FAITH, TERROR AND MARTYRDOM IN ALGERIA: THE MONKS OF TIBHIRINE

"But in the 1980s and 1990s, Algeria, like many other countries with large Muslim populations, began to feel the pressure of fundamentalist Islamic groups that were springing up around the world. "


Yet another story about the killing of Christians by muslims. My local representative and fellow parishioner Peter King has been getting slack from muslims over statements he made. He has written a novel, Vale of Tears, in which muslim terrorists attack in Nassau County. When he spoke on Sean Hannity he said that 85% of the mosques in the USA have extremist leadership. Of course, muslim leaders did not like hearing this. Oddly, you never hear statements from these muslims about the slaughter their people, their "religion", their culture causes. The local leader of the muslim mosque in Westbury was quoted by Paul Vitello in Newsday as saying that Israel might have been behind the September 11th attacks. Can you imagine the constant reporting Newsday would have done if this statement was said by a Catholic leader instead of a follower of the heresy of mohammed? In order for the slaughter to stop we need strong people like Peter King.

What Will Follow Gibson's Passion?


"Abraham Foxman, executive director of the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League, predicts that if Gibson dramatizes either Jewish rebellion, "we'll lose."

"He'll write his own history," Foxman says. "I would prefer to leave the fate of Jewish history and Hollywood to Steven Spielberg. The Maccabees and Bar Kochba are our sacred history.

"The way he treats history - with a cherry picker of that which fits his ideology or view - is not the way I would like the world to learn about the heroism of the Maccabees or Bar Kochba. So, thanks but no thanks."


---So now Foxman is saying Mel Gibson can't even make a movie on this topic. His ADL just lost a $12 million ruling because they FALSELY accused a couple of anti-semitism. He is a bigot. And notice he says it is "our history", whose history is the Passion???

Abe Foxman and the ADL will have to pay $12 million to people they falsely accused of anti-semitism.

Via Protocols

Jon Voight criticized The Passion of The Christ because there were some scenes in the movie that were not in the Gospels. He was on The O'Reilly Factor complaining about the movie. I would boycott Voight's movies but I don't know any of them.

"a word to the wise to the young artists - without spiritual guidance too much freedom can lead to spiritual decline"

Above quote is not from Pope John Paul II, but from Prince.

Good questions by Jo in the comments re The Passion of The Christ---

Is the movie just preaching to the choir? Is it deepening or changing the faith of Christians who see it? Is it converting those nonChristians who see it?

What do we make of the fact that it is well attended by young men? Has Gibson, as many say, finally given us a manly image of Jesus, to counter the goofy, hippy, peace and love Jesus their parents' generation grew up with? If so, what affect is it having on this group of viewers.

One article I read this morning implied that 11% of the population has seen it out of 34% who plan to see it. Does this mean it could gross over $750M?


I think some of these questions were discussed on Amy Welborn's Open Book and other blogs, especially the ability of the film to convert. I don't think the film is having any effect on non-Christians who see it - I think it is mostly meant for the choir. The film presents perhaps the only manly Jesus many young men have ever seen and this may make the faith more acceptable to them in the future. The best effect so far has been the amount of discussion about Jesus Christ this film has caused. I am not so convinced of the power of the film to change people but I could be wrong. As far as grossing $750 million, I can hope! I can't wait to see how it does in Latin America.

Thanks to The Curt Jester for pointing out a new blog that should make Commonweal happy! Thoroughly Modern Mary is "An enlightened weblog from from the paradigm of religious community. Sister Mary Biko PhD guides you along the way of traditional deconstruction".

Forgetting Mel Gibson for a minute...Brian Lamb is the man! There is an article in today's paper about him and C-Span. I was not aware he founded C-Span but Booknotes is one of my favorite interview shows, he really knows how to do impartial and fair. The article stangely says he "was born into a Catholic home in Lafayette, Ind., two months before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor". I was surprised to see this since he comes across as the ultimate W.A.S.P. Like Charlie Rose he is a great interviewer and if you enjoy books his show is the best.

Pope John Paul II is now the 3rd longest serving Pope in history, with only St. Peter and Pius IX having served longer!

I have been angered by the attacks on Mel Gibson and his film because the anti-Christian bias is quite extreme and obvious. I have pointed out some of the worst examples on this blog. But today I found the type of anti-Passion of the Christ stuff I can happily read and enjoy:

Mel Gibson’s Film “The Passion of the Christ”
AN INTERNATIONAL HOAX

“The Passion of the Christ” is a thoroughly Satanic production, and occultists worldwide know exactly what Mel Gibson meant by “‘sinistra’ or sinister hand” as well as many other esoteric signs attending, not only this film, but the entire genre of occult films that are inundating movie theaters. Satanists, who despise Jesus Christ, and their Dark Lord, who has fond memories of the Crucifixion, will no doubt love “The Passion of the Christ”.

Yes...it is all starting to make sense to me now... still, if that worries you, this same website will calm you down by informing you:

"Although the implantable microchip may be used to track and control people during the Tribulation, there are three important sources which prove the computer chip does not fulfill the Scriptural requirements for the Mark of the Beast."


I will sleep better tonight, knowing this information.

Jesus Gil at Santificarnos has blogged first hand accounts of the situation in Madrid. Reading it and seeing the coverage on the news made me instantly recall the atmosphere around here post 9-11.

Revisionism takes on ‘The Passion’

In the "ecumenical" spirit I offer this article from a Baptist on The Passion of The Christ.

"What must the critics do with the Jesus depicted in the Passion movie? Deconstruct!
If the content of the movie is so powerful, then deconstruct Gibson."

Millions Take to the Streets in Spain

I hope the effort to destroy terrorism will gather steam. I am still waiting for the USA to really go after the supporters of Al Queda, such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan, etc..

This very angry sounding blog has the following comments about The Passion of The Christ:

"The Passion's ticket sales numbers are bogus."

"The next thing you know, instead of a Gideon's bible in your hotel room, there will be a bloody, violent, jew-hate inciting copy of Mel Gibson's "Passion" in the bureau drawer. "

"I'm going to a multiplex, buying a ticket to another movie, then going in to see the vile piece of right wing, toxic, anti-semitic crap, which, from what I hear, is much like the midieval Passion Plays that set towns to attacking Jews."

"Most people do not know the real facts of the bible, or how Gibson has twisted and distorted them, or only shown a one-sided aspect, and they will be moved to become more anti "not-christian."

"This movie shows the anger and hate inside YOU, Mel."

"He chose to make a bloody, ugly, massively violent snapshot of a part o Christ's life that will inspire anger, hate and cruelty. People in the movie business reading this, Movie Companies reading this, you can be sure that I am not the only person who has vowed not to buy a ticket for a Mel Gibson film again."

Wondering what color the sky is in this man's world?

President Bush to visit Long Island as part of re-election campaign tour

"In the afternoon, President Bush will go to Eisenhower Park in East Meadow to participate in a 9/11 memorial groundbreaking ceremony. The president has kept the police shield of George Howard, a port authority officer from Long Island who perished in the terror attacks, as a reminder of all those who lost their lives in the 9/11 tragedy. George Howard's mother Arlene, who is from Hicksville, will be present at the ceremony."

For more about George Howard visit this site.

For more about the Nassau September 11th memorial visit this site.

St. Blog's Church
America's most vibrant parish?

This article by Rachelle Linner is in the Feb. 27th, 2004 edition of Commonweal and mentions Gen X Revert. One interesting thing mentioned is that, while there are priests and brothers blogging, there is not one woman religious. I would love to see one of the nuns in a good, vibrant order blogging (Dominicans of Nashville, Daughters of St. Paul, Mother Angelica's order, etc... The closest we have is Barbara Nicolosi of Church of the Masses as she was with the Daughters of St. Paul for awhile. The modern nuns of course are too busy smearing blood on missile sites and praying to the Four Winds. Perhaps the Curt Jester might create a "blog by a modern sister"!

My first thought on reading this column was that I had read it before. It had the standard notion of blogs being tilted toward the "conservative", rather than "orthodox", but either way it is true. The author gives the standard line: blogs are "conservative" or "traditionalist" and therefore "cynical", "judgmental" and "corrosive". This type of thinking is why Commonweal does not have the growing readership that First Things, Crisis, etc.. have. "Liberal" Catholicism is truly a dead end road, offering nothing different from liberal secularism. The few blogs that offer this are reactionary and simply contrarian to the dominant blog outlook. Any new idea or reform is shot down by those who fear a return to "the pre-Vatican II" way. This article is simply the latest in a tiring litany of writings by people whining of the "traditionalism" of Catholics today. Mel's movie brought this stuff to a fever pitch. The attempt by Catholic bloggers and other Catholics to reconnect with their tradition and culture is a positive thing that has been trampled on by too many within the Church. The author of the article ends with a quote from Flannery O'Connor that is meant for the "conservative" or "traditionalist" bloggers but which applies equally to the author and the Commonweal readers:

"Human nature is so faulty that it can resist any amount of grace and most of the time it does"

I would suggest that many a grace has been resisted by Catholics over the past 30 years - including those who equate "traditionalist" with negative and corrosive.

Total as of March 11th, 2004: $232,379,231

On the all time domestic gross list, the movie is now #38

Man Killed During Initiation at Masonic Lodge

"PATCHOGUE, N.Y. — A man was killed during a Masonic initiation ceremony when another member fired a gun loaded with real bullets instead of the expected blanks and shot him in the face, police said Tuesday."

At the exact time this man was being initiated into the Masons, I was entering the Knights of Columbus.

Heyyyy Now!

Thanks to Come On, Get Lively I found The Catholic Book Collector blog. Thanks to this new blog I found out George Weigel has a new book out: Letters to A Young Catholic (Art of Mentoring). This is the latest in a series of "Letters to A Young" books and it looks great.

Seamless Garment idea debated


"Jesuit Father John Conley opened Molloy College's spring lecture series Feb. 26 with a critique of the seamless garment of life, a concept developed by the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago."