Does the "Passion of the Christ" Movie Serve the Cause of Christ?
Answer: No. Go see "Saved!" instead.
The apostles who wrote the Gospels and epistles to the churches did not graphically describe the crucifixion. Many people have laid down their lives to save their children, their friends, and even complete strangers. I doubt that any of these individuals would want those they saved to watch their suffering graphically recreated. More likely than not, they would just want those who benefited from their unselfish sacrifice to consider loving others and following their example. Spectacle, graphic violence, and controversy draw the multitudes and generate the most profit, by far, for the movie and television industries. These elements, which generated widespread interest in "The Passion of the Christ,"1 have always been characteristic of popular theater, even in ancient times.
If churches want to support a movie that teaches people about Christ's message, they should recommend their congregations see Saved!2 Jena Malone plays the role of Mary, a girl who is ostracized by her friends and classmates at a Baptist high school when she becomes pregnant. The only kids who take care of her in her time of trouble are others whom school officials and classmates have likewise labeled as sinners and troublemakers. Lead sinners include Mandy Moore as Hilary Faye and Macaulay Culkin as Roland. An added plus for righteous moviegoers is that this film is rated PG-13 while Passion of the Christ is R-rated.
Saved!, apparently, has gotten the same reception from some churches as another friend of sinners received from the Pharisees.4 According to director Brian Dannelly, before production, several fundamentalists working on the film quit. A church, a Christian rock band and the homeowner whose house was to be used for important scenes pulled out of productions because of objections over the film's unflattering content. One evangelical Christian (K. Dillman from Ohio), however, submitted the following comments: I felt the movie did exactly what it intended to do; bring to light the hypocrisy of the church...If anything should move we evangelicals to start living lives of authenticity that reflect the love and grace of Jesus, this movie was it!
References
1 Icon Productions (2004). Director: Mel Gibson, written by Benedict Fitzgerald and Mel Gibson
2 MGM (2004). Director: Brian Dannelly; written by Brian Dannelly and Michael Urban.
3 Mt 11:19
4 Internet Movie Database, Inc. (IMDb) [http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0332375/] |
