Re: Mel Gibson fans the flames of Passion by Tim Rutten, Aug. 9.
There has been increasing interest in the media and the general public concerning the yet-to-be released Mel Gibson film The Passion. The release of this film could be significant to the general public for a number of reasons:
- Passion plays have historically fomented hatred toward Jews.
- Events portrayed in passion plays are central to the faith of believing Christians.
In fact, Christians throughout the world experience their own "passion plays" every year, particularly during the Easter season, when the passion and death of Jesus Christ as recounted in the Gospel narratives are dramatically recited in churches throughout the world, with the church family joining in these recitations.
Many people are rightfully concerned that a popular film in worldwide release depicting the passion and death of Jesus might fan the flames of religious hatred toward Jews. History has proven to us that passion plays can have that effect. On the other hand, people of good faith yearn for meaningful spiritual messages, properly presented, in a world sorely in need of spiritual relief.
In recent decades there has been enormous progress in relations between Christians and Jews. In fact, it has been said that there have been more positive encounters between Christians and Jews in the past 40 years than in the previous 1,960 years. This has happened because thousands of faithful people of courage and goodwill have carefully reconsidered our ancient animosities and worked extremely hard to forge a new relationship. However, that positive peace is fragile and subject to the negative impulses of human nature. All that has been accomplished could be wiped out in a short time if we are not vigilant, honest, and compassionate.
We at the Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies, a partnership of the American Jewish Committee and Saint Leo University, have been monitoring the situation surrounding The Passion for many months and have been in direct contact with individuals involved in the controversy. In the weeks and months ahead, as this issue continues to draw attention and as the anticipated release of the film in the spring draws nearer, we will continue to assist the general public as it wrestles with this difficult topic. This will be of particular importance as we enter the seasons of Passover and Easter in 2004.
In 1985 Pope John Paul II declared: "We should aim . . . that Catholic teaching at its different levels . . . presents Jews and Judaism, not only in an honest and objective manner, free from prejudices and without any offenses, but also with full awareness of the heritage common (to Jews and Christians)."
By engaging in productive public dialogue on this topic we have an opportunity to encourage the kind of positive encounters that have occurred between Christians and Jews over the last 40 years. Or we can revert to stereotypes, scapegoating, and the kind of animus that has characterized our relationship throughout the ages. It's our choice.
-- Jim Barrens, executive director; Rabbi A. James Rudin, senior religious adviser; and Father Michael Cooper, S.J., senior religious adviser; Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies, Saint Leo University, Saint Leo
Gay marriage is old hat
We have had quite a few articles on gay civil rights and gays in the church, and I feel that it is time to put the issue in perspective.
First, in his book, Biological Exuberance (St. Martin's Press), Bruce Bagemihl documents over 450 species in the wild that have homosexual, bisexual and transgender members. Everything from whales, zebras, apes, fish, and birds to insects.
Second, the early Orthodox and Western Christian churches performed same-sex marriages for over a thousand years. See Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, by John Boswell, the A. Whitney Griswold Professor of History at Yale University. His book has, for its dust cover, a picture of a seventh century icon showing the marriage of Saints Bacchus and Serge with Christ as the "best man." This icon is in the Kiev (Ukraine) Museum of Eastern and Western Art. The saints are Roman soldiers and lovers, who were martyred for their belief in Christianity. Their love became the standard that all marrying couples were admonished to emulate.
Nor was Boswell the only one to find these same-sex marriage rites. In his review of the book in the Irish Times (Ireland) of Aug. 11, 1998, the writer and historian Jim Duffy, writes, "Nor is he (Boswell) the first to make such a discovery. The Dominican Jacques Goar (1601-1653) includes such ceremonies in a printed collection of Greek prayer books. He (Boswell) also states, "At St. John Lateran in Rome (traditionally the Pope's parish Church) in 1578 as many as 13 couples were "married" at Mass with the apparent co-operation of the local clergy, "taking Communion together, using the same nuptial Scripture, after which they slept and ate together," ' according to a contemporary report."
So we see that homosexuality is natural and gay marriage is old hat!
-- Gil Williams, Spring Hill
Contradictions abound
It amazes me to no end how certain Christians insist that the Bible is to be taken literally and is without error. If you were to research biblical contradictions on the Internet you would come up with an amazing amount of them. As far as homosexuality and the Bible, the letter writer who cited Leviticus the other day failed to mention that Leviticus also deemed shellfish an abomination! I don't see Christians picketing Crabby Bill's or Leverock's!
Exodus 35:2 clearly states that people who work on the Sabbath shall be put to death. The Bible also sanctions killing your children for any number of offenses!
My point is the Bible was written 2,000 and more years ago and while it has a lot to offer people of today, don't insist that its message is infallible!
-- Jennifer Watkins, Kenneth City
Selective adherence to Scripture
I am endlessly amazed, and amused, by letter writers and others who thump their Bibles in righteous condemnation of homosexuality, declaring that scriptural text is clear, complete and authoritative in all matters, and that the only proper course for individuals and society is to follow biblical mandates explicitly.
How many of these folks, after church on Sunday, routinely stop by Publix or Home Depot or Wal-Mart, perhaps in preparation for their own after-church chores, or treat themselves to a Sunday buffet at a local restaurant? They freely disregard the Commandment to honor the Sabbath by doing no work (and having no work done by others), yet rail against selective adherence to Scripture.
And how do these people explain the loss to Christian tradition of such revered practices as animal sacrifice, public stoning, blood revenge and the keeping of slaves, not to mention the comprehensive Old Testament mandates concerning diet, grooming and hygiene?
Is the abomination of consuming shellfish (Leviticus 11:10) less serious than that of same-sex coupling, and if so, by whose authority was that determined? One could, of course, go on and on.
The notion that scriptural teaching should be seen as literal and immutable in all respects is downright ludicrous, and those who nonetheless insist upon it have no right to expect that it will be reflected in public policy.
-- Keith Roberts, Tampa
Destructive news stories
Re: Embattled principal steps aside, Aug. 12.
" "Dr. Baker has poured 12 years of his heart and soul into our school and children,' said JoAnne Iovannisci, whose daughter has been at the school as long as Baker. "It took a few jealous people and the St. Pete Times just a few weeks to destroy this hard work.' "
This was the very best quote in a series of poorly written, warmed over articles that your reporters wrote about Community Christian School.
My son attended this school for several years and accompanied Dr. Dick Baker on countless field trips, too - some chaperoned and some not. There was never any mention of all of the trips that Dr. Baker went on with both boys and girls and in some cases just the boys.
It is a real shame that even after the paper writes that the Largo Police Department found no wrongdoing that the Times continued to run articles every other day until Dr. Baker resigned.
One has to wonder how Christian the landlord church is being, when it is not defending the school but trying to evict it.
This type of reporting reminds me of when the name of the Rev. Henry Lyons appeared just below the St. Petersburg Times title for more days than I could count.
When the newspaper blasts fine people like Dr. Baker repeatedly, the reporters have crossed the line from reporting the news to creating the news.
-- Jim McKeown, Clearwater
A revealing statement
Re: Embattled principal steps aside.
Mary Monti (mother of a Community Christian School student), says, "She's 13 years old and she feels like she lost one of her best friends."
Dick Baker was the principal, not 13 years old, and therein lies the problem.
-- Lynn Raper, Madeira Beach
Reassess leadership at USF
Re: Eckerd College joins Phi Beta Kappa ranks, Aug. 10.
I read with interest the article about a new Phi Beta Kappa chapter awarded to Eckerd College. It is a fine liberal arts school and it richly deserves a chapter.
However I also noted that the University of South Florida has been repeatedly denied a chapter. Perhaps this is the result of its restrictions on academic freedom. In the 1960s, the university was censured, and it is under threat of censure once again. If USF is truly interested in gaining a highly desirable Phi Beta Kappa chapter, it might want to look to its leadership and assess how it could be changed for the better. If USF wants to be a "great research institution," it needs someone at the helm who is truly an educator, not just a political pawn.
-- N.E. Riley, St. Petersburg
More than a brilliant educator
Re: Retired USF professor dies of cancer at 78.
Irving Deer was my first professor when I entered graduate school more than 20 years ago. After that first course, I took every course I could from Dr. Deer. I asked him to be the director for my doctoral dissertation, and he accepted.
During this time I learned so much from this brilliant man (and from his wonderful wife, Harriet). He embraced knowledge, loved new ideas, supported his students fully. But Irving Deer was much more than a brilliant educator. More important, he was one of the kindest men I've ever known.
-- Richard Downing, Ph.D., Hudson
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