THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST and Anti-Semitism
Via the Toronto Globe and Mail
According to a new report from B’nai Brith Canada, the number of anti-Semitic incidents with direct religious connotations in February of 2004 — the month Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ opened in Canada — matches the figure for all of 2003. The spike continued into the spring.
The actual number of reported religious-motivated incidents is small — 32 in 2004, up from 9 in 2003 — but Frank Dimant, the head of the Canadian branch of B’nai Brith, estimates that the actual number of such incidents may be 10 times higher.
A highly controversial scene in The Passion shows a Jewish mob saying (in Aramaic) that the blood of Jesus should "be on us and on our children," a phrase that has been used through centuries as a justification for anti-Semitism. Although no subtitle was provided for that one sentence, Gibson was criticized for depicting an event that is currently disputed by numerous theologians.
Dimant, who says that The Passion is one more example in history’s "long list of anti-Semitic works," claims that the surge in anti-Jewish attacks in the winter and spring of 2004 can at least in part be attributed to Gibson’s film.
"We’ve progressed from the Dark Ages and the Middle Ages," says Dimant, "we have moved forward and this is really pulling us back into very dark ages that divides people. We’ve made tremendous progress in terms of enlightenment and appreciating the differences and understanding the tragedies of inciting people with religious hatred. Christians and Jews have come a long way in that regard and it’s very sad that Mel Gibson took it upon himself to move us back into, literally, the Middle Ages."
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I watched “The Passion Of The Crhist” many times on DVD.
Unhappely I lost the film itself. I have the 1st edition of the DVD.
The actor James Clavizel is very near of who we imagine beeing the man Jesus.Jim gave me images that I need and I’m using again for praying. Thanks for your work Jim! The effort of Mel and Jim together,to make this historical, traumatic and terrible suffering of a man who only spoke about love and forgivness is unique in cinema. One sees an enourmous strain from Jim to perform the real Christ, the one from the Godspell. The words about “I am the way, the truth and the life” and those scenes when the Lord spoke are the essential of the Godspell. People who comment that Mel only focus in the torment of Jesus, i tell you that is not true. The few yet important messages and envirements where Crist speak the His holy words are there. I’m a catholic but I was loosing my faith. I was not believing in sin and evil anymore.Because I sutied Psicology and Psiquiatry I had a tendence to believe all was the brain and mind but I was wrong.The mistake that evil dosn’t exist and God forgive all sins so we are free to insult God is a serious temptation of the evil in our culture.We don’t fight an enemy that doen’s exist… if evil doesn’t exist, we don’t need to be alert but indeed it exist. We doctors, and I worked years in Holland, Portugal and Brazil we are told many time to believe only in mental desorders and no spiritual temptations nor extra ordinary and unexplained forms of humain suffering. no This is dangerous for all of us and a lie that the evil is saying to the world. As Mel put in the words of Pontio Pilatus, how we lissen the Truth? Saying always the truth, I think which is harder then I tought. Not having fear to speak out sincerely but not imposing. This world needs cristians, as Jim and Mel are examples. To tell the truth to people that want to hear. We cannot seat and expect that the priests are doing all. No, The Church who is formed by intelligent, spiritual people like Mel Gibson or Jim Clavizel need us to be “apostolic”.We can make a difference in a word of social injustice, AIDS in Africa, hunger, milions loosing their lifes because of no food, superticion instead of the study of all the holy men and women that gave us example. Many “holy people” at least with a pure intention is their great hearts they are here in our world. I am a father of 4 dreans. My children are my pride. They need to see me happy, not a moralist with poetry but a believer, an original man has we all are, with my way of doing things, my own words, power to think starigh and decide. Finnaly I would like sincerely to congratulate both of you, Mel and Jim for your courage and confidence to tell this “sleeping world” about the truth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This film inspired me to come back to my studies of the Bible, and to receive more often the Holy Eucaristy and to confess my faults to a catholic priest more regulary then before.One word about old languages: the aramaic, language of Moises,Abraam,the King David and Christ is called a “dead language”. Serious experts cannot find the exact meaning of some important words. Those are not easely translated to our modern languages.Happely all the New Testement was written in old greec easier to translate by the experts. We know what Jesus did and told very like is in the film. We know that is so vital to understand the word “Love” so missundertood now a days.Means in the day by day of our relatioships with people.Jesus loved us and that is very clear in the amazing performace of Jim. He smiles when is sharing His last supper, he doesn’t shout histerically when the flagellus causes terrible pain and loss of energy, or when he is nailed in the cross with 7-10 cm of iron causing a non compreensive pain and loss of blood. He weeps and says His dialogue with His “Aba”, His God who certainly suffers with His son. The mistery is why God who is Love ask to His beloved Son such a horror of torment to save us? Yes this is a mistery. The more I think about it the less I understand. Jim, I saw more films with you and Jennifer Lopez, for example. You performed Christ as you wanted. If we are not told your caracter is Jesus like in the Godspell. Great job Jim! If the physical looking is from those times, the aquiline nose. You look like Jesus. Your performace is respectfull, sraineous, one see you’re in pain like He was, your facial language crying for Kaiphas who refuses to belive is a unique scene. I saw more films about Christ but this one is the Godspell.Probably Christ looked like you in the film: a big man, a worker with muscles because 33 years working the wood. A gentle, gracious, good son for Maria from Nazareth has you did in the playing with Her mother the innocent joke of the high table and a kiss. All mother would dream with a son so gentle, kind and yet relaxed with Her mother.Jim to me you are a spiritual actor. Reserve scripts to you if I may say. You are a high-sensitive person with art inside.It’s in your face, manners, body language, warm voice. See, I cannot stand actors like R.P.-sorry for the inicials but this is for not saying names. In the serie Jesus From Nazareth the actor is just too western and from our time, with his blue eyes and a look of supranatural. R.P.doens’t touch the heart of young people like my 16 years old son who has no patient to watch that.If you know what I mean, I hope so…You with manners of that time, clothes like Sint Francis from Assis, poor clothes, brown eyes ( nobody see the contact lenses trust me ) hair with no modern shampoos, yes this is the galileam from that time. The aramaic transforms you in the personna of Chist.Great job! I could keep on congratulate both of you but I have to go. Think how many soul where touched by this unique film! And thank God because you both where intruments. A lot of grace is in the film, I mean the Holy Spirit of Jesus. Keep humble Jim and you will be in “Shalom” ( aramaic, the hello of that time) that Christ promise in the Godspell from John, his last words.I don’t find the film too violent nor “holywoodization” but loyal to the Scriptures. Christ has now about 5000 manuscrits,in old greec so with such an abundance of historical documents to doubt the man Christ is to doubt Alexander Magnus, Julius Ceaser, Leonardo da Vinci all the Arqueology, all the History. He once touched this Earth with his feet and breath our air!He is in us in spirit, The Holy Spirit touching our hearts, inviting to do Good,He is alive!He is a truly historical person too. I liked the script from Mel Gibson.Mel is not trying to impose his cristian faith. That story is just truth. There’s only a couple of miracles in the film, the Veronica’s veil- wich is now in the Vatican under the responsability of the pope by the way… and the wound in the chest of the Lord with that beautiful rain of His blood and sorum. I’m a doctor, MD and that is not a miracle, it can happen. That’s why I admire Mel Gibson for his non fanatism and his realism. He could show miracles like Our Lord walking in the water, healing ill people but the issue is the suffering of Our Lord Jesus Crhist for us, sinners, that’s the price of our salvation, that passion, made of pain in a misterious deal between God and His beloved Son. Instead Mel Gibson is just tellig us a story from the Godspell with an obvious gentle and discret invitation if I may say to the story of that Holy man. There lies the grace: the crowds watched the film! And see the reactions! God bless Mel Gibson, and Jim Clavizel. Jim your concentration, physical strain and deep respect to Our Lord is obvius watching the film even on DVD.Thank you both for so beautiful, historical, images that helps me to imagine when praying. Your film has contribute to return to this serious area of my life my faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ, my desteny
the eternal life.
I have no words to thank those great men whom I deep respect.
Karl de Athayde, M.D.
PS : I have just one question.Maybe the people of your site would tell me if there’s a 2nd version of the DVD maybe remixed, amiliorate? Because my 2004 DVD bought in Holland is getting residuals or something and some chapters are not readble anymore by the DVD player. There’s a 2nd DVD? Remixed? What is the difference? More scenes, better image? Thanks a lot.