 
Isn't It Ironic?
What the minority have profaned, has become sacred to the majority!
With Mel's movie a runaway hit, there are an awful lot of critics and naysayers with egg on their face. That is because their thinking is scrambled and fried!
"Is it not ironic that the leaders and manipulators of the present attacks against this movie are, in fact, the arrogant, pompous, biased, threatened, jealous leaders, manipulators, and scholars who have built an entire career or purpose of existence on claims designed to agitate a crowd in their favor or personal beliefs concerning the history and integrity of the Bible and scripture?
Have not many of these scholars written books and made presentations which run counter to seeing the Gospels in any serious way?"
Perhaps the most ironic, tragic, and even comical thing about the barrage of attacks upon Mel Gibson and his 'The Passion of The Christ' is that instead of being Anti-Semitic, as most of the ignorant, biased, self-interested critics proclaim, the movie is actually Pro-Love, Pro-Forgiveness, Anti-Hypocrisy, and Anti-Arrogance!
Ignoring The Forest For Perceived Trees
Critics point to the "Let His Blood be on us and our children" line from Matthew 27: 25 and to the general perception, which they get that Mel's movie, paints the Jews as the bad guys and the Romans as the vehicles, which the bad guys use to kill Christ as examples supporting their preposterous Anti-Semitic excuse. Throughout this exercise is spin, bias, and personal agendas, these ignorant, ranting so-called experts ignore the fact that the Hero, His Blessed Mother Mary, His close associates, all of the people who are kind and compassionate to Him during His ordeal, and even the man chosen to help Him carry the cross were all Jews!
From what I can draw from those who have seen the movie - because I won't be able to see it until this Sunday - it is made clear that certain Jewish leaders and authorities, jealous of and angry with Jesus conspire against Him. The Gospels have always confirmed this.
Since when is it an accusation of an entire group, past and present, to portray the evil intentions of one small, ancient faction of that group? The only people qualified to complain of negative portrayals here would be Pharisees and Scribes, called by Jesus the hypocrites, liars, manipulators, and abusers of both God's Law and the people. People who have seen the movie state that it is clear that this small group manipulated innocents in a crowd to demand for Barrabas and the crucifixion of Christ so, again, how do the sinister actions of clearly evil men paint hatred against an entire group when that group is portrayed as innocent, manipulated, and deceived by the small group?
It is clear that many critics of this film, already opponents of the Gospels as sources for anything short of myth, and looking for a pretext on which to tear Gibson's masterpiece down, have latched on to the Anti-Semitism excuse as the pretext to sabotage the representation of the Gospels and The Passion as anything more than myths concocted by creative hustlers. To do so, these critics must ignore the forest of evidence against Anti-Semitism and in favor of love and forgiveness to scrape for some pathetic twigs of perceived Anti-Semitism.
An Eerie or Perhaps Divine Irony and Message
God indeed works in mysterious ways, and He has not failed to do so in the case of the critics attacking 'The Passion of The Christ.' The fact is that the only characters portrayed in a negative way in this movie are the arrogant, pompous, biased, threatened, jealous leaders and manipulators of the innocent Jews.
From the all-powerful Caiphas on down.
Is it not ironic that the leaders and manipulators of the present attacks against this movie are, in fact, the arrogant, pompous, biased, threatened, jealous leaders, manipulators, and scholars who have built an entire career or purpose of existence on claims designed to agitate a crowd in their favor or personal beliefs concerning the history and integrity of the Bible and scripture?
Have not many of these scholars written books and made presentations which run counter to seeing the Gospels in any serious way?
It is obvious that this movie is not Anti-Semitic. What it is, however, is clearly Anti-Hypocrite and Anti-Pompous, Self-righteous, secular scholar, and these are precisely the ones complaining the loudest against this movie! To all of these: If the dunce cap fits, wear it! You deserve it!
Let The Art Speak and The Critics Shut Up
With this masterpiece now in theaters everywhere and Mel having already recouped his investment, it is time to let the art speak for itself and drown out the stupidity, self-interest, and arrogance of the fools who only insult their own intelligence and betray their relevance by their vitriolic complaints based on flimsy biases and selfish agendas. If these fools are so correct in their assertions, let the movie speak and let the results and consequences speak for themselves. If the beliefs and writings of these idiots are worth a dime, then those beliefs and writings will survive this missive from the Almighty. If, however, those beliefs and writings are the trash we think them to be, then they will be greatly undermined by Mel's movie. One can suspect that the fools know the true value of their trash thereby explaining why they feel that their trash is so threatened by this great work of art!
Gabriel Garnica
Editor's Note: We are pleased to announce Gabriel Garnica will be contributing many articles in 2004. Heaven is once again under attack by those who would seek to ignore and overthrow God's majesty and authority. Gabriel Garnica, educator and attorney, will submit regular insights and commentaries to remind and help guide readers toward a deeper and more assertive faith. Touching on topics and issues ranging from personal faith, doctrine, education, scripture, the media, family life, morality, and values, Gabriel's notes will be music to traditional ears but unpleasant tones to those who have bought into the misguided notions so prevalent and spreading in today's Catholic world.
|
