The storm over the movie was the cover story of last week's Newsweek magazine, which explored the battle between those who think the film unfairly blames Jews for Jesus' death and those focused on the graphic portrayal of Jesus' agonizing crucifixion.

First, I haven't seen the movie, so I can't fairly comment about the former. I'm still wondering sometimes if folks all read the same Bible. Yes, there was a faction of the Jewish order that played a role in Jesus' death. This doesn't mean Jews were responsible for Jesus' crucifixion, any more than all Muslims are terrorists and all Germans were Nazis and all Southern white men are members of the Klan.

The comments about the violence...well, I did see the PAX making-of special about this movie the other night. It is very graphic, to the point where I don't know if I could sit through it. I couldn't even manage Alien and I knew that was fantasy.

But what did these folks expect? When the Bible said Jesus was "scourged," what the heck do you think they did to Him, give Him a few picturesque bloody marks with a lash as portrayed on a crucifix? When they jammed that crown of thorns on His head, do you think He just went "ouch" as if he'd gotten pricked with a rose thorn while gathering flowers? Do you think He just got a little backache from carrying that heavy cross up to Calvary, as if He'd been some helpful hubby moving furniture? Do you think He just had the equivalent of the type of pain from bad menstrual cramps when He hung there on the cross, big thick blacksmith-forged iron nails in His hands and feet, out in the burning sun for hours?

Let's not pretty it up, folks. Jesus was tortured to death, lingeringly, brutally, painfully. The people who said this was "typical Hollywood gore" are complaining for the wrong reason. It's all the other times that it was "Hollywoodized" and sanitized so much that people don't understand what this man--whether you believe he was the Messiah or not--went through.

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 3:46:00 PM

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