[Vision2020] Response to Don Nelson on Gibson's Film
Art Deco aka W. Fox
deco@moscow.com
Thu, 8 Apr 2004 11:48:34 -0700
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Nick, et al
Don Nelson appears ignorant of even the most fundamental scholarship of early
Christianity. Perhaps, he might start with the books by committed Christian
Scholars such as The Jesus Seminar.
When I read Mr. Nelson's letters, thoughts occur similar to the ones I posted on
V 2020 yesterday in the posts on the accuracy of news media:
"The moral of Pat's story is not only that CNN makes errors, but that all
reporting is subject to sloth, to manipulation, to point of view, to
extra-factual motivation, and to honest errors due to the nature of selective
and incomplete human observation, memory, thought processes, and retelling...
The scary beliefs are those that do not have any self-correcting mechanisms,
those held without periodic critical re-examination, and/or those for which
people believe are beyond or not subject to critical evaluation."
Wayne
Art Deco (Wayne Fox)
deco@moscow.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Nick Gier
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2004 10:34 AM
Subject: [Vision2020] Response to Don Nelson on Gibson's Film
Greetings:
Some of you may have seen Don Nelson's letter in the "Daily News." Here's my
response.
On the UI front, the faculty of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social
Sciences voted this morning to support the AFT's resolution to "Retain Studio
Arts" and also voted on an alternative budget reduction plan that avoids the
elimination of studio arts. I agree with Pat Kraut that Dean Zeller is funny at
times, but he was rude to me all the way through the meeting.
To the Editor:
I would like to respond to Don Nelson's claim that Mel Gibson's "The Passion
of the Christ" is not anti-Semitic (Letters, April 6).
In response to Christian and Jewish critics who were allowed previews of the
film, Gibson agreed to a single change. Gibson cut the English subtitles for
this notorious passage, found only in Matthew: "His blood [will] be on us and
our children!" (27:25). "All the people" said this when Pilate said "I am
innocent of this man's blood."
Gibson was very reluctant on this concession: "I wanted it in. My brother said
I was wimping out if I didn't include it. It happened; it was said."
Yes, it was said in the Old Testament (2 Sam.1.16), and Matthew most likely
inserted this as one of his many fake prophecies.
Furthermore, this passage was the favorite among those Christians who called
the Jews "Christ killers" and who, in the not too distant past, raided Jewish
ghettoes to kidnap, to burn, and to kill, especially during these days just
before Easter.
Gibson partially had his way: the phrase is still spoken in Aramaic and who is
to say that it won't appear in Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Turkish, Malay, Indonesian,
or Farsi subtitles, where it will inflame already deep seated anti-Semitic
feelings world-wide?
In 1916 B'nai B'rith objected to D. W. Griffith's dark depiction of the Jews
in his movie Intolerance, and he removed the offensive scenes. In the 1927 King
of Kings Cecil B. DeMille, after received similar objections, focused the blame
on Caiaphas and dramatically diminishes Jewish responsibility. Would that Mad
Max Mel had been so reasonable and accommodating.
I have seen only a small number of films done on the Gospels, but I defer to
many film critics who claim that Gibson's movie is the most anti-Semitic since
"The Galilean," a German silent film in 1917.
My entire film review can be found at www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/madmax.htm.
Nick Gier, Moscow
"Modern physics has taught us that the nature of any system cannot be
discovered by dividing it into its component parts and studying each part by
itself. . . .We must keep our attention fixed on the whole and on the
interconnection between the parts. The same is true of our intellectual life. It
is impossible to make a clear cut between science, religion, and art. The whole
is never equal simply to the sum of its various parts." --Max Planck
Nicholas F. Gier
Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, University of Idaho
1037 Colt Rd., Moscow, ID 83843
http://users.moscow.com/ngier/home/index.htm
208-883-3360/882-9212/FAX 885-8950
President, Idaho Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/ift/index.htm
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<DIV><FONT size=3D4>Nick, et al</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>Don Nelson appears ignorant of even the most =
fundamental=20
scholarship of early Christianity. Perhaps, he might start with =
the books=20
by committed Christian Scholars such as The Jesus Seminar.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>When I read Mr. Nelson's letters, thoughts =
occur=20
similar to the ones I posted on V 2020 yesterday in the posts on the =
accuracy of=20
news media:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>"</FONT><FONT size=3D3>The moral of Pat's story is =
not only that=20
CNN makes errors, but that all<BR>reporting is subject to sloth, to=20
manipulation, to point of view, to<BR>extra-factual motivation, and to =
honest=20
errors due to the nature of selective<BR>and incomplete human =
observation,=20
memory, thought processes, and retelling...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The scary beliefs are those that do not have any self-correcting=20
mechanisms,<BR>those held without periodic critical re-examination, =
and/or those=20
for which<BR>people believe are beyond or not subject to critical=20
evaluation.<FONT size=3D4>"</FONT></DIV><FONT size=3D4>
<DIV><BR>Wayne</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Art Deco (Wayne Fox)<BR><A=20
href=3D"mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dngier@uidaho.edu href=3D"mailto:ngier@uidaho.edu">Nick =
Gier</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dvision2020@moscow.com=20
href=3D"mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, April 08, 2004 =
10:34=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] Response =
to Don=20
Nelson on Gibson's Film</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Greetings:<BR><BR>Some of you may have seen Don =
Nelson's letter=20
in the "Daily News." Here's my response.<BR><BR>On the UI front, =
the=20
faculty of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences voted =
this=20
morning to support the AFT's resolution to "Retain Studio Arts" and =
also voted=20
on an alternative budget reduction plan that avoids the elimination of =
studio=20
arts. I agree with Pat Kraut that Dean Zeller is funny at times, =
but he=20
was rude to me all the way through the meeting.<BR><BR><BR>To the =
Editor:<BR>I=20
would like to respond to Don Nelson=92s claim that Mel Gibson=92s =
=93The Passion of=20
the Christ=94 is not anti-Semitic (Letters, April 6). <BR>In response =
to=20
Christian and Jewish critics who were allowed previews of the film, =
Gibson=20
agreed to a single change. Gibson cut the English subtitles for this =
notorious=20
passage, found only in Matthew: =93His blood [will] be on us and our =
children!=94=20
(27:25). =93All the people=94 said this when Pilate said =93I am =
innocent of this=20
man=92s blood.=94 <BR>Gibson was very reluctant on this concession: =
=93I wanted it=20
in. My brother said I was wimping out if I didn=92t include it. It =
happened; it=20
was said.=94<BR>Yes, it was said in the Old Testament (2 Sam.1.16), =
and Matthew=20
most likely inserted this as one of his many fake prophecies. =
<BR>Furthermore,=20
this passage was the favorite among those Christians who called the =
Jews=20
=93Christ killers=94 and who, in the not too distant past, raided =
Jewish ghettoes=20
to kidnap, to burn, and to kill, especially during these days just =
before=20
Easter.<BR>Gibson partially had his way: the phrase is still spoken in =
Aramaic=20
and who is to say that it won=92t appear in Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, =
Turkish, Malay,=20
Indonesian, or Farsi subtitles, where it will inflame already deep =
seated=20
anti-Semitic feelings world-wide? <BR>In 1916 B'nai B'rith objected to =
D. W.=20
Griffith's dark depiction of the Jews in his movie <I>Intolerance</I>, =
and he=20
removed the offensive scenes. In the 1927 <I>King of Kings</I> Cecil =
B.=20
DeMille, after received similar objections, focused the blame on =
Caiaphas and=20
dramatically diminishes Jewish responsibility. Would that Mad Max Mel =
had been=20
so reasonable and accommodating.<BR>I have seen only a small number of =
films=20
done on the Gospels, but I defer to many film critics who claim that =
Gibson=92s=20
movie is the most anti-Semitic since =93The Galilean,=94 a German =
silent film in=20
1917.<BR>My entire film review can be found at <A=20
href=3D"http://www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/madmax.htm" =
eudora=3D"autourl"><FONT=20
=
color=3D#0000ff><U>www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/madmax.htm</A></FONT>.<BR><=
BR>Nick=20
Gier, Moscow<BR><BR><BR></U><X-SIGSEP>
<P></X-SIGSEP><FONT size=3D2>"Modern physics has taught us that the =
nature of=20
any system cannot be discovered by dividing it into its component =
parts and=20
studying each part by itself. . . .We must keep our attention fixed on =
the=20
whole and on the interconnection between the parts. The same is true =
of our=20
intellectual life. It is impossible to make a clear cut between =
science,=20
religion, and art. The whole is never equal simply to the sum of its =
various=20
parts." --Max Planck<BR><BR></FONT>Nicholas F. Gier<BR>Professor =
Emeritus,=20
Department of Philosophy, University of Idaho<BR>1037 Colt Rd., =
Moscow, ID=20
83843<BR><A href=3D"http://users.moscow.com/ngier/home/index.htm"=20
=
eudora=3D"autourl">http://users.moscow.com/ngier/home/index.htm</A><BR>20=
8-883-3360/882-9212/FAX=20
885-8950<BR>President, Idaho Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/ift/index.htm"=20
=
eudora=3D"autourl">www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/ift/index.htm</A><BR><BR></=
P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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