Have You Seen The Passion Of The Christ?

[Suffolk Sean]

Do any of you know of Christians that refused to watch the movie (sort of like a boycott) because they were against the violence?

I don't understand these Christians. It's humanistic reasoning, like "I won't use paper becos I wanna save the trees". This type of reasoning sounds 'noble' but it is very worldy.

Do you know of other reasons why Christians refused to watch it?

Well if a Christian refuses to watch due to violence, they are missing a point. The point is the Jesus was severly beaten then crucified and only by that are we saved. You cannot seperate salvation from violence and death.

 

[Duggie]

[Suffolk Sean]Well if a Christian refuses to watch due to violence, they are missing a point. The point is the Jesus was severly beaten then crucified and only by that are we saved. You cannot seperate salvation from violence and death.

Agreed, but to be fair to those Christians who haven't watched it because they didn't feel comfortable watching the suffering Christ had to endure, in such a literally graphic way. They obviously feel they don't need to view the film to appreciate what Jesus endured. Secondly, to liken them to humanists takes the level of debate to a low, generalising, presumptious and frankly quite offence level. Some people need to think before they post such ignorant views.

I'm sorry but I had to say that......

 

[scham]

Agreed, but to be fair to those Christians who haven't watched it because they didn't feel comfortable watching the suffering Christ had to endure, in such a literally graphic way. They obviously feel they don't need to view the film to appreciate what Jesus endured. Secondly, to liken them to humanists takes the level of debate to a low, generalising, presumptious and frankly quite offence level. Some people need to think before they post such ignorant views.

I'm sorry but I had to say that......

Don't need to be sorry, I agree, you can't put everyone who doesn't want to watch it in the same box.
I have a friend who won't see it because of the graphic content but she knows exactly what Jesus has done for her, probably more than some that have seen it!

 

[Duggie]

[scham]Don't need to be sorry, I agree, you can't put everyone who doesn't want to watch it in the same box.
I have a friend who won't see it because of the graphic content but she knows exactly what Jesus has done for her, probebly more than some that hace seen it!

Appreciate your comments my friend

 

[Duggie]

[Duggie] Some people need to think before they post such ignorant views.

That actually applies to me also, so I'm being slightly hypocritical when I say that. My apology

 

[Suffolk Sean]

Agreed, but to be fair to those Christians who haven't watched it because they didn't feel comfortable watching the suffering Christ had to endure, in such a literally graphic way. They obviously feel they don't need to view the film to appreciate what Jesus endured. Secondly, to liken them to humanists takes the level of debate to a low, generalising, presumptious and frankly quite offence level. Some people need to think before they post such ignorant views.

I'm sorry but I had to say that......

My point was you can't be anti-violence. I fully agree if you just really don't want to watch it. I will say I have never seen something more graphic in my life and the second time was no less impactful (is that a word???). However I would not say that it was gratuitous.

 

[TheTempleTeam]

I'm getting it purely for the evangelistic opportunities I'll have by having it in Halls (Dorms) at University. It's a real conversation starter. I found it really hard to watch, but it was incredibly powerful!

 

[Suffolk Sean]

I'm getting it purely for the evangelistic opportunities I'll have by having it in Halls (Dorms) at University. It's a real conversation starter. I found it really hard to watch, but it was incredibly powerful!

I found Saving Private Ryan hard to watch too. But as seeing that my father was at Normandy on that day, I felt is was necessary to watch it, to my betterment.

 

[Blindfaith316]

I saw it, I was moved by it, it is something that I really think everyone should see atleast once. I was a little dissapointed at the catholic bias in some parts., but its a movie... and Mel is catholic.

I have heard people(christians) say that they cannot watch the portayal of Christ being beaten/crucified for their sins (just too much for some people to KNOW, let alone SEE)

I have heard christians say that they dont want to see it because of what they have heard about the movie, various things...

I have heard christians say that they do not agree with someone portraying Christ, that they do not want to picture the actor when they think of Jesus, etc.

what else? I know there's more!

 

[Duggie]

[Blindfaith316]I saw it, I was moved by it, it is something that I really think everyone should see atleast once. I was a little dissapointed at the catholic bias in some parts., but its a movie... and Mel is catholic.

I have heard people(christians) say that they cannot watch the portayal of Christ being beaten/crucified for their sins (just too much for some people to KNOW, let alone SEE)

I have heard christians say that they dont want to see it because of what they have heard about the movie, various things...

I have heard christians say that they do not agree with someone portraying Christ, that they do not want to picture the actor when they think of Jesus, etc.

what else? I know there's more!

Good points and in my opinion all valid

 

[Andrew]

Worldly I know Christians who didn't watch it because they didn't want to see, in graphic detail, what happened to our Lord. As I previously stated I watched it and for me personally once is enough. I don't need to see it again to get some form of understanding as to what Jesus endured for me.

What's next?

Are you going to somehow suggest it's sinful if Christians don't watch it

Relax, I'm not talking about sinning here.

Most people do not know how much Christ suffered for them. If they knew from the scriptures, they would want to see it portrayed on screen or in print.

For eg, there is so much talk about this scripture "By his stripes I am healed!" So many Christians confess this for healing. Yet, what does it really mean? How was scourging done in Roman days? Was Christ really scourged until his bones were exposed and his body beyond recognition, as Isaiah says? Mel seems to have captured this truth somewhat, so of cse I'd be curious to see it, of cse I want to know as much as possible what Jesus went thru to give me.

So I dont understnd Christians who boycott the movie for its "violence". They just have an airy fairy image of the suffering of Christ.

 

[Duggie]

[Andrew]Relax, I'm not talking about sinning here.

I know Andrew, I was being sarcastic.....

Most people do not know how much Christ suffered for them. If they knew from the scriptures, they would want to see it portrayed on screen or in print.

For eg, there is so much talk about this scripture "By his stripes I am healed!" So many Christians confess this for healing. Yet, what does it really mean? How was scourging done in Roman days? Was Christ really scourged until his bones were exposed and his body beyond recognition, as Isaiah says? Mel seems to have captured this truth somewhat, so of cse I'd be curious to see it, of cse I want to know as much as possible what Jesus went thru to give me.

So I dont understnd Christians who boycott the movie for its "violence". They just have an airy fairy image of the suffering of Christ.

People don't need to see the movie to have an appreciation of what Christ endured for us. I agree that watching the scourging does bring the reality of how terrible the suffering was, but prior to seeing the movie I knew Jesus experienced incredible pain from reading the Word. To suggest that Christians who don't want to see the movie are somehow weak or humanist is unfair. But I see your point, I just happen to disagree with it.

 

[muffler dragon]

Most people do not know how much Christ suffered for them. If they knew from the scriptures, they would want to see it portrayed on screen or in print.

I try not to use a singular Scripture to set a point in motion, but this time, I can't really help it.

John 20
29 Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? (1) Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."

Knowing the Scriptures and desiring a visual representation have nothing to do with each other.

For eg, there is so much talk about this scripture "By his stripes I am healed!" So many Christians confess this for healing. Yet, what does it really mean? How was scourging done in Roman days? Was Christ really scourged until his bones were exposed and his body beyond recognition, as Isaiah says? Mel seems to have captured this truth somewhat, so of cse I'd be curious to see it, of cse I want to know as much as possible what Jesus went thru to give me.

And yet, this very topic has set off a wave of disagreements and other type discussions in these Forums. It means something to you and not the same to me. It's fine that you get whatever you're seeking out of a film, but it's wrong to deride others who don't want to.

So I dont understnd Christians who boycott the movie for its "violence". They just have an airy fairy image of the suffering of Christ.

And someone can say that you have a bloodlust (in a G-dly sense), because you wanted to see the pain of the situation. Is the statement I present or yours a beneficial way to evaluate another human being? Furthermore, violence can be even worse in a person's mind than seeing it on the big screen. Case in point, when Quentin Taratino was making Reservoir Dogs, I heard a commentary on the scene when the man is cutting the other man's ear off. There were two takes. The first showed the man actually cutting it off, the other view took the camera just off the corner so that you couldn't see it. Quentin had a group of people come into see it to see which had a more 'troubling/disturbing' effect. Well, he kept the one that goes off screen if that gives you an idea. The point is this: people, when stuck to their own imaginative devices, will many times consider or think of something that is much more horrific than the real life situation. For the people who do not want to see the film, one particular reason why they might do this is to avoid the imaginative part of it. Furthermore, it was an "R"-rated film. It was not conducive for all audiences.

m.d.

 

[SkyAngel]

A week ago I saw the video version of the movie for the second time having seen it in the theatre and it had an even more powerful effect on me the second time. While I think the movie had a Catholic bias, I appreciated the message of how much Christ loves us and for me it brought the scriptures alive and has brought me closer to Jesus in my prayers and bible study and has helped me get more serious about my walk with the Lord. I can only hope it will bring non-christians to seek the Lord if it impacted me the way it did.

However, I am troubled by some articles I have read on the internet that claim it's idolatrous to use images of Jesus in this manner on the screen, that this movie reduces Christ to the human level too much.

I have found in my own prayer life that now when I read the gospels or pray, I am starting to visualize Jesus as he was in this movie and am worried about it. Before I became a Christian as an adult I did not have a lot of bible teaching and I learned the "10 Commandments" first from the movie with Charleton Heston and have never quite been able to get an internal impression of moses without visualizing Charleton Heston. Now I am seeing Jim Caviezel as Jesus and this bothers me. Any suggestions?

Blessings

SkyAngel

 

[Blindfaith316]

A week ago I saw the video version of the movie for the second time having seen it in the theatre and it had an even more powerful effect on me the second time. While I think the movie had a Catholic bias, I appreciated the message of how much Christ loves us and for me it brought the scriptures alive and has brought me closer to Jesus in my prayers and bible study and has helped me get more serious about my walk with the Lord. I can only hope it will bring non-christians to seek the Lord if it impacted me the way it did.

However, I am troubled by some articles I have read on the internet that claim it's idolatrous to use images of Jesus in this manner on the screen, that this movie reduces Christ to the human level too much.

I have found in my own prayer life that now when I read the gospels or pray, I am starting to visualize Jesus as he was in this movie and am worried about it. Before I became a Christian as an adult I did not have a lot of bible teaching and I learned the "10 Commandments" first from the movie with Charleton Heston and have never quite been able to get an internal impression of moses without visualizing Charleton Heston. Now I am seeing Jim Caviezel as Jesus and this bothers me. Any suggestions?

Blessings

SkyAngel

My pastor did not see the movie because he did not want to picture Christ as the actor, in fact he hasnt seen any movies that portray Christ. I would pray about this, and ask the Lord to remove the image of the actor from your mind. When I 'picture' Christ, I always see a shining white light and arms open wide.

 

[SkyAngel]

My pastor did not see the movie because he did not want to picture Christ as the actor, in fact he hasnt seen any movies that portray Christ. I would pray about this, and ask the Lord to remove the image of the actor from your mind. When I 'picture' Christ, I always see a shining white light and arms open wide.

Thank you Blindfaith316! I just knew something wasn't right in my spirit about this. I will pray like you suggested. I appreciate your post about this.

Blessings ,

SkyAngel

 

[Andrew]

However, I am troubled by some articles I have read on the internet that claim it's idolatrous to use images of Jesus in this manner on the screen, that this movie reduces Christ to the human level too much.

Oh please, these folks are just being religious. Christ was in the flesh after all.
They might as well ban kids from drawing pictures of Jesus in Sunday school. Let me guess, they dont drink coke and coffee either.

 

[scham]

Oh please, these folks are just being religious. Christ was in the flesh after all.
They might as well ban kids from drawing pictures of Jesus in Sunday school. Let me guess, they dont drink coke and coffee either.

Hehehe some people are so daft the make an issue out of nothing, me myself likes to have images of things, it helps me focus but that doesn't mean I think that actor is Jesus just somthing to keep my mind from going off on one.

 

[Andrew]

Hehehe some people are so daft the make an issue out of nothing, me myself likes to have images of things, it helps me focus but that doesn't mean I think that actor is Jesus just somthing to keep my mind from going off on one.

Yes, and what about the well-known film Jesus of Nazareth that has been used throughout the decades for evangelism purposes esp during Good Friday? What about the Gospel of John, the Gospel According to Matthew? We shouldn't watch these too becos using an actor to play the part of Jesus is idolatry? And what about Sunday school plays? If you have a baby Jesus that's idolatry too?

 

[LilAngelHeart]

I really do think it is the BEST movie ever made!!!!
~Blessings

I totally agree!!!