A DU regular saw the "Passion" this evening

[wellstone_democrat]

This is my wife's username and she urged me to report on my experience at Gibson's film this evening. I posted this to the middle of a long thread but agree with W_D that it deserves to be seen alone for the implications in the behavior of the audience.
I've given a bit more context than that original thread post.

"The Passion of the Christ" at the Multiplex (3 of the 12 theaters)

Its all the critics say and more. Its one interesting view of Christianity.

Oh, and I *am* indeed a religious man and looked forward to this interesting "take" on the Passion. In fact, I went with my bro-in-law who attended seminary but didn't take the final steps to become a priest. Therefore, it was neither an unbelieving bunch nor an uneducated one that was in my party tonight. Factually there are some odd choices and the well advertised "accuracy" had some serious problems as well---OK Aramaic but...where is the Greek and , especially, why on earth the Vulgate Latin? So much for the "accuracy" angle...but, that is not the point of my story of seeing the film.

It was disturbing on so many levels I'm not sure where to begin. What was by far most disturbing was the effect on the audience. I heard, in the nice suburban multi-plex such lovely statements as:
"fuckin' Jews" "fucking I-Ties" (my east coast wife just translated that for me--apparently it was toward the Romans for being "Italian",), a good number of people made loud comments and several times there were comments about Catholics in this overwhelmingly Protestant town that we could not quite make out beyond the impression that some of the audience seemed to think that the Romans were Catholic and that they were responsible. Worse was what we witnessed of the effect of extended torture scenes on the audience some people were hysterical (crying, moaning) in the film and afterward. A number of children were crying. Several people loudly announced that every 'liberal' should be forced to view this. A few cried out "Jesus, Jesus" and similar things. It was not like being at a movie in any sense. But what happened as we left gave us not only "pause" but, we admitted in the car, a bit of real fear.

One (jackass) yelled as the theater was clearing out: "Thank Jesus Christ for George Bush" Frankly, it was so odd I laughed more from nerves and its inappropriateness than anything, and although I am 6' and solidly built, I was momentarily afraid. There was that much of a charged atmosphere.

My point is that the film is horrifically violent and gruesome. The effect on the audience was very very disturbing. There WILL be trouble somewhere after one of these showings. Mark my words.

In any event, I DID go, I wish I had not.
MR. W_D

[KissMyAsscroft]

1. Well...

The movie is intentionally inflammatory, which is fine, but Gibson lying about it saying that it is merely an honest potrayal of events is not.

[PartyPooper]

2. Thank you for the report. Frankly, I am scared for humanity!

:scared:

[rumguy]

3. Fucking scary! Did you get the impression that it was mostly evangelicals

and fundies there? I personally don't know anyone who is excited about seeing this movie. I predict it will be forgoten in a matter of months...

[wellstone_democrat]

9. To answer that

This is an extremely Evangelical Protestant area---overwhelmingly so. In a city with over 200K, there are 2 Roman Catholic Churches (and we are in an area with a significant Hispanic population), 1 Episcopal, about 2-3 Lutheran and the rest "one on every corner" is Methodist, Southern Baptist, a conservative branch of Presbyterian, and Church of Christ. This leaves out, of course, the large number of non-denominational "Christian" Churches and the Pentacostal congregations.

I've no firm idea of the numbers but this city is one that is often called "the buckle of the Bible Belt"---my brother in law lives here and his entire office was going to a showing this week with a church group. Basically, it is a major event that got full front page newspaper coverage this a.m., drive time radio coverage on Clear Channel's big Rock and Oldies stations (this is an all CC town I find), the evening news (W_D reported to me--I was at the movie) was an extended celebration of the great event of the film.

Frankly, the whole experience was disturbing. I do think that some will have a "revival" type of experience but I do believe that there WILL be some violence after this film somewhere in the US. Lots of groups of teen/young adult men in the theater in church groups and they were emotional, vocal and looking for a release.

[Grave Expectations]

42. UMC isn't evangelical...

United Methodist is a very liberal church.

Bush may have been a failure his entire life, but he was not fully won over to the ideological dark side until his encounter with Billy Graham in 1980.

He still is a member of the UMC though, but I think they'll soon be using whichever one of their remedies is equivalent to Catholic excommunication to deal with him...

[GreenPartyVoter]

59. Welcome. :) Many Methodist ctepchildren denoms

like Weslyan and Nazarene ARE evangelical. And How. :eyes:

[einniv]

4. Wow.

It wasn't anything like that in my suburban area in Ohio.
It was very quiet most of the time.

I wrote a review earlier , but this is my last post on the subject as I am officially burnt out on it lol. It was worth the $7 though I think, despite my not so glowing review linked below.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=807380

[jeter]

24. I went to see it tonight...

...and every showing was sold out.

But I just thought the scenes involving his beatings: especially those involving the whipping scenes where nails were used to whip him and the scene at the beginning where he is beaten and the apostles are fighting back, were too much. Not because they were graphic and brutal, which they were, but because there is no mention of it in the Bible.

As far as reaction goes. It was quiet here too. A lot of Catholics here. Most in the theatre were Catholics. You could tell because they had ashes on their forehead (today is Ash Wednesday). There seemed a lot of discussion about it.

I wish there would have been more context in the film. Other than that - it was very good.

[waterman]

49. Once again, thanks for that. It sure was very well done.

[scarface2004]

5. gibson conspired with bush for this movie!

just heard gibson was funded through an iranian account of kbr from halliburton to make this movie to open a day after bush kicked off his reselection campaign to inflame the right wing cretins to a violent uprising in the event he loses in november!!

people get ready!!!!!!!!

[prolesunited]

10. Umm...

Where did you hear this? Any links? Substantiation?

[Mick Knox]

6. Ive posted on DU

tons of times on tons of threads that I intended to see it with my teenage kids and wife THIS weekend... and have defended this movie against the frontal assault many times... to be honest.. as I hear more and more REAL reviews (as opposed to bland pundits).. Im honestly having second thoughts.. mostly as i'm not sure I want to put my daughter through that... and she's even expressed a mild concern.


hmmmmm .. I may need to see it before I take the kids..

TYVM..

[Mick Knox]

7. Please dont lock this mods..

I know your locking lots of threads but stuff likes this gets lost in threads 150 long

[wellstone_democrat]

12. Do see it yourself first

Mr. W_D went off for well deserved sleep---in 17 years I've never seen him that *disturbed* by violence in a film although he's no Tarentino fan..

I mentioned your post to him, he suggests that you see it first before taking teens to it unless they are very very well prepared. He isn't taking our 15 year old after all he says. A mature boy but he thinks that perhaps rented at home where it can both be stopped and isn't such a "surround-sound" experience. I didn't think of that but he mentioned that the size of the screen and the sound system intensifies an intense experience.

FWIW

[fudge stripe cookays]

45. "Most violent movie I've ever seen"

says our Dallas radio and TV reviewer, Gary Cogill.

He said it was worse than "Saving Private Ryan" or "Schindler's List" as far as the R-movie violence level, and he's been reviewing movies for a LONG time.

He definitely said to check it out yourself first. I can only imagine the damage this could be doing to young kids who aren't yet prepared mentally to process these types of images.

I would wait til it hits DVD. Then you could stop or pause and explain things to the children slowly and compassionately as they occur.

[seabeyond]

57. zwade

i am a believer in not telling other parents what to do, promise. yet that would be the logical conclusion on any movie so graphic. so many say other movies are jsut as bad, ok, but you would see first before allowing on other movies, so why, just cause violence with jesus, wouldnt the same hold here. we know we dont want to hurt our children, so blind passion aside, i agree that would be the best thing.

i am 42, i know i couldnt watch the movie, i cant watch much violence at all without being sick, so even as a teenager i couldnt do it. i know other teenagers can.

but a child a baby, (lol lol i see my 6 and 9 still as babies sometimes in hteir beauty) i cant see how we justify feeding this

yet i do sit in unattachment in this. what another does, and regardless, it is an experience for a parent to take care of child afterwards if allowed to watch. may simply mean sleeping in there beds at nite for a week, holding them tight and close, i can find the higher in it,..........a caring for, a love.

[AVID]

8. report from MT

Our local CBS, Billings news just lead the 10pm news with ten minutes of viewer interviews as they left the theatre.

The local churches bought up all of the first day showings, so all the interviews were positive, as well as evangelistic.

The ratio of parents to kids - coming out of the theatre - was about 50/50.

The two primary school age children they interviewed were crying - qoute, "Jesus Loves us."

[PartyPooper]

13. Primary school children should *not* see this film!

It's child abuse!

:grr:

[Muddleoftheroad]

46. Thanks Dr. Spock

But primary school kids can be easily old enough to see this movie. They should see it with family or church leaders and discuss it before and afterward.

[Eloriel]

71. You're not qualified to say that -- UNLESS

1. You've seen the movie yourself AND

2. You're a credentialed child psychologist. (And even then it can be child-specific.)

Are you? And have you seen it yourself?

This kind of violence can cause permanent damange to a child. You've no business advising parents NOT to be super-cautious (such as seeing it first) under the circumstances.

[Tyler Durden]

73. BOY do we agree on this one.

Go tell it, Kiddo. My 9 year old would have nightmares for years.

Some kids get spooked by the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, so I think a 15 minute scourging scene is out of the question.

[Mick Knox]

14. All the various snide comments you'll see on this thread..

aside....


thank you from someone you now must put real thought into it. I was so looking forward to it.. and the whole family is ready to go... i'm almost depressed at the reviews i'm getting...

Its my goal for my kids to see a movie about Jesus and understand what happened... but I dont need them to get PTSD over a movie..

ugh...

:(

[charlie]

17. Ebert gives it 4 stars

and he calls it "the most violent film I have ever seen", says he's certain that if it was anyone other than Jesus up on that cross, the film would've earned an automatic NC-17 rating.

http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/2004/02/022401.html

[wellstone_democrat]

19. you could discuss it and have a plan

I think, and will discuss it again with the sleeping husband in the morning...that if we talk to our son first and he fully understands that at a single word we will *happily* leave the theatre that our original plan to go will work.

I think the thing is both preparation and his understanding that there is nothing wrong with leaving an intense movie and that he will not be "ruining" the evening for anyone else (you know how kids are).
We will see but I agree that PTSD isn't worth a film!

best of luck with the decision.

[DrWeird]

20. LOL.

I wonder how much those primary school age kids appreciated reading the subtitles.

Imagine, sitting down in a crowded dark room, a bunch of people on the screen and you have no idea what's going on, then some guy gets beaten and slaughtered, screaming and moaning.

Hell, that enormous floating head from Time Bandits scared the shit out of me, think how well those kids will sleep tonight.

[Mick Knox]

23. Hehe .. I'm reminded of .. Beavis and Butthead..

"If I wanted to read I'd go to school"

[Gman]

11. THAT is what we're up against

welcome to the Culture War. They declared war on us long ago.

[PassingFair]

16. It seems to me...

that the audience is the problem, not so much the movie. EEuuuuwwwww! Groups of fundies, fueled on over-priced slurpees and oily popcorn... I'll catch it on video, thank you.

[Lars39]

15. Thank you.

Your report confirms some of the uneasiness I've had about the effect the movie would have on the fundamentalists. Mass hysteria and mob violence can happen very quickly. I live in a predominately fundamentalist area(near Nashville) and it's hard to get across to others how irrational the thinking here is sometimes, if they have never been around fundamentalists that much. I meet people every so often that truly believe bush* was chosen by God to rule the US. It goes downhill from there. :)

[OKNancy]

34. If the fundies start in on Jewish people

that are living today, and say "sins of the father" are visited on their children, then one could say, "You guys don't feel that way about slavery. You said that what people did 150 years ago doesn't apply to today"

[Karenina]

35. Heads up, OKNancy

It's already started.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x384452#384472

[OKNancy]

37. I've been down and worried about a lot of things

but what is going on with this movie and the after-effects has really made me more concerned than even Iraq, etc. It's such a deep cultural divide, and the bad effects might last for a long, long time.

I get a weird feeling that some people watching that movie don't realize that it is just a movie, with actors and writers and pretend blood.

[Lars39]

44. I agree.

I think for some, this movie could tip them over the edge mentally.

[A HERETIC I AM]

18. So i suppose going to a showing in Montgomery, Al and....

sitting in the back and cheering for the flogging wouldnt be advisable?
"Yeah! hit him again! Harder!"......???

I know, I know, thats inflammatory.
Of course, in Montgomery, it might start riot with me in the center!
Maybe i'll go see it in Hollywood instead.

people take this stuff WAAAAAY too seriously.

[DrWeird]

21. Shit, if I were in Montgomery I'd come with you.

We could MST3K the whole thing.

[A HERETIC I AM]

26. LOL! now THAT would be fun! But i don't live in Montgomery.....

I just used that city as an example of a fundie-infested, R/W town that my idea might just cause a riot in.

I live in Palmdale, CA. thus the Hollywood reference.
Palmdale, BTW, seems to have it's fair share of rethugs too. It has a very high-tech base (Lockheed Martin's "Skunk Works" are located here. The Space Shuttles, the B-2 Bomber and the first few F117's were built here as well as the SR-71 and the U-2)so there are plenty of educated, techie/engineering types, but the town definitely has a r/w slant.

[ComerPerro]

22. Wow

Now I wanna go.

I can't believe people get so worked up over it. I mean, really. People moaning, wailing, and crying? Man...

And, yeah, what the fuck does that mean, "every liberal should be forced to watch this?"

Fuck that shit. WE already know about compassion and tolerance.

How ironic that the Freepers of the world can't quite comprehend that, if Jesus were to come back today, they would persecute, torture and murder him.

They are a bunch of sick motherfucking assholes.

[Wapsie B]

27. It's the bloodlust

in the konservative fundies. Local TV here interviewed people here after they saw the film with similar reactions to many here have reported. Women crying in the TV camera saying "Jesus loves us!" It's just a friggin movie people.

[dawn]

25. That is very scary indeed.

Yikes!

[Lefergus70]

28. The film could clear the air.

I'm hoping the film will touch off a much-needed debate on Christianity. Fundamentalists (like their beloved Bush) betray the turn-the-other cheek Christ of the Bible, who forgave his killers. They're cherry picking from the New Testament because they're really angry people who can't accept the preachings of a pacifist. Just start with Pat Robertson, pal of genocidal African dictators, and you wonder what the message of the crucifiction actually was to fundie Christians.

[BOHICA06]

29. Like all Christians ...

and people of faith, I have to pick my way through scripture and believe what I'm led to believe and leave what I'm led to leave.

But remember Jesus's admonition of Thomas in John 20:

27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Many Thomases may see this film in order to believe - I think I'll stick with the Book. Films rarely improve on the published work.

[Piperay]

30. Disturbing to hear this

I hadn't thought of the political ramifications of this whole thing, makes it all the worse. :-(

[VeniceBeat]

31. "Lethal Passion" is Destined To Be Standard BDSM Club Wallpaper

It's the ultimate snuff film! Hot hot hot! Praise jeebus! Flagellate me, baby!

Personally I prefer to get my dose of Xtian thought at:

www.liberalslikechrist.org

[GOPBasher]

32. Wow. That's pretty scary stuff.

:scared:

[leftchick]

33. Please tell me Mr. W D......

Were Jesus' Last words in the film?.....

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
Luke 23:34

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

36. ...sort of funny.

In your thread header you said:
"... we could not quite make out beyond the impression that some of the audience seemed to think that the Romans were Catholic and that they were responsible. "

Thats actually sort of funny.

They probably recalled the term "Roman Catholic", thinking the Romans where the Catholics. Which is pretty ignorant, when you think about it.

[Karenina]

38. It will cease being funny

when the zealots take it upon themselves to mete out "punishment" to those they mistakenly view as "the guilty" in their celluloid inspired piety ans righteousness. Watch this space...

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

40. the ignorance was funny.

...I mean, you just have to laugh if some in he audience thought the Romans in this well-known biblical tale where Catholics.

I mean, how dense can people be?

Pretty dense, I guess.

[adadem]

47. Exactly.

How many days passed after 9/11 til a Muslim or two were killed?

Will Gibson take responsibility? I think not.

[Muddleoftheroad]

64. Nor should he

It's a movie for goodness sake.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

39. nice suburban multiplex where exactly?

"Fucking Jews"? "Fucking I-Ties"? "Thank Jesus for George Bush"? Do you live in Klan country or something? This cannot be representative of most of this film's audience.

[Az]

43. Not most

But enough. What other conclusion can some draw. They are being shown the brutal beating of a man. They are going to blame someone. Our species has a natural tendency to group people along easily recognised patterns. Our defensive thought processes arrainge people as those who are with us and those who are against us. After such a brutal exhibit of violence visited upon the figurehead of that which many see as their god how can they not feel insensed and angry at those who they do not believe are with them.

[sangha]

61. I live in liberal New York City

and I hear crap like that almost every day

[susu369]

41. Jesus wept

Thank you for your posting....chilling and sad.

[EV1Ltimm]

48. Why should every liberal be forced to see it?

Did it praise the values of trickle-down economics or something?

[GreenPartyVoter]

52. If it had been done right

I would expect to see praise for socialism in it.

[loudnclear]

50. I thought Debra Norvelle gave the best interview and comments

The truth about the curcifixition is that the Bible shares very little about Jesus' death. It does say that the Jews were responsible for Jesus death in that they sought out Pilot to have Jesus killed because he was causing too much distrubance among the Jews and threatening to wrest influence from Jewish high priests (pharasees and sadduces)...just like today when those in authority are challenged on their authority.
My advice (whether Christian, Jew, Muslim, or Aethist) go read each gospel for yourself...it's not like the original material is unavailable. Read it and the Koran and the Torah (and the Talmud if you can get access to it). You will see for yourselves how men have used religion to foster their own ideas about the Creator and to control and manipulate people using their own biases, greed, and humanity.

GOD IS A SPIRIT. THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM MUST WORHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH. (words attributed to Jesus the Christ.)

[Az]

Original material

Hehe. Well it is unavailable. The bible was not compiled until over 350 years after the events it preports to cover. The earliest gospel(Mark) was not penned until over 50 years after the events. 1000s of documents from vying sects were destroyed in the purges that happened after the council of Nicea. Copiests over the centuries have twisted and turned the words to fit the meanings they saw fit. Translations have turned the compiled bible into a document supporting the contemporary power structures. Suffice to say, there is no original bible. What we have is a translation of a copy of a compilation of a 2nd hand claimed report of the event.

[jansu]

68. Also Jesus and Christ are not the same person!

Jesus was the man/god that the Gospels were writen about many generations later, and yes, they all are not the original writings. But, Christ was a "leader" which Paul made up!

[lapislzi]

70. Christ = Kristos = Greek word for "King"

The Jesus thing must be understood in the context of the Hellenic Jewish historical context. Calling him "Kristos" could have been as simple as his being head of a local sect. Essenes, for example. There is evidence suggesting that Jesus was an Essene--a puritanical sect of Jews in Roman Palestine.

Just my $0.02

[Corgigal]

51. Also thank you for your review

I was thinking of going to the movies this weekend with the family but I don't even want to go a theater that is showing The Passion.
I live in a bible belt fundie area and I don't want to be collateral damage because Mel stroked someones hot button. You may think I'm a bit paranoid but I live with these folks. I'll stay away from all movies until this one is over.

[Ripley]

53. You are in California? OMG.

I knew this would happen. I live in the Deep South and if Californians reacted this way, I fear for my own Atheistic skin here in Alabama.

Did Mel blow a kiss to Bush? Why? Isn't he rich enough?

[salin]

54. not sure, but I think

this didn't happen in California... reference to the city as "the buckle of the bible belt"... I am thinking that it may be somewhere in Tx.

[Ripley]

55. Oh, thanks.

I just re-read the post and California is not there, but I swear I read that in there somewhere!

I guess I feel better now. Dumb, but better. :dunce:

[wellstone_democrat]

66. Yep, he saw it in Texas

the "hometown" of GW Bush* as a matter of fact. And, yes, very much in the heart of the "bible belt"---although I've seen that "buckle" label applied to OK City, Lubbock, Amarillo, Kansas City and a variety of other places.

[skypilot]

56. I've been seeing some really stupid reviews....

...of this movie by some Philadelphia movie critics. One reviewer, whom I usually like, says that the graphic depictions of torture make Jesus "more real". Another critic, whom I don't like, actually described Christ in this movie as "one big bad-ass Jesus".:eyes: These two critics aren't fundies or anything either.

By the way, I keep hearing and reading people describing this movie as the "most accurate" account of the Gospels and of Jesus's ordeal. What are they basing that on? I'm no bible scholar or anything but I truly don't remember any mention of whips or straps with nails in them being used to flay Christ. Is that actually in the Bible?

[rman]

74. Christian Science Monitor:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0202/p09s02-cogn.html
Christian Science Monitor
February 02, 2004
Controversial 'Passion' presents priceless opportunity for education
A toxic film delivers a dangerous, but teachable, moment

Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" came into my life last April. Gene Fisher, the ecumenical officer for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, convened a group of scholars to assess Mr. Gibson's script - its historical fidelity, use of New Testament materials, and consonance with Catholic instruction.

Why did we on the panel care? This was, after all, just a movie. The answer, in part, lay with Gibson's own publicity efforts. In numerous interviews, he'd presented his movie as an act of God, insisted that it was the most historically accurate depiction of Christ's passion ever filmed, and paraded his own Catholic piety as authentication of his movie.

But Gibson had revealed some historical gaffes. One source for his story came not from the first-century Gospels, but from Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824), a stigmatic nun whose visions enunciated an anti-Semitism typical of her time. (She believed that Jews used the blood of Christian babies for rituals.) And, finally, website stills of the movie were marked with Hollywood gore: "Realism" had less to do with history than with celluloid violence.

<more>

[Beetwasher]

58. It's Meant To Incite Blood Lust

That is it's purpose...

[Az]

60. A simple question about the accuracy of this film

What were the last words Jesus spoke on the cross according to the movie? With all the trumpetting about how accurate this movie is supposed to be I would like to know which of the gospels Mel decided to go with.

One would figure that the final words of the son of god on earth would merit high relavance to his followers. Yet there are 3 different accounts of his final words. Which of the 3 did Mel go with?

Matthew: Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani (My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me)

Luke: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit

John: It is finished

[wellstone_democrat]

72. I'll ask him

I forgot---there was something about the dialogue that was either wrong or he didn't care for the choice within the context but we got off into the subject of the audience and didn't return to that issue.

I'll ask him this evening ----

[stopthegop]

62. this is literally the only time I have heard of

this type of response from an audience...has anyone else seen or heard of this type of audience response?

[pfitz59]

63. Theater scene in "The Blob".........

nearly set off a panic when I was a kid!

[stopthegop]

65. OOOKKKK...

I think I'll need a more recent reaction...maybe to this movie...
but thanks..The Blob was good..a nice memory..

[TeeYiYi]

69. The Exorcist . . .

. . . as I recall, The Exorcist had a powerful response. Again, a movie about religion. Hmmmmmm.

TYY

[Snellius]

67. Kick

The culture wars just got ugly.

[truth2power]

75. I posted this on Wednesday

I have a bad feeling about this. I have witnessed, in my own community, what happens when the Fundies get stirred up over some alleged insult to Jeezus. And it isn't pretty.

I don't mean to minimize the anti-semitism issue, but I think that's only part of it. The religious fervor you describe could easily get out of hand, and in that event you won't have to be Jewish to be targeted.

> > > > > > > > > >

As others on this thread have said, and I've been saying since the great hoopla over the release of this film -- there is going to be blood spilled before this is all over. Just go over to Free Republic to see the rage expressed by those on the right. And that, on a good day, over some inconsequential event that can't compare to the emotions stirred by this film's two hour blood and gore fest.

As one poster said, above: "Mark my words."

[Lisa]

76. blaming ITALIANS?!!

Wow. They might as well direct their rage at anyone whose ancestors lived in the Roman Empire 2000 years ago -- given that the legionaries who put Jesus to death were drawn from settlements all over the empire, and adjacent areas too. So basically, most of Europe.

http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/corinthians/empire.stm

(England too, since it was invaded by Germanic tribes from the continent after the Empire collapsed.)

And as for the "liberal" part ... hey, most liberals loathe the idea of executions, even when they're tidied up and sanitized by "modern" methods. So why would seeing something like this change our minds?

I guess it's useless to hope that the audience members making such stupid remarks would read some history and take a good, long look at themselves, eh? Sorry your evening was ruined, Mr. W_D. Thanks for passing along your observations, though.