we pray to Mary as one does to the Lord. We merely ask her to pray for us as most freepers do here on a daily basis. Nobody would mistake asking deadhead to pray for them as sacrilege, would they?:-}

Other than that I enjoyed your review.

[Yaelle]

As a Jew, I trust other Freepers.

ROFL!!! As a fellow Jew, I hear you loud and clear!!

I WAS wanting to see this film. I am a little scared of the violence. Maybe I can get it together to go and see it. I distrust almost all Jews' reviews of this film, though I would trust Rabbi Lapin's or Dennis Prager's or even a fellow Jewish FReeper's review.

I think Mel Gibson was brave and inspired to go through with this project, and I am so glad to see how a truly religious film with conservative values is sucking up box office money over the liberal drivel out there.

[TheGeezer]

Thank you. Now I do not have to post about the Catholic understanding of Mary.

[Knock3Times]

Even if this had turned out to be the most poorly made movie of all time, I would have paid $10,000 and walked bare-foot through glass to see it, just because of Abe Foxman and the others who launched such an ugly and vicious campaign to smear Mel Gibson and traditional Christianity.

Since I won't have to do any of those things and it sounds like a pretty good movie, I will go several times and drag with me as many people as I can.

[TheGeezer]

The church Council of Ephesus, circa 600 A.D., taught that Mary was the mother of GOd, and was yet only human, not Divine.

[hunter112]

My adult daughters and I have talked about how difficult it will be to see the portrayal of such suffering...

This is the second article I've seen written by a pastor, and even with all of the time they have spent talking, living, and breathing the story of Jesus, they have had a difficult time dealing with the feelings the movie has evoked.

I've taken from other threads that many people believe this movie will have conversion value, but it is impossible to know what effect this film will have on people without formal religious training, or even anything other than a distant Sunday school set of ideas about Christianity. It may not have the effect that many here on FR think that it will.

[Pharmboy]

I love you, man.

[TheGeezer]

Judaism is the parent religion of Christianity. The Commandments stipulate that we must respect our parents.

God bless and protect you.

[Yaelle]

Or woman. LOL.

[BlessedAmerican]

Thank you for your review. Does this movie show the resurrection also? I understand that it is just the last 12 hours of Christ's life but I am wondering how it will affect those who do not know 'the story' and leave feeling that the death of Christ is the end.

[dawn53]

I see your point, but even in the Garden, He was able to pray to the Father.

On the cross He cried, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me."

That, to me was the ultimate sacrifice. To be forsaken of the Father, for me, so that I would not have to be forsaken.

[Krodg]

if you believe that Jesus Christ was truly the Son of GOD, how could NOT Mary be more than a "mere woman" ???

When God came to walk among His people, he chose not to come as a mighty king, but a humble servant. He chose Mary because she was faithful and had all the qualities He wanted to project to men.

You should be thankful that most people see Mary as a 'mere woman'. It gives us all hope that we too can be useful in God's will.

[Pharmboy]

LOL!! I am all man and can love you even more!

[Senator Pardek]

Channel 3. Well, for me, anyway.

[commish]

The word I have gotten is that the final scene of the movie is of the empty tomb. I do not know that as fact, but everything I have heard and read says that the Resurrection is what the viewer is left to contemplate.

[Yaelle]

OK, since you explained the Mary part so nicely, so that even I could understand, I herewith dare to ask a question that may seem silly to Christians but I truly would like to understand.

What does it mean that Jesus died for people's sins? Because people sinned, he died, or so that people would not sin? Or something entirely different? Thanks for not flaming me but simply explaining.

[captain_dave]

I'm planning to see the Passion. What I'm looking forward to is hearing what Aramaic sounds like. From my point of view, the story of Jesus is part of the story of the struggle against the Roman Empire. There were many Jews who opposed the Romans and their puppet king Herod. This eventually broke out into open revolt more than once and the Romans lost several entire legions in Judea. Many of my fellow Jews are concerned about the Passion instigating anti-Jewish feelings. I'm not worried about that here, in the US. As for elsewhere, time will tell (the arabs already hate us - so, big deal). But I understand their concern. In a way, Jesus' life can be viewed as a snapshot of Jewish history.

[Pharmboy]

Thank you. Love and blessings to you and yours...