Iran's answer to the "passion of the Christ"?!

I consider myself a Christian and would very much like to see this film. Is it on DVD?

It is already opening up some dialogue. This is a good thing.

Steelman000:

I consider the Muslim view on Jesus (pbuh) to be the truth, that he is not God or God incarnate. People may attribute things to Jesus (pbuh) which may not be true but Jesus (pbuh) is no way a liar.

Regarding Jesus (pbuh) being called the "son of God", which im assuming your trying to suggest that this term means that Jesus (pbuh) is God incarnate. However the term "SON OF God" suggests that this person is God's offspring, someone who was created after, which still wouldnt make him God. Just like if i had a child, that child would not be me, and i still existed before the child. So why worship someone who was created rather than his creator who made him and me?

Secondly the term "son of God" is also used for Adam (pbuh) in the NT, and if im not mistaken for Israel (pbuh) and King David (pbuh) also. If Jesus (pbuh) is God beause he is the "son of God" then using this logic this would also mean all of these people are God(s) too. Which would mean all of them shoud be worshipped which i absolutly disagree with, and this would contradict the first commandment.

If Jesus (pbuh) was God as you claim, then i would find many parts of the Bible illogical.

For example, the following verse clearly shows Jesus (pbuh) has a God, hence why would i want to worship Jesus (pbuh) who was a human (someone who worshipped God like the rest of the Prophets), when i can worship his and my Creator?

John 20:17:
I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

hm, i always thought the drunken parent did imitate god. thank you for enlightening me on your current socio-theological philosphoy. i take it your saying the film is good, im glad it spiritualy appeals to you, i think mel gibsons a bit more than devout for going through the process of making this film. in any case neither of us will know which is better till we see it but i wouldn't knock it, muslims tend to be religiously understaning so its probably accurate.

Kabimbi: I am not sure what I think of Gibson's film. I am Catholic and all I know is that there were points during some of the brutal scenes that brought me to tears. I can't really explain why exactly, I can assume that my love for God may have had something to do with this and I may have empathized with the whole notion that a pure and innocent God-man was being murdered by people who were not pure and innocent in the least. As we all know this happens in the world all the time, innocent people are victimized by the powerful - the whole point of Jesus' death was to end this and I believe that when people open themselves to this truth things WILL change.

As for Manichaeism and Arianism, I don’t know much about them except that both systems of thought had an issue with either Jesus as God or the notion of the Trinity. To me the Trinity is imbued with so much mystery and wonder that I can't help but love it. From what I understand the Trinity is a profound and mystical dance of love shared by the Father (Authority), Son (Obedience) and The Spirit (Love). I believe that people have an inherent need to imitate and if you really look around at the world you’ll quickly notice everyone imitates everyone else. I believe we were created to imitate God because that seems to be the only model worth imitating when you compare it to everything else that one COULD imitate. I think we’d get much farther trying to imitate God than trying to imitate Brad Pitt or an alcoholic father. The point about the Trinity is that God as Father is Loved by God as Son where Love is the Holy Spirit. I know this all sounds whacky but its more interesting to me than most anything out there… Anyway, since people are made to imitate and since imitating God is the ideal form of living then we need to know HOW to LOVE God so that we can imitate this love. So, here is where the Trinity comes in. God Loves God in the Trinity perfectly. God shows us, as only God can, how to Love God! This is one of those concepts nearly impossible to explain by any philosophical standard but I gave it a try.

One way or another I think we all have an ability to detect the truth, that’s the most important thing and leading a good clean life keeps that truth from being obscured. All in all, the foundations of the Christian faith teach us, above all, to love God and to love our neighbor, why would anyone want to shun (or "disobey") such an amazing idea?

steelman, respect your quite learned on this, but when dealing with gibsons film what sect of christianity are you talking about ? and i take it your not talking about the trinity. and i dont remember anything about jesus' pain threshold making him obivously god. i never was one for the trinity realy, more of an arian or manichaeist meself. but in any case i cant work out if your saying this films good or bad.. doesn't the film cater for your relationship as a two way story ?

Gibson's film, brutal as it was, was not nearly as brutal as the actual murder of Jesus Christ (described in the four main gospels). Many believe, I among them, that only a "person" like Jesus who is God incarnate could have lived through that amount of torture and brutality (no prophet could have lived through this).

Although I understand what ASUK999 is saying regarding the Iranian film version about Jesus, the film is made from a Muslim perspective, which to me, is simply not what I consider the truth. Jesus IS God incarnate. Muslims struggle with this, as does my girlfriend who is Muslim. Jesus in the bible says many times that he is the son of God. Why would he say this? And if Muslims believe he was one of the greatest prophets, how can he simultaneously be a liar proclaiming to be the son of God?

People must also look at Christianity as a progression. It has grown and changed as time moves, like anything in nature (the whole idea of the Trinity emerged after Jesus' death). The Spirit moves through all and as humanity has evolved and grown it has also consistently been confronted with the question of whether to believe or not to believe. The choice must always be a free choice no matter how much has changed in the human world. That is what I understand of my Christian faith (contrary to what many may believe). God can not MAKE you believe (nor can or should anyone else) because a FREE choice to love God makes the love strong and real. I can not make my girlfriend believe in Jesus as God. I can only live by the truth I know and have hope that the truth she lives by will somehow harmonize with mine. After all Muslims, Jews and Christians have Abraham as a common ancestor and we all believe in the SAME God.

i was recently a christian and i found some parts of the film simply unpleasant and brutal. i'd rather show my kids the life of brian than the passion of the christ if i had any.

Saladin,

I'm conservative? Now that's another laugh.
I used to say I was liberal until I realized that they were too far left.

So I must be a moderate.

But you don't seem to be a Christian to me.

Mel Gibson's film was a very moving experience.

Of course, you not being a Christian, you wouldn't understand...

Pity...

I'm glad people like you exist Patrick.

It helps logical people everywhere realize that "conservatives" are completely retarded.

As for the film, I'm glad their intent was to generate inter-faith dialogue instead of Mel Gibson's film which essentially just sought to promote self-righteousness and distort the Christian faith.

SteelMan000:

I think you may have missed the point of the film maker and of the Muslims.

The point of the film was to show that we as Muslims and Christians despite our differences have alot in common as we both believe in the same Prophets and while we may differ on who Jesus is, we both claim to love him, which can be a foundation stone to build dialogue and spread love.

Muslims believe that Jesus (pbuh) is not God, they believe he was a Prophet of God who worshipped God and preached about God, and in God's eyes he was just another of His beautiful and amazing servents just like Adam (pbuh). Jesus (pbuh) is mentioned in the Holy Quran as is his mother, Mary (pbuh).

it depends if your talking about the trinity or not really doesn't it, personaly if i was a christian i would be all for orthodox or arian or manichaeist or something, anyway catholics are more powerful so tough luck really.

Since most liberals seem to be non-Christian I would expect they would flock to see it...

For all the good intentions that this filmmaker seems to have he has GROSSLY misunderstood the Christian faith; according to Christian faith Jesus IS God incarnate and his crucifixion was absolutely necessary in order to end an ongoing need for the blood sacrifice (a human tendency to blame and seek revenge - i.e. sin - since the fall of man); He is the last blood sacrifice (God becomes flesh and blood) and in His death He took all our sins with Him ... it is infinitely sad to me - this constant misunderstanding and misinterpretation of meaning in the Crucifixion, the filmmaker misses the point completely (as do the Muslims)!