Freethought & Rationalism Archive

aikido7 · 02-18-2004, 01:10 AM

Ye gods! My first thought was The Passion will only further cause Christians to identify the battered actor with themselves, their faith and their politics.

Imagine how pissed you would be at "the world" for beating and crucifying ALL you hold dear?

Not only anti-Semitic, but anti-"love your enemies." It just furthers the American Christian myth of redemptive violence.

gregor · 02-18-2004, 05:57 AM

One example:

"Our" church [I won't go into it], is renting out the 500 seat theater on Saturday night. Church members are being pressed to bring unchurched friends to the show. The Church is suggesting that members pay for their guests tickets, or the church will do so. The pastor will speak for 15 minutes at the conclusion of the film.

Regular public showings both before and after.

Plognark · 02-18-2004, 08:14 AM

I think the only dramatic effect is i'm not going to bother with any new mel gibson movies.
But I do imagine that the conversion engines will be in high gear around the time the movie comes out and for a while after.

Although now that I think of it, I might have to cave and throw down a few bucks if a new road warrior/mad max actually comes out....

Roland · 02-18-2004, 10:29 AM

Christians need to be careful about bringing potential converts to the movie. I hear it is extremely violent and graphic. That might create the opposite reaction of what is intended in some people

Plognark · 02-18-2004, 11:11 AM

Which reminds me that i've known people who suffered more than Christ did on the cross. Some sacrifice.

I still don't think this movie will do that much. Another historical foot-note. Blah. A several month long rise in fanatical conversion attempts, which will die down to previous levels, and that's about it.

miss djax · 02-18-2004, 11:38 AM

i dont think this film will have the evangelical appeal the fundies believe it will......

first of all, mel gets a built-in captive audience of fundies everywhere who want to come see, to reinforce their worldview.

second, i don't think anyone will be fooled by invitions like this 'come to a fun nite out with our church, we'll pay, we are going to see the new mel gibson movie'..unless you live under a rock and haven't heard word one on this whole dealio i think you can figure out whats afoot : more fundy reinforcement.....

i mean really, if your xian coworker invited you to join their church in seeing 'the passion of the christ', is it possible for there to be a HIDDEN agenda? seems pretty straightforward to me!!!! i'd run fer the hills

ms d

Roland · 02-18-2004, 01:48 PM

This reminds me of a strange experience I had in 1979.

I was in college and an active member in the Campus Crusade For Christ group there. A movie came out called "Jesus" so we all trooped to the theatre to see it. It was opening night and, for some reason (the devil, perhaps?), the copy of the movie hadn't yet arrived at the theater. After waiting for awhile, the leader of our group went up to the front - I kid you not - and started a prayer and praise meeting right there in the public theater. Admittedly, there weren't a whole lot of people other than us in the seats, but I do remember a few sliding sheepishly behind their newspapers while we all sang and prayed. Even in those days when I bought all this hook, line and sinker, I thought this was a pretty presumptuous and inappropriate thing for us to be doing. It was all pretty damn surreal and I've sure never forgotten it. I wonder if incidents like this will be duplicated all over the country next week.

By the way, the "Jesus" movie, which did eventually make it to the theater, was lousy.

Adora · 02-18-2004, 03:03 PM

It's called "The Box-Office Flop" and "The Producer's Headache and Empty Pockets".

aikido7 · 02-18-2004, 07:24 PM

For your information (or disgust) Paul Verhoeven--the Dutch director who did Showgirls, etc.--is a closet academic and a contributing member of the Jesus Seminar. For years he has been talking of making a movie about the Jesus of history (NOT the "Christ of faith").

Working title: Fully Human.

SLD · 02-18-2004, 09:22 PM

What effect will it have you ask. Well I offer this quote from Rapture Ready Bulletin Board:

Quote:

In fact yesterday our pastor preached on the cross and told everyone that his dad who is a pastor in the SE part of the US, was one of the pastors to preview the passion...with Mel Gibson...and when the movie was over and the lights came on...it was said that at least half the ministers there were one the floor weeping or on their knees weeping...(almost 300 were there)
and his dad was so affected by the sacrifice Jesus made that he couldn't speak about it for three weeks.
Pastor told us we all need to go and see it when it comes...
then he said that he believed it was a final tool of God to reach everyone in the most blatant way possible...that christians had lost thier sald and it was time, in fact overtime to repent before it was too late...
He also said it was the wordly who are saying bad things of the movie...and don't believe them. For the foolishness of the cross is salvation to us who believe...
I cried...it was amazing...

This message was in response to this question:

Quote:

Is God using this as His final warning to the nations, and the final opportunity to accept Him? Is this the fulfillment of Jesus' statement in Matthew 24: "The Gospel will be preached to all nations, and THEN the end will come?"

The whole thread can be found here: http://www.rr-bb.com/showthread.php?threadid=129772

So yes, it is going to have a big effect - especially on fundys. Mass hysteria type effects. Oh shit, why do I have to live in the Bible Belt!!???.

Actually a group of us freethinkers were thinking of using it as a time to proselytize freethought: "hey this is a great movie, but the story is fiction! Have a freethought brochure." That or heckel it throughout. Hmmm. Could be fun.

SLD

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02-18-2004, 01:10 AM	#11
aikido7 Regular Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Here Posts: 234	Ye gods! My first thought was The Passion will only further cause Christians to identify the battered actor with themselves, their faith and their politics. Imagine how pissed you would be at "the world" for beating and crucifying ALL you hold dear? Not only anti-Semitic, but anti-"love your enemies." It just furthers the American Christian myth of redemptive violence.

02-18-2004, 05:57 AM	#12
gregor Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 932	One example: "Our" church [I won't go into it], is renting out the 500 seat theater on Saturday night. Church members are being pressed to bring unchurched friends to the show. The Church is suggesting that members pay for their guests tickets, or the church will do so. The pastor will speak for 15 minutes at the conclusion of the film. Regular public showings both before and after.

02-18-2004, 08:14 AM	#13
Plognark Contributor Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 14,952	I think the only dramatic effect is i'm not going to bother with any new mel gibson movies. But I do imagine that the conversion engines will be in high gear around the time the movie comes out and for a while after. Although now that I think of it, I might have to cave and throw down a few bucks if a new road warrior/mad max actually comes out....

02-18-2004, 10:29 AM	#14
Roland Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: California Posts: 748	Christians need to be careful about bringing potential converts to the movie. I hear it is extremely violent and graphic. That might create the opposite reaction of what is intended in some people

02-18-2004, 11:11 AM	#15
Plognark Contributor Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 14,952	Which reminds me that i've known people who suffered more than Christ did on the cross. Some sacrifice. I still don't think this movie will do that much. Another historical foot-note. Blah. A several month long rise in fanatical conversion attempts, which will die down to previous levels, and that's about it.

02-18-2004, 11:38 AM	#16
miss djax Regular Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: phoenix Posts: 342	i dont think this film will have the evangelical appeal the fundies believe it will...... first of all, mel gets a built-in captive audience of fundies everywhere who want to come see, to reinforce their worldview. second, i don't think anyone will be fooled by invitions like this 'come to a fun nite out with our church, we'll pay, we are going to see the new mel gibson movie'..unless you live under a rock and haven't heard word one on this whole dealio i think you can figure out whats afoot : more fundy reinforcement..... i mean really, if your xian coworker invited you to join their church in seeing 'the passion of the christ', is it possible for there to be a HIDDEN agenda? seems pretty straightforward to me!!!! i'd run fer the hills ms d

02-18-2004, 01:48 PM	#17
Roland Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: California Posts: 748	This reminds me of a strange experience I had in 1979. I was in college and an active member in the Campus Crusade For Christ group there. A movie came out called "Jesus" so we all trooped to the theatre to see it. It was opening night and, for some reason (the devil, perhaps?), the copy of the movie hadn't yet arrived at the theater. After waiting for awhile, the leader of our group went up to the front - I kid you not - and started a prayer and praise meeting right there in the public theater. Admittedly, there weren't a whole lot of people other than us in the seats, but I do remember a few sliding sheepishly behind their newspapers while we all sang and prayed. Even in those days when I bought all this hook, line and sinker, I thought this was a pretty presumptuous and inappropriate thing for us to be doing. It was all pretty damn surreal and I've sure never forgotten it. I wonder if incidents like this will be duplicated all over the country next week. By the way, the "Jesus" movie, which did eventually make it to the theater, was lousy.

02-18-2004, 03:03 PM	#18
Adora Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Australia Posts: 1,743	It's called "The Box-Office Flop" and "The Producer's Headache and Empty Pockets".

02-18-2004, 07:24 PM	#19
aikido7 Regular Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Here Posts: 234	For your information (or disgust) Paul Verhoeven--the Dutch director who did Showgirls, etc.--is a closet academic and a contributing member of the Jesus Seminar. For years he has been talking of making a movie about the Jesus of history (NOT the "Christ of faith"). Working title: Fully Human.

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