Why They Do Not Want You to See "The Passion of the Christ"

Why They Do Not Want You to See "The Passion of the Christ"

In the history of the movie industry no film has stirred the antagonism and opposition that Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ" has. The hostility has come from several sources. It is most interesting to see just who it is that is so vehemently opposed to it and to understand why.

The most vocal and determined opponents have been leaders of the Jewish community. Their Anti-Defamation League and numerous rabbis have taken their opposition to the media and pressed to block the issuance of the film. In their attempt to stop Gibson they used their most powerful and effective weapon. They accused him of "Anti-Semitism," the cardinal sin of Postmodern America. They also branded the message of his film as anti-Semitic and implied that it would resurrect persecution of Jews like that of the Nazis. Lesser men would have caved in to this pressure, but Gibson was undeterred.

The pressure on Gibson is better understood when one understands the role and influence of Jewish people in the movie industry. They hold key leadership positions in the industry and their money enables them to have a major voice in deciding which scripts are made into movies. All the major studios turned Gibson down. Interestingly, Hollywood does not object to making movies about Jesus, but only a certain kind are allowed to come forth. Movies such as "Jesus Christ, Superstar," "Godspell," "The Last Temptation of Christ" and other similar titles have been issued on a regular basis. Most of them depict Jesus as a buffoon, or as a sinful human. Even the more serious of them have taken great liberties with the Bible's historical record. But Gibson's movie they were determined to block. The fact is they do not want the actual story of Christ's rejection and death told. They are determined to erase from history the unflattering facts of their ancestors' role in his arrest, his abuse, his illegal trial and their insistence for his death. They don't want the public to know the story of the Jewish messiah, rejected by most of his own people, who is the Savior of all people of every race. I hasten to say that we should not blame contemporary Jews for what their ancestors did 2,000 years ago. Never should we persecute in any way, a person because he or she is Jewish.

The second group that have worked unceasingly to block the film are those of our society who subscribe to the religion of secularism. They don't believe in God, Jesus, salvation, Christianity, the Bible or any thing relating thereto. Neither do they want others to believe. Usually we call these folks Humanists. To them man is the highest power in the universe. He is his own god and there is no need or room for any other, specifically, no room for Jesus and his religion. This element exercise powerful control over our television broadcast media, our movie industry, most of our major newspapers and magazines. Many of them hold powerful positions in government and the courts of our nation. Our public educational system is firmly in their hands as are most of our institutions of higher learning. Jesus, the Bible, the church and his followers stand in their way as they seek total dominance in American life.

Spokesmen for these two groups are already on record as saying that Gibson's acting career is finished; that he will never be given another starring role or director's job. I suspect that if they thought they could do it, they would use the power of the courts to forbid the picture and penalize the man who produced it.

Paul wrote that "the word of the cross (that's what Gibson's movie is all about) is to them that perish foolishness" (I Cor. 1:18). Those clamoring against this movie are like some in Paul's day, "enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18). They are people who "crucify the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame" (Heb. 6:6). They not only hate, they fear the Son of God and his kingdom. The Bible tells us that Christ will smite the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God the Almighty and all who make war against him shall be broken and destroyed (Rev. 19:11-19). David asked, "Why do the heathen rage and the peoples meditate a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against Jehovah, and against his anointed..." ( Ps. 2:1-2). Like their counterparts two millennia ago, they would silence his voice. They do not understand that the creature cannot silence his Creator!

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