ZGram - 9/2/2003 - "ADL again in the detested censorship mode"

[zgrams at zgrams.zundelsite.org]

ZGRAM - Where Truth is Destiny:  Now more than ever!

September 2, 2003

Good Morning from the Zundelsite:

Of interest to Mel Gibson Movie watchers:

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ADL Statement on Mel Gibson's 'The Passion' :

http://www.adl.org/PresRele/Mise_00/4275_00.asp

New York, NY, June 24, 2003 .

Throughout history Christian dramatizations of the passion, i.e. the 
crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, have fomented anti-Semitic 
attitudes and violence against the Jewish people. During the past 
forty years the Roman Catholic and most Protestant churches have 
issued pastoral and scholarly documents that interpret the death and 
resurrection of Jesus in their historical and theological contexts. 
These churches repudiate the teachings that gave rise to Christian 
accusations that Jews were "Christ killers." They make clear that 
correct Christian readings and applications of the New Testament must 
avoid provoking or reinforcing anti-Semitic attitudes and behavior.

In light of the numerous media accounts of Mel Gibson's upcoming 
film, "The Passion," the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) joined with the 
Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United 
States Conference of Catholic Bishops in April, 2003 to assemble 
Jewish and Catholic scholars to evaluate an early version of the 
movie's screenplay (the names of the committee's nine scholars appear 
below). Both offices were in communication with representatives of 
ICON Productions, including Mel Gibson himself, who indicated their 
willingness to consider the scholars' suggestions.

ADL thanks the scholars for their work and ADL fully stands behind 
their report. The committee unanimously agreed that the screenplay 
reviewed was replete with objectionable elements that would promote 
anti-Semitism.

Based upon the scholars' analysis of the screenplay, ADL has serious 
concerns regarding the Mr. Gibson's "The Passion" and asks:

Will the final version of The Passion continue to portray Jews as 
blood-thirsty, sadistic and money-hungry enemies of Jesus?
Will it correct the unambiguous depiction of Jews as the ones 
responsible for the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus? Will it show 
the power of the rule of imperial Rome-including its frequent use of 
crucifixion-in first-century Palestine?

Will the film reject exploiting New Testament passages selectively to 
weave a narrative that does injustice to the gospels, that 
oversimplifies history, and that is hostile to Jews and Judaism?
Will it live up to its promise "to tell the truth?" To do so, the 
final product must rid itself of fictitious non-scriptural elements 
(e.g. the high priest's control of Pontius Pilate, the cross built in 
the Temple at the direction of Jewish religious officials, excessive 
violence, Jews physically abusing Jesus before the crucifixion, Jews 
paying "blood money" for the crucifixion), all of which form an 
inescapably negative picture of Jewish society and leadership.
Will it portray Jews and the Temple as the locus of evil?
ADL also welcomes the statement issued on June 17 by the four 
Catholic academicians in the group that can be found 
<http://www.bc.edu/research/cjl/meta-elements/texts/news/dramatizing_the_death_of_jesus.htm>here. 
This statement explains the complex issues regarding dramatizing the 
passion in terms of official Roman Catholic teaching, and provides 
sound guidance for evaluating any presentation of the crucifixion.

For filmmakers to do justice to the biblical accounts of the passion, 
they must complement their artistic vision with sound scholarship, 
which includes knowledge of how the passion accounts have been used 
historically to disparage and attack Jews and Judaism. Absent such 
scholarly and theological understanding, productions such as "The 
Passion" could likely falsify history and fuel the animus of those 
who hate Jews.

Specific recommendations to remedy the numerous anti-Semitic elements 
in the script have been conveyed to Mr. Gibson's ICON Productions. 
Mr. Gibson has said that his film is not anti-Semitic. We hope that 
is the case. ADL stands ready to advise ICON Productions 
constructively regarding The Passion to ensure that the final 
production is devoid of anti-Semitic slander.

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