| | "The Passion of the Christ" I said, "is a Roman Catholic movie, made by Catholics for Catholics, presenting the distinctly Catholic view of Biblical record of the crucifixion. From its title, which is distinctly Roman Catholic, (no one else calls Jesus, "the Christ" except in the expression, "the Christ child,") to its content, emphasizing Mary's role, it is Roman Catholic.
"It is not possible to criticize this movie without it directly or indirectly criticizing Catholic doctrine or sentiment. Therefore, according to Roman Catholics, you are not suppose to criticize this movie, because that is, ipso facto, Catholic Bashing. If you do not like the movie, have disagreements with any aspect of it, from how it was made to its intent, its content, its cinematography, or anything else, just shut-up or be known to the world as a bigoted Catholic hater."
 I said that yesterday. Today, Barbara Simpson, in her WorldNetDaily exclusive, "Brutal, bloody and sublime" has gone to trouble of proving what I said.
"The critics are full of ... cynicism, anti-Christian bias, liberal politics, hatred of Catholics and their Church, and in many cases, atheism. They hate any religion," she wrote.
If you do not love this film, if you criticize it, you are. "anti-Christian," you hate Catholics, you hate their Church, you "hate any religion;" in fact, horror of horrors, you might even be an evil detestable atheist. I know you might be tempted to think these are not exactly the words of love, but you deserve them.
"Critics, reviewers and self-appointed spokesmen for groups have an agenda and they put it before integrity," she explains. It does not matter if your "agenda" happens to be nothing more than a sense of decency and propriety that includes an aversion to emotional self-flagellation, you lack integrity.
"You have to search for an honest review of Gibson's film ...," because anything other than unreserved praise for the film is, apparently and without question, not "honest."
Barbara accuses critics of "hating all religion," because they criticize The Passion of the Christ, which is not a film dedicated to "all religion," but strictly to the Roman Catholic religion and it's views. So you are not only full-of-hate and anti-religious if you criticize the movie, you are full-of-hate and anti-religious if you do not agree with the Catholic view of things.
According to Barbara, the reason the critics hate Gibson is because, "they knew of Gibson's loyalty to traditional Catholicism and his patriotism. A triple whammy – a religious, patriotic, conservative," because, if you are not Catholic, you are not religious, and probably not patriotic or conservative either.
If you do not think the movie is historically or Biblically accurate, you are not a believer, because, as Barbara says, "If you're a believer, that's what happened," so if you do not think that is "what happened," you are not a believer.
If you think there are aspects of the movie that arouse anti-Jewish or other hateful sentiments of any kind, an accusation we personally think is silly, you hate the Bible. It is not possible for you to disagree on this point, "there's nothing to arouse hate unless, of course, you hate the Bible – and many do." But then, Barbara must travel in a crowd very different from mine. I do not know a single person who "hates" the Bible. I know some who think it is silly, but they no more "hate" it than they do the Bhagavad Gita, which they think is equally silly.
She says, "It's not for young children but for those who understand and know the story – yes." Of course, if you know and understand the story and think Mel Gibson and the Catholics got it wrong, well, then, you must hate them. Of course their thinking you got it wrong is not hate.
"For people of faith, 'The Passion' strengthens beliefs," she said. If you happen to think the consequence of having your sensibilities assaulted for the better part of two hours is more akin to a pathology than "faith," then, you are a "hater." Or, if unlike Barbara, who thanks Mel Gibson, "for a brilliant and realistic piece of filmmaking and for taking us closer to God," you think the film is fantastic and unrealistic, then you just do not know God.
If I thought the way Barbara Simpson does I would think being accused of, "cynicism, anti-Christian bias, ... hatred of Catholics and their Church, ..., atheism, lack of integrity, and hating the Bible, was hateful. I do not think like that. The idea that everyone who disagrees with you or says things you do not like, even strong things, hates you is a disease.
Barbara, critics of The Passion of the Christ, which includes me, do not hate you, do not hate Catholics, and do not even hate your movie. Most of us like you. How could anyone dislike someone known as "the Babe in the Bunker?" We are just not fond of your movie.
There is one fact about the movie I like very much. I am delighted that Mr. Gibson is going to make a bundle on this movie. There are few things a free-market lover enjoys more than to see someone's investment and efforts make a profit. I am delighted Mel's efforts and money have produced something that so many people find of value. Just because it is of no value to me, like many other products I have no use for, I will still gain from the fact that it increases the available products in the market, which I heartily applaud. Good job, Mr. Gibson!
I was criticized for saying, "The Passion of the Christ is sustained brutality and graphic, bloody, vicious, cruelty. Catholics will really enjoy it." But Barbara says I was right, Catholics will not only enjoy this "brutal, bloody," movie, they will call it "sublime."
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Recently, Diana Mertz Hsieh complained there had not been much Objectivist commentary on Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, ( see Smother the Passion!). I suggested to her a couple of commentaries I had already made and she very kindly linked to them. The one posted above is another, which I have posted here because I am very interested in Objectivist's view of this movie.
Since all of my commentary to date would be considered, "negative," I will post my last commentary, "In Praise of Mel Gibson," in the next day or two.
[Note: Diana is featured in a recent SOLOHQ Article here which, interestingly, I had already posted here, over which some got their panties in a wad, because I use the word "we." Oh well.]
Regi
(Edited by Reginald Firehammer on 3/04, 8:21am)
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