The little fundamentalists shall, without doubt, see Mel's last and
finest snuff movie - they are, after all, future soldiers of the
Empire and must learn how to deal with terrorists, rebels and
traitors.
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040217/5930994s.htm
Kids will see R-rated 'Passion' Pastors: Violence will be powerful
lesson
By Scott Bowles
USA TODAY
As the debate rages over whether Mel Gibson's The Passion of the
Christ is anti-Semitic, parents, church leaders and theater owners are
wrangling over another issue: Should children see the brutal film?
The R-rated movie portrays the final 12 hours of Jesus' life in
graphic detail, including the crucifixion and a beating that lasts 45
minutes. But many parents and church leaders plan to have kids as
young as 10 see the film, which opens Feb. 25, Ash Wednesday.
''The violence is necessary to understand the sacrifice Jesus made,''
says First Family pastor Jerry Johnston. His Baptist church has rented
out a half-dozen theaters in Kansas City, Kan., and has reserved
auditoriums the night of Feb. 27 for children 11 and older.
Johnston concedes they'll be shaken by the violence. ''I hope they're
disturbed enough to make their peace with Jesus.''
There is plenty in the two-hour film to make children and adults alike
squirm:
* Roman guards employ a cat-o'-nine-tails that rips the flesh from
Jesus' back.
* As Jesus is being crucified, a supervisor scolds one man for not
nailing his hands properly. He yanks Jesus' other hand, pulling the
arm out of the socket.
* To see whether Jesus is dead, a Roman soldier pierces his side with
a lance. Blood showers down on the soldier.
''Most images of Christ on the cross are too tame,'' says Matt Stoehr,
pastor of the West Coast Christian Center in Vista, Calif. ''They
minimize the sacrifices he made. Scripture tells us that he was beaten
to a pulp. I think seeing that on screen will be more powerful for
kids than any sermon.''
His church, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles, has rented out a
theater Feb. 29 and will admit children 10 and older if they are
accompanied by adults. Stoehr says he is thinking of raising the
minimum age to 12, ''but a lot of kids are already mature for their
age. Look at what they see on MTV.''
That's no reason to subject youngsters to Passion's adult themes, says
columnist Nell Minow, ''Movie Mom'' for Yahoo! Movies. She has not
seen the movie.
''Disturbing images can be what sticks with a child, not the message
behind it,'' she says. ''I would have severe concerns about exposing
children to that kind of violence.''
But theater owners already are bracing for a first: children flocking
to a violent R-rated film with their parents' blessings. Regal
Entertainment Group, which has 550 theaters and is the nation's
largest theater chain, has issued consent forms that church leaders
must sign to indicate they got parents' permission before showing the
film to children in rented theaters.
''It's still an R-rated movie,'' Regal's ***** Westerling says. ''Kids
(under 17) still must have a parent or guardian with them.''
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