The Passion of the Christ

[skydiverdriver]

Thank you for answering. I meant no disrespect by the golf club analogy, but I thought you said you were a christian because you were a member of the Catholic church. I must have misunderstood you.

I agree with everything you said in the previous two posts, with one small exception. I don't think everyone who is a protestant, which is a huge group, has to agree before we can have a discussion. People will always disagree on documents, such as the Consitution or any human writings. However, you dismiss all of us easily by saying we cannot agree.

Again, most of the disagreements have to do with styles of worship, and have little to do with the important things that even you and I agree on. For example, if one church uses loud rock music in their services, and another has the congregation sing traditional songs, but they agree on every other item, would you see this as evidence that both are wrong? I'm not trying to convince you that anyone is right or wrong, just that there may be misunderstandings on your part about the protestant churches as well. I have learned much from you about the Catholics, and I thank you for that.

 

[Timebuilder]

The "debt" for human sin was not paid for by a flogging. It was paid by the decision of God to become man and endure death.

I did not mean to imply that the flogging was the propitiation. I'm simply aghast at the level of brutality of the flogging that was never reallly explored in previous movies. Perhaps the movie carries this section to a level which a human could not endure, I don't know. I do know that it makes the sacrifice, willingly undertaken, even more impressive from the aspect of suffering.

Yes, the compassion and service were the example but from my perspective the physical pain did not itself atone for the sins. If that were so, then any man could have suffered and been crucified. God becoming man and giving up life was the sacrifice.

Once again, the pain endured did not atone for us. The sacrifice did. The nature of the sacrifice, and its associated pain, was never so fully communicated, either by the Gospel account (which may have had a clearer and more vivid meaning for the early Christians) or the accounts of the Gopels brought to film.

Perhaps the movie will benefit many and I hope that it does, but for me personally it does nothing to create, improve or develop my Faith. It is a good film, but it is only a film.

Good.

For others, it will no doubt be a catalyst for recognition of the importance of this singular event to the entire world.

That's pretty impressive.