"The Passion of the Christ" film: Why I won't watch it

[I wrote this soon after the movie came out (2004?) because of the way the evangelical community went on and on about it...even men I highly respected. I post it only because I wanted to share what my view was and is regarding this film...especially in light of the fact that there are still those people around who periodically bring it up as the greatest thing ever done! Hope you enjoy it!]

I have not seen the movie of which I am about to write, nor do I have the least intention or desire to do so. It may seem odd, then, that I should desire to write a critique on it, and so I will quickly explain why I have chosen to do so.
When I first heard the movie was coming out I thought of it as nothing more than another film about the Lord, another of those [to me] annoying depictions filmmakers are so fond of making, a film over which some Christians would rave about while other Believers would ignore.
I should explain that I have always had a personal objection to films about the Lord, whether made by Hollywood or religious groups. I sincerely believe it is a violation of the 2nd Commandment, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image-any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20:4-6)
While many would argue against my interpretation of this commandment, most have always respected my stance, as I have always respected my brothers and sisters who do not feel a film depicting Jesus violates it. Yet with this current film, many if not most people have questioned why I have a problem with the film, why I do not go “to be enlightened and be bound closer to my Lord” through the experience of watching his suffering and death! Up until now I have always responded that I have this wonderful book at home that does the best job ever of bringing me closer to my God, a book that contains God’s own words, God’s own commands, and God’s own thoughts; in short, a book that has been correctly called the “greatest love letter ever written,” The Holy Bible. I say I do not need visual representations of my Lord’s ordeal when I have His words that tell me that that ordeal was followed by the greatest event ever, His Resurrection. I say that I do not need to see a film that depicts my Lord’s suffering for two hours when I have a book that largely talks about how His conquest of death paved the way for me to join my Master in heaven for eternity. And I know many will say that it was His blood that made it possible, but I remind these people that His blood atoned for our sins but His Resurrection brought us into fellowship with Him! Read closely the words of that great apostle called by our Lord for His glory:
“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives , He lives to God.” (Romans 6:4-10)
At any rate, I have recently felt more and more bothered by the response of my brothers and sisters towards this movie. Even more, I have been disappointed by the response of the top leaders of the evangelical movement, most of whom have fallen over one another in their rush to praise the name of Mel Gibson and endorse this movie. Why does this bother me? In the next few pages I will explain precisely what I do not like about this particular movie, besides the simple fact that it depicts our Lord, that is. More than with any other movie, everything I hear about this movie leads me to the conclusion that it is far from a gift to the evangelical Church, that it is in fact a film that Christians would do well to avoid!
Before going on, I ask that anyone reading this please understand that I write this with a heavy heart, knowing many will respond negatively to me because of this paper. Yet I am confident that I do what the Lord desires me to do. I write it not because I want everyone to agree with me, but because I think everyone should be informed about some things regarding the film; that while everyone is responding to this film emotionally, they need to look at it critically, with an eye towards the propriety of it all. If after this, the reader is still convinced this film is a good film, and that I am a fringe fanatical individual, then so be it. I hope that we can still fellowship together, that we can still serve our Master as one, and that we can agree to disagree. Although, to be completely honest, I cannot deny that I will always be quick to debate when someone wishes it!! :)
In short, I write this with love towards the people of God.

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Why I Won’t Watch the Passion:

I have said it many times before and I will say it again, the greatest evangelical opportunity of any generation is for God’s people to submit to His will and live like what they are, Servants of the Most High!
It is when God’s people act like what they claim to be that the world will be impacted. No film can possibly be a substitute for this, nor should it be. Let us not be lazy! Taking someone to a film will never take the place of showing them by example that we love the Lord, it will not take the place of witnessing to the Lost by using the conviction that comes from the Word of God.
Indeed, it seems to me that one of the things Christians rave about most regarding this film is that it supposedly does the difficult work for them, that is, it presents Jesus to the world! Shame on us all! Why do we wait outside the theatres of America to witness to people (although it seems most of the audiences are already either Christians or professed ones)? Why weren't we already pumped up for Jesus to begin with? Why did some need this movie to grow closer to the Lord? Is the Bible insufficient? I know of no sincere Believer who would claim this! Yet the comments of those watching the film lead one to believe so. Let me say this, for my own part, I have never been able to read the Scripture, especially the depictions of our Lord's sufferings, without being moved to tears, without feeling grateful that my sovereign Lord chose to die on the Cross and allow for my salvation. I certainly don't understand how so many people now say things like "in the Passion" and then talk about something relating to Christ found in the Scriptures!
In a review of the movie, a pastor by the name of Brian McLaren said the following: "In one world, modern American Christians can be trusted to bounce and bound like golden retrievers from one silver-bullet "outreach opportunity" to the next—seeking single source shortcuts to complete our mission, which we hope to finish as soon as possible, I guess so we can all get to heaven so the world and its troubles are left behind™. Maybe it's a boxed set of books and videos, mass rallies, radio/TV/satellites, the Internet, PowerPoint, or seeker services. Or else it's adult contemporary praise music, electing Republicans, or a new booklet or tract. Maybe it's candles! Or a new model (take your pick from traditional-modern, contemporary-modern, or postmodern-modern) for "doing church." Or a new film. In the other world—which many of us are calling the emerging culture (post-Enlightenment, post-Christendom, post-colonial, etc.)—we are watched with amusement, pity, cynicism. There they go again, emerging culture people say about us, unimpressed. . .Jesus didn't say it was by our clever outlines, memorable mnemonics, snazzy programs, and special effects that we would be known as his disciples, or that he would be known as sent from God. Rather, he said, it was by our love that we and he would be known, and by our fruit: our good works that shine in darkness and inspire all to glorify God. No doubt, Mel G's film [is] powerful and will help many—millions, I hope—for it is a sincere labor of love about the ultimate labor of love. But it's not the greatest outreach opportunity in 2,000 years."
It has been said that the violence in the film is historically accurate, yet I say that while this may be the case, it is not representatively accurate. In other words, the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John spend a relatively small amount of time on the Lord's suffering and dying. Look at the Scriptures and you will see a larger amount of time spent on what His suffering meant and why He went through it! His physical suffering, while no doubt horrendous, pales in comparison to the suffering that made Him cry out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46). How can any movie portray the worst suffering of the Lord, which was spiritual and not physical? Can any visual manifestation truly make us feel the depth of this agony of our Lord? NO! But His Word can.
Remember this: Jesus the Christ was not a martyr. Nothing was taken from Him, not even His life. He chose to lay His life down, He chose to bear our sin (every single one!) to unite us to His Father! And when He cried out "It is finished" (John 19:30), He died. He died because His work of atonement was done. Yes, it involved physical agony, but so much more as well. Indeed, God "made Him who knew no sin to be sin, for us. . ." (2 Corinthians 5:21).
One reviewer in World magazine said the following, "To be fair, Mr. Gibson does strongly suggest that there is spiritual, supernatural significance in these events [the suffering of Christ], through the appearance of Satan personified in the visage of a woman and in the earth-shaking destruction that comes at the moment of Christ's death. The problem, if there is one, is a matter of emphasis. (Mr. Gibson's choice of emphasis is perhaps the strongest indicator of his Catholicism—Jesus' repeated stumbling during the long road to Calvary perfectly matches the Via Dolorosa, or the stations of the cross, found in many Catholic churches."
I will say more on this last observation later, but for now, I only wish to say that the liberties taken in this movie make me uncomfortable. To portray a Catholic rendition of His suffering is to focus on the wrong thing. But again, more on this later.

Most Christians view Mormonism, rightly, as a false religion. Few would argue in favor of the belief that a practicing, faithful Mormon is saved. Most would say, in fact, that any Mormon who came to a saving knowledge of the Lord would eventually leave Mormonism.
I and many former Catholics say unequivocally that Roman Catholicism falls in that same category. Have we as Believers forgotten that the heroes of the Reformation suffered and died at the hands of the Catholic church? Have we forgotten that to date all Protestants are still considered anathema (damned) by that Church? The answer in most cases is an obvious yes! Because nowadays all too many Christians look upon the Catholic church as simply another denomination of Christianity.
Since I do not want this discussion to become anything other than focused on the movie to which I refer here, I will not get into all of the reasons for why I believe a I believe about this...anyone interested should feel free to approach me. However, believing as I do, it does not help my attitude towards the film to know that the main book used as the basis for the film was not the Holy Scriptures but “The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the Meditations of Anne Catherine Emmerich.” According to an online Catholic review, this book is biblical and “fills in” that which the Bible does not tell us about what happened…how did Ms. Emmerich know? She had visions! Anne Catherine Emmerich was a nun who was known for her supernatural gifts and who counseled Popes on the mysteries [don’t know what is meant by this…info found in Catholic Encyclopedia]. At any rate, the book is supposed to have been given in a series of visions…the very book used as the primary source for the movie! Or can anyone who has seen it really profess that the Bible was the main source? From what I’ve heard of the movie, I would think not.
Well... that is all I intend to say on this matter. Human nature being what it is, I know that it is doubtful anyone will be won over to my view by my comments here, but I wrote this in order to provide a different view than the fawning one being put forth by most evangelical Christians. Whatever your view of this movie...do not let it take the place of Scripture for you...remember the battle cry of the Reformation...Sola Scriptura! Therein lies the only truth that we should depend on.

Amen?