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  #1  
Old 01-18-2004, 05:36 PM
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Thumbs up Paul Harvey Comments on "The Passion" by Mel Gibson

Paul Harvey Comments on "The Passion" by Mel Gibson

The majority of the media are complaining about this movie. Now Paul
Harvey tells "The rest of the story" and David Limbaugh praises Gibson.
Most people would wait and see a movie before giving the reviews that
have been issued by the reporters trying to tell all of us what to
believe.

Paul Harvey's words:

I really did not know what to expect. I was thrilled to have been
invited to a private viewing of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion," but
I had also read all the cautious articles and spin. I grew up in a
Jewish town and owe much of my own faith journey to the influence. I
have a life long, deeply held aversion to anything that might even
indirectly encourage any form of anti-Semitic thought, language or
actions.

I arrived at the private viewing for "The Passion", held in
Washington DC and greeted some familiar faces. The environment was
typically Washingtonian, with people greeting you with a smile but
seeming to look beyond you, having an agenda beyond the words. The
film was very briefly introduced, without fanfare, and then the room

darkened. From the gripping opening scene in the Garden of
Gethsemane, to the very human and tender portrayal of the earthly
ministry of Jesus, through the betrayal, the arrest, the scourging,
the way of the cross, the encounter with the thieves, the surrender
on the Cross, until the final scene in the empty tomb, this was not
simply a movie; it was an encounter, unlike anything I have ever
experienced.

In addition to being a masterpiece of film-making and an artistic
triumph, "The Passion" evoked more deep reflection, sorrow and
emotional reaction within me than anything since my wedding, my
ordination or the birth of my children. Frankly, I will never be the
same. When the film concluded, this "invitation only" gathering of
"movers and shakers" in Washington, DC were shaking indeed, but
this time from sobbing. I am not sure there was a dry eye in the
place. The crowd that had been glad-handing before the film was now
eerily silent. No one could speak because words were woefully
inadequate. We had experienced a kind of art that is a rarity in
life, the kind that makes heaven touch earth.

One scene in the film has now been forever etched in my mind. A
brutalized, wounded Jesus was soon to fall again under the weight of
the cross. His mother had made her way along the Via Della Rosa. As
she ran to him, she flashed back to a memory of Jesus as a child,
falling in the dirt road outside of their home. Just as she reached
to protect him from the fall, she was now reaching to touch his
wounded adult face. Jesus looked at her with intensely probing and
passionately loving eyes (and at all of us through the screen) and
said "Behold I make all things new." These are words taken from the
last Book of the New Testament, the Book of the Revelation. Suddenly,
the purpose of the pain was so clear and the wounds, that earlier in
the film had been so difficult to see in His face, His back, indeed
all over His body, became intensely beautiful. They had been borne
voluntarily for love.

At the end of the film, after we had all had a chance to recover, a
question and answer period ensued. The unanimous praise for the film,
from a rather diverse crowd, was as astounding as the compliments
were effusive. The questions included the one question that seems to
follow this film, even though it has not yet even been released. "Why
is this film considered by some to be "anti-Semitic?" Frankly, having
now experienced (you do not "view" this film) "the Passion" it is a
question that is impossible to answer. A law professor whom I admire
sat in front of me. He raised his hand and responded "After watching
this film, I do not understand how anyone can insinuate that it even
remotely presents that the Jews killed Jesus. It doesn't." He
continued "It made me realize that my sins killed Jesus". I agree.
There is not a scintilla of anti-Semitism to be found anywhere in
this powerful film. If there were, I would be among the first to
decry it. It faithfully tells the Gospel story in a dramatically
beautiful, sensitive and profoundly engaging way.

Those who are alleging otherwise have either not seen the film or
have another agenda behind their protestations. This is not a
"Christian" film, in the sense that it will appeal only to those who
identify themselves as followers of Jesus Christ. It is a deeply
human, beautiful story that will deeply touch all men and women. It
is a profound work of art. Yes, its producer is a Catholic Christian
and thankfully has remained faithful to the Gospel text; if that is
no longer acceptable behavior than we are all in trouble. History
demands that we remain faithful to the story and Christians have a
right to tell it. After all, we believe that it is the greatest story
ever told and that its message is for all men and women. The greatest
right is the right to hear the truth.

We would all be well advised to remember that the Gospel narratives
to which "The Passion" is so faithful were written by Jewish men who
followed a Jewish Rabbi whose life and teaching have forever changed
the history of the world. The problem is not the message but those
who have distorted it and used it for hate rather than love. The
solution is not to censor the message, but rather to promote the kind
of gift of love that is Mel Gibson's filmmaking masterpiece, "The
Passion."

It should be seen by as many people as possible. I intend to do
everything I can to make sure that is the case. I am passionate about
"The Passion." You will be as well. Don't miss it!
-- Paul Harvey

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  #2  
Old 01-18-2004, 06:31 PM
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I'm looking forward to seeing film.

I've read a lot of the criticism of the film by some commentators, and especially by different Jewish groups.

What I find the most interesting is that they don't say the film is inaccurate, but that it makes Jews looks bad, and that they are afraid of negative reactions (towards Jews) of those after seeing the movie.

Some have also called Mel Gibson anti-semetic.

I don't get it.

If he is portraying the story exactly as it is presented in the Bible, how does that make him anti-semitic.

Even the Pope saw the film and liked it, remarking that it was incredible, and that, "...it is as it was".

BTW, as a disclaimer, I am a Christian, and my sister has converted to Judaism.
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  #3  
Old 01-18-2004, 06:34 PM
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Oh, BTW, there is a good article in the New York Times today on the movie and critics reactions, too.

The article is largely from the writer's liberal perspective (surprised anyone?), but the article still spells out both sides of the issue.
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  #4  
Old 01-18-2004, 08:14 PM
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Who in the heck wants to know what to think about it by finding out what other people think of it?

Why not just see the dang thing next month and figure out what you think of it on your own?

Botnst
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  #5  
Old 01-18-2004, 08:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by Botnst
Who in the heck wants to know what to think about it by finding out what other people think of it?

Why not just see the dang thing next month and figure out what you think of it on your own?

Botnst
Exactly.
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  #6  
Old 01-18-2004, 09:48 PM
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It's because enough people in the press have slammed the movie without seeing it already. I just want it to have a fair chance.
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  #7  
Old 01-18-2004, 10:00 PM
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"History demands that we remain faithful to the story and Christians have a right to tell it. "

The problem with this statement is that a quick glance at any gospel parallels will show you that there is no one story. The gospel writers tell different stories to make different points. You can't just read a series of books written tens of years after the fact with the view that they are giving an objective accounting of what happened. There are numbers of other gospels that are not included in the NT and they tell different stories about who Jesus was and what he did. The Christian church could not agree on who Jesus was until the year 325 and the canon of the NT was not finalized until the mid 300's.

I think the question of who the historical Jesus was is a fascinating one that is very difficult to answer but worth the effort to pursue. Thinking that the NT gospels provide a critical answer to this question seems naive to me.

(This is not a comment on the film, it is a comment on Paul Harvey)
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Old 01-18-2004, 10:05 PM
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I wonder if Paul ever reviewed "Freddy Got Fingered"? . . . good day!
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  #9  
Old 01-19-2004, 12:21 AM
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Funny thing is I have never seen or heard a criticism of this film. Not one.

All I have ever seen is conservative talking heads saying what a great movie it is, how brave Gibson is for making it, and slamming liberals and jews for criticizing it.

But I have never actually seen any criticism of it.

curious
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Old 01-19-2004, 01:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by koop
Funny thing is I have never seen or heard a criticism of this film. Not one.
curious
Try these for starters:

http://www.adl.org/interfaith/gibson_qa.asp

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34291

http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/News/Piatak/NewsTP082903.html
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Old 01-19-2004, 03:55 PM
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My point exactly. Both the world net daily and the Chornicles (Rockford Institute) sites are both right wing orgs.

The ADL, IMHO, are a bunch of nut jobs also. I don't think they represent the evil hollywood liberal type. After all what self respecting liberal has a "Every Jew a .22" bumper sticker?
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  #12  
Old 01-19-2004, 04:18 PM
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I'm not agreeing with them, just pointing out the criticisms you said you never heard/read.
I'll wait and see the movie myself, then decide.
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  #13  
Old 01-19-2004, 05:22 PM
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But my point was that I never saw any mainstream media critisicing the movie. What I saw was the stories akin to the ones you posted. Right wing media outlets attacking critics of the movie.

Your links prove my point. Two of those stories are exactly what I am talking about. Attacks on critics of the movie. They are not criticisism of the movie itself.
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Old 01-19-2004, 05:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by koop
They are not criticisism of the movie itself.
Maybe I'm not following you. this sounds like an "attack" on the movie itself to me:
" The concerns are shared by responsible Catholic, Protestant and Jewish theologians, clergy and citizens. A committee of nine Jewish and Catholic scholars studied an early screenplay and unanimously found it to be historically inaccurate, unfaithful to the gospel narratives and to project a uniformly negative picture of Jews. Mr. Gibson and his Icon Productions were aware of and approved of the script study until they received its conclusions. The screenplay depicts the Jewish society at the time of Jesus as the central force behind the decision for crucifixion, graphically implying that the Jews bear the responsibility for the death of Jesus." ect.

But then I can be kinda dense
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  #15  
Old 01-19-2004, 06:45 PM
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You quoted the ADL article which is a critisism. I'm talking about the other two articles which are not ciritisisms of the movie but are right wing hype about non existant controversy.

The movie, of course, is Mel Gibson’s The Passion, a film that has yet to find a distributor and has been the object of an unprecedented campaign of vilification, beginning before any of its critics had even seen it and months before its scheduled release. The open campaign to censor Gibson’s script has elicited not a word of protest from the advocates of artistic freedom who thought taxpayers should have to subsidize “art” consisting of a crucifix submerged in urine, and some are predicting the film will mark the end of Gibson’s career. As entertainment publicist Michael Levine noted, “in liberal Hollywood, it’s easier to declare yourself a gay drug-addicted kleptomaniac than a born-again Christian.” The Chronicle

Have you heard of the controversy and heated debate swirling around Mel Gibson's yet to be released film, "The Passion"?
World Net Daily

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