| wing the release of the film: The Passion Of The | | | | understanding towards other people and other beings. |
| Christ, we should take this opportunity to remember | | | | We experience negative emotions towards other |
| what it was that Jesus Christ may have died for. | | | | people when they mock us, when they ridicule us, |
| Perhaps we can re-think and re-learn the message He | | | | when they bully us, when they humiliate us, when they |
| had been trying to tell us two thousand years ago. | | | | deny us justice or fairness, when they torture us, when |
| ~~~~ | | | | they kill or threaten to kill our loved ones, or when they |
| The Passion of The Christ has caused a lot of | | | | deny us anything else that we consider to be our |
| discussions. Some people accuse the film to be | | | | 'human rights'. |
| anti-Semitic or that it has the potential to incite hatred | | | | "Of course", we say. "That's natural!" |
| and violence towards Jews. Other people object | | | | That is exactly my point! Jesus Christ had to endure all |
| mainly to Mel Gibson's gruesome depiction of Jesus | | | | that and yet he had gone through his last twelve hours |
| Christ's last 12 hours on earth in his latest film: The | | | | without displaying any signs of anger, hatred, |
| Passion Of The Christ. Though these are of | | | | disappointment, greed or fear. In fact, during his |
| importance, we should not allow Christ's main | | | | crucifixion, he still asked that his enemies be forgiven |
| message to drown and be set aside in favor of our | | | | for they knew not what they were doing. Who among |
| discussions of religion, politics, film-comparisons, | | | | us has the courage, strength and wisdom to be able to |
| film-critiques and censorship. We should take this | | | | accept our predicaments like that? |
| opportunity to remember what it was that Jesus Christ | | | | Jesus Christ has shown us that we must love even |
| died for. Perhaps we can re-think and re-learn the | | | | our enemies, be wise enough to increase our capacity |
| message He may have been trying to tell us two | | | | to understand and show compassion towards all |
| thousand years ago. | | | | beings...regardless of what happens. |
| I would have preferred this paper to discuss only the | | | | The Jews at the time had to make a decision: to kill |
| main teaching of Christ and how it relates to us today; | | | | Jesus or not. What would have been the right thing for |
| however I feel that I should address the two most | | | | them to do? They did not know. If you were a |
| popular discussions regarding the film before I can | | | | common person in the streets of Jerusalem at that |
| continue on. Was it anti-Semitic? I don't believe the film | | | | time and you were asked what you would like to |
| was anti-Semitic. The Jews had to make a decision | | | | happen to Jesus, what would you have said? For a lot |
| then and they did it no differently to how we, as a | | | | of people, the information they had of Jesus Christ |
| society, conduct our affairs today. In the latter part of | | | | was very sketchy. He was whispered to be The |
| this document, I argue that there is no reason for | | | | Messiah. He had many controversial ideas but he |
| non-Jews to blame the Jews for what had happened. | | | | seemed very wise and he had helped ease the |
| Was the gore and violence of the film appropriate? | | | | misery of a lot of people. At the same time, Jesus |
| Yes. I think that the gore and violence of the film was | | | | was also accused of being a liar, a madman, a witch |
| important in illustrating the sacrifice that Jesus had to | | | | and a blasphemer. He had made Lazarus come back |
| make, and was willing to take, so that we would | | | | to life, walked on water and he had turned water into |
| understand what he had been trying to tell us all along. | | | | wine. Would you have believed those miracles? If they |
| The pain and suffering he had endured shows the | | | | were not true, why would people have made them |
| amount of strength that is required to love - completely | | | | up? If they were true then definitely, Jesus was no |
| and truly. | | | | ordinary man. And if he had powers like that, what |
| Regardless of what your religious beliefs are, or | | | | else was he capable of doing? What if he was the |
| whether you have a religion or not, let me first ask you | | | | Devil in disguise? Maybe it was right that he be killed |
| to assume, just for this paper, to forget religion. Forget | | | | while his threat could still be subdued. There were so |
| the notion that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. | | | | many people chanting for his death. Surely their |
| Forget the notion that he was sent here by a Divine | | | | reasoning would not have been baseless. |
| Power. Let us just assume that he was a mortal man, | | | | It was not an easy decision for any person or any |
| made of flesh and blood, just like you and me. He saw | | | | group of people to make. Even Pontius Pilate who |
| the world differently however. He interpreted | | | | was in a position to have all the information in the land |
| information, his experiences and his emotions | | | | to make a decision, was torn what to do with Jesus. |
| differently to how most of us process our internal and | | | | Pilate was like the President of the United States, with |
| external environments. As a result, he gained immense | | | | all the advisers, intelligence agencies and reporters at |
| wisdom and knowledge beyond the comprehension of | | | | his disposal. Yet, he did not know what he was |
| most of us. He tried to tell us something. He tried to | | | | supposed to do. |
| share with us what he knew. | | | | The decision came to pass to crucify Jesus. The High |
| The main teachings of Jesus Christ revolve around the | | | | Priests were threatened of him. Pontius Pilate weighed |
| core idea of LOVE. Love everything. Love everybody. | | | | his decision and allowed the people to make the |
| Even your enemies! If they hit you on one cheek, turn | | | | choice for him. Those who were most vocal and more |
| the other cheek. Like Buddha's message: Do NOT do | | | | aggressive in their belief that Jesus Christ ought to die, |
| unto others what you would NOT like others do unto | | | | got their way that day. There may have been people |
| you. Be compassionate towards all beings. That was | | | | who probably felt strongly against it but they were not |
| what they taught: LOVE. | | | | willing or able to do anything to stop it. Others were not |
| He believed that it is the only philosophy that will allow | | | | there probably because they allowed themselves to |
| us all to achieve harmony and happiness in our | | | | be in a position where they knew too little information |
| universe and in our lives. No amount of hate should be | | | | to have an opinion at a time when it was crucial that |
| allowed every day and in every way that we conduct | | | | they did. Sadly, many may not just have cared. |
| ourselves. No matter what happens, we must not hate | | | | Think of all current issues we face. There are some of |
| or wish malicious thoughts towards anything or | | | | us who choose FOR or AGAINST a motion. Others |
| anybody. | | | | do not choose, however, by not choosing, they have |
| To spread that message, he spoke about it when he | | | | also made a choice. As one global voice, we are all |
| could, where he could. People flocked to the mountains | | | | divided in our opinions towards most of these issues. |
| and in the temples where he preached. A lot of his | | | | And only with hindsight, can we truly assess the |
| ideas fascinated people. They were new, bizarre and | | | | impact of the choices we have made. It is the same |
| sometimes his ideas went against basic human | | | | dilemma that the Jews faced then. |
| instincts and the prevailing beliefs that people had at | | | | Should we look outside ourselves to see whom we |
| the time. He was a leader, like a shepherd guiding his | | | | can blame for the killing of Jesus? No. The Jews killed |
| herd of sheep. He led with utmost integrity. | | | | Jesus, a fellow Jew, but how different are we when |
| We have had a lot of leaders in the past, now and we | | | | we kill or hurt our own? How different are we when |
| will continue to follow them in the future. They tell us | | | | we allow others to suffer because it was not our |
| one thing but they do not have the strength and | | | | problem or because we did not yet know enough |
| courage it takes to refuse to do another. They | | | | about the problem? |
| contradict themselves and their ideals. | | | | Added with our inability to be wiser than we are to |
| Is it only our leaders, celebrities and other prominent | | | | accept and feel compassion towards all beings, it was |
| members of our society - whom we read about in the | | | | our 'human nature' to hate and inflict pain and suffering |
| papers - who are at fault? No. Their faults are our | | | | on others that crucified Jesus Christ. That 'human |
| faults. How is that? Because we still believe that it is | | | | nature' still remains unchanged even after two |
| OK to hate or express negative emotions towards | | | | thousand years. What Jerusalem was then is what the |
| others whom we feel have done us wrong or will do | | | | world is now. And it will be that way forever...until we |
| us wrong. We, as people, still exhibit little signs of | | | | change. |
| compassion, consideration, thoughtfulness and | | | | |