At least he's not anti-semitic when it comes to sex.
 

Lay off Mel.

- Peter Cooke
 

Poster one: Unless it's a hidden rage kinda thing.

Poster two: Why?
 

Who are the Christian apologists you refer to? I thought most fundamentalist types aren't really into his brand of Catholicism (or Catholicism in general) anyway. I'm not even sure he's trumpeted himself as a paragon of family virtue either. He funds an extremist Catholic church, which surely holds conservative views on personal life choices, but it also offers confession of sins, and I'm not sure Mel has been all that out front on how he personally represents a superior morality. I don't put him in the Jerry Falwell category, in other words. I think he's admitted to addiction and that it's pretty manifest to all that the guy is tightly wound physically and emotionally. What he has asserted are views on redemption, etc. that are not accepted by the mainstream, but I don't think "family values" quite captures what he's espousing.
 

Is there a reason that you need him as a human punching bag? He's apologized, seeking treatment and clearly not well. What more do you want from him?
 

Very well said, 11:10.
 

In fact, Gibson's fidelity to his wife has long been a part of his image. (Why else would I even know that?) I'm just wondering what all the folks on the Christian right who loved TPOTC, and loved Mel for it, and may not mind his anti-Semitism that much, would feel about this aspect of his personality?
 

Defeat of godless "reactionary liberals" takes priority over internal consistency with Christian values. You of all people ought to know that.
 

I can't find the right place to say this, so I'll say it here: can you put some more crap from Ann Coulter on? I had so damn much fine railing on her yesterday that I'd like to continue doing it. Perhaps, indeed, a la Monday Morning Zen, a weekly feature entitled "Friday Morning Coulter"? You could post some ludicrous quote or recent event and then stand back and let us go to work. What say you? (Just think of all the stress that could be relieved!)
 

And maybe a "Thursday morning Howard Dean" so we could also laugh at the myriad missteps of that no-account buster.
 

While it's true Mel may be somewhat anti-Semitic and his Catholic views somewhat extreme, I for one saw no anti-Semitism in The Passion of the Christ. The role of Jews in the death of Christ played out no better or worse than the role of the Romans...in both cases, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. As for Mel's personal image, he created and promoted it for public consumption...since that was the kind of moral behaviour the public would expect. The Christian right is not going to be happy with him. For himself, however, and to his credit, I am sure Mel has always been well aware of his short comings and, in fact, it has probably strengthened his faith in that he likely greatly admires in Christ what he knows is lacking in himself.

lmpaulsen
 

The last sentence betrays you, lmpaulsen. It is obviously complete speculation, and as such a questionable apologia. I've always sort of wished I was Catholic, because, no matter what I do, I can head for the confession booth, get it off my chest and then start sinning again. I'm sure that night on the Pacific Highway Mel was "admiring in Christ what he knows is lacking in himself"....indeed, he was probably doing so right as he was blaming all the world's wars on the jews.
 

so ignorant comments about jews are abominable, but its okay to belittle catholics? too bad the confession booth (where one can "get it off one's chest and then start sinning again") isn't a quick-fix for hypocrisy.
 

3:50, that was an extremely poor retort.
 

5:13, I disagree. Somewhere in that ramble it seems to say that 1. TPOTC is not antisemitic (agreed) and 2. The fact that Mel Gibson is a vile person coupled with the fact that he is a hard-core Christian suggests that the feeling of emptiness he gets from sinning fuels his religious fervor to compensate, partially cancelling out his character flaws.

If this is not what you meant, please clarify.

But if so, making this assertion does in it of itself belittle the Catholic tradition of confession. In my understanding, confession is meant to help one stop sinning, and clearly any confession that Mel Gibson is doing clearly isn't helping him. Under your proposed psychological model for Mel Gibson, his "confession" manifests itself in fierce loyalty to / financial backing of extremist Catholic churches. Sounds a lot more like buying indulgences than genuine confession to me. What your post says to me and to 3:50 is that confession permits one to be a hypocrite. And that idea is certainly worthy of mockery.
 

I head butt Catholicism.
 

9:50 AM, you are right...I speculated...I saw that movie and the man who made it cared deeply about the movie and the man it portrayed...it doesn't cancel out his character flaws at all...just adds another dimension to his personality. All faith is speculation. If the Catholics want to believe that you can keep sinning over and over again and be forgiven ad finitum, that is their affair. It just doesn't seem likely to me...but I repeat, that is their affair.

lmpaulsen
 

Indeed, TPOTC was quite compelling, even if a tad gory, and Mel Gibson is clearly difficult to figure out (and not in a good way). I wonder what Catholics have to say about the role of confession and its relevance to this issue.
9:50 AM Anon.
 

impaulson-
read the coucil of trent, at the very least, before talking on a subject you appear to know nothing about-the sacrament of penance.
 

11:16 AM, I took your advice and looked up the Council of Trent and the sacraments of penance. Much as I suspected, I do know what the sacraments of penance are supposed to represent as outlined by the Council of Trent..unfortunately we are talking about Mel Gibson's repeated adultery here, his alcoholism and anti-Semitism, which he is no doubt truly repentent of before he goes out and commits it again and is (presumeably, if he practices his religion and goes to confession)forgiven by the Church....which is man and I don't always trust the judgement of man. That's all I meant. Perhaps Mel does know better since I heard that he declared he'd "eff'd up his life"....that is more than countless others know.

lmpaulsen
 

i think you missed the point, penance and contrition is a private matter and not one for others to weigh in on. it is between the confessee and the confessor. the council is clear that the confessor (priest) respresents God, not man, which if i read your post accurately is the sticking point for you re penance.

we could go on and on with references, religous and secular; but suffice to say if you are going to comment on catholicism,its sacraments and traditions, merely reading about it won't help you understand the organic synthesis of the essential and fundemental contents of catholic doctrine. formation is practiced and lived, not read.

it is not for you or me to judge or comment on-that is the essence of this sacrament-is it any clearer?