Great article, Vinny!  Thanks for sharing it!

Love,
Helen

Earlier, vinny samarco wrote:
>----- Original Message -----
>From: [log in to unmask]
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2004 11:14 PM
>Subject: [CCNN] Passion's Accusations Backfire in Middle East
>
>
>
>Fiery Darts Are Backfiring:  Showing The Passion
>in the Middle East
>BreakPoint
>Charles Colson
>Commentary #040408
>04/08/2004
>
>Surprisingly, theaters in Doha, Qatar, and Amman, Jordan, are showing The
>Passion of the Christ. A Qatari English-language newspaper, The Peninsula,
>headlines, "Passion runs full house." On March 21 three theaters in Doha
>were sold-out and pre-booked for days ahead. An official of the Qatar
>Cinema and Film Distribution Board boasts that Qatar is so open that no
>film was refused permission for showing there last year and that the
>distributor was amazed when Qatar requested The Passion. Censors okayed it
>without any cuts, and the official expects the film to run for at least
>two months.
>
>And some mullahs are encouraging their Muslim followers to see the film.
>Why such an unexpected endorsement? The false rumors that the film is
>anti-Semitic have reached the mullahs, and as one missionary explains,
>"since they hate the Jews, they want to see it." Muslims recognize Jesus
>as a prophet, and although they believe Muhammad superseded Him, they
>still revere and respect Christ. So when they hear of a film which is
>alleged to show Jews crucifying Christ, some Muslims welcome the
>opportunity to revel in a depiction of the wickedness of their long-time
>enemies.
>
>But many Muslims are responding to the film in ways their mullahs hadn't
>intended. One viewer recognized, "When they show a story of the Romans ...
>in ancient times, it doesn't mean the present-day Italians are
>responsible." By analogy, he reasoned that, even if he construed the film
>as depicting first-century Jews as instigators of Christ's crucifixion,
>that would not be an indictment of modern Israelis.
>
>An even more important consequence shows up in an e-mail from a
>missionary, who marvels, "In two short hours more Qataris heard the Gospel
>than I have been able to reach in nearly five years living here. At the
>7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. showings, the film was running in all three
>theaters." He estimated that more than 50 percent of the people in the
>theater were local Muslims-including completely veiled women.
>
>After viewing the film with a former student, he told him in Arabic, "You
>think that this film is here because of 'freedom of speech' or the new
>openness of your government, but actually God Himself has sent this film
>to correct your total misunderstanding about who Jesus is and why He came
>to earth." For two hours, the missionary and the student discussed the
>differences between Islam and Christianity, and the cross-the heart of our
>message.
>
>The missionary adds, "How interesting that God is using this film to
>communicate the Gospel [in] the very opposite spirit that might be
>motivating [Muslims] to see it. The message to love your enemies, and
>Jesus' praying for them to be forgiven while on the cross, would hit the
>Muslim moviegoer in a powerful way."
>
>With theaters in Jordan and Qatar scheduled to show the film for at least
>two months, and with videos and DVDs selling briskly, the potential is
>staggering.
>
>Isn't God amazing? He is using charges of anti-Semitism to stimulate
>Muslim mullahs to encourage their followers to see a Christian film during
>Holy Week-in essence, to make fiery darts backfire.
>
>
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>
>Copyright (c) 2004 Prison Fellowship
>
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