Sun, 14 Mar 2004 06:55:35
Is “The Passion of the Christ” a crime?
Legal action urged against Mel Gibson film
The group, Messiah Truth Project, says the “anti-Semitic” tone of the movie has resulted in hate crimes against Jews, synagogues and Jewish cemeteries across the United States since its release on February 25.
Three incidents involving anti-Semitic graffiti have been reported in New York in the past fortnight and a Los Angeles college was closed yesterday after a speaker’s car was sprayed with graffiti while she addressed a forum on hate speech on Tuesday.
Yesterday, the group’s online petition had collected 195 signatures.
SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP.
Look, I’m not saying there isn’t an element of anti-Semitism to Mel’s particular take on the Jews. How could there not be, his father is literally three emotional degrees from Hitler himself. But the fact is, the film doesn’t portray anything “historically” that didn’t happen according to the only historical document we have: The Bible.
The Jews called for the Romans to kill him because they could not. Is this prima facia anti-Semitic? I suppose a case could be made. From a historical standpoint, forget the spirituality for a moment, perhaps the history was wriiten the way it was in order to penalize the Jews for not acepting Jesus. A political move, in other words. However, if it’s accurate...then the movie is accurate. And there’s only one source for the story.
Either way, this call for ANY criminal prosecution, much less under Federal hate crime laws, is absolutely ridiculous. The Messiah Truth Project should be ashamed of itself for trying to censor a movie in this way. And make no bones about it, this is a move to censor the film. They aren’t interested in providing an alternative venue for you to see it...they want it gone, and that, my friends, is censorship.
In order for this to be a hate crime, they have to prove causation. A direct link between the showing of this film, and the specific hate crimes in question. Who are the criminals that committed these crimes? Are they known anti-Semites? Would they likely have committed these crimes if The Passion was never made? If it’s even remotely possible that these crimes would have been committed without the “assistance” of The Passion, tne there’s not only doubt as to the culpability of Gibson’s movie, there’s no proximate cause at all. You probably couldn’t win a lawsuit against the makers of the film is a civil court. There is certainly no way to prove direct causation. It’s not like every criminal left a showing of The Passion, committed a hate crime, and then left a detailed note explaining why, along with a ticket stub from the movie.
This is stupid.
Posted by JimK at 06:55 AM on March 14, 2004
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#2 Posted by Heinrich Walker 
on 03/14 at 09:59 AM -
Now, blaming Mel Gibson for that woman’s heart-attack death is akin to blaming a gun manufacturer for a gun death. I don’t think that it would be reasonable to...\r
\r
... Wait, what the Hell am I doing??
#3 Posted by Truth on 04/01 at 05:00 PM -
You people are ignorant. I find the link between the passion and jews to be absolutly stupid. Ok take it like this, if romes are catholic why would they cursify Jesus. I have to say that in my belifs that Jesus was murdered not only by jews, but by romes and others. Jews have been a target for centuries and i find no doubt in myself that the lie that only jews crusified jesus is a joke. and further more if a group of people kill one man of great importance doesn’t make their followers in later years believe the same. Christan believes have gone throught some many versions and changes that the belif that all jews have to be punished cause 2,000 years ago a small group of jewish followers and many other people of different belifs kill jesus doesn’t mean that the jews today would do the same. I know Mel Gibson made that movie to show his believes, but i also believe he didn’t mean for people to think he was a Nazi. God stop nit picking every little detail and enjoy your short lives give to you by your creator. Who ever he, she, or it may be. And my last not is the fact that their have been so many different religons over the years that any of them could be right or wrong. So who are you to judge others for what they practice. Fucking go to hell people. Oh and to let you know the bible was written by followers of jesus and when you admire someone you will lie to make them seem better. The fact that the bible is written by man shows that it can’t be completely true but it does show the morals of life as in treat everyman with respect and dignity don’t kill stuff like that. Now if you want to yell at me piss off but if you want to have a conversations of personal belifs and ideas get me at my email other than that just enjoy the short existance you have been given for it is the only one or multipul if you believe in reincarnation life you will have.
#4 Posted by Sean Galbraith on 04/01 at 05:22 PM -
“You people are ignorant."\r
“absolutly"\r
“belifs"\r
“crusified"\r
“romes"\r
“gone throught some many"\r
“multipul"\r
#5 Posted by Sean Galbraith on 04/01 at 05:24 PM -
“The Cat in the Hat” was a hate crime against my childhood. Where’s my check?
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#1 Posted by Vic
on 03/14 at 09:05 AM -
didn’t a couple of people die after or during a viewing of the film? By their logic, Mel should be hauled in for manslaughter, no?