Is Mel Gibson insane?

I still don't see how this could cause the Jewish people to suffer. Yes many people will see this as blaming the Jewish people for the death of a good man, but the people that would take it to anti-semetic extremes are the people that wouldn't watch the movie in the first place or if they did wouldn't catch the importance of the death of Christ. However, I have been praying for this movie to be used by God to bring others to Christ and I think it may do so. It's like Easter sunday passion plays done in churches all over the Bible belt every year. I don't know if they are prevalent in other parts of the country or not. All I know is that every year my church's passion play touches me and if I don't think about what God has done for me enough throughout the year, at least once a year I do. I am a bit upset that he didn't add something about the resurrection, but I think it could be better without it. Forcing others to believe that Jesus was indeed resurrected should not be the reason for the movie. It should just make people interested in thinking about whether or not they believe it themselves. If millions began to believe in Christ's resurrection because they saw it in a movie it would be meaningless, compared to if a few actually stopped to think about it and chose to believe. I also do not think Mel is crazy. Actually, enlightened individuals are usually seen as crazy. I think that God has used him through several of his later movies and I think that God is using this movie as well.

 

Vaspers, it appears to me it is YOU who is overly obsessed with the morbidity of the whole topic. You're practically avoiding the idea that the Bible discusses over and over and over Christ's sufferring, shedding blood, his torture, and his sacrifice.

Do you think that Jesus shedding his blood for you is just a figure of speech. No, he did it, quite literally, quite gruesomely, quite painfully, and quite grotesquely. Get used to it. Accept it. And be truly thankful for it. Don't take it for granted.

 

No, it doesn't. Is someone trying to force you to go see it?

 

I think I'll pray for you instead. You seem to have some sort of obsession about this.

Throughout history, the church has seen the importance of the Passion (Greek: "pascho", which means suffering). The last few decades, especially in evangelical circles, the Passion has been really downplayed, with more emphasis put on the "prettier" resurrection. However, scripture is abundantly clear on the importance and seriousness of Christ's suffering, and many Christians (and all the world) need to be reminded of it. Jesus didn't just waltz to Golgotha and say "ho hum, let's get this over with". Yes, the resurrection is vitally important, but many Christians today have a false, "not-so-bad" concept of the Passion, and I think a movie like this is very much needed to wake us up to better appreciate what Christ went through - for us. The blood of Jesus is *immensely* important to Christian faith, and the blood of Christ is mentioned approximately 50 times in the New Testament. Blood. Ick. Messy. Pain. Violence. Death. Yet entirely central to Christianity. Would we rather eliminate and avoid this aspect of our faith, because it's not pretty? The movie isn't graphically violent for the sake of appealing to violence freaks. The movie is graphically violent because the historical events were graphically violent, and absolutely crucial and precious to the Christian faith.

I'm reluctant to see the movie, not because of excessive violence, but because I'm afraid I will break down and weep hysterically in the theatre, in profound awe and gratitude for what my Saviour went through for me.

God bless Mel Gibson for making this film. I pray this movie will be the catalyst for revival within the church, and provide a multitude of opportunites to bring sinners home to Jesus.

 

And when you make your movie, you can focus upon what aspects of the gospel you choose. In the meantime ... where is that "shut up" graemlin when you need it???

As has been noted, if you choose not to see it -- don't. But stop pretending we all have to live in the same world of bondage in which you choose to dwell.

 

"I think it's mentally ill to focus obsessively, graphically, excessively on the violent aspects of the crucifixion...and ignore the beautiful, victorious, saving aspects of the Resurrection. Even secular people enjoy the positive message of Easter, but they will be disgusted and upset if the violence of the crucifixion are hammered away at on a big screen. Violence freaks will love this weird film. Pray for Mel, that he will repent of this awful depiction of the half-gospel."

Your posts do not flatter your intellagence. Gibson is hardly "obsessed" as you seem to be with the graphic nature of the Passion events. Christ suffered in reality beyond comprahension. This movie tries to capture that suffering so we as Christians can appreciate it in a way we never could before. The Gospel is brutal. Increadibly brutal. Dying for the sins of the world isn't a fun journey. Christ became "the lamb of God". Lambs were sacraficed in the Old Testament for sin. That is something that we need to allow to impact us as Christians. His resurrection was not the payment for our sins, it was his suffering and death.

If you don't want to see it, don't.

Gibson, as a believer, has given us a great and wonderful gift. And in doing so has made himself vunerable to persecution and attack.

My favorite to Mel quotes are:
I'm a believer and
Read the Gospels, Diane! It's all in there.

 

Yes IMO Mel (one of my favorite actors) suffers from what quite a few Catholics are inflicted with, unrequitted guilt. Being a former Catholic I know all about it. I went to confession/communion every week, sometimes several times a week, I made the Stations of the Cross every week, said rosaries, Novenas, etc...

Guilt is never satisfied by religious exercises, only the Blood of Christ applied to the soul can remove it forever.

Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

HankD

 

i wonder which Gospel he had in mind.

the Gospel According to Emmerich?

 

That was a low-blow FSiH. Did you see the interview? He, naturally as a believer in Christ with faith only in Christ as his savior, pointed to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The media right now is trying trying to paint as horrible of a light as they can on Mel. The media and the world HATE the good news of Christ!

 

Hank, I feel guilt every time I sin, and I'm saved. I realize everytime I sin I still am commanded to go to confession on my knees.

If we don't feel guilt for sin...something is really wrong.

 

No doubt, but it is via guilt over past sins that allows me to break free from them and not repeat them. The difference is, I'm no longer a slave to sin, or guilt for that matter, via Christ Jesus.

 

Technically speaking what you feel as a believer is godly sorrow for sin. If you still feel guilt that is because you are a babe in Christ or a young or carnal Christian.

Yes, Mel is probably a babe in Christ. This is about as far as a Catholic can go.
He is a creative genius no doubt, but that wont sanctify him.
If he keeps reading the Word of God the truth will set him free as I was set free and he will leave the Church of Rome.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

HankD

 

And if he doesn't he'll still be a babe in Christ.

 

Of course!

HankD