Does Mel Gibson's Over-the-top Behavior Negate the Message of 'The Passion of the Christ?'
What Do You Think?
Gibson made anti-Semitic comments in 2006 during a DUI arrest and even prior to that, he made a number of remarks that were homophobic. Gibson's actions and words fly in the face of the Christian testimony he espoused with the acclaimed movie "The Passion of the Christ."
Churches and Christian organizations touted and promoted the subtitled film that detailed the last hours of Christ's life and many who saw it - myself included - were overwhelmed with the intensity of emotion that the movie evoked. Watching the movie, it was easy to see a different and devout side of Mel Gibson - as a filmmaker and a man who espoused a deep Christian faith.
With the latest revelations about Gibson's erratic and very UN-Christlike rants and actions, it leaves people to wonder if Gibson has made all Christians look bad, or just himself. Should the movie "The Passion of the Christ" stand alone on its own merit as an inspiring movie that presents an amazing picture of Christ's suffering - outside of the actions of Gibson, or should the movie now be seen as just simply that - a movie with a religious story?
For me personally, as a Christian, my view of "The Passion of the Christ" may be somewhat tainted by Gibson's ugly behavior. I feel that I can still watch the movie and recognize that something bigger than Mel Gibson was working in "The Passion of the Christ." I know from experience that Christianity is about recognizing your own shortcomings, failing and mistakes and striving to do better. Christianity is about turning away from your sins and seeking forgiveness. It is also about forgiving others when they fail.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look as though Mel Gibson has been doing any turning from sin and seeking forgiveness. Instead, he seems to just be digging a deeper hole to slide into. The public's perception of him is fast-setting concrete and it's being set and cured right now. Effectively, this latest installment in Mel Gibson's drama life has probably pulled the plug on his career. What is left is his personal life and that seems to be in shambles also.
While Gibson can turn to the faith that he has previously espoused (even if it was done badly), he has a lot of forgiveness to seek from not just God, but a number of people that he has hurt. "The Passion of the Christ" still stands as a movie worth watching and understanding that God does use flawed people when necessary. If you're not sure about that, take a look at the Bible. God chose and used a murderer (Moses), an adulterer (King David), a man who advocated murder and believed he was better than others (Saul who became Paul), and many others.
Did God use Mel Gibson to inspire and uplift people and remind them of the love of Christ with "The Passion of the Christ?" I believe He did. Is God happy about Mel Gibson's behavior? I don't believe so at all and as God has proven time and time again, those who make a mockery of His name will not go unpunished.
So what do you think? Does Mel Gibson's behavior ruin the message and the movie of "The Passion of the Christ?" Please leave your opinion in the comments section.
Published by Tammy Lee Morris - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle
Tammy Lee Morris is a lifelong resident of southern Illinois where she enjoys a quiet life in a rural area. After working for a local newspaper while studying journalism at a local community college, she dev... View profile
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16 Comments
Post a CommentThe movie was about the Jesus and the cross, so we have to judge the movie on it's own merit which has nothing to do with Mel's dysfunctional life. He on the other hand, I believe he did a wonderful job in the movie and would recommend it still to others. But we need to try and separate him from the movie and remember what the movie was about - Jesus and not Mel. Although it is sad he is not a genuine Christian like we all believed him to be, he needs forgiveness from God and others. This was a great read - cheers!
The message is always more important than the messenger. That said I think his anti-semitism puts a taint on it more than his issues with his ex. Those can be attributed to personal anger, the anti-semitism on the other hand runs deeper and shades of it exist in the film.
His role in Mad Max wasn't exactly Christ-like, it's just acting and he is a very good one. Shakespeare was said to die of drinking too much but he is still highly regarded as a great writer. Edgar Allan Poe was a drug addict....
It is too bad overexposure is changing how we view movies.
Its hard to sympathize with Mel because his private conflicts have become public. He sounds like a wounded animal who was taken advantage of by a person with different motives. I'm not condoning what he did but there are two sides to every story. His movies are not an extension of him but of his talent.
This is a great angle, Tammy. I never thought of correlating Mel Gibson's current behavior with the movie "The Passion of the Christ". Great job!
What an interesting article idea, Tammy. This falls into the line of picking sports people as heroes. The same holds true with actors. They are humans, not the part. It doesn't negate the personna they create in a role. I don't think I could watch a Tom Cruise movie if I let myself do that. (I did that actually, but he's a good actor, and his characters are usually interesting, so I'd be missing a lot.)
I really like Mel's films, so I try to stay away from his personal insanity.
If I judged movies based on the real lives of actors/directors and let the messages of the movies be tainted I'm not sure there would be much left to watch. I judge movies on their own merit and I let God and the courts judge the actions of the people who act in the movies or direct them.
I think Mel's behaviour is so erratic and crazed- I wonder if he really is suffering from dementia or some other mental illness. As for changing the message of the movie. No.It's kinda like- does the fact my childhood Catholic priest being in jail for child molestation change the Catholic or Christian message. No. He is just one individual.