BigJim...I don't believe u were speaking to me in ur post but I am awake and am facinated by religion also so I will respond🙂
I honestly do not believe that the gore depicted in the film is one bit for sensationalism...upon what information do I base this opinion? Well...for starters Mel is Christian and it only makes sense that he wants the world (that tiny little division that may not know Jesus) to know how Jesus suffered and chose to die for us) It's beneficial for believers in that maybe we will all have a deeper appreciation of what Jesus did for us so we may ask ourselves what we can do now that we have seen it. It's beneficial for non-believers as well and I hope they seek the truth for themselves.
I do wish Mel's movie explained God's plan better...see...(for those of u who do not know but wish to...)
God's plan in Jesus dying on the cross for us was this: Our sins required DEATH as punishment. Because of MERCY, Jesus offered His sinless life as the substitute for ours. God demonstrated His LOVE for us, in that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Matthew 20:28, I John 4:10, I Peter 2:24, Romans 5:8.)
The shedding of blood was required for us to have forgiveness of sins. He became our Savior by dying on the CROSS. He washes our sins away by His own BLOOD. (Hebrews 9:22, John 15:13, 19:17-18, Revelation 1:5.) His death for your sins satisfied God's requirement for your punishment. (I Corinthians 15:22.)
The GOOD NEWS of the Gospel is that on the third day after His burial, Jesus Christ AROSE FROM THE DEAD. (I Corinthians 15:3-4.) This was witnessed by many people. (I Corinthians 15:5-8.) After 40 days, He ascended back to Heaven. (Acts 1:3, 9-11.)
Jesus proved to us that by His power we, too, can CONQUER DEATH. Christ proved that He has authority over Satan who had the power of death. Jesus offers to release those who are slaves to the fear of death. Sin and death no longer have dominion over us since God's Son has provided us with a way of escape from the wrath of God. (Hebrews 2:14-15, Romans 6:14.)
As far as the gore....if you refer to the bible, the gore happened, the brutality seen on the screen of Mel's movie is a pretty accurate dramatization, sadly 🙁 This is what the scriptures say:
Isaiah 52:14 “Many were amazed when they saw him - beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person.”
53:3-6 “For he was despised and rejected – a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitter grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care .Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.”
8. “…But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins - that he was suffering their punishment?”
11-12 “…And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among those who were sinners. He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners.”
Anyway, BigJim, I think it's great that ur interested in religion...I think though that we (everyone) should not just be interested in religion but delve also into researching where we came from and what our purpose is here on earth...we should do this until we can have rational, non angry conversations about it and explain clearly and respectfully what we believe without ever reaching a point where we do not take any opposing intelligent bit of information as unworthy of investigating....I am hoping the film encourages non believers to pursue the truth and believers to try and not only believe in God but believe what He says. (Believeing IN Him isn't enough, even satan believes IN God...we have to believe what He tells us through his word...true faith comes from hearing, hearing the word of God), read the bible...do studies that help you to understand the scriptures...seek for yourselves what Gods word says that we must do to be saved...I chat with people in rooms that have arguments about what the bible says without ever mentioning a scripture from it, how sad...like a warrior going into battle without his sword...I also talk to people who say they are encouraged to not question certain things in their religions...I say that if you are in a religious affiliation that discourages u from seeking the truth or verifying anything ur told , that sounds too much like a cult to me, I personally would not worship a God that didn't encourage me to check and see if what I was being told is accurate. But that's just me and I am a need to know kinda girl🙂 I will scoot before I am shoved off,lol..but first I will say this...people who question Gods existence will say they need to see the science...that there is no factual proof that God exists... I would be very happy to spend time with anyone wishing more info on that🙂
~tm 🙂
You can't just lump millions of people into one word.) without some bunch of tossers like the ADL leaping up and down and screaming for airtime?
