There is quite a bit of misrepresentation and oversimplification in the news concerning Mr. Gibson’s portrait of the crucifixion of Christ. One of the beauties of art is that it can be interpreted in so many different ways. Reviewers jump to the conclusion that the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ was responsible for "centuries of relentless, and at times savage, persecution of Jews in Christian lands." This is a very narrow interpretation of a story and a highly oversimplified view of the reasons for persecutions. Unfortunately, persecution is simply a part of the lamentable history of humans in all lands by all manner of people.

It could just as easily be argued that the story of Abraham’s two sons and their sibling rivalry is responsible for the troubles between the Israeli’s and the Palestinians, and that the story of Exodus was the cause of the recent war between Egypt and Israel. Although all of these interpretations are oversimplifications, they are not entirely wrong, which is the beauty of art. Perhaps this is one reason for Gibson’s movie to be considered a great work of art. It has produced much dialogue, especially a dialogue of thought and visceral feelings that lie hidden and smoldering in the heart of man under the suffocating duress of political correctness. It is through such dialogue that we can lift the veil that separates us and then begin to understand what it is to be human from another perspective.

In fact, the great beauty of art is that it "takes us down many paths not traveled before." Art puts a face not only on history, but also on the inner world of man, which is very powerful and should not be brushed off with oversimplification.

Numerous reviewers also jump to the conclusion that such a story teaches Christians to consider Jews as Christ killers. This conclusion is perhaps not so conclusive when one observes that this is a story in which some characters of Jewish persuasion argue for the death of a rival religious teacher, who is also Jewish and claiming rightly or wrongly to be their God. The conclusion is especially hard to arrive at when one understands Christ’s own teaching that he was willing to shed his blood for all men. The "blood libel" can then be seen as something we all inherit, and something we should be thankful for in that there is at least one redeeming act for the nightmare of human history. At least one person said he wasn’t going to retaliate; that his kingdom wasn’t of this world; and he didn’t want his followers retaliating.

If one broadens the view of history, we can see that humans have twisted interpretations of all manner of teachings to sanction atrocities. Scripture has been used to justify the persecution of one Christian group by another. Some weird interpretations of the Koran have been used to justify the persecution of Christians and terrorism. Such interpretations are not limited to religious beliefs but to secularism, with even more devastating effect. Some weird interpretation of Karl Marx has been used to persecute and subjugate the populations of the former Soviet Union and China. Then there was Hitler’s Socialism. There are innumerable examples.

The biggest stretch of the imagination in this article was to associate "the blood libel" with the Holocaust. If I am not mistaken, the Holocaust was created by a madman, who thought any group or individual that was a threat to him should be eliminated. Hitler understood this as steps to purify the human race and it was extended to exterminating the disabled and elderly, which is particularly unchristian. In fact, Christians were just as readily massacred and put into slavery as any other group if they posed a threat, real or unreal as that threat may be.

If anyone suffered more from the Holocaust, it was the gypsies, who suffered in the greatest numbers, because of the offense of being free spirited, impossible to subjugate and not agreeable in looks to Hitler. I hardly think the "blood libel" or "Christ killer" theories apply in the case of gypsies.

The German people suffered as well, losing a whole generation of men who were more often than not coerced into battle by indoctrinated fanatics who treated families as hostages.

Having attended Catholic institutions through college, I can personally say, I have never heard a word spoken against our theological progenitors. Jewish teachings are embraced along with Christian in the schools I attended. It is considered a part of our heritage. I would no more say the Jewish heritage was responsible for the Holocaust as our Christian heritage was.

The history of atrocities is quite clearly not perpetuated by a particular religious persuasion. It is perpetuated throughout time by like-minded, power hungry individuals who somehow lose sight of a common humanity.

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