Passion of the Christ

Shandriz · Your Death Shall be Swift Gender: Joined: 28 Sep 2003

WARNING: Do not read this if you are easily offended. I do not mean offense. This is strictly based on my personal beliefs, and I do not mean to enforce them on anyone. This just has to be said.

I hate this movie. I haven't seen it, and I won't. Why? Because even if I'm not positive where my religious stance is, this violates my beliefs. The movie is fucking commercializing Jesus. Putting a price tag on God. Why do I think like this? Do you know how many people are going to run out and buy all sorts of religious paraphernalia after watching that movie? Religious junk that they don't -need-?

I've never really been the most devout as far as religions go. I don't like going to church, haven't been in years. I haven't read any part of the Bible in longer. I don't buy into all these ridiculous WWJD and all that sort of junk. I don't like Christian music for the most part, and the only reason I watch Veggietales is because it's cute and fun, and non-violent for the kids.

Religion should be something less physical. Less materialistic. It's about -you- not what you own. Who you are, what you think. Your beliefs. One of my favourite quotes from the Bible, which I found out when I first went to a Lutheran church says that Faith alone can provide salvation.

And movies about Jesus dying don't have anything to do with faith. Besides that, we already know how it's going to end. I'd die laughing at all the people coming out of the theatre in tears. Why? Because it's stupid. That's not real, it's HOLLYWOOD.

Edit: Removed the offensive language. Sorry, Shino.

Minosheep · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 2:59 pm Post subject:

Thank you, Shandriz. Oh, Mod, thank you so much.

Doot · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 4:53 pm Post subject:

I'm not one to push anything on anyone when it comes to religion. It is one hundred percent a PERSONAL choice. One of the things I do look tend to believe is that Jesus (whether anyone believes he was the Son of God or not) was a real human being. Whether the bible has blown hot air to say he was immaculately conceived or not. He exsisted. He could have been the guy next door who found herbal cures and thought he'd do some good by running around helping people. Maybe he was just a tree hugging hippy who walked the earth spreading the word of love. Well then, right on, I say. Maybe he is a savior to some, maybe he just might be "they way and the truth and the life". Certainly anyone who has ever said something, no matter how miniscule it was, that you agreed with and you believed holds the same grounds as what he did. It's all founded on a piece of literature that has been passed down for centuries and could very well lend itself to gross inaccuracies and embellishments. So what Jesus could have been was the equivalent of any do-gooder of our day just seemed grander because there was far less media and population in those days.

Hollywood or not, religious or not, this movie was a very powerful movie. You could have called the main character "Bob" and it was still a powerful movie. And to laugh at anyone who is moved to tears by such an experience is as inflicting an insult to them and their faith in whatever and whoever as it would be if they tried to push their religion on you when you don't believe what they do. And anyone who has restored faith by something that Hollywood created should honestly take a couple days in reflection before they go zealot.

I do not go to church. I do not follow an organized religion. I wouldn't even have a denomination to deliver a name of to you if you asked. I feel I am strong enough in my own beliefs, no matter how different they may be from anyones, and confident in my own faith in life that I wouldn't need to seek these answers that will never have resolve, so why stress.

What we need to understand that anyone, at any time can be offended by what we say. By this statement:

Shino · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 5:13 pm Post subject:

I have to say I agree with what Doot has to say

Unlike Doot, I am somewhat religious. I consider myself a non-denominaitonal Christian. I do not follow an organized form of Christianity per say.

I do however want to see this movie. For many reasons. For one, b/c it shows the "no holds barred" version of what the Bible says about Jesus' last days.

But there are other parts of me that doesn't want to see it.

One could say that God does not want movies created about what is written in the Bible or anything about Jesus. Especially when you think that everyone that has played Jesus in a movie up to now has died shortly after the completion of filming the movie they were in. I believe that is true... not 100% sure. And the man who played Jesus in Passions was struck by lightning while filming the scenes on the Cross... not once, but twice I believe.

However what Doot said makes me want to see it more.

By the way... Shandriz, the only think in your post that comes remotely close to offending me is the use of "GD."

emmy · Senior Otaku Gender: Joined: 05 Dec 2003

emmy · Senior Otaku Gender: Joined: 05 Dec 2003

dang shino....they've all been hurt/died somehow? that's pretty freaky... i guess that's God's way of saying that nobod could be like Jesus again? i dunno.....

Shandriz · Your Death Shall be Swift Gender: Joined: 28 Sep 2003

For those of you who're now thinking I'm cruel, I suppose I ought to clarify a few things-- I wouldn't actually physically laugh at those people. They've a right to their own feelings, and I don't have any desire to take that away from them. But, considering the fact that it's a -movie- and we've been told the -story- since we were children, most of us, it really is a bit ridiculous.

Do you then cry every time you read the story in the Bible? Every time the preacher brings it up in church? If so, then you're probably already crying over the insult I've given you. I pity you, in which case, because you'll never make it in the real world if you cry over everything.

And I meant not that Jesus wasn't real. Whether he was what everyone thinks him or not, he was a real human being, and I'm quite convinced that those things did happen to him.

However, the MOVIE wasn't real. It was a depiction of what could possibly have happened. There's no way to say that it -was- exactly what happened, as noone can say for certain, since none of us have been alive that long. All we have to go on are a few books, and I hate to bring in another debate, but these books were written by people, and people are falliable.

Shino · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 5:32 pm Post subject:

emmy · Senior Otaku Gender: Joined: 05 Dec 2003

i agree with shino...it is A LOT more real when you actually see it... and it's kind of hard to comprehend that that could happen to a person.....

Tobias · *explodes* Age: 38 Gender: Joined: 17 Jan 2003

well, unlike everyone here...i am a devout catholic. I go to church as often as possible and i have recieved awards in Boy Scouts for my religion. I also am a firm believer in Christian Science and the teachings of love in the new testament. I also read the bible in 8th grade.

Now, someone like me isn't very emotional at movies. Most times, i come out either laughing and talking about the movies strange points. I also dont cry often. But i did cry after this movie.

The thing about this movie, Shan, is that, from what ive seen, the only way to really get the true feel of this movie is to be a christian. Liek Shino Said, this movie really brings this out to visualization like none of the other Gospel Movies have done, and true, this is just a conceptual idea of what happened. THe bible was very brief and vague in most of these parts...but thats because its for the reader to be able to picture these events in his or her mind . Also, the Bible isnt a book that you need to order, but its a book of parables and lessons, and its meant to teach the reader valuable things.

For the most part, this movie is a way of expression these values...It's mel gibson's way of expressing his idea of what happened to Christ during his last 12 hours. I highly doubt that Gibson was aiming to have this become a commercial masterpiece, but rather, an expression of what he felt was Passion at it's most true form.

So im not saying that your belief is wrong, but someone like Mel Gibson, who is also a devout catholic, wouldn't be doing this for, as you put it: