We have been discussing this movie behind closed doors in one of our private forums, however, I feel we should also discuss how it concerns us as Christians of all denominations, therefore, this topic has been created for this purpose.

I placed this in the Life of Christ forum where our visitors may, if they so choose, also participate in this topic.

I would like to hear your own personal convictions about seeing the movie in a theatre or elsewhere, about the movie itself, etc.

Would you go and see the movie itself? Why, or why not?

Would you recommend that the movie be seen by yourself or, if you already saw it, by others?

Was the movie based the Bible and the Bible only or...?

How does your church, SDA and/or non-SDA, feel about the movie?

A local non-SDA Christian wrote a letter that appeared in the newspaper here today, and several of us in the church here thought he had some very good things to say.

It's online at this link.

I don't know the gentleman personally, but he often writes thoughtful Letters to the Editor dealing with Christian themes.

Hello everyone,

I had gone to see the movie one week ago, and to sum it up in one sentence, I can say that Mel Gibson is very faithful to his Roman Catholic beliefs.

Contrary to what many mainline Protestant leaders are saying about the movie, that it is totally faithful to the Bible, there are many non-biblical scenes in the movie. And like Mel Gibson confessed, he got much of his inspiration from the writings of 2 female Catholic mystics who lived in the Middle Ages (Their names escape me at the moment)

Many non-biblical scenes involve Mary, of course. One is Pontius Pilate's wife handing Mary and Mary Magdalene white linen sheets with which to mop up the blood of her Son from the scourging floor after the scourging scene. Another is when Christ is on the cross, and Mary says to Him, "Let me die with you!" She also kisses her Son's feet, and in the process, appears to suck the blood off His feet (drinking the blood of Christ to inherit eternal life?) And in a previous scene, when Christ is taken away to be scourged, He turns back to His mother, and she says to Him, "It has begun, Lord." As if she totally understood exactly what was going to happen to Him, and why He was going through it.

Was the movie violent? Absolutely. Anyone who can't stand the sight of blood or the screams of pain should not see the movie. And anyone with any kind of bad heart condition shouldn't see the movie either, because the soundtrack is filled with drums beating, music which is akin to African tribal music. It had my heart racing like crazy. Even my father, who is not a Christian, who saw the movie with me, said the next day that he was physically exhausted after seeing the movie. Probably due to the fact that he is out of shape, first of all, and second, the constant beating of the drums, which has been proven to increase one's heart rate. It is very likely this may have been a factor in the death of the woman in Chicago by a heart attack.

Another big downside to the movie is that anyone without any understanding of basic Christianity is not going to understand the movie at all. If anything, I think the impression non-believing people will get out of it is, "How can people be so cruel?" They will get the impression that Christians believe that Christ redeemed us through His physical torture and suffering. This, we know, is not the case AT ALL!! Yet this is actually a foundational Catholic belief.


For more insight on this movie, I highly recommend this link to the MSN SDA chatroom community, where you will find a six-part scholarly review by Samuele Bacchiocchi:

SDA Chatroom Message Board

To be honest, the physical beating and the crucifixion were not scenes in this movie that had moved me to tears. What was it that moved me to tears? The scenes in which Christ spoke the very words of God. Words that I have read over and over again on the pages of a book. It then occurred to me that EGW said that the events of earth's final days are going to run parallel to the closing hours of Christ's life. I've been terrified for a while of having to go through the time of Jacob's trouble, and when I drove home from the movie, those fears revived, and I agonizingly prayed, "Lord, what will happen to me? Will I be tortured? Will I brought in a court? Imprisoned?" Did He give me the specific answer as to what will happen to me? Of course not. But He did seem to answer me with three words:

"You will rise."

That seemed to say to me that whatever it is that God allows me to go through, He will keep me from falling, and I will rise with Him, as Christ did on the day of His ascension.

So again I say, non-Christians, if they go and see the movie without a Christian friend and try to interpret and understand it for themselves, will get many wrong impressions, for "the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit, neither can he know them."

And may I add one last thing. This motion picture of the last hours of Christ's life was made by a mere human, whose life is as a bubble, a single breath of air. But EGW reminds us that after the millenium, when all of humanity through all the ages, saved and unsaved, stands before Christ, there will be a panoramic view, which I believe will be just like a movie screen, of the fall of Adam in the garden, and then the final scenes of Christ, the REAL events, as they actually happened!! (Read it in the last chapter of Great Controversy) That is when I will stand in absolute, wondrous awe, because I will be seeing a replay of a real event, not a man's depiction of it.

Until next time,
Kim

Kim,

You said, "....EGW reminds us that after the millenium, when all of humanity through all the ages, saved and unsaved, stands before Christ, there will be a panoramic view, which I believe will be just like a movie screen, of the fall of Adam in the garden, and then the final scenes of Christ, the REAL events, as they actually happened!! (Read it in the last chapter of Great Controversy) That is when I will stand in absolute, wondrous awe, because I will be seeing a replay of a real event, not a man's depiction of it."

I will first need to search for the words about that "panoramic view" before saying anything further about that, however, I find it interesting without first reading it for myself.

Is this what you are looking for? The last paragraph on the bottom of page 666 in the GC? And it continues for a few pages...
"Above the throne is revealed the cross; and like a panoramic view appear the scenes of Adam's temptation and fall, and the successive steps in the great plan of redemption." (and more....)

Thank you, Dora!

I will check it out.

Interesting page number.

How about that page #? I noticed it, too, but hadn't commented. Hope this is what you are looking for.

Dora

Here is the quote that Dora mentions:

quote:

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Great Controversy
Page 666 - 667

In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and heaven the final coronation of the Son of God takes place. And now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the King of kings pronounces sentence upon the rebels against His government and executes justice upon those who have transgressed His law and oppressed His people. Says the prophet of God: "I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Revelation 20:11, 12.

As soon as the books of record are opened, and the eye of Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin which they have ever committed. They see just where their feet diverged from the path of purity and holiness, just how far pride and rebellion have carried them in the violation of the law of God. The seductive temptations which they encouraged by indulgence in sin, the blessings perverted, the messengers of God despised, the warnings rejected, the waves of mercy beaten back by the stubborn, unrepentant heart--all appear as if written in letters of fire.

Above the throne is revealed the cross; and like a panoramic view appear the scenes of Adam's temptation and fall, and the successive steps in the great plan of redemption. The Saviour's lowly birth; His early life of simplicity and obedience; His baptism in Jordan; the fast and temptation in the wilderness; His public ministry, unfolding to men heaven's most precious blessings; the days crowded with deeds of love and mercy, the nights of prayer and watching in the solitude of the mountains; the plottings of envy, hate, and malice which repaid His benefits; the awful, mysterious agony in Gethsemane beneath the crushing weight of the sins of the whole world; His betrayal into the hands of the murderous mob; the fearful events of that night of horror--the unresisting prisoner, forsaken by His best-loved disciples, rudely hurried through the streets of Jerusalem; the Son of God exultingly displayed before Annas, arraigned in the high priest's palace, in the judgment hall of Pilate, before the cowardly and cruel Herod, mocked, insulted, tortured, and condemned to die--all are vividly portrayed.

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It seems to me that this panoramic view was for the unrighteous rather than for the righteous.

Hmmm, I believe you are right! Now, that really makes the page number interesting! No, not really, but, the paragraph at the middle of the page does indicate that this display is for the benefit of those who are lost. For it speaks of "the messengers of God despised, the warnings rejected, the waves of mercy beaten back by the stubborn, unrepentant heart---all appear as if written in letters of fire."

Dora

I find the following helpful in responding to questions about the movie. It is the last few chapters from DESIRE OF AGES on-line.

quote:

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THE PASSION OF CHRIST – A Written Account

The Passion of Christ – A Written Account gives a brief picture of the final hours of our blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ leading up to and including Calvary. From the Garden of Gethsemane, to the betrayal by Judas, to Pilate's Judgment Hall, on to Calvary, and The Resurrection, and finally to Jesus' Ascension, you will be moved, like no other book has moved you. You will treasure this most in-depth account of the final hours leading up to and including Calvary. Read it free ONLINE at: http://www.preparingforeternity.com/thepassion/thepassioncontents.htm

Suggest this to your friends. It will help them better understand the film version. In fact, it’s a far more accurate account than shown in the film.

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It is not only more accurate. It is right on the mark and doesn't contradict the Bible.

If you take notice, you will see that not even the angels would view such a scene for they veiled their eyes from it, so why can't we veil our eyes from such an ugly portrayal of what he thought happened there.

Question posed by Daryl:
"Would you go and see the movie itself? Why, or why not?"

When the movie first came out lots of people that I know went to see it and thought that it was really good. I was invited, but could not bring myself to go and see it. My reasons for not seeing it are:
1. I did not think the movie would inspire, change, or challenge me spiritually.
2. My faith should not be dependent on emotionally stimulating stuff to keep it high.
3. The Baptist church that I used to belong to was always presenting Christian stuff that caused emotional highs. People, including myself, were on an emotional roller coaster, feel good stuff. When the ride stops, however, there is a pretty big low, a presumed spiritual desert. I don't ride on that roller coaster anymore (AMEN)
4. I cry when I think of the suffering Jesus went through and during communion services. I don't think that I could sit through it.
Shelley

Just a follow-up about impact of the movie...

At Barna research a scientific survey was done to evaluate the impact of the movie.

What hit me the most, was not even directly related to this movie itself - it was the fact that Americans watch a median of 38 movies per year!!!

quote:

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Among the most startling outcomes drawn from the research is the apparent absence of a direct evangelistic impact by the movie.
...
Equally surprising was the lack of impact on people's determination to engage in evangelism. Less than one-half of one percent of the audience said they were motivated to be more active in sharing their faith in Christ with others as a result of having seen the movie.

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It then goes on to say that rather than a one-shot deal changing lives, it needs to be a constant thing reinforced daily. How true for real conversion