A Houston detective says a man who saw the movie and then talked to a spiritual adviser has confessed to murdering a woman. A coroner had ruled the pregnant woman’s death by hanging a suicide.

The woman’s body was found in her apartment southwest of Houston in January. The detective says all physical evidence pointed to suicide.

He says the perpetrator “was very, very meticulous,” wearing gloves and leaving none of his own DNA behind. Officials say the pregnancy appears to be the motive -- with the perpetrator believing he was the father.

The detective says suspect Dan Leach apparently felt that “to have redemption he would have to confess his sin and do his time.” The 21-year-old faces up to life in prison if convicted.

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Open letter on ‘The Passion of the Christ’ (WorldNetDaily, 040206)

By Dr. James Dobson

Dear Friends:

It isn’t often that I find myself speaking favorably about a modern movie, but there is a film being released this month that I believe is among the most powerful and important ever made. I’m talking about “The Passion of the Christ,” a dramatic recounting of our Savior’s final hours on earth, including His crucifixion and resurrection.

You’ve probably already heard something about this movie, as it has received a great deal of press (much of it negative) in recent months. I’ll address the controversy surrounding “The Passion of the Christ” in a moment, but first some general information. The film has been directed by one of the most prominent and well-known movie stars of our time, Mel Gibson (in addition to appearing in countless Hollywood blockbusters, Mr. Gibson directed and starred in the Oscar-winning Scottish epic “Braveheart”). According to NewMarket Films, the company releasing “The Passion of the Christ” here in the U.S., the script was “adapted from a composite account of the Passion assembled from the four biblical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.”

The movie is designed to provide an authentic representation of the events surrounding Christ’s death. All of the characters in the film speak the original languages heard at the time, including Aramaic and Latin. (In the early stages of production, Mr. Gibson intended to release the film without subtitles. However, at the urging of many who saw early screenings of “The Passion of the Christ,” English subtitles have been added.) In the U.S. and Canada, the movie is being released on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25, which signifies the beginning of Lent.

I had the privilege of viewing a “rough cut” of the movie last summer during a writing trip to California, and again in September. I can say that, in addition to being faithful to the essentials of the biblical account, it is easily the most heart-wrenching, powerful portrayal of Christ’s suffering that I have ever seen. Shirley and I were deeply moved by the stark depiction of the brutality and humiliation that Jesus endured on our behalf. Other preview screenings have had a similar effect, leaving audience members either weeping openly or hushed in reverent silence.

Mel Gibson also traveled to Focus on the Family headquarters last year to show an early version of “The Passion of the Christ” to several members of our executive staff. After seeing the film, our ministry president, Don Hodel, and executive vice president, Del Tackett, (Shirley and I were out of town at the time) issued statements praising the movie for its historical accuracy and its powerful portrayal of Christ’s sacrifice. Gibson himself has said that, in making the movie, “I wanted to bring you there and I wanted to be true to the Gospels.”

Mr. Gibson’s earnest desire to accurately portray Christ’s suffering for humankind – and to share that pivotal moment in history with a mass audience – is tremendously refreshing to me. He has gone to great lengths to ensure that the movie will encourage, rather than offend, the millions of Christians around the world for whom the death and resurrection of Jesus hold such profound meaning. Indeed, over the past year, he has shown footage to numerous Christian and Jewish leaders around the country, not for the purpose of promotion, but to solicit their feedback.

When Mr. Gibson brought his movie to Focus headquarters last year, it was clear that he was genuinely interested in our opinions and respectful of our views. He could easily have sent one of his representatives here to show the film and request our endorsement. Rather, he appeared personally, without any fanfare, in order to address any questions and concerns we might have had.

A devout Catholic, Mel Gibson has repeatedly emphasized the fact that he felt called by God to bring “The Passion of the Christ” to the big screen. During one interview, he said, “I’m not a preacher, and I’m not a pastor. But I really feel my career was leading me to make this [movie]. The Holy Ghost was working through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic. I hope the film has the power to evangelize ... Everyone who worked on this movie was changed. There were agnostics and Muslims on set converting to Christianity.” When was the last time you heard a major Hollywood star make a statement of such magnitude?

Apparently, however, the idea of a movie that accurately portrays the death and resurrection of Christ and that “has the power to evangelize” is more than certain members of the liberal media establishment can stomach. As a result, “The Passion of the Christ,” throughout its production, has been the source of great controversy. More specifically, the movie – and Mel Gibson himself – have been mercilessly dogged by liberal commentators hurling unfair criticism and baseless allegations of anti-Semitism.

The reasoning proffered by many of these cultural elitists is that the movie’s characterization of the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day and its depiction of the angry mob calling for His crucifixion could lead viewers to the conclusion that the Jews were exclusively responsible for killing Christ. “The Passion of the Christ,” they somberly intone, could therefore be a catalyst for renewed outbreaks of anti-Jewish sentiment around the world.

Despite repeated assurances from Mr. Gibson that his film does not seek to malign Jews – or any other group – the attacks have come fast and furious. That “The Passion of the Christ” endeavors to remain true to the Gospel accounts is no excuse in the minds of those who wish Mel Gibson and his movie would just go away.

Columnist James Carroll of the Boston Globe, a subsidiary of the New York Times, went so far as to suggest that “Even a faithful repetition of the Gospel stories of the death of Jesus can do damage exactly because those sacred texts themselves carry the virus of Jew hatred.” Does Mr. Carroll really expect readers to believe that the Gospels – written by Jews about a Jewish Messiah and His Jewish disciples – are anti-Semitic? His assertion is so ridiculous and foolish as to be laughable.

Among Mel Gibson’s liberal critics, New York Times columnist Frank Rich has been one of the most vocal and vitriolic. In one particularly nasty diatribe, Rich characterized Gibson as a “Jew-baiter” and endeavored to malign the actor’s elderly father, who has absolutely no connection to the movie whatsoever. Mr. Rich suggested that Gibson was “sowing religious conflict” by not inviting a sufficient number of Jews to attend preview screenings of the movie. (As you may know, Mr. Rich has a long and illustrious record of disdain for everyone and everything that fails to live up to his “enlightened” liberal ideals. In recent years, he has referred to yours truly as “The Godzilla of the Right” and compared me to Ku Klux Klan member David Duke, endeavored to link conservative Christians with the Oklahoma City bombing and Promise Keepers with the militia movement, and blamed the Family Research Council for the death of Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard.) Rich is rabidly anti-Christian in almost every context.

In my estimation, the liberal backlash against “The Passion of the Christ” is incredibly significant. Shaky charges of “anti-Semitism” are really just a smokescreen. I believe the real problem the liberal establishment has with this movie is that it has the audacity to portray Christ as He really was – not only as a historical figure, but as the Savior of mankind. That is an offense to the postmodern sensibilities of our morally relativistic culture. The fact that Mel Gibson actually hopes to use his movie as a vehicle for evangelism only adds fuel to the fire.

Columnist David Limbaugh put it best when he said:

How ironic that when a movie producer takes artistic license with historical events, he is lionized as artistic, creative and brilliant, but when another takes special care to be true to the real-life story, he is vilified ... The moral is that if you want the popular culture to laud your work on Christ, make sure it either depicts Him as a homosexual or as an everyday sinner with no particular redeeming value (literally). In our post-Christian culture, criticism of the blasphemous “The Last Temptation of Christ” is celebrated, and “The Passion [of the Christ]” is condemned.

Stated another way, criticism of “The Last Temptation of Christ” brought angry protests of “censorship” from Hollywood and the media, whereas objections to “The Passion of the Christ” are considered entirely valid. This is yet another example of a powerful double standard.

In one sense, I suppose we should not be surprised when the true story of Christ – whether depicted on film or declared from the pulpit – creates controversy. The Apostle Paul reminds us that “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (I Corinthians 1:18). There is no denying that there is a spiritual element to the uproar surrounding “The Passion of the Christ,” as well.

Mel Gibson seemed to recognize this himself when, in a recent interview, he described the controversy over his movie as evidence of “big realms that are warring and battling.”

In another interview, he noted that one of his primary motivations in making the movie was precisely “to show that turmoil around [Jesus] politically and with religious leaders and the people, all because He is Who He is ... This is not a Christian vs. Jewish thing. ‘[Jesus] came into the world, and it knew him not.’ Looking at Christ’s crucifixion, I look first at my own culpability in that.”

Indeed, many Jewish viewers who have seen the movie paint a picture that stands in stark contrast to the alarmist posturing of Frank Rich and his cronies. David Horowitz has noted that “there is no finger pointing at Jews in the film, and it is unsustainable to suggest that this will provoke Christians into violence against Jews.” Alan Sereboff, a Jewish screenwriter who has previously worked with Gibson’s company, said, “As a Jew I left the movie feeling a greater sense of friendship and closeness to my Christian brothers and sisters than I ever thought imaginable.” And noted movie critic and radio host Michael Medved has called “The Passion of the Christ” “by far the most moving, substantive, and artistically successful adaptation of biblical material ever attempted by Hollywood.”

Praise from Christian viewers has been equally effusive. Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan said of the movie: “I came away reassured. It is a moving film, and what it moves you to is tears, and thought ... It leaves you indicting yourself: It leaves you wondering about what your part in that agonizing drama would have been back then, and what your part is today.” Billy Graham, who described himself as having been “moved to tears” by the film, said: “After watching “The Passion of the Christ,” I feel as if I have actually been there ... The film is faithful to the Bible’s teaching that we are all responsible for Jesus’ death, because we have all sinned.”

WorldNetDaily columnist Joseph Farah echoed those sentiments and explained why the liberal media’s charges of “anti-Semitism” are without merit: “Followers of Jesus believe we are all responsible – all human beings, alive, dead or yet to be born – for crucifying Jesus ... He bore our sins and they were nailed to that tree the day He died. We don’t blame anyone but ourselves. To do so would miss out on the grace He offered with His shed blood.”

Having shared a few of the details concerning “The Passion of the Christ,” may I now encourage you to take the time to go see the movie when it is released on the 25th of this month? As Christians, we often decry the immoral films that Hollywood routinely releases, and rightly so. However, in addition to avoiding movies that are immoral or otherwise disparaging of Christianity, we must do everything we can to support those rare films that, like “The Passion of the Christ,” are both edifying and uplifting.

For years, Hollywood executives have justified their constant barrage of sex-and-debauchery-soaked movies by saying, “We’re only releasing what the public wants to see!” Many movie industry executives refuse to admit that there is a viable audience for stories and characters that extol biblical virtues. “The Passion of the Christ” presents us with a powerful opportunity to prove them wrong.

In the competitive entertainment market, a movie’s opening weekend is widely considered to be the measure of success or failure. If a film fails to draw strong numbers during its first few days of release, it is generally considered a “flop.” Therefore, I want to encourage you to consider seeing “The Passion of the Christ” either on its opening day, or soon thereafter. (For information on advance ticket sales and group tickets, you can visit the official movie website at www.thepassionofthechrist.com.)

Don’t wait for the film to run its course in theaters or to be released on DVD. You have a couple of extra days to choose from, as “The Passion of the Christ” is being released on a Wednesday, whereas most films open on Fridays. If you can’t see the movie on opening day, I hope you’ll consider seeing it sometime between Thursday (the 26th) and Sunday (the 29th). If “The Passion of the Christ” does big business during this period, the entertainment industry might finally begin to get the message that audiences are hungry for movies that offer more than the typical Hollywood diet of blasphemy and obscenity.

……

Before closing, I want to offer a few words of clarification on two matters related to Mel Gibson’s film. First, although accurate to the biblical account, you need to know that “The Passion of the Christ” is excruciatingly violent in its depiction of our Savior’s scourging and crucifixion. As such, it is wholly inappropriate for young children.

In any other context, I could not in good conscience recommend a movie containing this degree of violent content. However, in this case, the violence is intended not to titillate or entertain, but to emphasize the reality of the unspeakable suffering that our Savior endured on our behalf. Christian recording artist Christy Nockels of Watermark, put the violent nature of the film in perspective by saying, “It is extremely graphic, but through each scene my heart kept taking me back to Isaiah 53:5: ‘By His stripes we are healed.’” Speaking personally, I was deeply affected by a single thought while watching the movie: I did this to Jesus.

Second, I’m aware that many of my readers may have some questions about Mel Gibson himself. On the one hand, he has appeared in a number of films containing content that many Christians would find offensive. On the other, his staunch adherence to Catholic beliefs and doctrines might be upsetting to those who come from a more evangelical and Protestant persuasion. Please know that, in discussing this project, I am not offering a blanket endorsement of either Mr. Gibson’s personal beliefs or his past work. I can only say that, when it comes to “The Passion of the Christ,” I believe it has the potential to dramatically impact Christian viewers and, even more importantly, change the lives of the many unsaved audience members who could potentially be drawn to it.

There are no specific references to unique Catholic doctrine in the film – it is a straightforward depiction of what both Protestants and Catholics agree is the single most important event in human history. The movie simply endeavors to show audiences, in the words of the Apostle Paul, “nothing ... except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (I Corinthians 2:2).

Whether you decide to see “The Passion of the Christ” or not, with Easter on the horizon, I hope that you will take some time in the coming weeks to reflect on Christ’s death and resurrection and to consider the inestimable significance that those events hold in the lives of those of us who claim Him as King. He paid the penalty for our sins so that we might be reconciled with our Father in Heaven. The prophet Isaiah captured the magnitude of that moment most eloquently:

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. – Isaiah 53:3-5

And now, 2,000 years after His earthly life – in the age of movies and satellites and the Internet – the Suffering Servant beckons to us still. To those who hear and respond to His call, He offers the promise of grace, forgiveness, restoration and a glorious eternity. That is Good News, indeed!

Sincerely,

James C. Dobson, Ph.D.

Founder and Chairman

Focus On The Family

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Big Turnout for ‘Passion’ Opening (FN, 040225)

NEW YORK — Mel Gibson is set to find out just how passionate Americans are about “The Passion of the Christ,” his controversial new film which opens across the nation today, Ash Wednesday.

Many of the 2,800 theaters showing the film report that today’s showings are sold out and some theaters held early-morning screenings.

In the Dallas suburb of Plano, an estimated 6,000 people filled all 20 auditoriums at a Cinemark theater to watch the film. All the tickets had been bought and donated by a local churchgoer.

“It’s about faith, love, hope and forgiveness ... These are good, valuable messages to send out there,” Gibson told Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly in an interview.

But critics — including several newspaper and online film reviewers — have said “The Passion of the Christ” is too violent and some accused it of being anti-Semitic.

Those concerns, however, did not discourage many theatergoers.

“I hope everybody sees it with an open mind,” said Rick Pierce, 53, a Baptist who sipped coffee and chewed on a breakfast burrito at the Plano theater before the first showing.

Elsewhere across the nation, some couldn’t wait for morning screenings. More than 100 people watched the midnight showing at the ArcLight Cinemas in Los Angeles.

“I’m in shock. I’m physically weak. I’m emotional,” said Joseph Camerieri, a 39-year-old paralegal student from Los Angeles who was trying to hold back tears after seeing the film.

“I think if you’re a Christian it will increase your faith tenfold in what Christ has done for you. If you’re not a Christian, you’ll probably treat others with more love.”

In the central Pennsylvania community of Bellefonte, about 50 people attended a showing after midnight. Viewers groaned as Jesus was nailed to the cross, and muffled cries could be heard during more than an hour of Jesus’ torture, crucifixion and death. In the end, as Jesus rises from the grave, some in the audience quietly celebrated.

“To me, that was the important part,” said Aaron Tucker, an English major at Penn State. “I’m like, ‘Oh, victory!’ There’s more to this movie than just the violence. It’s about triumph.”

In Plano, Arch Bonnema, a financial planner, reserved the entire Cinemark Tinseltown 20 theater, spending $42,000 of his own money on tickets.

“When you see the sacrifice that Jesus made, it makes you feel like, I have to do something better with my life,” said Bonnema, 50, a lifelong Christian inspired to act after seeing a special screening of the movie.

Popcorn and soft drinks remained on the concession menu — but theater managers bet that most early morning moviegoers would rather choose breakfast pastries and orange juice.

A cadre of ministers were on hand to reach out to moviegoers.

“Not to preach a sermon,” said the Rev. Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist where Bonnema is a member and president of the Southern Baptist Convention, “but to sum up the message and meaning of the cross. ... We anticipate that there will be a tremendous outpouring of God’s favor on this movie.”

Funded and directed by Gibson, the film has received decidedly mixed reviews from critics. Some have praised Gibson’s total commitment to his subject: The Oscar-winning filmmaker says the movie is both an attempt to faithfully render the Gospels and a personal vision. Others see it as excessively bloody, obsessed with cruelty and unfair in its portrayal of Jews.

But following months of hype, curiosity about the movie is almost insatiable.

After seeing “The Passion” a few months ago, Bonnema called his wife, Sherry, and told her, “Honey, we’ve got to get as many people as we can to see this film because it’s changed my life.”

With her blessing, he approached Cinemark about reserving a single auditorium. Theater officials told him that would be fine, but he would need to do so before regular operating hours.

“If it’s before hours, aren’t all of them empty?” Bonnema recalled asking. “So I called my wife back and said, ‘What do you think about getting 6,000 seats?’”

She agreed, even though she hadn’t seen the film herself.

The Bonnemas gave 3,000 tickets to their church and 1,000 to the Dallas Theological Seminary.

That left them with 2,000 — but not for long.

“I put out an e-mail to friends in the Dallas-Fort Worth area,” Arch Bonnema said. “In three days, I had 23,000 requests.”

Ordinarily, showing the same movie on 20 screens would be impossible because of a lack of prints, said Terrell Falk, spokeswoman for Plano-based Cinemark USA, which owns about 300 theaters in 33 states.

But in this case, Cinemark made special arrangements to borrow prints from its other area theaters.

“We’ll show it early in the morning, then take them to the other theaters,” Falk said.

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Koppel Tackles The Passion: Jesus, Jews, and the year’s most controversial film (NRO, 040224)

Is Mel Gibson’s new film anti-Semitic?

The media is obsessed with the question. Diane Sawyer asked Gibson point blank on national television if he’s an anti-Semite. A Newsweek cover story, “Who Killed Jesus?” called The Passion of the Christ a “powerful but troubling new movie” based on “Christian narratives” that have “long fueled the fires of anti-Semitism.” New York Times columnist Frank Rich accused Gibson of promoting his film “by baiting Jews.”

Several leading American Jewish organizations are driving the debate. Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League simultaneously says Gibson is not anti-Semitic, then accuses Gibson of “classic anti-Semitism.” He says the film “unambiguously portrays Jewish authorities and the Jewish mob as the ones responsible for the decision to crucify Jesus” and warns it “could fuel the hatred, bigotry and anti-Semitism that many responsible churches have worked hard to repudiate.” David Elcott of the American Jewish Congress said The Passion “reasserts offensive stereotypes about Jews” and “undermines the sense of community that has existed between Jews and Christians for decades in its unnecessary and destructive imagery of Jews.”

Tonight, ABC’s Ted Koppel — who is Jewish and whose wife is Catholic — tackles the controversy for a Nightline special (Channel 7 in Washington, 11:35 P.M. EST). Monday night, my wife and I and five others from McLean Bible Church watched a sneak preview of The Passion with Koppel at the Regal Cinema in Sterling, Virginia. We were interviewed by Koppel for about an hour afterwards about our perspective on the film and the debate surrounding it. Nightline also separately taped interviews with a number of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish leaders for the program.

Koppel’s team contacted McLean last week after learning the church rented ten local movie theaters to show The Passion on 40 screens over four nights. Members have purchased 11,300 tickets, primarily to bring non-Christian family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. Each showing is followed by a five-minute talk by one of the church’s pastors explaining how to become a Christian and inviting people to a three week Bible study called “Personalizing The Passion.” Also of interest to the Nightline team: McLean’s senior pastor Lon Solomon was raised Jewish and is on the board of Jews for Jesus. Of the 8,000 Washingtonians who typically attend one of McLean’s eight weekend services, some 200 are from a Jewish background, including two of us interviewed by Koppel last night.

The Passion is a tough film to watch, and an even tougher film to be interviewed about immediately following. Tension builds from the first images. Gibson takes viewers on one of the most brutal and emotionally exhausting cinematic rides of their lives, earning his “R” rating along the way. The evil is real and palpable. The film is awash in blood. Lynn and I have three sons, and another baby on the way. We were in tears seeing Mary watch the endless, senseless torture and execution of her oldest son. And I think it’s fair to say all seven of us appreciated all the time it took for the Nightline crew to wire us up for sound, adjust the lights, position the three television cameras, and work out the technical details for the interview. We all felt like we’d had the oxygen sucked out of us and we needed a few minutes to gather our thoughts.

Koppel, to his credit, was a reporter, not a tabloid talk-show host. He made no effort to sensationalize his interview. Indeed, he’d just seen the film for the first time himself, sitting side by side with us, and he let us begin by talking about our first impressions of the film. But soon he got to the central question of the night, and of the entire debate. Let me paraphrase his question, best as I can remember it. Now, two of you are Jewish converts to Christianity. Were you disturbed by what you saw, especially in that room when Jesus was dragged before the Sanhedrin and the Jewish priests were condemning Jesus to die? I mean, they were portrayed as a pretty nasty, pretty ugly bunch.

Fairfax County Supervisor Stu Mendelsohn, a Jewish believer in Jesus for the past eleven years, answered first. He was not disturbed by the scene to which Koppel referred, nor did he see the film as anti-Semitic. Yes, there were some Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus, but Mendelsohn noted there were others who thought the trial was a travesty and tried to defend Jesus. He pointed out that throughout the film (as well in the New Testament accounts) Jews — as well as Romans — had sharply different reactions to Jesus and what was happening to him. All of us agreed the Romans had the final say in the execution of Jesus, and Roman brutality couldn’t have been more graphically presented.

My reaction was a little bit different. As I told Koppel, my father was raised Orthodox Jewish in Brooklyn as a first-generation American. His parents and grandparents escaped out of a brutal wave of anti-Semitism in Russia around 1905 when the Czar was wiping out town after town of Jews. By God’s grace, his family got out of Minsk. By God’s grace, they didn’t settle in Poland, or Austria, or Germany. They got to Ellis Island and found religious freedom here in the U.S. My father (and mother) became believers in Jesus as the Messiah in 1973, when I was six. It took me until I was 17 until I wrestled it all out for myself, and became a believer as well. Thus, I’m sympathetic both to the Gospel and to the Gibson story line.

The Passion is not anti-Semitic, and I told Koppel that point blank. But that said, I also told him I understand the concerns Jews have that the film could be used by anti-Semites to justify their hatred and attacks. Horrible things have been done to Jews by people claiming to be followers of Christ while disobeying Jesus’ command that his followers love their neighbors as themselves. It is critical at this moment in Church history that we not turn a blind eye to that history, but be sensitive to Jewish fears and outspoken about the true message of the Gospel, one of forgiveness and reconciliation.

One of the things I find so powerful about Gibson’s film is that it presents Jesus as the Jewish Savior of the world. Jesus was Jewish. His parents were Jewish. His followers were Jewish. Most of the crowds listening to him preach were Jewish. Jesus said “salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22). Jesus said he was the Jewish Messiah (John 4:25-26). When the Romans drove the nails into his hands in the Gibson film, Jesus (played by James Caviezel) says, “Father, forgive them.” When the Jewish High Priest tells Jesus to come down from the cross and thus prove to be the Messiah, Jesus again cries out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Koppel and I talked about how the Apostle Paul was himself a Jewish leader who persecuted Christians until he came to the realization that Jesus really is the Messiah. Paul went on to command the church at Rome specifically to be compassionate towards the Jews. “I am not ashamed of the gospel,” he wrote in Romans 1:16, “because it is the power of salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” Paul reiterated Jesus’ point that salvation is from the Jews in Romans, chapter nine. Indeed, Paul specifically warned the church at Rome not to get arrogant, or to think that God has cursed the Jewish people. “Did God reject his people? By no means! God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew,” he wrote in Romans, chapter eleven. He conceded that many Jews don’t yet understand that Jesus is the Messiah, but added: “Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all!”

How will Nightline finally present the controversy over The Passion, and how much of the interview with the seven of us from McLean Bible Church will make it on the air tonight? We shall see. But Lynn and I drove home from our evening with Ted Koppel last night struck anew by how important this national debate is. It is time for Christians to make it clear to our Jewish neighbors: We are all responsible for Jesus’ death. The real question is: How do we respond to the news that He rose again three days later?

— Joel C. Rosenberg is the New York Times best-selling author of The Last Jihad and The Last Days, and a former senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Deputy Prime Minister Natan Sharanksy.