[Vision2020] That's not how it was!

[Nick Gier]

Dear Mr. Kraut,

First Century Roman Palestine was a violent place and Pilate, not the 
conflicted conscientious man with the sweet wife in Gibson's movie, was 
responsible for most of it.  In fact, he was recalled to Rome for his 
brutality.  Also, unlike the movie, he was fully responsible for Jesus' 
death, an execution for a revolutionary not a blasphemer.  I'm convinced 
that gospel writers, writing 50-85 years after the fact, fabricated the 
Jewish trial and the Jewish mob.  They were upset that many Jews had not 
converted and they were also afraid of increased persecution if Pilate 
weren't partially excused.]\

Gibson's religious pornography (and that's what you get when you do not 
tell the entire Gospel story) is full of excessive violence.  Gibson's 
Jesus dies the death of 20 men and loses the blood of 30.  Is this his 
perverse way of showing that Jesus was really God?!

Gibson got the many details of a Roman crucifixion wrong, had Jesus 
speaking church Latin (!), and uses the wrong word for God in Aramaic 
throughout.  And, as Melynda has told us, Gibson got most of the 
extra-Biblical material from a virulently anti-Semitic 18th Century 
nun.  For more on this see my film review at 
www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/madmax.htm.

But worst of all he has produced the most anti-Semitic movie since a German 
silent film on the Passion in 1917, and we've seen its effects already with 
the swastikas on the Denver synagogue.  But just wait until it is shown 
world wide to Muslim audiences, who may have the infamous subtitle from 
Matt. 27:25 (We the Jews and our children take Jesus' blood on us!) 
restored to bring home the blame even more.  For more on Matt. 27:25 see 
www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/kale.htm.

Nick Gier