Mel Gibson's "The Passion" Movie ReviewWritten by Lady Camelot
Mel Gibson's 'The Passion' Movie Review by Lady Camelot Numbing, captivating, sorrowful, beautiful, profound, phenomenal and humbling - are just a few words to describe Mel Gibson's "The Passion." The last 12 hours of Jesus' life has never been so realistically and dramatically depicted. The scenes, although graphic are compelling and true-to-life. The most sensitive scene presents Jesus carrying cross upon His shoulders. As He staggers upon cobblestone walkway, Mary sees a flashback of their lives together. A mere child, Jesus falls to ground and Mother Mary is there to help him, "I'm here," she says. A million miles away in thought, Mary runs to aid of her now-grown Son-Of-Man, as He, too stumbles to stony pathway. "The Passion" truly characterizes meaning of "truth." There are no other words to describe this film other than it is "The Passion" of Christ. If anything, "The Passion" promotes absolute faith, forgiveness, love and hope - not only to God, but of humankind as well.
| | State Favors Result in State Control of the ChurchWritten by Peter Kershaw © 2001
Persecution of Christians around world is at an historic and all-time high. While there is great cause for concern for their plight, one thing we can be quite confident of is that Christian religion will live on. Christianity has outlived every tyrannical regime, stretching from Roman Empire, to Soviet Union. It will also outlive murderous Islamic regime of Sudan, and totalitarian Communist tyranny of China.History has repeatedly shown that brutally attacking Christian, whether through imprisonment, torture, or execution, has never served to undermine faith. Persecution only serves to strengthen Christian faith. Every time in history, and in every culture, when Christianity has been assailed, faith of its victims is bolstered, and gospel then spreads like a wild fire. A contemporary example of this is China, where perhaps greatest expansion of gospel in history is taking place, under constant harassment of a brutal Communist regime. Modern enemies of church are not altogether ignorant of this phenomena, and at least some have recognized that much more effective means are available for curtailing expansion of Christ's kingdom. In his seminal treatise on political doctrine of separation of government powers, The Spirit Of Laws (1748), Montesquieu notes: "Therefore, one does not succeed in detaching soul from religion by filling it with this great object, by bringing it closer to moment when it should find religion of greater importance. A more certain way to attack religion is by favor, by comforts of life, by hope of wealth; not by what reminds one of it, but by what makes one forget it; not by what makes one indignant, but by what makes men lukewarm, when other passions act on our souls, and those which religion inspires are silent. In matter of changing religion, State favors are stronger than penalties." This is precisely formula that has been followed by our own government, in recent years, as it grows ever more hostile toward Christian values. Rather than attack Christianity through various "penalties", modern method is to render church "lukewarm" by doling out "State favors." The most prominent of "favors" today is tax-exempt license. But in reality, granting of a tax exemption to church is a monumental con job.
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