Anti Semitism

I saw the Passion of the Christ for the first time the other day. The most important lesson that I learned from it is to avoid crucifixion at all costs. Yes, the movie is bloody and difficult to watch. No, you should not take a child under 14 or so because he already gets enough violence playing video games. Yes, it is riveting but almost maudlin if you are not a Christian, and no, it is not anti-Semitic. More on this later.

Is it historically accurate? It depends. If one uses the Bible as your source of history, it is quite accurate except for a weird, lurking, androgynous devil and his/her harpy-like dwarfs. If you delve into historical sources, other than the Bible, there are some legitimate issues. Much is known about Pontius Pilate from other historical sources. He was truly a wicked guy, who would crucify someone for jaywalking, (Crucifixion, by the way, was a Roman, civil practice and not a Jewish religious practice). Pilate in the movie, however, is depicted as a conflicted, political, and almost decent, procurator of the Jews. He regards his subjects as pond scum and can barely wait to get back to Rome or any place other than Jerusalem. In the Bible and in the movie he does not see why Jesus should be condemned, and symbolically and famously washes his hands of the entire matter.

So, maybe the Bible account of Pilate is inaccurate, but, it is the Bible that’s Mel Gibson’s authority thereby making the Jews look like the real culprits.

O.K., let’s get to the real issue. A Jewish acquaintance of mine thought the movie was very anti-Semitic because, and he is right, the Jews, particularly their priests, are portrayed as blood thirsty, unreasonable thugs out to kill this Nazarene no matter what the facts. But, how should the Jews have been depicted? Why did the High Priests hate Jesus so much? Why didn’t they accept him as the Messiah like the new Christians did? The answers are quite simple and based on Jewish theology as revealed in the Old Testament. One, the Jews were looking for a Messiah who would be a great King here on earth, someone who would vanquish the Romans from their Holy land and restore the Jews as God’s chosen people. Jesus preached repeatedly that his Kingdom was “not of this world” and that he was talking about liberating souls not killing Romans. Two, the guy born in Bethlehem kept insinuating that he was someone divine or that he was Yahweh himself which the Jews, rightfully according to their tradition, found heretical. Sure the High Priests wanted him killed and for good reason. This “lunatic” had gained some followers with his blasphemous ideas. It’s not like the High Priests believed he was the Messiah and had him killed anyway as many Christians think. The Jews were convinced he was a blasphemous, wily nut undermining their authority with his nonsense. Put in this context of course the High Priests wanted Jesus crucified, just as the Crusaders wanted the Muslim infidels either converted or killed a few centuries later. As a Christian, I have no problem with the Crusaders made to look like blood thirsty proselytizers. They were!

Thoughtful Rabbi’s have weighed in on the subject and have found the movie innocuous. Even the Rabbi who leads the Jewish Anti-Defamation League was courageous enough to alter his opinion after more reflection and proclaimed the movie not anti-Semitic.

So, let’s get on with it. Jesus came to earth to die and rise from the dead according to Christian scriptures to atone for all people’s sins. If the Jews and Pilate had a hand in this, and both clearly did, Christians should thank them, not hate them. They helped fulfill scripture. The real hate-mongering has already come. Let’s see if the Jewish moguls in Hollywood allow Gibson to make another movie there, or cast him in their upcoming movies. It simply is not going to happen. Now, that’s prejudice.