i am glad that someone else is saying that it wasn’t “life-changing", and that it wouldnt drive thousands to know jesus. I thought I was the only one. one of my co-workers was saying today that if you area christian, you must see this. i don’t know - it definitely didn’t have that effect on me. was it good? yes. great? maybe. but not the greatest evangelism tool ever!

i think it’ll be a fine replacement for the jesus film most are using now. uhm, wait a minute… some people can’t read - actually a lot can’t read. but maybe for americans (especially thinking americans) this is a good tool. i’m really glad they went with aramaic because it just made it that much more genuine. i can’t even imagine how difficult it was to memorize the lines, but how privleged they are to have learned such a unique language - that’s pretty cool to think about.

yeah well done and very classy but not ultimately “life changing” for me, certainly made me think and discern and even gave a better picture of what might’ve happened.

yes! the deal with barrabas was crazy, i laughed a bit because he was kind of goofy and it seemed like he knew what was happening but selfishness took over.

satan was really weird looking. yeah, i want to see it again in a couple of weeks. what kind of awards is this going to qualify for? can you imagine how much money is going to be made longterm? i mean, this is the story, THE story and people are going to watch this over and over and over again. i wouldn’t doubt Mel starts some foundation with the profits.

I also didn’t find the movie “life-changing.” I’m hearing more and more of that as I hear more discussion. I didn’t cry, although I was told I would.

I definitely thought it was a brilliant film. I thought Gibson did a great job with the flashbacks through the whole movie. It really let the audience “get to know” the characters being pictured during the crucifixion.

I also really liked the ending. Stopped where it needed to, I thought.

But not life-changing. Really good flick and quite realistic, but not life-changing (for me, at least).

Man all you people who are saying that The Passion of the christ isnt life changing must not have any feelings cause this movie was definatly life changing watching my Lord and saviour being beat and tortured like that made me feel like all the bad things i have done to hurt Jesus made me want to stop all those bad things and tell others what he went through for us dont you people know Jesus didnt have to do that but he chose to so you can live with him forever if Jesus didnt do what he did you would have to go through the punishment he went through but no Jesus loves you so much he went through it so you wouldnt have to i guess that you would rather care about drinking and partying and having alot of money stuff you think is important that the world brain washes you to think is important i urge you to have a reltionship with Jesus didnt think this movie was life changing i feel sorry for yall who think that.

And Dan it is changing alot of peoples lives so far i heard like 5 people who commited crimes turned there selves in after watching the Passion and you know when this movie comes out no video this movie will be around forever cause churches will be showing this movie till the end of time i promise you. I still cant believe people dont think its life changing to think this movie wasnt life changing you must not have a close relationship with Jesus to begin with its just sad that so many people are being brain washed by todays world.

I don’t know what to say. I am a believer. For what it’s worth, I work in full time ministry. If you want to call my faith into question (and the faith of other people like me) then that’s fine with me. But don’t expect people to take you seriously when you don’t take them seriously. I’d be glad to talk with you more about this if you come back to this site.

Hey Danny when i wrote earliear what i was trying to say was i know people will not find it a changing movie but it just seemed like people where saying that is how everyone will feel about the movie when actually it has changed alot of peoples life including myself i didnt mean to be harsh earlier but it was just sad that people dont find what Jesus went through to pay for our sins so we wouldnt have to go through what he went through not movieing dont you agree?

Troy, I know that the movie has impacted a lot of poeple, and I’m happy about that. I was hoping that it would have a dramatic effect on me, too. It was a powerful movie, but I just can’t say it affected me the same way it did you. Do I find this sad? No, not really. We have to remember that this was just a movie, just a depiction of what actually happened. Mel Gibson said that in an interview with EWTN, the Catholic cable channel. Just because people are not shaken to the core by this movie doesn’t mean they have no feelings or faith.

True but Mel also said that this movie will impact your life some how no matter if your a believer or a unbeliever. And i dont see it as just a movie myself i see Jesus as more then a movie and millions of other people do also the reason i say i see it as more then a movie is because what movie in your life time has changed so many lives myself i havent seen any movie do that to people the way this has so i call it more of an experience then a movie.

does it matter what mel gibson said? he can tell me the film is going to impact me, but that does not mean it is going to.

Troy - it is a movie, not an experience. is this movie impacting some people? of course. but it is still a movie. good will hunting impacted me. american history x impacted me. chocalat impacted me. a lot of movies have impacted me. but they are still movies.

like danny said - don’t question our faith because the movie was not life changing. and as much as you can say that you weren’t trying to be hars, this is what you said:
you would rather care about drinking and partying and having alot of money stuff you think is important that the world brain washes you to think”
you clearly don’t know me. as i could care less about partying and drinking and being rich.

Its nice to see dave that you think this is only a movie since millions of people would disagree with you cause they dont think Jesus is a movie but a real person so like i said it is not just a movie since Jesus lives in millions of peoples lives. And also alot of movie can impact you but what movie quote have you seen people turn thereself in for murder after seeing it myself i havent seen none do that and what movie have you seen had so much of an impact on the people that they died during the movie and what movie have you seen that makes millions of people want to live a better life and follow the one and only tue god Jesus christ myself i havent seen any movie do that so like i said this not just a movie just like the bible isnt just a ordinary book so before you talk do research. And god bless you all.

ok troy you convinced us all this movie is the best thing we’ve ever seen we cried our eyes out and it changed my life forever from now on i’m going to church 14 times a week in addition Mel Gibson is god’s messenger and he should be the next pope after i post this i’m going to blockbuster to rent all of the lethal weapon movies and watch them joe pesci should be cannonized too also you’ve taught me the error of my semicolon using ways and i will never use punctuation again

And dave you said that you dont care about partying and drinking and having sex well you may not like any of that but you know what alot of people like doing that stuff and the world makes you think it is alright to do that when it isnt and yes this movie should be life changing you know why cause Jesus is the only one that didnt deserve any of this and He did all that for you and if you cant relize that if you where the only one on this earth he still would have died for you that is why it isnt life changing cause people are used to seeing crap on the screen that isnt true and when something like this a masterpiece comes around people are so desenceatized it doesnt even effect them cause the world tells people what is right and what isnt when they should be looking at what this nation was based on and that is christianty pretty sad isnt.

Danny i didnt convince you look at the box office numbers 355M that should convince you this is a miracle.

Now i see why Jesus calls us sheep you know sheep are the dumbest animals and with a sheperd they would get lost that is why they need a sheperd so i sugest you all get Jesus as your sheperd cause we need him until then you will be thinking your all great and stuff pride take out of your lives people and relize that Jesus is not a movie but a real person.

Seriously though. Troy, I’m glad you’ve been posting and I’ve enjoyed talking with you. Here are some observations.

1. None of us have ever said that we’re not glad that this movie has changed lives. I think it’s wonderful. One of our friends was very deeply affected by it. I don’t feel guilty for not feeling the same way. Some people are just more emotional than others.

2. You don’t seem to be getting this point: It is just a movie. You said “. . . cause they dont think Jesus is a movie but a real person.” Yes, I believe Jesus is real, but that wasn’t Jesus in the movie, it was Jim Caviesel. He wasn’t really getting beat up, he was acting. He wasn’t really bloody and cut, it was a spandex suit with red paint on it. You weren’t really looking at Jesus, you were sitting in a theater. I do believe those things actually happened to the real Jesus, but this was just a movie. As you said, “Jesus is not a movie, but a real person.” People can believe in the real person Jesus without ever seeing the movie.

3. If the box office numbers prove that this film is a miracle, then what about Titanic? It made more than twice as much.

4. You accuse me and Dave of pride, but you’re the one telling us that our faith is illegitimate and we need to make Jesus our shepherd.

5. You’re always welcome here at my web site, but I’m curious: What is your goal in this discussion? Do you just want us to feel bad? Do you want us to like the movie more (because it’s not having that effect on me)? Do you expect us to confess that we’re not really Christians, we’ve just been pretending all along and this movie blew our cover? What are you trying to accomplish?

ok true danny that wasnt really Jesus on the screen he is a actor but in the movie he portrayed Jesus and that is what the guy who wants people to see is Jesus not him when he is being Jesus in the movie and that is what i want also i want people to see Jesus when they see this movie not the guy who is playing Jesus and i bet that is what Mel wants also since the guy who plays Jesus told people on tc that is what he hopes people see is Jesus not him and that is why i said you dont look as it being fake cause that wasnt what i believe Mel wants i believe Mel wants people to walk away from watching this and wanting to know the bible more and know Jesus more and that is what i want also so for me and alot of other people i think they see Jesus on the screen instead of the guy who was him in the movie that is how i can say it isnt a movie but a experience and it is an experience no matter what anyone says cause that is what it was for me and to alot of other people i heard numerous people saying that is what like you where there and to me that is an experience. And yes titantic made alot of money but here is the point was it a bible movie what bible movie have you seen that has grossed more then this bible movie has none i know of and how many bible movies have broken so many records like this one again none i know of that is how i can say this is a work of god.

And my goal isnt to make people feel bad i just want people to know to know the truth and i feel what i am saying is the truth you might not feel it is but i feel it is the truth and i like helping people see that this world has nothing for you like the bible says it will all perish that is why it is so important to have a relationship with Jesus and know him personally im not saying any of you dont but if you dont please get to know him. And you also said people can believe in the real Jesus person without seeing the movie true but which would make more of an impact on you seeing it or reading about it i think seeing it would for me and i think it would for alot of other people look at how many people are seeing it and i know its not the real thing in the movie but you shouldnt think like that that is why preachers and people say come to the movie with an open mind so that it will change your life and show you how much Jesus actullay went through for you and me and everyone else dont think of it as fake or else it wont change your life at all if you go in to watch it thinking that of course we know the movie is fake everyone knows that but what Jesus went through wasnt fake and Mel was very close to the scriptures and i feel he showed it the way it really happened and that is why it changes peoples lives cause it was so real to them and that how we should view it cause it really did happen.

use punctuation!!!!

i don’t have time to comment right now. i will comment tomorrow morning. but this is ridiculous.

i got out of breath reading the comments…

Ok people The Passion of the christ is life changing because it has changed my life and it is more then a movie and more of an experience because that is what it was for me and noone can argue with that.

And the reason it was life changing for me wasnt because of the actors or the music but because of the holy spirit working through The Passion of the christ that made me want to change. Yes a movie like braveheart can impact you and stuff but it wont change your life like The Passion of the christ has for me and tons of other people cause it doesnt have the holy spirit working through it and the word taken out of the bible and put on the film to change a persons life like The Passion did.

“. . . because that is what it was for me and noone can argue with that.”

Troy, maybe you’ve been misunderstanding us. No one is trying to deny that or argue about that. I believe that it was a great experience for you. I’m happy that it was. I’m also not denying that the Spirit worked through this film for you. But here’s the thing: 1 Corinthians 12 talks about the Holy Spirit and how it doesn’t work the same way in every believer. There are different manifestations, but it’s the same Spirit. In your case you were impacted by this film, but in my case I might learn more about God’s love and grace from a Derrick Webb song. These are different ways of working, but the same Spirit. If you get a chance, read 1 Corinthians 12 and tell me if you see what I’m trying to say.

Troy, like Danny said, we are not saying that the movie cannot impact people. i am glad that it has impacted you and affected you so deeply. You may be a better person than you were before because of this movie.

But it still is just a movie. I can tell that the bible has had a much greater affect on me than any movie. The Passion of the Christ is one man’s interpretation of scripture. With many accuracies. But it is still a movie.

It is wrong to question our faith because the Holy Spirit did not work in us the same way I worked in you. You say that this movie will/should have more impact than reading about it. That is where you are wrong. The bible is the inspired word of God. The Passion of the Christ is the interpretation of those words by Mel Gibson. That is two very different things.

Don’t get me wrong, the movie was well done. The movie was powerful. And the movie is affecting people’s lives. But it is not the greatest thing ever. It is not even the greatest evangelism tool ever. It is a well done powerful movie.

Please see it as such.

One more thing. The Holy Spirit can work through many different things. I think that the Holy Spirit can work through Braveheart, or many other movies. We do not decide what the Holy Spirit works through. God does.

Dave i have to disagree about the holy spirit working in Braveheart how many lives did braveheart change none it might have impacted there lives and made them cry but thats the thing it didnt change there lives and until it changes there lives to want to follow God then it isnt the holy spirit and i know that for a fact that braveheart didnt have the holy spririt working through the film cause no live where changed to follow God and that is why this film is better then any other film made cause so many lives are being changed to want to follow God more cause of the holy spirit working though you know when the holy spirit is working is when a person does a complete 180 and follows God like so many people are claiming to do after watching this movie and that can only be the work of the holy spirit and that is why i say it is more then a movie.

And dave this movie isnt just impacting people braveheart did that this movie is changing peoples lives and danny i know not everyone will be changed after watching it what i am saying is that there are people whos lives have been changed after watching and that is what i am saying that it is changing people lives like myself. Braveheart hasnt changed someones life to want to follow god did it so that shows the holy spirit was not working in the film The Passion is changing lives it might not change everyones but it is changing lives people have been in newspapers saying it has changed there life so that is the evidence noone ever said braveheart or any other movie changed there life. And im not saying not to read the bible all im saying is Mel took the bible and put it on the screen and actually seeing it has alot more power then reading about it if it wasnt so how come millions of people are wanting to go see it.

And one more thing the reason i said its more then a movie cause what movie have you seen that has made people want to go and confess to murder after watching it there is no movie out there where a person has confessed to murder after seeing it but since The Passion came out several people have confessed to murder after watching it take for example the guy who got away with strangling his girlfriend then he said after seeing The Passion he wanted to confess to killing her and wanted God to be a part of his life now that is a changed life from seeing The Passion that just proves right there this is more then a movie and the holy spirit is working through this film how else can you explain that?

You are not understanding. Have you not seen us acknowledge that this movie can and is impacting people’s lives? We never said the movie was not impacting people. We only said it did not change our lives. You are the one that came in and questioned our faith because we said the movie was not life changing for us.

and to say this see this movie is more powerful than reading the bible? than maybe you should start a new religion then. call it Gibsonism or something like that.

i’m starting to see a couple of periods there thus allowing me to catch my breath.

……………………………………………………………………………………….
You can borrow some of mine.

Dave this movie is from the bible if it wasnt it wouldnt be powerful as it was and im saying that when you bring the bible to life that is more powerful then reading words. Let me give you an example say you had a book about the war and you read about it and how many people die and stuff but say you can actually be there at the place where it is happeneing and those poeple in the war that are getting killed you get to actually witness it in person now wouldnt actually being there have more of an impact on you then reading about it in a book i know it would with me and it did with many of soilders who where there also ask any soilder that has been to the war which would have more of an impact on them actually reading about the war are being there i gurantee you all of them will say being there and that is all im trying to say. That is how i can say the film was more powerful then the book.

I think there is several things about the film that make it communicate in such a powerful way. I think we cant get away from the fact that this isnt fiction this is not madeup but it is reflective of what the gospels tell us actually occured. I think thats where alot of its power comes from because you can add nice music and moving images to people and they can register on a emotional level but they dont carry the power that they do when we know for a fact that this is historic reality and what we see played outin front of us is something that actually took place in history. You know Bravehearts motion picture it moved alot of people and people had an emotional reaction to it but did it change lives i dont think so why not cause its not based on an historical event that can transform a human beings eternal destiny its not based on the truth of what the gospel records that when we embrace it and when we meet Jesus personally transforms our entire life our entire way of thinking all of our relationships our priorities our thelocify our values and opens the door of heaven so there is power thatcomes with this film because it is based on actual historic truth.

And if any of you want to see how many people lives where changed from watching The Passion of the christ go to www.MyLifeAfter.com and from the beginning all i was trying to prove here is that it is a great evangical tool the site i gave you proves it is and how millions of peoples lives are being changed after seeing this film and i never said it would change everyones life all i said is i dont see how it couldnt have changed your life cause it comes straight from the bible but go check out that site it proves that what i am saying is true cause on that site tons of people tell how there life has been changed from the film.

And when you go to the website www.MyLifeAfter.com on the side it will say read responses go to that and you will see how this movie has changed peoples lives after seeing The Passion.

Troy, are you a Michael Jordan fan? Remember when he hit that cross over fade-away over that punk Russell to beat Utah and going out winning in style? [well that incarnation of MJ at least]

How can anyone not be moved incredibly to go and work on their basketball games! I mean come on Michael was the best ever! The way he shimmied and shook, knifed through traffic ect… He was the man.

Well they made this highlight reel. It encapsulates all that is Michael. Had him in the early days with hair, wagging the tongue. The sweet-fest that was the 87 dunk contest? - Got it. Even has his last moments when all seemed lost [The Anderson steal in the playoffs] and yet he came back in even greater glory.

Everyone must see this highlight reel. Heck it has me walking to work in my JUMPSHOES [I can already tell a difference, I will be dunking by summer] Everyone must [well because I think so] be motivated after seeing this highlight reel to work on their 15 foot fade away ‘J’.

There are even websites out there that profess the truth that MJ is the best! Just go to http://www.virtualfans.com/ It is the izzo to the membrane.

Wait, you mean that after watching the highlight video you were not inspired to play hoops? Your reaction to the film was a greater view or appreciation of MJ’s skills? oh. ok.

I guess I will have to let people have their own reactions and I will go and chill out and not make a greater arse of myself.

Troy, after reading this:

Troy, maybe you’ve been misunderstanding us. No one is trying to deny that or argue about that. I believe that it was a great experience for you. I’m happy that it was. I’m also not denying that the Spirit worked through this film for you. But here’s the thing: 1 Corinthians 12 talks about the Holy Spirit and how it doesn’t work the same way in every believer. There are different manifestations, but it’s the same Spirit. In your case you were impacted by this film, but in my case I might learn more about God’s love and grace from a Derrick Webb song. These are different ways of working, but the same Spirit. If you get a chance, read 1 Corinthians 12 and tell me if you see what I’m trying to say.

-Danny

I would have to say that you pretty much got reasoned

actually forest gump was a pretty good movie too. made me cry…

no worries troy. =o)

What about The Ten Commandments, Troy? It was like the Passion of the 50s.

Wow…I’m pretty impressed with this whole bit. Or at least astounded. I don’t want to be on the bandwagon against Troy, because he has a lot stacked against him, but friend I am inclined to strongly disagree with your oratorical style. I don’t know, but your comments seem to come via raw emotion and stubbornness. There is probably about 20 things in the statements above that I can refute, but will save because they have been refuted. I do wish to make a couple of comments however about the movie:

I am curious as to how completely accurate this movie is. I see that right in the previews of the movie we see the nails being put in the open face palm of the hand…which is terribly inaccurate, except for in Catholic tradition, in which the Stigmata markers are “found” in the center of the palm.

I love the portrayal of Jesus laughing with his mother and making jokes, and I love the portrayal of Satan in the garden, but I don’t find any of those accurately described in the Bible. It made for great character developement, otherwise the idea of Satan would have been left out completely, but not accurate.

We also find a ton of emotion and character developement with the two Marys, however they are not too well described in the majority of the gospel…yet it was great character development and great for expressing traditional Catholic beliefs.

I’m assuming (and you know what that means) that you are a pretty fundamental evangelical. I make this assumption due to the comments and phrasing that was stated above and having spent much of my life intension as an evangelical and as a liturgical, I know that the way you make phrases is culturally evangelical and not so in the other Christian cultures (Catholic, Liturgical…etc.) I bring this point up because I’m curious as to your take on Mel Gibson and his theology and if his theology portrayed in the movie and the theology backing it (mainly an extremely orthodox Roman Catholic church, who rejects even the Vatican II).

Well say what yall want to say if that will make yall feel good about yourselves believe what you want but the proof shows that everything i said is correct i actually backed my stuff up yall havent but i guess before you can understand how God works you have to know him first and by what yall are saying sounds like you dont.

Isnt it so awesome though how many people are being changed after watching this film and how Jesus is working in there life and to think if everyone would stand up for Jesus the way Mel did wouldnt alot more people be reached thankyou Mel for listining to God and doing what God wanting you to do God has blessed you the way he says he will when people obey him. Its sad that where in here arguing about who is right when we all know that Jesus is the only way to heaven and Mel made that known in the film and who cares if there is add ins that doesnt make it not true who here hasnt seen a movie that is different then the book not me and i know not you ether and also the nails where put in Jesus hands cause when he showed up to his deciples he toldd Thomas touch his hands where the nails where so there you have it everything about The Passion is awesome and this movie is inspired by God not Mel just like Mel said god did everything he just directed traffic. And also the ten commandments are 2 different things one is about a man moses like you and me the other is about Jesus both man and god Jesus can get you to heaven moses cant.

And ether way you look at it no other movie as you call has made a person want to confess to murder after watching it like The Passion has and no other movie in history has made so many people want to change and follow Jesus the way they do after watching The Passion and not one of yall can answer why a man confessed to murder after watching The Passion or how so many lives are being changed after seeing it i want to see you all try to answer those you cant i can though the reason why cause it isnt just a movie its more then a movie its an experience and others have said it is an experience that site i gave you proves it.

“by what yall are saying sounds like you dont (know Jesus)”

Don’t you dare question whether or not we know Jesus. Or that we cannot understand God. We are simply saying that this is a movie. A movie that impacted you and others more than it did for some of us. That is not related to knowing Jesus or not.

“we all know that Jesus is the only way to heaven and Mel made that known in the film”

Wait - you just said that we didn’t know God? So how would we know that Jesus is the only way? You are contradicting yourself here. You say we obviously don’t know God and then you say that we all know Jesus is the only way. Which one is it?

And I don’t think that Mr. Gibson did make it clear in the movie that Jesus was the only way. Mr. Gibson used emotional driven violence to show that Jesus suffered. Which can have a lot of impact. But the movie did not clearly show that Jesus was the only way.

And as for people confessing to crimes - good for them. No one has said during this dialog that the movie is not impacting people. But part of why this movie is impacting people is that it is so emotionally driven. It was put together to invoke emotion in people. And it is doing that well.

And you know what - it is an experience. It is an emotional movie experience. but it is still a movie.

Dave the devil himself knows Jesus is the only way to heaven that doesnt mean anything so thats how i can say you can know that Jesus is the only way to heaven and not have a relationship with him cause i know the devil doesnt. And from yall ganging up on me that right there shows that yall dont have a close relationship with Jesus cause Jesus would never do that. And yes Mel did show in the movie that Jesus is the only way to heaven in the film it clearly states in one of his flashbacks He says i am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father but through me. And in John chapter 20 verse 27 Jesus tells thomas to stick his finger in his hands and side it clearly says hands in the bible. Well it was nice talking to you all but got to go look forward to answering more questions tommorow im excited that we are all talking about Jesus yall might think im mad or something but im not i like talking about Jesus thats another thing about this movie it has made more people talk about Jesus then ever before no other movie has done. Thats just something to think about since no movie has ever done that before like this one has done like i said more then a a movie. Well keep the quetions coming guys i enjoy answering them im so happy everyones talking about Jesus.

Well, i am not really trying to gang up on you. I jsut dont appreciate you questioning my Christianity when you dont know me. You have no idea.

And as for talking about Jesus, we talk about him all the time. Kevin and I talk about Jesus all the time. Honzo talks about Jesus all the time. Danny talks about Jesus all the time. Shoot - Danny is a pastor.

The impact of this movie on an individual has nothing to do with one’s ability to follow Jesus.

But hey, what are you going to do. Luckily troy won’t be deciding my eternal rewards! :)

I’ll echo what dave and troy have said: It’s nice to talk about Jesus. I’m glad the film is making people do that.

Troy, if you really are concerned for our salvation, then maybe you can clearly state what it means to be saved and how you tell whether a person is a Christian. You need to ask yourself whether a person’s reaction to this movie should be part of your criteria.

And in case it hasn’t been said enough —–> Yes, I believe that this movie has impacted lots of people. I am happy that it has. The only thing I’ve said from the beginning is that it didn’t have the same type of impact on me.

But why didn’t it? Is it, as Troy presumes, that I don’t really have a relationship with Jesus? I tend to think that (1)I heard so much about the movie that my expectations were so high that it could never live up to them. The more people tell me I should like something and have an emotional reaction, the less likely I am to have the expected reaction. And, (2) I’m not a very emotional person. Finally, (3) I already know the story. I’ve read it in the Bible, I’ve read descriptions of it from all kinds of people. If the material had been new to me I might have reacted differently. (4) The extent of the violence made me step back several times and ask myself if it was too much. Too much for me, too much for kids in the theater, too much for people who don’t understand the complexities of what those events meant and might run the risk of leaving the theater with a deep psychological connection between their idea of God and extreme violence. I’m not sure if any of these ideas are valid, but thinking about those things kept me from crying my eyes out.

So, Troy, I look forward to hearing from you. Please share with us how to tell if we’re really Christians. And what do you think about my alternate explanations to why I didn’t react strongly to the movie.

hav..ing… difficulty….. breathing… with no… periods….. gasp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!…… pssst.

I agree Danny i believe that might be the reason it didnt have much of an impact on you cause you where expecting more then what you read in the bible but the reason it impacted me and changed my life is because i read about it all my life and no movie has ever been shown to the full extent as this Jesus film has been shown in all the ones i see you see Jesus with barley any blood and it doesnt show what the bible tells about cause you know the actual crucifying wasnt a pretty site and Mel finally had the guts to show what it might have actually looked like on that day cause the bible says after they got finished with Jesus He didnt even look like a human being and i believe kids should go see this movie everyone should think about this dont you think kids saw the actual crucifiction i do i know they did it even shows in the movie a little girl crying looking at Jesus and i think the blood was necassary in this movie cause the bible says by his stripes we are healed and that is exactly what this film showed it showed the truth. And i think another reason why this movie is so popular because it is accurate and alot of people are seeing how accurate it is and i believe that is why the other films about Jesus didnt do so good cause people could see they wernt accurate. And the only reason i said it sounds like you dont have a relationship with Jesus is because when you have a relationship with someone and see someone playing Jesus and doing and saying what Jesus did in the bible its like actually seeing Jesus on the screen and when you dont see the actor playing Jesus but you actually see Jesus then thats when it becomes impacting and life changing. But like you said only God knows your heart and i really do hope you have a close relationship with Jesus i hope everyone does that would make me really happy to see you all in heaven. And i also think this film made me grow closer to Jesus because i heard about it all my life but for me actually seeing it played out helps me more then just reading about it i think thats the reason we have passion plays at churches ever easter. Well if i missed any questions i hope to answer them and im sorry for saying if anyone isnt close to Jesus when really only god knows the truth.

“im sorry for saying if anyone isnt close to Jesus when really only god knows the truth.”

Thank you Troy. I’d still like to see you tell me how we can tell who is a Christian and who isn’t.

When you say that kids should see the movie, what age are you talking about? What age would be too young to see it, in your opinion?

Danny its easy to know who isnt a christian and who is Jesus said in Matthew chapter 7 verse 20 he said by there fruits you will know them meaning if they follow Jesus or not. And goes on to say that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit and nor can a bad tree bear good fruit so Jesus is talking about people here and that is how you know the christians from the unbelievers. And also i remember seeing somewhere in the bible how Jesus says something like people will know you know me by the way you show love one to another ill look it up to make sure where it is. And i feel that kids that are old enough to understand whats good and whats evil then they are old enough to see The Passion well got to go talk to yall tommorow.

And the Passion is already passed the 500M mark its at 519M worldwide thats including the 356M in the US to make it a total of 519M isnt that excellent and its at number 27 worldwide and number 8 in the US i believe The Passion will go past 1billion who here thinks it will?

Hi Troy, my name is Brendan. First off, using punctuation makes it easier to read what you write. I was able to meet Mel Gibson personally and he said that yes, he made this movie to impact people (which it has, and no one here is denying that), but he also said that it is a movie and it is his interpretation. He doesn’t expect the whole world to become a Christian because of the movie. Also, he is not afraid to say that he used additional texts when he wrote the script for the movie. You have to understand that the script for this movie is not the inspired word of God. The Bible is. The script is just Mel’s interpretation of scripture. He also added material from various Catholic resources, including the visions of an 18th century nun. Is the Passion life changing? For some yes. Is it a good movie? I think so. But gauging whether or not someone is saved or a good Christian based on their thoughts of the movie or whether or not they were impacted by it is wrong and unscriptural. We’re not trying to gang up on you. We just want you to understand what we are trying to say, and it doesn’t look like you’re really doing that since we have all been repeating ourselves over and over again. Anyway, I’m glad you liked the movie. I really liked it to. I hope it opens peoples eyes up to Jesus but I hope it doesn’t stop there. I hope they look at the source. The Bible. Which is the word of God. In closing, punctuation is good. Thank you.

brendoman saves the day. again. =)

Brendoman you been repeating yourself that is all i have been doing so dont say your the only one repeating yourself. And yes this is a movie but im also saying its more then a movie when the holy spirit works through the movie to turn people to Jesus so that is how i am saying its more then a movie cause the others are just movies unless the holy spirit is working through them if you would listen to what i been saying you would know that. And i been listing to what Mel says about it on tv and he said that it is his interpretation cause he added a few things in the movie that arnt in the bible but the things that where in the movie that are in the bible isnt Mels interpertation its gods even Mel said on tv God made the movie im just directing traffic. And if i choose not to use punctuation that is my chose so stop trying to boss me around and start being more loving like Jesus commands us to do. And when the words come right from the bible and put in the movie what is that called the word of god and saying this is just a movie is like saying the bible is just a book doesnt make any sence since the stuff that came out of the bible that was in the movie didnt come from Mel but out of the bible. And if you read my other comments did i or didnt i say that not everyone will be changed after seeing this movie i did and also you need to read more up on what you say cause it sounds like im one step above you. Well keep the questions coming and remember love one another.

And Brendoman the reason i said that if you didnt like The Passion means you must not be a good christian or is saved is because most of the stuff that was in The Passion like i keep on saying came mostly from the bible with a few things added not much just a few and if the bible helps change your life after reading it to follow Jesus The Passion should also cause it came from the bible if it wasnt so it wouldnt be as popular as it is now if it wasnt accurate to the scriptures christians everywhere would recommend it to others if it wasnt accurate to the scriptures. See how i am trying to get everyone to see what im trying to say but it doesnt seem to work since i keep repeating myself over and over again.

And i meant if it wasnt accurate christians everywhere wouldnt recommend it to others if it wasnt accurate to the scriptures.

You say if it wasn’t accurate, Christians wouldn’t recommend it. Well, Christians recommend the Left Behind series everyday. Yes, it is fiction, but people recommend it as a story about what WILL happen.

You say that if you don’t like the movie, you don’t like the Bible. This too is inaccurate. First, most of us are not saying that we did not like the movie. We are simply saying that the movie was not life changing. Second, like we have been saying all along, the movie is not the Bible. If you are a typical evangelical, you probably believe that the Bible was the inspired word of God. But that does not mean that the movie is the inspired word of God, just because it tells a story from the Bible. Saying that The Passion is just a movie is nothing like saying that the Bible is just a book. You need to check your theology.

And one more thing. You say that we need to stop bossing you around (just because we tell you to use punctuation. It is really annoying when you don’t use punctuation and it makes your posts more difficult to read than they already are). You say we need to start loving you like Jesus would. I could say the same thing to you. You are questioning our faith, our understanding of God, and our intelligence- and in quite a rude way. I am not quite sure that Jesus would respond in the way you are. We don’t mean to boss you around. But if you want us to take you seriously, why aren’t you willing to make your posts easier to read.

I’m not sure how you can say both of these things in the same post:

“start being more loving like Jesus commands us to do”

and

“it sounds like im one step above you”

And you’re wrong about the second part, anyway. Brendoman saw this movie about 3 months before it came out. He got to meet Mel Gibson and hear him talk about the film for 90 minutes. Brendoman is about to graduate from Bible college, so he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to the Bible. He’s a film buff and he’s been following this movie since it was announced a couple of years ago. I know he wouldn’t want to toot his own horn, but let’s just say that you can disagree with him, but don’t try to say that you know more about this than he does.

I’ll agree with you that the parts of the movie that come straight from the Bible do have a special power beyond the other parts. They have much more potential to change lives than typical movie scenes. But consider this, is your life changed EVERY time you read a verse from the Bible? Maybe I’m a bad person, but I would have to answer ‘no’ if I were asked that question. Some parts I’ve read before and I can read them without it having an emotional effect on me. It might reaffirm what I believe, but it’s not life-changing. That’s what the movie was like for me.

By the way, I don’t think Brendoman was trying to boss you around and make you use punctuation. Yes, it’s your choice. He was just letting you know that you could make your ideas easier to understand if you used punctuation. You’re free to post however you want, but you might be hurting your ability to be understood.

Thanks for answering my question about how we tell who is a Christian. I like your answer: we’ll know them by their fruits. Would you care to elaborate on that a bit? What type of actions are considered good fruits? Would you rank crying at the Passion of the Christ as one of the top fruits of the Spirit?

And in regard to kids seeing this movie, how young is too young. I have a two-year-old daughter. I don’t think I’ll be letting her see this movie any time soon. She gets scared of shadows, clowns and scarecrows, so the movie would probably give her nightmares. And I don’t think it would teach her anything about Jesus (because she couldn’t understand at this stage in her life a concept like ‘by his wounds we were healed’). But at what age are kids ready for this? I probably wouldn’t recommend it for any kids under 12. What do you think?

Ok saying The Left Behind movie is inaccurate just proves right there that you dont know the bible and Jesus like you say you do how can you say The Left behind movie is fiction all of it is in revelation and the bible is fact so are you saying that revelation in the bible is fiction sounds like it to me can anyone in here belive dave just said that revelation in the bible is false i cant not one part of the bible is false dave so that makes both The Passion and left behind true. Man yall are way off course and yes i do show love to everyone and just cause he is graduating bible school doesnt mean nothing you know how many people in the bible thought they knew more then Jesus and they also wherereally educated in the word and Jesus proved them wrong thats what im doing showing him he is wrong. And if the bible is life changing which it should be the movie should be also cause like tons of people are saying accurate to the scriptures hate to tell you but its true. And thats like telling the rabbies they know more about the scriptures then Jesus just cause they graduate from college and are well educated means nothing didnt yall see in the film how they thought they knew more then Jesus why do you think they crucified him cause they thought he was wrong and they where right same here and Jesus never went to college but yet the rabbis thought they knew more then he did just cause they where well educated. And how is what i said being rude i said i am one step above but meant one step ahead of him when i am i dont see anything rude in that. I still cant believe what Dave said that revelation is false that just blows my mind when it is actually happening right now everything the bible predicted is coming true. And i think i read where the bible says when a person is able to know what is right and what is wrong then it is called sin so when a kid knows that then why shouldnt they go see a movie about Jesus what would you rather happen them have nightmares or die in there sins me i would rather my kid go to heaven and know Jesus then die in there sins but you can also teach them about Jesus without taking them to this movie also but since kids today would rather go see a movie then go to church this is an awesome tool to reach kids.

Danny i find it funny that you like to test me alot so when i screw up you can nail me to the wall but this is how you can know someone has good fruits Jesus said you can tell by the way we show love one to another that is how you can tell an unbeliever from a believer and since God is love if you have not love you dont have God. Any more questions keep them coming.

Troy, I’m not trying to nail you to the wall, I’m just trying to understand your reasoning. Sorry if I came accross as trying to trap you.

Note that Dave didn’t say Revelation was inaccurate, he said that the Left Behind books were. We may be opening a whole new can of worms, but I don’t think Left Behind is accurate either. Tim LaHaye presents his teaching as if it were the only way to understand Revelation, but it’s not. There are lots of Christians who believe things will be different from what LaHaye describes, and they have good reasons from scripture. In my opinion Revelation is a very difficult to understand book and anyone who claims to have it down pat makes me nervous.

I think all of us believe in a certain about of diversity of thought within Christianity. It existed in the earliest church, and despite the best efforts of some Christian leaders, it still exists today. In other words, you and Tim LaHaye are free to believe that the world will end as he predicts, and I am free to think it will be quite different. You are free to believe that the Passion is the best movie ever, and I am free to prefer Godspell (or the Bible). What do you think?

You’re very right about a couple of things:

1. Education doesn’t always make someone closer to God.

2. A movie about Jesus can be a powerful teaching tool, especially for young people (by which I mean teenagers).

3. Love is the most important fruit, a great way to tell who belongs to Jesus.

Hello again friends…wow I’m blown away by how much you write…Ready for my two cents…

I have a questions for you Troy…when you comment about the accuracy of the movie and now of Left Behind…what translation do you use? The ever so marvelous NIV, New Living, NRSV, NASB, Greek? My question stems because I have found little common accuracy spanning the lot of those.

About the hands…you have a great point, however I encourage you to study more than an English bible and note that culturally a hand was much more than just the palm and fingers, and from what you quoted you didn’t say palm at all, but hand.

I am now moving onto the point of offense that I have taken. You ask that we don’t rebuke you, however you say that you are willing to do that for us, or those who were typing previous to this entry. Now I would agree that to love somebody is to not spare the rod (Proverbs) and Jesus did just that…my question then comes from why should we be sparing the rod in your direction?

I wanted to bring up the Jesus Film with you also, because you’ve stated that no other film had the holy spirit in it and not many people came to Christ through other movies other than the Passion of Christ. I myself have seen over 300 people accept Christ (by mouth at least) because of that movie. It has been doing so for a couple of decades now in fact.

I would also like to question your example twice I believe now about the money this movie has brought in. Does your perception of success stem from money and numbers? One disclaimer to that question is that I recognize also that you have mentioned the quality of the movie as its success.

Well friends keep typing away, I won’t be able to observe until Monday…so don’t give me too many hours of reading huh?

Oh ok danny thanks for telling me danny meant the movie and not the bible i thought he meant the revelation in the bible was inaccurate but your right The Left behind might not be accurate i for one only seen it once and didnt really watch it from what i seen it shows people being taken up in the rapture and that is what the bible shows will happen but i wasnt to interested in it as alot of people where but i did like it and noone knows what all the bible means cause if you tell someone this it what it means another person will have another opinion on what they think it means only God knows that. And i thought you where testing me by the way you asked me the same question to see if i would say something else instead of the first answer i gave you like you did when you said Jesus says to love one another but you said i said that i am a step above you how is that showing love so that is why i thought you where testing me. And i know Mel Gibson is only a man normal man just like us all so he isnt perfect but he made the movie the way he thought god wanted him to make it and i do believe the holy spirit told Mel to make this movie we might not see how this movie is making a difference but we will later cause people who see this movie will not have any excuse to not knowing who Jesus is when they stand in front of god on judgement day and this movie is making a difference even if it changes one persons life that is all that matters. Actually its not about what relgion you are its about wheather you have a relationship with Jesus do you call your relationship with your friends a relgion no you dont so why should having a relationship with Jesus be any different? And also do you think when you get to heaven there will be on one side of Heaven Jews other side christians and so on no cause when we get to heaven relgion wont exsist so its all about your relationship with Jesus. And sorry dave for misunderstanding you i know i dont have all the questions but i try to answer stuff the best i can and if i answer wrongly then ill tell you i make mistakes im human just like yall.

Everyone meet Kevin! Kevin is my friend, he also graduated from APU. I work with him at that non-profit that sends people to Asia.

Anyway…

Troy - like Danny said (and I apologize for opening up this can of worms), I never said that Revelation is not true or inaccurate. I said that the Left Behind series is inaccurate. The Left Behind series is simply a fallible human’s interpretation of Revelation. And it is also one that many, many Christians would disagree with. Also, you need to remember that the Left Behind series is FICTION!

The definition of fiction (according to Merriam Webster is as follows:
a : something invented by the imagination or feigned; specifically : an invented story b : fictitious literature (as novels or short stories) c : a work of fiction; especially : NOVEL.

This would imply that the Left Behind series is something invented by the imagination. Just because the author used another book (in this case the Bible), does not mean that is was not made up. So, to wrap it up, the Left Behind series is simply a made up story using one interpretation of Revelation as a foundation. If you ask me, it is a mediocre story using a bad interpretation of Revelation. But hey – that’s just me.

Troy – question for you: how old are you?

Ok Kevin about the hands the only reason i said hands is because that is what the bible states it says hands not palms hands and i go by what the bible states cause the bible isnt wrong. I didnt understand what you said about sparing the rod if you mean that you shouldnt spare the rod i disagree if you meant we should spare the rod i agree. And the only films that have the holy spirit in it are the films that make people want to live for Jesus and the reason i mention how much money its making means that more people are seeing it and that is why i am happy to see it doing so good cause the more people that watch it the more people that have a chance to be saved. And no success doesnt come from money but from God. I cant understand alot of stuff Kevin is asking me so if i didnt answer your questions good tell me and ill try to next time.

well, i wrote that last comment before troy’s last comment was posted. But yea, I was talking about the Left Behind series(which was then made into an even worse movie), not Revelation.

But at least ya’ll know my stance on Left Behind. :)

Dave you said The Passion was made up also so that must mean that The Left behind movie isnt since The Passion came mostly from the bible and from what i saw The Left Behind was pretty accurate as well so there both true i hate to tell you dave but there true just like the bible is since thats where the stories came from the bible. And im 25

And the last left behind book sold 2Million copies before it came out and im sure people who bought it think it is accurate as well as myself since the stories come from the bible not made up.

And you said The Passion is made up how is The Passion made up?

When did I say the Passion was made up? I said that it was an intrepretation of the bible. I don’t believe I ever said it was made up.

Troy here are some questions for you on your Pre-Millenial Interpretation of Revelation.

1. How can you say that Jesus rule will be coming later when Peter says Jesus is already ruling in Acts 2:29-36?

2. In Matthew 13 in the Parable of the Tares, Jesus is speaking about the Judgment, if the wicked are left behind how come they are the ones that are harvested first in this passage?

3. Do you believe that Revelation must have a literal interpretation, or is there any room for a figurative interpretation?

Now here are some more general questions about your beliefs.

1. What must a man do to be saved?

2. How does one know he has the Holy Spirit?

3. Don’t you think that good punctuation and spelling helps some one look more intelligent?

I’ve already said what I think about Left Behind, so I won’t go into it more unless everyone wants to debate it. I’ve never read it, but I do have a few opinions about it.

By the way Troy, I’m 23. I just thought I would tell since you shared your age with everyone.

Here’s a nice primer for those of us unclear (me included) about what to think about end times. Saying the Left Behind series comes from the bible may be a bit of a simplistic take on things.

http://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/mill.html

I found it a good place to start anyway.

Matt

*whew* This is a lot to digest! I think I’ll just sit back and watch, because I think most things are being covered that I would even think of bringing up… Interesting points, everyone… :D

Hello again. Thank you Troy for the kind judgement about me. Where did I or anyone else say I know or claim to know more than Jesus? Also, how can Left Behind be true if it uses fictional characters? Read Dave’s comments on Left Behind again. It is one man’s interpretation of Revelation. You can read 100 commentaries on Revelation and you’ll hear 100 different interpretations. Also, just because a movie uses quotes from scripture that doesn’t make it (the movie) Holy or inspired by the Holy Spirit. I think this discussion is really just going around in circles.

Also, how can you say you know which movies the Holy Spirit can work through? The Bible is pretty clear that the Holy Spirit can work through just about anything.

And Brendoman the reason i said that if you didnt like The Passion means you must not be a good christian or is saved is because most of the stuff that was in The Passion like i keep on saying came mostly from the bible with a few things added not much just a few and if the bible helps change your life after reading it to follow Jesus The Passion should also cause it came from the bible if it wasnt so it wouldnt be as popular as it is now if it wasnt accurate to the scriptures christians everywhere would recommend it to others if it wasnt accurate to the scriptures. See how i am trying to get everyone to see what im trying to say but it doesnt seem to work since i keep repeating myself over and over again.

you keep repeating yourself over and over again and we keep repeating ourselves that we disagree with you and we give reasons why. Like Danny said, my life is not changed by every piece of scripture I read. I can read the Passion story in the Bible without my life being changed. That DOES NOT make me a bad Christian.

Brendoman like the saying goes just because your in a garage doesnt make you a car and just because you go to church doesnt make you a christian Jesus even said there will be people who worship me with there lips but there hearts will be far from me looks like that is what is going on here. Just a thought from the chilli bowl.

What the heck man? You have done nothing here but attack people, and say we are not good people and bad Christians, if you even think we are. And it is just because we have a difference of opinion on a MOVIE. Do you know what that is… Judgment. We have never said that we do not believe in Jesus, or that the crucifixion actually happened. They just said that the MOVIE wasn’t life changing to them. I will say the same thing. MY LIFE CHANGED WAY BEFORE I SAW THE MOVIE. It was the crucifixion that changed me, I didn’t need to see a movie. If you ask Danny or Brendan or anyone else who claims to be a christian on this site, they will say that they knew what Jesus did for them before this movie. That is why it wasn’t life changing, at least for me, because I already knew what he went through. So, before you JUDGE us, which is what you are doing, for a difference of opinion on a man mad movie, READ YOUR BIBLE. Tell me what it says about judging others. Then tell me if you have the right to judge us for a review of a MOVIE.

But I do admit, it probably has changed some people lives, and thank God for that.

did you get my letter

Smiles this is troy you are wrong the bible says that your not supposed to judge people but it never said that you cant judge what someone says and that is exactly what i have done judged what people in here said. Jesus did it all the time when the rabbis tryed to come to him and trap him he judged there words and told them what was right and what was wrong and that is all i am doing here. So get the facts straights.

Troy, is there any reason at all in anything you say. Jesus did judge people. He could becuase he is God.

Anyways Troy, we have no way to win with you. Brendoman and I have formal training in the Bible, and you disregard what we say because the pharisees were formally trained. You throw aside anything Danny has to say because he is a pastor, and thus himself a pharisee too. So do you listen to your pastor at your church? Do you even go to church? I mean what you are saying here is that nothing we say can be true because it disagrees with what you think. We did not disagree with you that the movie could be life changing, but it just wasn’t for us. Then you say we are not christians because we don’t agree with your views. That is Biblical. The reason why Jesus judged the rabbis was because what they believed and taught did not match up with scripture. Nothing we have said here is saying that Jesus dying on the cross and his suffering wasn’t real, or life changing. We said the movie wasn’t. I will say it before, my life was changed before I saw the movie. I did not need the movie to understand what Jesus did for me. Therefore, I can say that the movie wasn’t life changing for me, because it wasn’t. Did it help me understand Crucifixion and the suffering Jesus went through a little better? Yes. But I already believed and I am on the right path, so there is no reason to change directions, just focus on where I am going better.

This is troy smiles are you really that dumb Jesus could not judge people when he was here on earth Jesus even said he came to earth not to judge people cause if Jesus did judge people he would be going against his own rules and Jesus cannot go against what he has said Jesus goes by the rules has made if he didnt he would have sinned that is why i say it is ok to judge a persons words but not a person smiles i feel sorry for you.

And Jesus did not judge anyone he judged what they said not the poeple smiles cause the only time Jesus will judge a person is when they die and when they stand before him on judgement day get the keyword there smiles judgement day it even says that in the bible smiles like i said i feel sorry for you.

holy crap! do you realize that this is the 87th comment on this post!

Wow. And it’s mostly thanks to troy. The 5 worst worship songs has 55 posts right now, which is less than 87, but there are a lot more posters on that thread.