The Problem With The Passion
..."The Passion"
A. Human sacrifice is outlawed in the "Old Testament".
B. Vicarious atonement is not possible in the "Old Testament".
C. G-d is not a man.
D. Jesus died on Passover.
E. Jesus did not satisfy strict requirements for animal sacrifice.
II. Ancient religious systems
A. The story of a dead and risen savior not unique to Jesus.
B. Attis
C. Mithras
III. Conclusion
A. Sin and atonement in light of Hebrew scripture.
Works cited
Addendum
Mel Gibson unlocked the secret of why Americans have never confronted anti-Semitism in the way that we did with the other great systems of hatred (racism, sexism, homophobia) when he told a national television audience on February 16, 2004 that "the Jews' real complaint isn't with my film (The Passion) but with the Gospels". The trouble with Mel Gibson's film "The Passion" is not the film itself, but the gospel story on which it's based. The gospel story, which has generated more anti-Semitism than the sum of all the other anti-Semitic writings ever written, created the climate in Christian Europe that led to the Holocaust. Long before the rise of Adolf Hitler, the gospel story about the life and death of Jesus had poisoned the bloodstream of European civilization.
The movie is one thing, the gospels on which it is based is another and volumes have already been written on anti-Semitism. It is not my purpose to explore these issues but to address the very principles on which the crucifixion is based in light of Hebrew scripture and Jewish thought. The Christian's real complaint is not with Jews but with the Hebrew Bible (The "Old Testament").
The "Old Testament" teaches the following:
Human sacrifice is outlawed in the "Old Testament". We are told to dedicate our firstborn sons to G-d, not sacrifice them.
Vicarious atonement is not possible in the "Old Testament". One person cannot die or...
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