JewPoint

Why Mel Owes One to the Jews
by Rabbi Daniel Lapin
President, Toward Tradition

Two weeks before Mel Gibson's Passion flashes onto two thousand screens, online ticket merchants are reporting that up to half their total sales are for advance purchases for Passion. One Dallas multiplex has reserved all twenty of its screens for The Passion. I am neither a prophet nor a movie critic. I am merely an Orthodox rabbi using ancient Jewish wisdom to make three predictions about The Passion.

One, Mel Gibson and Icon Productions will make a great deal of money. Those distributors who surrendered to pressure from Jewish organizations and passed on Passion will be kicking themselves, while Newmarket Films will laugh all the way to the bank. Theater owners are going to love this film.

Two, Passion will become famous as the most serious and substantive Biblical movie ever made. It will be one of the most talked-about entertainment events in history, it is currently on the cover of Newsweek and Vanity Fair.

My third prediction is that the faith of millions of Christians will become more fervent as Passion uplifts and inspires them. Passion will propel vast numbers of unreligious Americans to embrace Christianity. The movie will one day be seen as a harbinger of America's third great religious reawakening.

Those Jewish organizations that have squandered both time and money futilely protesting Passion, ostensibly in order to prevent pogroms in Pittsburgh, can hardly be proud of their performance. They failed at everything they attempted. They were hoping to ruin Gibson rather than enrich him. They were hoping to suppress Passion rather than promote it. Finally, they were hoping to help Jews rather than harm them.
Read the rest of Rabbi Lapin's article here...

And here's our 5 reasons we think the goyim should go see Gibson's movie (And yes, some overlap Rabbi Lapin's).

a/ Those religious Christians who support Israel as much as (and sadly, if not more than many Jews we know) will not turn around and hate us and attack us; indeed, Foxman has sold so many tickets for them and has religious Christians who support Israel [RCWSI] so frightened that some white trash ignorant Christian might blame/attack a Jew, that THEY, the RCWSI, will stand up against it and against any violence against Jews to protect the "spiritual integrity" of the film. Call me optimistic (see (d) if I am wrong).

b/ Seeing this movie might make waffly Christians more Christian. Probably a good thing for America as we head towards trying to save what's left of traditional family values, and as the war against islamo-fascism heats up.

c/ Goyim who will walk out of this movie hating us, and h'v might attack us because of it probably hated us and harbored violent fantasies against us anyway. One drop of Jewish blood is too many, but more Jews would be hurt by shutting down and shouting down this movie.

d/ If it does get out of control, either more Jews will join Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership or we can all go make aliyah and finally depose Sharon who is now floating the notion of INVITING the Egyptian army into Gaza. You can also call me naive of many of the subtleties of ha-matzav, but after watching American Jews celebrate Rabin and Peres BRINGING BACK ARAFAT from Tunisia, I don't think I am ready for the Likud bringing in the Egyptian army.

e/ BTW, where are Foxman, Denby, Frank Rich et al screaming about WHAT'S BEING PREACHED IN MOSQUES EVERY WEEK IN AMERICA? Where were they when hundreds of thousands of left-wing, kaffiyah-wearing, hamas-loving, student-trash marched in American streets with International [C]Answer in support of Arafat, Saddam and Bin Laden? Why isn't Foxman leading the charge TO PUT REUTERS OUT OF BUSINESS for it's blind support AND ENCOURAGEMENT of terrorism against America and Israel?