Things Teens Should Know About Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ"

Things Teens Should Know About Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ"

About the movie

Should you see the Passion of the Christ? This is a personal decision that you and your parents should make together. The movie has received an R rating because it is extremely graphic and violent; therefore, students under the age of 17 will not get into the movie unless accompanied by an adult. The movie is in Aramaic and Latin; it has English subtitles. (By the way, Gibson says his film is "historically accurate." You should know that Aramaic and Greek were languages of this period-not Latin).

Why are Jews concerned about the movie? The film is a modern Passion Play, a dramatization of the trials, suffering and death of Jesus, based on the Gospels, stories found in the New Testament. Passion Plays have been around since the Middle Ages and have been used by Christians as an inspirational way for them to express their faith. Unfortunately, over the centuries, the way the Gospels were interpreted led to a charge that the Jews killed Jesus. This has led to Jew hatred and even murder.

Is the film historically accurate? While some Christians consider the Gospels the "word" of G-d, they were written long after Jesus' death and therefore are not historical documentation in the modern sense. The Romans were in control of Judea when Jesus was killed, not the Jews. The Jews had no control over Jesus' death. Crucifixion (nailing a person to a wooden cross until they died) was a Roman-not Jewish-form of punishment. The Romans killed thousands of Jews in this manner.

Does the film reflect Christian teachings? In 1965 the Catholic Church adopted "Vatican II" which acknowledged that the Jews should not be held responsible for Jesus' death. The church also adopted guidelines for how Passion Plays should be staged, to ensure that the productions wouldn't promote or reinforce prejudice and hatred against the Jews. Gibson is a "Traditionalist" Catholic, a small minority group which rejects Vatican II. His film does not adhere to these guidelines.

Is this a "Christian vs. Jew" issue? NO!! Many Christian scholars and clergy fully support Jewish concerns about this movie. The Jews have not created this controversy. From the very beginning interfaith scholars who reviewed Gibson's initial scripts privately advised him of the problems. Gibson has manufactured and fueled a controversy to ensure his film's success

Dealing with Anti-Semitic Comments.

Some Things to Remember If You Are Confronted With Insensitive or Anti-Semitic Comments (like, "Jews are Christ Killers")

There are no absolute rules for how to respond. The way you will react will depend on the particular circumstances-who you're dealing with, where the statement is made, who else is around.
It is O.K. to be angry or upset.
Remember that you have done nothing to provoke this situation; it is not your fault.
Ask for support. Talk to your parents, teachers, rabbi or youth group leader.
Words never justify violent behavior. Do not resort to violence.

What to Say to Yourself:

Think before you respond or react.
It's often more effective to be calm, polite and hold your head high.
Is this something you should respond to or walk away from?
Do you know enough to respond or do you need more facts?
It may be better to take someone aside to talk outside of a group.
If you aren't sure whether to do something, discuss it with other people.
If you can't manage to respond right away, can you do something later?

What to Say to Others:

Let the other person speak, and then respond.
Talk clearly and deliberately, but don't raise your voice.
Try to express how a comment made you feel.
Focus on the offensive words or behavior, but don't attack the person.
Tell someone you trust about the incident (friend, parent, teacher, rabbi).

ADL CAN HELP:
You can get help by contacting your nearest ADL regional office.