I'm taking my 10, 9, and 6 year old kids to see Tatantino's "Kill Bill"

[trumad]

instead of Mel's "Passion of Christ"...

Why not? Same graphic violence and equal Fantasy! I find it sickening that Church groups are organizing field trips for the Kids to see this critically acclaimed graphically violent movie that Mr. Gibson has produced!

Christy Lemire, Associated Press
"Gibson has said he wants his film to be shockingly graphic to show the humanity of Christ's sacrifice. But the idea that children should see "The Passion" as a learning device — that churches are organizing screenings and theater trips for their parishioners and catechism classes — is truly shocking. Grown-ups — even true believers — will have difficulty sitting through the film. Just think of the trauma it will inflict on kids."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4363655/

[Indiana Democrat]

1. "Equal Fantasy"??

You do know there is little doubt that Christ walked the earth and was crucified, don't you?

Now...As far as Him being the son of God and being resurrected, well that's clearly debatable, but not the fact that he did live and die.

[trumad]

4. You do know that Mel added a whole lot

that wasn't in the Gospels? Me-Thinks when you do that it turns into into fiction hence fantasy...

[saigon68]

11. The idea that children should see "The Passion" as a learning device

Will help desensitize them later, when they are drafted and told to wipe out the village to save it.

One desensitized to violence and gore will do almost anything when ordered with no moral afterthought.

Has anyone here ever read how the SS Einzatzgruppen (Ca 1937---)trained their troops? No didn't think so.

[DennisReveni]

7. Prove it

"You do know there is little doubt that Christ walked the earth and was crucified, don't you?"

Actually no contemporary Historian mentions Jesus what so ever.
Later ones do, but that could be due to pressure to adopt Christian ways by Rome.
So the best that can be said is no one knows for certain.

[trumad]

12. edit

[SheilaT]

15. There's a LOT of doubt

about whether Jesus actually lived. The ONLY mention of him is in the so-called Gospels, not independent sources whatsoever.

People are free to believe whatever they want to, but they really, really ought to learn to distinguish between verifiable fact/reality, and wishful thinking.

[JaySherman]

2. 'Humanizing' Christ

Would be emphasizing his message and the things he did to help people. Since when was beating and torturing a person, in a movie or real life, ever considered humanizing them?

[Indiana Democrat]

3. I believe the idea is...

...to show what God went through in the flesh (As Christ) for us and our sins.

[trumad]

5. Us?

Who's us?

[Indiana Democrat]

6. Mankind.

Why ask? You knew that to be the answer.

[trumad]

10. I ask because a whole bunch of Christains believe

that he only died for them and not non-believers.... Judgement day ring a bell?

[Indiana Democrat]

13. Ummm....Bullshit.

Christians believe Christ died for us all. But they also recognize the simple fact that not all people accept that basic truth (As they see it).

[JaySherman]

9. It's better to remember someone for how they lived

than how they died.

If more people remembered Christ for how he lived, they might not be so eager to kill in his name.

[Indiana Democrat]

14. You're missing the point.

He DIED for our sins. Yes, he lived and lived a "Christ Like" existance, but God gave His one and only Son for our sins.

[JaySherman]

17. I get the point

I grew up a Catholic, and went to Catholic schools my whole young life. I'm pagan now but I consider Christ one of my greatest role models. I try to follow his teachings in my own life, but the whole 'lived and died for your sins' thing is irrelevant to me. Whether or not it's true, it's better to just be a good person and help out where ever you can. 'Do as you will but harm none.' I think Christ would appreciate that. Some would say that makes me an unbeliever, but my own life experience has taught me that spirituality at it's heart is one and the same no matter the religion. It's people that distort it. If God's only son did live and die for our sins, all the more reason to heed his example in life.

[Indiana Democrat]

20. Very well put.

Personally, I agree.

[JHB]

18. Personally, I thought that's what "Last Temptation" did...

I understand where people will say "tat's not how it happened", but I always noted the oddness that the people whose sermons most emphasize Jesus's sacrifice for the sins of all men were the ones most loudly protesting the one film that actually gave a sense of that sacrifice.

[Forkboy]

8. hehe

[Nobody]

16. Go ahead, but be prepared

to deal with their nightmares. And know your kids. From reports of friends who have seen the movie, it's not as realistically depicted as if you rented "Saving Private Ryan".

As an 8 year old, I saw a "Victim of the Week" Sunday night movie with my mom and had to leave the room during the scene where the mother was shaking her baby. Mom had to stop watching the movie and explain a lot of things to me, and that prompted the Birds and Bees lecture.

At age 12, I saw war movies with my dad because he knew I was ready for them.

There were 3 year olds in the theater when a friend saw "Hannibal" and they screamed through the whole movie.

Just don't let them check out the Faces of Death series until you're sure they can handle real, not fictionalized, death scenes.

(Yes, I know you're being facetious, but I understand your point. How realistic and how graphic do we have to depict torture and execution before people can feel compassion? And how much violence in the name of religion can we feel justified in subjecting children too young to understand the meaning behind it all before we say, Enough is enough? Sometimes to truly make the audience truly care, an offstage execution can be stronger than the onstage blood and guts. I do plan to see the movie, and I know someone who was fortunate enough to get in to a sneak preview. He said the violence went on too long that it lost its effectiveness and got boring. I will see it and form my own opinion.)

[Junkdrawer]

19. The Limbaugh inspired coalition between Fundy Christians and..

Fundy Jews will definitely be strained by this movie. Terrible, just Terrible.