Mel Gibson is a total a**hole.

[Archae]

See what happens, when lots of money and lots of ego collide?

"Critics who have a problem with me don't really have a problem with me in this film. They have a problem with the four Gospels. That's where their problem is."

-Actor and filmmaker Mel Gibson, telling ABCNEWS' Diane Sawyer that his new film, The Passion of the Christ, "is my version of what happened , according to the Gospels and what I wanted to show." Critics have worried the movie's depiction of the Jewish role in the death of Jesus could encourage anti-Semitism.

[CastorTroy]

1. No, he's just a little f***ing nuts

. . . as well as an a**hole. He basically said that his wife is going to hell because she's Presbyterian. He's done gone over the edge. His old man, Hutton, is already there.

[aquaman]

3. I agree,

I think he has gone off the deep end.

[Susang]

10. Serious mental health problems

I read in Friday's paper that he said he made the film because he had been deeply depressed and contemplating suicide, which we Catholics know is a serious no-no. So, in true narcissist fashion, he throws the fault and blame on everyone else. He is one fucked up dude.

[supernova]

12. Whoa! This is new info to me..

said that his wife is going to hell because she's Presbyterian

:wow:

I didn't know his wife was Presby. She is a little more independent than I first figured. If she is, pProps to her.

Also, we've been told we're going to hell for years now by our more conservative bretheren, so that's not new. *yawn* What else you got Mel?

[liberalhistorian]

15. Yeah, so my question is,

why'd he marry her in the first fucking place if he knew she was Presbyterian from the beginning?????????

As a Christian, I simply cannot STAND people telling others that "they're going to hell for such-and-such reason", it makes me crazy. And Gibson practices the branch of Catholicism that doesn't recognize the Vatican reforms of the 60's and which, consequently, still holds Mass in Latin. His father was a Nazi supporter and member of an extremely far-right fringe Catholic group. Most Catholics I know consider this group's beliefs to be from Mars and laugh at the very notion of holding Masses strictly in Latin and not involving the people.

[regnaD kciN]

18. Anglican, not Presbyterian...

He said in an interview that she's a lot holier and closer to Jesus than he is, but Rome makes the rules and that means, as unfair as it may seem, that she's going to Hell because "there's no salvation outside of the Roman Catholic Church."

:crazy:

[supernova]

22. He's letting his legalism

get in the way of love for humanity, if that's true. Which is typical fundie behavior. The rules ALWAYS come first.

Heh Heh. Mel must be shitting bricks over Gene Robinson. :D

[smirkymonkey]

2. No he's not....

he's a frickin' fundie wacko mega a**hole.

[CastorTroy]

4. and the embodiement for the arguement that

maybe organized religion isn't so healthy for the human species.

[liberalhistorian]

16. It's not organized religion itself,

it's how certain people handle it and the nutball fringe groups that branch off of them.

[beevul]

5. Sad...

I used to like Mel in my ignorant(blissful) youth.

Those days are over. He turned into a major a**hole.

[ClintonTyree]

6. You mean............

the four gospels that were hand picked by the church to shed the absolute best light on the teachings of Christ/ They seem to have ignored more equally important gospels that didn't quite fit their definition of history. The entire bible is a hand picked book of fiction and is not to be believed literally. The basic fables and tenets are a blueprint to lead a good life, but to take them literally is moronic. Fundies cannot differentiate fact from fable however, and this fact alone is what makes them dangerous loonies.

[Sperk]

7. I liked him better when he drank

:evilgrin:

[Bertha Venation]

8. What happened to the funny, profane,

bone-breaking, semi-hack-but-entertaining actor? I liked his "Hamlet," loved the first "Lethal Weapon," and must admit that I thought "Braveheart," while grossly violent, not historically accurate, too damned Hollywood, was a good film, and I was glad he got the Oscars for it.

Where in the hell did that Mel Gibson go?

And, did he have some literal epiphany; did he have the "born-again" experience at some time after making such incredibly bloody and profane films? Because I'll tell you, folks, I can't understand anyone claiming to follow Christ while putting such misery out there for the world to devour -- and to become rich from.

But who am I.

[regnaD kciN]

19. Mel was already a wingnut by "Braveheart"...

...after all, he rewrote history so that Edward II could figure in the William Wallace story as a "fag" villian. Around the same time, he was saying in interviews that all gays should be killed.

[SaveElmer]

9. I think you are over-reacting

What he is saying is that he believes he has made a movie faithful to the four gospels. And that if people have a problem with that it is the original material that is the problem, not the presenter of it. Since none of us have seen the movie yet, we don't know if he has made a movie faithful to the gospels. If he has, and people have a problem with it, then what he says is correct. If he hasn't then what he says is wrong.

I don't know yet if I will like what I see in this movie, but I don't think he should be criticized for making it. And I suggest we hold off judging him until we have seen it.

[FlaGranny]

11. Exactly what I would have said.

I'm not religious, but I don't care if Mel Gibson is. If he has made the movie true to the gospels, then, yes, what he says is 100% right. I defend his right to say it and I defend his right to make the movie. I might even see it eventually. I find that I enjoy Bible movies sometimes, even though I'm atheist. Even if the movie is not "true" to the gospels, ???? I don't understand the problem people are having with Gibson. He can believe what he likes and make the kinds of movies he likes. I still like him. I still like my cousin who is a died-in-the-wool Republican fundie, too. Even if he's crazy, what difference. There are some crazy people I like too.

[bleedingheart]

13. Everyone knows that Jesus movies are boring

cause everyone knows the ending...

[Bonhomme Richard]

14. I love all this..........

He is only saying what the fundies have been saying about all the rest of us for a long time. That if you don't think like them you are going to hell. The difference is that he is saying they are going to hell and that is why they are all bent out of shape. Of course he's crazy but anything that turns the tide on funding thinking is good in my book.

[Bridget Burke]

17. Do all 4 Gospels tell the story exactly the same?

It's been a while since I read them. Aren't there differences in the details? Surely, he's made choices in adapting the story to the screen.

It's very handy--if a critic were to call the movie turgid & pretentious (not a word about anti-Semitic)--it would simply mean the critic is going to hell. All criticism is rendered anti-Jesus (instead of anti-Mel).

Also, in all the publicity, Mel has been telling us the DEEP reasons that led him to this project. Since it would obviously be crass for him to accept any profits--which good cause will benefit?

[Lindsey]

21. I know that I will not see this film.

n/t

[anti-NAFTA]

20. PAYBACK was the shit!

PAYBACK was his best film. Completely awesome movie!

I plan to see the Passion of The Christ. I kind of agree with his statement, because the New Testament itself is anti-Semitic (it was devised by Romans first of all). So I can't blame Gibson/.