For the third week in a row Mel Gibson’s movie, ThePassion of the Christ has been number one at the box office.The movie has earnings of over $264,041,000 and is projected toovertake the Matrix Reloaded as the highest grossing R-ratedfilm in history. This is quite a feat considering the earlycontroversy and predictions of failure. Who was it that said themovie wouldn’t have any staying power?

I applaud Mr. Gibson for making this movie in spite of sometough criticism in an industry that does not even remotelyacknowledge God. He, my friends, has character and integrity.

I saw the movie two weeks ago. Personally I thought it was afantastic portrayal of a story I see as true. It was inspirationaland at the same time saddening. The depiction of the uttersinfulness of man and inability to see Christ, for who he trulywas, almost brought me to tears.

I watched intently for signs of anti-Semitism. After all, howcould I not, the months leading up to the movie’s releasewere littered with this highly publicized claim. I didn’t seeany.

Augustine De Noia, a theologian at the Vatican said it best,”What happens in the film is that each of the main characterscontributes in some way to Jesus’ fate: Judas betrays him;the Sanhedrin accuses him; the disciples abandon him; the crowdmocks him; the Roman soldiers scourge, brutalize, and finallycrucify him; and the devil, somehow, is behind the wholeaction.”

It wasn’t only the Jews, it was everybody. Including you,and yes, even me.

I don’t think I was the only one who didn’t find anyevidence either. I’ve been monitoring the media since itsrelease, and I can’t find any website or publication thatstill claims the movie to be anti-Semitic. It is funny how everyonerushed to judgment before the movie was released.

Looking back, it doesn’t surprise me that people wantedthis movie to fail. Unfortunately for them the opposite happenedand Hollywood’s eyes have finally opened to the breadth ofthe conservative Christian nation. So why all the controversy?

It was because people did not want us to be exposed to”this” Christ. These critics prefer a Christ who isonly love, someone who loves everything and everyone and toleratesall in the name of love. These are the same people who believethere is no such thing as wrong unless you sit on the right side ofthe aisle.

So when Gibson comes out with a Christ that embodies not onlylove, but judgment, sacrifice, suffering, compassion, and dare Isay, intolerance, what else were the critics to do?

They had to attack it because knowing, understanding, maybe evenbelieving in the Christ portrayed in Gibson’s movie could notbe good for their organization. The more this biblical story getsout, the more people have an opportunity to learn about who Christreally is and the less likely they are to support issues such asabortion, homosexuality, and possibly liberalism.

Unfortunately for them, Mel Gibson’s movie was a successboth on screen and off. And the controversy surrounding itcertainly didn’t hurt.

I am proud to say that the good guys won this time. If youhaven’t seen it yet, I would encourage you to do so. Whoknows, it might change your life.

Swede Hanson is a MBA student at the Cox School of Businessand host of the campus political talk show “Truth BeTold!” on KPNI – SMU Radio. He may be reached [email protected].