The modern gospel:
The "Passion" movie of Mel Gibson, while supposing to be a wonderful tool to present Jesus and therefore "change lives" actually neither changes lives nor does it present the real historical Jesus. It doesn't change the lives of Christians who see it because they continue to act and believe the same way they have done prior to seeing the movie. The Christian may have been teary-eyed during the presentation of the show but soon after, the way they approach their understanding of what they read in the New Testament has not changed. In addition, the manner which they approach G-d is the same and the way they treat other human beings has not changed. Yet many exit the theater with claim of "changed lives." >
Similarly, the film has not changed the lives of non-Christians either. For their approach to G-d and religion and the manner which they treat others remains the same. There is an exception. For there are some religious and non religious people who would allow the "Passion" to intensify their latent or already existent anti-Semitic postures: The movie sets up the unlearned and the biblically unread to hate the Jew because of their lack of education. For this reason, the "Passion" can only serve to entertain (if you're a sadist) or to hurt Mankind by causing the weak in knowledge to hate the Jew. >
The movie is violent. There is so much violence in Gibson's movie that if such had been in any other movie, many would fight to protect children and the weak minded from it. It would have been hated by the moral, the naive, and the religious. >
The movie is anti-Semitic. Gibson's film does not explain that the Sadducees illegitimately held the Priesthood during the time of Jesus and that the Pharisees arose in opposition to it. All they are taught in their churches is that the Sadducees and the Pharisees opposed each other because of religious viewpoints. They are not taught that the historical Jesus was a Pharisee as was the historical Paul, and Jesus taught Pharisaic Judaism as did Paul. Christians are not taught that Paul pushed Pharisaic Judaism even after his "conversion" to the Way. (The "Way" is was what Jesus's branch of Judaism was called following his death.) This is why one can read of numerous accounts of Pharisee converts to the Way, yet no Sadducee converts. >
It was the Sadducee Priesthood who wanted Jesus crucified, not Pharisaic Jews. And it was because Jesus stood as a Pharisee against their illegal priesthood. The “Passion” depicts that it was the Jews who crucified Jesus because it does not inform the audience of this history and thus presents an anti-Semitic posture to the unlearned.1 They are not told that Pharisaic Judaism exists to this day outlasting the Sadducees and the Way. (It is Orthodox Judaism)>
The movie is ahistorical (without history). Because this setting is not offered to the audience, the film is not history but rather entertainment. Conversations of Pilate with his wife and Barrabbas's response to his release are not historical. The demon-satan hermaphrodite being in the garden who follows the events leading to Jesus's suffering throughout the movie is not historical or New Testament. The politics surrounding Pilate and the Priesthood were only hypothetical, not historical. And it is said that many of the episodes in the movie came from a dream of a Catholic nun. >
The movie does not follow the New Testament. Where in the New Testament does it relate how a bird plucks out the eye of one of the other men who were crucified with Jesus....specifically the one who rejects him? Where in the New Testament does one read of how the Romans flip Jesus back and forth once he was nailed to the stake? Where in the New Testament do we find an hermaphrodite-like creature (Satan?) who follows Jesus though his ordeals? And why weren't the skies darkened in a not-so-normal manner so as to give a special significance to the phenomenon as the New Testament relates? (It was only darkened with storm-like clouds as it naturally does today.) >
The movie does not follow the Tanach (Old Testament). The movie begins by introducing a verse from Isaiah which implies (as Christians are misled to accept) that Jesus is the "Suffering Servant" mentioned by the prophet Isaiah. The truth of the matter is, the "Suffering Servant" of Isaiah is Israel. Isaiah himself identifies it as such in his book Isaiah found in the Bible. (Isaiah 44:1,2;21) >
The movie is very much Hollywood. Like Hollywood, the "Passion" is set up to entertain and resurface feelings that people already possess. Scenes were added and others dramatized to do exactly this. For example, while on the cross, Jesus is flipped about by the Romans to magnify his pain. Jesus’s eye is shown to be damaged by a previously setup torture session. A dead, rotten, fly-infested horse carcass is present at the place where Judas hangs himself. The audience is never told how the clothes of Jesus appeares at Golgotha so men could cast lots for them. They were just all of a sudden there. >
Christians ask us to follow the New Testament and Jesus....so why don't they do that?
Why do Christian women braid their hair contrary to the teachings of Paul? (1 Peter 3:3) >
Why do Christian women wear jewelry contrary to the teachings of Paul? (1 Peter 3:3) >
Why are there Christian women preachers and teachers contrary to the teachings of the New Testament? (1 Peter 3:1; 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, 1 Timothy 2:12)>
Why do Christian women pray without a veil contrary to the teachings of Paul? And when they don't, why don't they shave their heads? (1 Corinthians 11:4-6)
Why do Christian women want "equality" contrary to the teachings of Paul? (1 Timothy 2:12-14, Ephesians 5:22-24) )
Why do Christians pray in public, contrary to the teachings of Jesus? (Matthew 6:6-8) )
Why do Christians divorce when adultery is not a factor, contrary to the teachings of Jesus? (Matthew 5:32) )
Why do Christians seek riches, contrary to the teachings of Jesus? (Matthew 6:19-21) )
Paul, like the rabbis of today, taught that anyone who accepted and feared the G-d of Israel, who then repented and turned to the One and Only true G-d, Creator of all people, would be considered righteous. He taught that such people would be convicted by G-d to follow all the Commandments revealed in the Mosaic Law to the Jew and to the gentile. Christians are familiar with the Torah, the Law of Moses as given to the Jew. But they have never heard of the Commandments as given to the gentile>
Copyright (c)2004/(c)5764 mattityahu@yahoo.com
This site updated on 2-10-04
Get your own Free Home Page