I have been given a third opportunity to see the two-hour version of Mel Gibson’s controversial new film, The Passion, and this time I’m dropping everything and going to see it. I will have a full report on my reaction on Friday.
Going To See Gibson’s Passion
The first time I was invited I was out on a Face the Truth tour and couldn’t be reached. The second time I was invited I had made arrangements to moderate a discussion at Franciscan University in Steubenville and couldn’t go. This time I’m using some mileage plus, staying at a cheap hotel in Washington and going to view the film and then stay for an hour-long discussion afterwards.
As all of our callers know, the film is being charged with being anti-Semitic because it casts some of the Jews in a bad light. Efforts are being made to have it sanitized of all referenced to Jewish involvement in the condemnation of Christ. While we have read both sides, we are still determined to see for ourselves.
The latest shock came from a review in Chicago’s Catholic New World by Rev. John T. Pawlikowski who agrees with the liberals that the film is anti-Semitic. Fr. Pawlikowski, a Servite and director of Catholic-Jewish studies at the Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Center of the Catholic Theological Union, says Pilate was not that much influenced by members of the Sanhedrin, and that therefore it was primarily Pilate and not Jewish leaders responsible for Christ’s death. Fr. Pawlikowski says the film is not in keeping with Vatican II and Catholic teaching.
Meanwhile Rabbi Daniel Lapin says the protests against the Passion and not only morally indefensible but stupid for three reasons, one being that the Christians whom the liberals are alienating are the only friends they’ve got and as Jewish liberals go blithely making movies like The Last Temptation of Christ and Priest, and running anti-Christian art exhibits, they get all up tight if the Jews are associated in any way with Christ’s death in a movie that tries to adhere strictly to the Gospels.
We know a little Catholic teaching, too, and a little biblical teaching. So we will see the movie Thursday and will give our comments and those of others at the filming in the Action News Hotline Friday.
My Kup Story
With the death of Irv Kupcinet Monday at the age of 91 everyone is coming up with a Kup Story. I have a couple of simple ones. I spent a blind date one Sunday night in the late 50’s watching a Kup show because that was my date’s Mom’s favorite Program. It was our last date. I think she became a nun.
Then in April 1979 I was invited to be a guest on Kup’s show to discuss abortion. It was not my shining moment. Kup’s other guest was Truman Capote and he wouldn’t shut up. I was still in my polite stage and didn’t want to interrupt Kup or Capote so hardly got a word in edgeways.
I went on from there to do Nightline and Good Morning America and Face the Nation and The O’Reilly Factor and a number of other shows and I don’t mind butting in now, but the Kup show was a disaster.
I still have it on Beta but how do you watch Beta? Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all, but I’ll never know unless someone wants to put up the cash for getting the Beta transferred to a CD.
Other Than That . . .
Meanwhile we’re sick of reading letters from know-nothing feminists and their lackeys about how terrible it is to outlaw partial birth abortion. These people are nuts and evil and stupid. Other than that they’re just fine.
