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["Don Rua" <rua AT mindspring.com>]

Disclaimer: I haven't seen The Passion yet, but have a pretty good idea of what's being highlighted in the press and discussions. I do plan to see it. I've spent several years in a Baptist congregration, 3 years of Catholic school, visited backwoods 'charismatic' churches, and wrote an A+ paper refuting five major arguments for the existence of a supreme being.

 

My comment, is that for someone who's spent a year as part of a Baptist church, the big deal about the gory details comes as 'ho hum'. I've heard a sermon or two, where an hour is devoted to descriptions of the type of whip used, the force necessary to rip skin or drive a nail through the hand, the effects on the muscles of carrying a crucifix of X pounds over Z yards, etc. Perhaps I've had a few twisted preachers, or perhaps that's the norm, I haven't taken a survey. I assume that to appreciate a price paid, it's not unreasonable to occasionally review a detailed accounting of the price, no? However, what intrigues me is the hoopla over the gore for this movie.

    It sounds like a graphic depiction of pain and suffering, which there's little doubt went on at some level at the hands of Roman enforcers, upon some 'undesireables'. In movies, I've seen people get ripped in two in Gladiator. I saw Hoffman get his teeth drilled right through the nerve (Is it safe?). I've seen bodies hacked, fed into a meat grinder, burned over a slow fire, tortured, etc. Has no one seen a zombie movie? So, they show Jesus getting some rough treatment. I'm not getting the big deal.

    If you don't believe it happened to Jesus, put it in the fantasy category you use for Freddy Krueger, Jason, and Michael Myers. If you think it did happen to Jesus, why be surprised to see it re-enacted? Will it be difficult to watch some scenes? From what I hear, probably yes, but then so were scenes from Dawn of the Dead, the killing in American X, and movies about concentration camps. "Kids", now that's a disturbing movie, focused on events happening today, with a fraction of the discussion Mel's getting. Maybe folks just enjoy debating the JC/SurpremeBeing issues, in any form or forum.

 

PS- Why does anyone care what Mel's dad thinks? I have relatives that think Jerry Lewis is funny, have been to AP prison, or believe aluminum bats should be in the major leagues. We all have idiocy in our family somewhere.

 

Don