Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson is famous for the movie Passion of the Christ (2004) and other films too,  like: Mad Max, (1979); Road Warrior, (1981); Lethal Weapon (1987) ; Hamlet, (1990) Braveheart,(1995) Conspiracy Theory, (1997) Payback.(1999)and The Patriot. (2000) All these films are violent and rated “R.” Even his movie, Passion of the Christ, hit the big screen with an “R” rating for violence, but this film stands out from the rest, not only because it was shown in churches., but because Gibson made the movie happen, all on his own.   He personally financed the film.

His religious convictions earned Gibson $678 million dollars which was more than he needed to pay for making the film and pay for his newly established business, Icon Productions. He did so well at the box office with this movie that Forbes magazine titled him the “most powerful celebrity in the world."

The story is that no one would help Gibson finance the project, and he decided it was too important not to do, so even though the decision to do it was a huge financial risk to him he had enough faith to make it happen.  In the end, it was a risk that paid off pretty well, because it was well-marketed and well-received, by the Christian community.

Christians everywhere and of all denominations applauded him for his efforts especially those who loved previous Gibson movies. Many movie goers had no qualms about the “R “rating, and most believed that with Mel Gibson’s experience and expertise in movie making, anything he made would have to be good; and since it came from the Bible,  in the minds of many, Gibson could do no wrong.

Mel Gibson co-wrote, directed and produced the Passion of the Christ. He even appeared in the film as the hands that nailed Jesus to the wooden beam of the cross in the film, saying that this part was particularly significant to him, because he is a Christian and knows that it was his own sins that put Jesus on the tree. He believe the film was a testimony to his faith.

Gibson calls himself a “devout Roman Catholic” and took seriously producing the film from a Catholic perspective.  It opened on the Catholic holy day of Ash Wednesday, it contained a visual  of The Stations of The Cross, and Gibson creatively added to what was in the scriptures with the work of Catholic mystic, Anne Catherine Emmerich.  Gibson's Cathodic faith was very much a part of the production; just the same, Protestant churches supported the film, endorsed it and called it Biblical.
This was a little surprising. 

As anyone who studies religions of the world knows, there are some similarities Catholics and Protestants share, but there are also many distinctions between the two aspects of Christianity, some variations in what they do and what they profess, even what they read and look to for definition of the truth.  Gibson, himself being Roman Catholic, personally espouses the idea that anyone who does not accept the authority of the pope on all matters of faith and practice will go to hell, regardless if they believe in Jesus Christ or not; something that generally refers directly to Protestants and to protestants more than people of other religions.

In a 2003 interview that appeared in both the New Yorker and the Arizona Republic newspapers, as well as a portion on MSNBC, Gibson was asked if he believed that Protestants are denied eternal salvation. Gibson, using his wife as an example replied, “My wife is a saint. She’s a much better person than I am. She’s Episcopalian, Church of England. She prays, she believes in God, she knows Jesus, she believes in that stuff. And it’s just not fair if she doesn’t make it, she’s better than I am. But that is a pronouncement from the Chair. I go with it."

According to Gibson, his own wife will be going to hell, not because she doesn’t believe in Jesus, not because she is a particularly BAD person, but because she is "Episcopalian" and as such, she does not claim to submit to the absolute monarchy of the Roman Pontiff.  Gibson's comments didn't keep Epicopalians or any other denominations from going to see the film.  In fact, theaters were packed.

Pastors everywhere bused or simply urged their congregations to see the “Biblically accurate” self financed by Mel, Mel Gibsomn, Christian film. They were also impressed that Gibson would use his own money to get "the message of the gospel" out to the world.

And what is that Gospel message?  For bother Catholics and Protestants it is centered on the person of Jesus and his death and resurrection, and the subsequent grace and mercy of God as it is applied to the repentant sinner.  The application of that grace however can be a point of contention between the two denominations.   Both will agree, that the Christian faith is about Jesus and the forgiveness God offers unto mankind through the sinless life of Jesus Christ and Who he is, as well as his death and resurrection from the dead, according to the scriptures.

The truth is that what Jesus has done for sinful man is not something we could ever do for ourselves, no matter how hard we tried; the reason being we are sinners.  Christians believe that it is because of him that we who are sinners can stand before God at all, and to stand before God in judgement for sin, people must have their sins atoned for... Jesus is for Christians, the one who did just that, and so Christians attempt to follow Jesus and do what he said and did.  They believe that in order to be saved, one must repent of sin, confess that they believe on the one whom God sent... Jesus Christ, for their salvation and mature in the same spirit, the spirit of God.   



God has a demonstrated his love for us; in that while we were yet sinners, Christ, died for us (Romans 5:8) and that is something upon which all Christians, Catholic or Protestant should and can agree... and while they might not always agree about everything, they can and do also agree, Mel Gibsons Passion movie was about the death of Jesus Christ.