Should Children watch "the Passion"???

[OneAccord]

Here's a page of soundbite reviews, that express both sides of the spectrum-those who found it profoundly moving in it's graphic depiction of what He suffered for us, and those who found it long in graphics and short in spritualaity:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ThePassion...Christ-1129941/

[Ovedya]

With all due respect to the New York Times, A.O. Scott is a complete and utter buffoon. Here is a clip from his article, with my comments inserted in red.

"His version of the Gospels is harrowingly violent; the final hour of "The Passion of the Christ" essentially consists of a man being beaten, tortured and killed in graphic and lingering detail.

Well....ah.....DUH!! Jesus WAS beated, tortured and killed in graphic and lingering detail.

"Once he is taken into custody, Jesus (Jim Caviezel) is cuffed and kicked and then, much more systematically, flogged, first with stiff canes and then with leather whips tipped with sharp stones and glass shards."

Matthew 26:65, 67; 27:28-31; Mark 14:65; 15:15, 17-19; John 19:1-3

"Then the high priest tore His garments..."

"Then they spit in His face and beat Him with their fists and others slapped Him."

"And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe around Him, and they wove a crown of thorns and placed it on His head and put a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled before him and mocked Him saying, Rejoice, King of the Jews! And they spit on Him and took the reed and beat Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe and put His garments on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him."

"And some began to spit at Him and to blindfold His face and to beat Him with their fists and to say to Him, Prophesy! And the attendants, slapping Him about, took Him."

"And Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released to them Barabas and scourged Jesus and delivered Him to be crucified."

" And they clothed Him in purple and wove a thorney crown and put it wround His head. And they began to salute Him: Rejoice, King of the Jews! And they beat His head with a reed and spat at Him. And kneeling down, they bowed before Him."

"Therefore at that time Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they threw a purple garment around Him. And they came to Him and said, Rejoice, King of the Jews! and slapped Him."

One wonders if Mr. Scott had ever thought to do his homework before making such insipid statements that what the Lord suffered is too graphic. Historicans agree that the multiple teathered whips used to scourge Roman prisoners were tipped with shards of glass and pottery, and that the tips were dipped in pitch before the prisoner was flailed. The pitch stung and prevented the wounds inflicted by the whips to close. The crown of thorns, it is agreed by most, was that of a certain thorny bush which grown thorns up to 2" in length. The Roman soldiers would not have placed the crown lightly upon the Lord's head, but would have pushed it down so that the thorns would actually penetrate through His skin and into His skull. The reed used to beat the Lord would have been longer and stronger than the type of "cane" used as punishment for Taiwanese prisoners. All these things, plus being beated, slapped, mocked and spit upon; then made to carry a 500 pound wooden cross down the street in Jerusalem, and up a high hill. Do ya think He was just a tad bit bloodied in real life, Mr. Scott?

By the time the crown of thorns is pounded onto his head and the cross loaded onto his shoulders, he is all but unrecognizable, a mass of flayed and bloody flesh, barely able to stand, moaning and howling in pain.

Let's have Mr.Scott take a little time travel excursion of his own and see how the Roman soldiers dealt with their prisoners! One wonders what kind of fantasy land Mr. Scott lives in, where Roman soldiers were niceto their prisoners before they hung them up on a cross to die a slow and painful death. Alice in Wonderland is alive and well at the New York Times, isn't she!

[Ovedya]

I might also add that the other negative reviews of this movie are just as insipid. I, for one, am glad that Hollywood's critics have been turned on their collective ears! No death in history matched that of the Lord Jesus'!!! Good for Mel for depicting it as it was. (I think for once, I may agree with the Pope! )

[WayneB]

I might also add that the other negative reviews of this movie are just as insipid. I, for one, am glad that Hollywood's critics have been turned on their collective ears! No death in history matched that of the Lord Jesus'!!! Good for Mel for depicting it as it was. (I think for once, I may agree with the Pope! )

Well said brother!!!!!

[nebula]

Mother Mary cried as she held heaven her arms

For the shadow of the scars she saw was clear

As her own bewildered baby lay weeping for the world

Whose frightened tears would free us all from fear

Chorus

The marks of death that God chose never to erase

The wounds of loves eternal war

When the kingdom comes with its perfected sons

He will be known by the scars

For a time He sought to tell the world He was the Way

That God the Father had a human heart

With His own holy hands He sought

To touch and heal their scars

But they chose to tear those gentle hands apart

What was there to wipe away the tears

That burned the holy eyes of God

As He looked upon His one and only Son

Who'd never sin, nor lied, yet was crucified

Chorus

After they had slain Him and laid Him in the grave

And the ones He loved had fled into the dark

Then His love and power raised Him

God won the victory

But they only recognized Him by the scars

Repeat Chorus

"Known By the Scars"

~ Michael Card

[traveller]

A Christian radio station here is recording on location at one of the theaters showing the Passion. They are interviewing those waiting in line to see the movie (some have been in line for 2 hours) and those that are coming out after seeing the movie. I have yet to hear a complete interview. No one can speak. They are all weeping. This is incredible. Several have accepted Christ as their Saviour. Pastors are waiting outside to speak with them. I can not wait to see this movie.

We have one theater that is sold out for the next several days, but the other one has not permitted the two weeks' long advance ticket sales, so you can still get tickets there. Good planning!!!

[nebula]

I see what the problem is. I just read this off a review linked from the home web page on this computer:

You're thinking there must be something to The Passion of the Christ besides watching a man tortured to death, right? Actually, no: This is a two-hour-and-six-minute snuff movie

[other one]

I can't believe you posted this, you must have been reading my mind.

Today in church, a sign-up paper was passed around for a group trip to see the movie next Saturday. My husband's eyes lit up, and he signed us up. Immediately, my 13 (next month) year old son asked to go.  I had big reservations about it because of this very thing. I already have a problem with him viewing senseless, graphic violence (ala 'terminator'), but I had heard that the movie brings out severe feelings in some and I just didn't know if it was appropriate for an almost-13 year old. It's not just violence - I have no problem with him knowing exactly what was done to his Savior, it's just that I'm afraid.........I can't really put my finger on it. I know full well that, once something is in the mind, it is there forever.......I just don't know whether or not I should allow him to go. We put his name down, and they went and purchased the tickets today, but I still don't know.......your post has me leaning towards "no"...........

If your 12 year old shouldn't see it then you, me or anyone else shouldn't either. Much younger than that could cause real problems that you really don't want to deal with.

[tsth]

I can't say that I agree with your statement. Children are sometimes just not emotionally mature enough to handle certain things. It is not a matter of whether something is good or bad, it's a matter of maturity. Just as marriage is not a bad thing, but there most certainly must be a level of age and maturity for it to be experienced.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[nebula]

If your 12 year old shouldn't see it then you, me or anyone else shouldn't either. 

Having seen the movie, I have only one thing to say to this. . .