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Letters from "Christians"

Note from Chet: Below you'll find just a few of the hundreds of letters and hate mail I've received from fundamentalist and evangelical "Christians" in response to my comments about Mel Gibson's movie. I have reproduced these letters as they came in. No editing, no grammatical or spelling corrections. I'm happy to report that I've received an equal number of letters from Christians of other denominations who support the conclusions and viewpoints expressed in my commentary. The sad part of all this is that Gibson's movie is clearly widening the already huge gap between fundamentalist Christian sects and everyone else.

Now, these "Christians" in their own words...

For a long time now I have debated whether or not to continue with your newsletter. I like the recipes, so I have continued. I find your opinions, (usually) to be harmless if not ridiculous, and I have always thought you foolishly self absorbed, but I make no comment, as it is your newsletter. I wonder what you consider condescending? You said you would write an article if enough people were interested. From the sound of it they aren't, but now you are going to write one anyway. Whose condescending now? This statement...."that they are trying to poke into the public eye by buying tickets for entire theaters to make it appear like Mad Mel has produced a great film that everyone's flocking to see." Sounds paranoid to me. Who are they? It has been wide spread public knowledge as to why theaters seats have been bought up. You are way off your mark as usual.

Actually Chet, I would like to see you post these "Nasty letters", but I don't think you have the courage to put yourself out there. Christ died for you too Chet. It's a shame you are so misguided that you really didn't see the truth. I challenge you to read the articles below. Christ in his grace has changed many lives. Miracles...resurrections of lost souls from the brink. How do you explain that? Every word written here is real, the truth. I can't believe you sat through the movie and didn't see Chet....You are totally deceived by pure evil. How does it feel to know you will be separated from God's grace and love for all ETERNITY? Yes Chet I just did say that. I would kill myself if I thought I was going to be separated from the most beautiful relationship of all time for all time. I pity you. That's all I can think to say to you Chet.

Jesus's sacrific for the sins of humanity....was a horrible ordeal.....and it was also the greatest sacrifice ever, that he gave up his life........for salvation of all Children SHOULD not see this film ...unless they have gone through the Sacrament of reconcilliation and attend with a parent.....it is for I believe mature adults .I believe the real feel of the movie is what it would have been like back then.......... life was violent in any any ways..... People were crucified or beated not usually both, Christians were fed to the Lions for entertainment Gladiators dueled to the death for entertainment.... Gee.....maybe finally there can be a close portrayal of what it may have been like.... As many military movies, as we have seen NONE still can show or let you feel what it is really like to be on the front lines of battle.....it can not leave you with the fears and remeberences of seeing buddies blown to bits in front of you... So more than likely the Passion is toned down...... can you imagine that ...it could be worse than depicted in the film... In Christ's love for all...

yes Jesus died a violent death so you would not have to,to save your soul from the depths of hell and eternal torment ,are you ready to depart this life to enter eterniy in Hell or in heaven with everlasting life. IF NOT ID SEE WHAT THE MOVIE WAS ABOUT and get ready each one is appointed to die and spend eternity somewhwere ,where are you going to spend it? it is your choice,God loves yuo enough to let you Choose eternal LIFE with him or ENTERNAL DAMNATION AND TORMENT. you will stand before GOD someday and it will be to late to choose,he loves you so much that he would have suffered that horrible death for you if you had of been the only soul on earth to save it was the only way the perfect sacrafice to bring you back into union with GOD after adam fell from GODS grace, but you must choose to except JESUS as the SON OF GOD and beleve he died and rose again for you, repent and be saved from HELL ,its never to late.

I appreciated Mel Gibson's depiction of Christ's arrest and crucifixion. Yes, it was violent and bloody, but so is the truth. For more than 30 years I've been trying to help people see how violent Jesus' death really was. For the full impact of His sacrifice to be understood, we must not gloss over the reality of what happened to him.

If we can, as a society, demand and appreciate Hollywood's true-to-life depictions of murder, war, and genocide (Schindler's List, for instance), then we should have room to appreciate Gibson's boldness to say, in essence, "enough with the fiary tale depictions of Christ." If we believe that Jesus' life was real, and not fiction, then we should be able to confront the truth about His unjust treatment, recognize the wrong and the redemption, and learn a little more about ourselves and humanity in the aftermath of His crucifixion.

This movie was not gratuitous violence. This movie was a lesson in truth. Thank you for listening to me

Please reconsider bashing this movie. Your review means nothing except that you have truly been blinded to the Truth that was shown in the movie. I challenge you to get a Bible and read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Jesus did die on that cross and He was unjustly and incredibly beaten beyond recognition. But the wonderful news, my friend, is that whether you "liked" the movie or not, Jesus died for you just the same as He died for me. The best news is that He didn't stay in that grave. Jesus Christ was in the tomb for three days, then the stone was rolled away and Jesus rose again. He is alive today and seeking a relationship with you! The choice is yours...What will you do about Jesus? Will you reject and spend eternity separated from Him? Or will you choose to believe that He loved you so much that He would choose to offer himself as the sacrifice for our sins. We have only to confess that we are sinners and ask Him to be our Savior. The gift is free...and yet it costs everything...and gives us everything. In your heart, you know that there is something missing without that personal relationship with Christ. However, there is none so blind as those who will not see. Hell is a real place!! You can choose your destination. Jesus Christ paid our admission to Heaven if we will follow Him...if not you will suffer eternity in Hell knowing that you had the opportunity to choose Christ.

I am praying that the Lord will soften your heart. Seek and you will find Him.

what do you think the crucifixion of Christ was? a picnic???? Of course it's ugly and grotesque! Infact, as I read in the word of GOD it was even WORSE than what we see on the screen. He was unrecognizable. Some people NEED to see what Jesus actually went through in order to realize His love for us. Don't knock it!

Don't bother with the review. Scourging and crucifixion ARE horrible events. I am glad Mel didn't sanitize this movie. If enough Christians see this as the sacrifice that it truly was, perhaps we won't be so casual towards the Savior we have been given.

I just read your short synopsis of The Passion of the Christ. NO, I do not want to see a more lengthy review. Jesus went through much more brutality and torture than could be depicted on the movie screen. He suffered and sacrificed so that you and I could choose to live a better life if we believe and trust in Him. I purposely watched them beat Him and nail Him to the cross so that I could remember just how much He sacrificed for me. The evil and demonic depictions were to remind us that evil is real and exists whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. Because Jesus went to hell and back for us, satan knows his days are numbered. That is why he is working so hard to dispense his evil and deceipt in the world today.I agree children should not be taken to this movie. but Christians need to be reminded what He willingly gave so that we could have eternal life.

Chet, do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and came to earth to die for our sins and was resurrected on the third day? He is the only way to heaven…

I saw Mel Gibson's movie Wednesday. If you are a believer.....please see it. If you are not....see it anyhow.....it might make you a believer. It is truly graphic and it's an accurate portrayal of the last hours of Jesus Christ. I agree....it is extremely violent but it's pretty much the way it was. He died a horrible death to relieve mankind of their sins. What a great love He has for us.

My daughter-in-law and I, and even my son Chris, had trouble controlling the tears. I am normally a pretty tough lady.....but this picture really got to me.

This isn't a "nasty" letter. I personally don't care what your opinion is. But since you have a wide audience I would ask that you do some research on crucifixions and how horrific they were before you criticize someone who has done the research. I have no idea what your religious beliefs are but I could take a good guess. With all the filth that is portrayed on screen and all the senseless killings that do nothing for anyone but bring pain I have never seen you discuss these. Thank you for not subjecting your subscribers in your newsletters to your personal opinion on this matter. I appreciate it. Have a blessed day and remember that God loves you.

Of course The Passion of the Christ is ugly, warped, sadistic and violent. Jesus was killed in the most violent, humiliating way possible. And He took on Himself every sin of every person to live on this earth. How ugly and detestable is that? It is supposed to be a sickening sight, because it was when it happened. But the underlying message is that God appointed Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sin (someone had to die for sin as was indicated in the Old Testament) and Jesus loved humanity so much that He was willing to endure this gruesome death so we would not be eternally separated from God. The beauty of the film is the incredible love Jesus had for us that he would willingly subject himself to such violence. But the story does not end there. He conquered death because He rose from the dead, and is alive now and forever. This is not another "hate" letter, it is a desire for you to realize the full impact of the movie.

Passion of Christ Movie -- You gave YOUR response. Now, my response, please: Dear Chet, We, in America at least, take the crucifixion of Christ all too lightly. Many of us are so "sanitized" (or anesthetized by gratuitous violence on TV) from the pain of persecution and devastation experienced by countless people all over the world. Jesus suffered the WORST…. EVERY SIN of the entire world’s population was put on Him. Yet it often becomes "old hat" to those of us who frequently read the account of the crucifixion of Jesus in the Bible. The familiar words lose their effect and we pass it off as just a religious icon. To those who are not as familiar with the Bible, and have barely heard of Jesus’ death on a cross, it is only perhaps represented by a crucifix or a cross on a golden chain. The movie, while not even as graphic as it could have been, has brought us face to face with the reality of the depth of pain Christ suffered (out of love) for us. The difference in the way you view the movie and the way I do is in our perspective. You see only the blood and gore, the excruciating pain perpetrated by Roman soldiers; I see the PURPOSE – the LOVE of my Savior for ME (not gratuitous violence). That He would go to such a length, willingly, to pay the price of MY sin engenders the deepest response of love of which my poor heart is capable. You see, without God I, MYSELF, am capable of doing what those Roman soldiers did. In fact, it was my sin that put Him there! It is only because of Christ’s love that I (and YOU and EVERYONE) can REALLY love and forgive! It’s not just the "warm fuzzies" but the LOVE which will sacrifice ALL. That is what Jesus did for ME…. what He did for YOU! That, my friend, is what makes ALL the difference. I would NOT take a young child to this movie, of course. The child has not matured in his experience and knowledge to the degree that he could benefit. That’s why the "R" rating!!!! I do not view the movie with pleasure. It is, indeed, too horrible for words! Yet, the crucifixion of Jesus happened. It is a fact of history. In order to merely BEGIN to understand the true depths of God’s love, we need to know the true depths of His suffering in our place…to really appreciate the sacrifice He made. Having said that, I realize that our finite minds cannot possibly comprehend the ULTIMATE of God’s sacrifice and love. The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death." "All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory." Without HIS supreme sacrifice, we don't have a prayer!!! If His death offends you, please consider that He went through it for you. God bless you, Chet.

I have been getting your emails for quite some time now and I truly enjoy the wonderful recipes and websites you show us.

But, I am so sorry to hear your opinion of "The Passion". I personally think it is time someone brought to the "big screen" how it actually was for Jesus. The world needs to know how much He sacrificed for us and they need it in living color and I think Mel Gibson did a fine job of showing us that. Although I have read and been told that the movie actually understates how bad it really was.

Our Jesus truly loves us and sacrificed all He had for us. I saw the film and thought it was awesome. Yes, it is very graphic, but everyone knows that before going in and all have been advised not to take youngsters or sensitive people to see it. It depicts what everyone in the world should know, just how much our Lord suffered for us.

There are hundreds of films out there that have such graphic violence and blood and guts in them that are just junk and trash and purely for entertainment. I can't imagine that teenagers who have watched any of the Freddie movies or the Friday the 13th movies or any number of others would even think anything about this one, unfortunately.

I think Mr. Gibson did a fine job of trying to show the world how much our dear Jesus loves us. You say it was a sadistic depiction of His sacrifice, well the real thing WAS sadistic, like I said, probably MUCH more so than what the movie shows.

I respect your opinion, but no I would not like to read any review from you in more detail.

Thank you for listening.

I am appalled at your reaction to this movie. I am cancelling your email immediately.

I have not gone to see The Passion yet but have every intention of doing so. Believe it or not, Jesus suffered exactly like that for us. He died for our sins. That was exactly how He died. The beatings were such that He was not recognizable. Isaiah describes it. The cat of nine tails used to beat Him with had nine straps of leather with pieces of metal, rock, etc. attached to it. It didn't leave stripes, it left gouges. You could see his spine and his ribcage. That is truly what He suffered. The movie is done for two things. One. So that those who are Christians will come to realize that it is not the little Fairy Tale they go to church once a year to hear about at Easter. It is what He did for them. He bore their sins and the punishment He bore was our punishment. Two. That those who do not know Him will see what He did because He loves them. It was essential that the movie be just as bloody and violent as it was. The story cannot be told truthfully any other way. I am sorry if offended you. But, a lot of people have been offended by my Lord before you. I will pray for you as I pray for them.

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