Mel Gibson is Making a Movie About Jesus

Mel Gibson is Making a Movie About Jesus-Truth!

Summary of the eRumor
The eRumor cites an interview with Mel Gibson on Fox News with Bill O'Reilly and talks about the drama in Mel Gibson's own life over the making of his new film "The Passion.". It says that he's taking a lot of heat for it, primarily because Hollywood might not like a film about Jesus. It also says that a reporter is working hard to dig up dirt on Mel Gibson.

The Truth
Mel Gibson has a passion for "The Passion."
It's a $25 million movie about the last 12 hours of the life of Christ as well as his resurrection as described in the books of the Bible known as The Gospels.
Opposition to the film, however, has not been only because it's about Jesus.
Religious themes including films based on the life of Jesus have come out of Hollywood before.
Most of the controversy over the film has been based on concerns of critics who say it is anti-Semitic and is based on some of the unique perspectives of the traditionalist views of Gibson's brand of Catholicism.
Gibson says he has no agenda for the film except to be as faithful to the Gospel accounts as possible and that includes the role of some of the Jewish leaders of Jesus' time who called for his execution.
During his interview with Bill O'Reilly, Gibson said the film was not meant to offend Jews.
Some Jews fear a backlash from the graphic portrayal of the First Century leaders.
Supporters of the film say it's not anti-Semitic because it doesn't dismiss Jews collectively, but only the mentality of the leaders who were threatened by Jesus and wanted him killed.
The positive characters in the film are also Jews including Jesus himself.

A lot of the controversy over the film was launched in March, 2003, by an article published in the New York Times magazine written by free-lancer Christopher Noxon.
He was the one referred to in the O'Reilly interview as writing a "hit piece."
In the article, he examines Gibson's Catholicism and calls it "splinter group of conspiracy-minded Catholics, mystics, monarchists and disaffected conservatives.”
The article also talks about Mel Gibson's 84-year-old father, Hutton Gibson, who has been a prolific author on religious themes including his opposition to changes in the Catholic church since Vatican II in the 1960's.
Noxon says the elder Gibson told him in an interview that the Holocaust didn't really happen although he concedes that he doesn't know that those views are shared by Mel Gibson.

Mel Gibson has been preparing for an intended March, 2004 release of the film by showing it to various religious leaders around the U.S.

Last update

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

Mel Gibson's next movie is about Jesus. I watched the O'Reilly Factor last
night on Fox News. Bill O'Reilly interviewed Mel Gibson. Mel Gibson is
making
a new movie called "Passion". He is currently on location somewhere in
Greece/Italy. They showed a few pictures last night. It reminded me of our
passion play we perform each year at our church.

It is going to be bloody and gruesome and hard to watch, but Mel says he
is
going to try and get it as close to reality as possible. I was VERY
impressed
with what he said about making this movie. You can tell that he is
definitely
a Christian believer and that is extremely rare to find in Hollywood these
days. He even admitted that this might be a career-killer for him, but he
said
the movie must be made and must be made honestly and not sugar-coated and
glossed over as Hollywood has done in the past.

He has received threats on himself and his family and there is a reporter
who is feverishly working to dig up "dirt" on Mel and threatening to expose
the dirt if Mel goes forward with the movie. This reporter has even
harassed
Mel's 85 year old father and Mel's close personal friends.

As long as Mel Gibson has been in the movie-making business, I have NEVER
seen bad press on that man. He seems to be someone all women adore and is a
sort of man's man. Bill asked Mel if he thought the now hostile atmosphere
in
which he finds himself is because he is making an honest, truthful,
biblically-based movie about Jesus.

Mel said he DEFINITELY thinks so. He said that the movie is going to show
what a loving sacrifice Jesus made to all humanity and THAT is the basis of
the movie and THAT is why forces do not want the movie to go forward.

He said it isn't intended to throw Jesus in the face of Jews or Muslims or
anyone. It is ONLY to show the love of Christ to the world. Think about it,
if
Mel's movie is successful and is released all over the world, just THINK
about
the impact this movie is going to have on the lives of thousands of
non-believers. THINK about how Jesus will be lifted up if this movie goes
forward.

There are already, and will be, stronger and even more powerful forces
attacking the making of this movie. I stood speechless last night at
hearing
Mel Gibson speak of his decision to take on this project. I am so proud of
him
and thankful to him at offering up his career as a sacrifice to advance the
message of Christ.

I hope you will join with me in lifting up in prayer Mel, his family, and
the making of this movie. It gave me chills last night to hear all of this.
The only way Mel is going to get this movie made and shown is if he has
other
Christians standing behind him and backing him up on this.

As you know, the Bible says "the prayers of a righteous man availeth
much."
I'm sorry this email was so lengthy, but it is a very important subject.
Thanks for reading....