[Apologetics] RE: FW: Mel Gibson's Crucifixion by Chuck Baldwin, August 4, 2006

[Art Kelly]

Jim,

You make some very good points about Mel Gibson.  Even when a lot of
Catholics were very enthusiastic about Mel and his movie, I had some
significant concerns.  At the time, I wanted to investigate his religious
views but never got a chance to do much research.

However, I do NOT think the Passion of the Christ is in any way whatsoever
anti-Semitic.  Remember, in the movie, it was Mel himself who pounded the
nail into Jesus' hands.  The point he was making is that HE (and all of us)
crucified Jesus through our sins.  It was NOT the Jews.

It is true that Pontius Pilot is portrayed somewhat sympathetically and the
Jewish leaders not so sympathetically, but I think that is TRUE.
Nevertheless, the Jews do not understand anything about the redemptive
nature of Jesus' death.  They miss the boat entirely, although some
Christians do too.

The Jews are upset that, in the movie, the devil moves among the crowd,
stirring them up to demand Jesus' death.

Of course, there is nothing in the Bible to suggest this happened and I
doubt it.  I don't know if the devil understood why Jesus had become man,
but if the devil did understand it, he (in the movie, the devil was played
by a woman) would have moved about the crowd encouraging everyone to demand
that Jesus be let go.  If the crucifixion had never happened, the gates of
Heaven would still be closed to all of us.

If the Jewish leaders insisted on Jesus' crucifixion, they were
participating in God's plan for our redemption.  There can be no animosity
towards the Jews.  As Mel has said, it is us (not the Jews) who crucified
Jesus.

In regard to Mel's recent DUI, my guess is he was pretty upset at the time
about what is happening in Lebanon.  I lot of Christians are.  He said some
harsh things that are the kind of things people might say after they've had
too much to drink.  I doubt he really meant them.  He was upset about the
carnage in Lebanon and lashed out in an emotional way.

I urge Christians and non-Christians to view the Passion of the Christ
carefully.  The movie is extremely powerful (and did bring people back into
the church) but is not entirely accurate.  There are several parts of the
movie that have no basis at all in Scripture.  The worst part of the movie
is that it depicts Jesus in an Arian way.

But the movie is NOT anti-Semitic.  Someone should sit down with the Jews
and explain that Jesus came into the world to die for our sins.  That was
his mission.

"For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may
take it again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.
I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge
I have received from my Father."  (Gospel of St. John 10:17-18)

Art

-----Original Message-----
From: jmurf80 at bellsouth.net [mailto:jmurf80 at bellsouth.net]
Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 11:45 PM
To: Art Kelly
Subject: Re: FW: Mel Gibson's Crucifixion by Chuck Baldwin, August 4,
2006


Art,

Mel Gibson is a pretty messed-up guy.  He was that way before he put out
“Passion.”  He’s also a lousy Catholic of the ultra-trad variety.  Attempts
to defend him concerning his recent drunken anti-Semitic rants are really
misguided.  This is not about the so called liberal, “Godless” media being
out to get him.  Gibson is the product of a vicious anti-Catholic,
ultra-traditionalist catholic wacko.  Mel’s father is a full fledged nut.
If Evangelicals had a clue about his true feelings about their faith they
would not have gone to any of his movies or defend him concerning his sorry
behavior.  Mel is a pre-Vatican II catholic of the worst sort.  He used the
Evangelical community for profit.  I believe he thinks they are all going to
hell.   Gibson is so far out there that when he visited Northern VA to
promote “Passion”, he refused to attend Mass celebrated by a priest ordained
after Vatican II.  Father Fazano was unacceptable to the great director. I
don’t know what this guy is going to do when all of the “acceptable” priests
have passed from this earth.

The godless left raised a very good point when they demonstrated that most
of the movies Gibson has directed are horribly violent and in many cases
sadistic.  I know you had concerns about the theological aspects of
 “Passion”, but I was concerned about the violence.  I suspect the movie
converted very, very few non-believers and left many wondering “what’s wrong
with these people.”

I should add that I have enjoyed many of Gibson’s movies and I hope he gets
his problems all straightened out.  His anti-Semitic comments were
outrageous as are most of the things his father has to say about the
holocaust.  The sooner Mel gets away from his old man the clearer his vision
will be and the more likely his recovery will become.

I’m getting really tired of the constant dysfunctional behavior from the
high profile members of the Right.

Jim

>
> From: "Art Kelly" <akelly at americantarget.com>
> Date: 2006/08/05 Sat PM 08:14:53 EDT
> To: <jmurf80 at bellsouth.net>
> Subject: FW: Mel Gibson's Crucifixion by Chuck Baldwin, August 4, 2006
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chuck Baldwin [mailto:chuck at chuckbaldwinlive.com]
> Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 12:04 PM
> To: rviguerie at conservativehq.com
> Subject: Mel Gibson's Crucifixion by Chuck Baldwin, August 4, 2006
>
>
> Mel Gibson's Crucifixion
> By Chuck Baldwin
> August 4, 2006
>
>
> (This column is archived at
> http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2006/cbarchive_20060804.html)
>
>
> Let's get right to the point: the Hollywood elite have had it in for Mel
> Gibson for quite a while. First, he abandoned their penchant for promoting
> big government by starring in a truer-than-most-want-to-admit movie
> thriller, Conspiracy Theory. He then further alienated Hollywood Leftists
by
> starring in the hugely popular Vietnam war movie, We Were Soldiers. And
I'm
> sure Mel's wonderful movie about America's fight for independence, The
> Patriot, didn't sit well with them, either.
>
> However, it was the production of his phenomenally successful film, The
> Passion Of The Christ, that no doubt took the Hollywood elite over the
edge.
> That a Hollywood legend would dare to produce a movie that exalted, not
> denigrated, Christ's redemptive work on the cross was more than they could
> stomach. They have had Gibson in their sights ever since.
>
> Unfortunately, Mel Gibson provided the Hollywood elite the hammer and
nails
> they needed to crucify him. His extremely foolish misconduct was just what
> his enemies were looking for. Now, they are attacking him with a
vengeance!
> In fact, he has been castigated by almost everyone in the industry.
>
> For example, according to press reports, ABC has already announced the
> cancellation of a planned miniseries about the Holocaust it was developing
> with Gibson's Icon Productions.
>
> In addition, Michael Levine, an agent who has represented super-stars such
> as Michael Jackson and Charlton Heston, said, "It's a nuclear disaster for
> him [Gibson]. I don't see how he can restore himself." Throughout the
> industry, the sentiment is the same: "Gibson has committed vocational
> suicide and is dead in the water. It's all over for him."
>
> Yet, I don't remember anyone in Hollywood or in the national media saying
it
> was "all over" for Jesse Jackson when back in 1984 he called Jews "Hymies"
> and referred to New York City as "Hymietown." I don't remember people
saying
> it was "all over" for Michael Moore when he was quoted as placing Israel
in
> his own personal "axis of evil." Why, then, are the Hollywood elite saying
> it's "all over" for Mel Gibson?
>
> Gibson's enemies even overlook the fact that instead of sending his
> publicist to handle the media (as most Hollywood stars would do), he
> personally took responsibility for his actions and comments. In fact, his
> humility and contriteness in the matter have been quite remarkable!
>
> In addition, Gibson has admitted to a long-standing problem with alcohol
> addiction, and he has apologized profusely for his anti-Jewish words
spoken
> in a drunken stupor. He has even said he was willing to meet with Jewish
> leaders in order to facilitate a healing. What more can the man do?
>
> The answer is obvious: the Hollywood elite don't care how sincere or how
> repentant Gibson is; they want Mel Gibson's crucifixion! I believe the
> American people will see through Hollywood's hypocrisy and hatred and will
> find it in their hearts to forgive Gibson's foolishness. At least I
> certainly hope so.
>
> For the record, I would like to offer Mel Gibson, and anyone else who has
a
> drinking problem, a free copy of my alcoholic father's true-life story,
> which is recorded on cassette tape. My dad was a confirmed and hopeless
> alcoholic until the age of 40. His deliverance from alcohol is nothing
short
> of miraculous! From the day of his deliverance at age 40 to the day he
died
> at nearly age 86, my dad did not have one drop of alcoholic beverage-not
> one! That's over 46 years of total sobriety. It is a truly remarkable
> real-life story!
>
> If any of Mel's friends would like to have a free copy of my father's
> true-life story, or if readers would like to obtain a copy for themselves
or
> a friend, go to
> http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/ebald.html for information on how to
order.
> Again, there is no charge for the tape.
>
> I hope and pray that not only will Mel Gibson survive the personal and
> professional attacks against him but that he will discover the true source
> of peace that fortune and fame have obviously not provided. Wouldn't it be
> nice, too, if Hollywood could find a heart and soul of its own?
>
> (c) Chuck Baldwin
>
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