HOME - ABOUT US - ARTICLES - NEWSLETTERS - CONTACT US - LINKS - MEMORIAL PAGE

September/October 1998

Dear Friends,

The film, "The last Temptation of Christ", has come to South Africa. Some years ago it caused an international outcry, and now in South Africa, too, there is a strong reaction against it. Mr Iyavar Chetty, the South African Film and Publications Board's senior executive officer, has "had up to 100 telephone calls a day," and a great flood of letters. In spite of this, the Board, advised by three examiners chosen by the President, allowed the film into South Africa, but only in video form and with an 18-and-up age restriction. 1) Prior to this decision, on 9 October 1998, twenty Christian groups had been invited to a preview. Thirteen people came. Among them were Charles Boyle of United Christian Action and Rev Kenneth Meshoe, M.P., leader of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP). Charles Boyle wrote: "The Film and Publications Board rightly recognises that this film might offend Christians so they asked for representatives to view the movie and give their recommendations. - The movie is extremely blasphemous as it attacks the person and character of Jesus Christ. Christ is depicted as a lustful, frightened man who is unsure if God or Satan is influencing Him. The movie has Christ questioning His role in bringing salvation. It is highly offensive and should not be available for the general public." 2)

Rev Kenneth Meshoe's reaction was similar: "I was shocked, angered and disgusted by the audacity of the film makers who portray our Lord Jesus Christ as an immoral man. Some of the scenes that angered me the most... are statements made by the 'Jesus' in this film that include the following: 'When I see a woman, I want her but I don't take her.' - 'Want to know who my God is? It's fear. Lucifer is inside of me.' - 'Judas, I'm afraid - stay with me.' - 'Judas, help me, stand with me, don't leave me.' - 'Judas, you can't leave me, you have to give me strength.' - 'Mother, I'm sorry for being a bad son.' - 'I'm a man like others. I have children and I'm happy.'" Rev Meshoe continues the list of offending images: "Jesus visiting a brothel and watching naked people having sex. - Jesus coming down from the cross to get married. - Jesus naked and in bed with Mary Magdalene. - Jesus confronting the Apostle Paul while he preaches about the resurrected Christ, saying to him (Paul), 'Don't lie to people, I was not crucified, I never rose from the dead.'" 3)

"The review panel for screening this particular movie was made up of thirteen people," says Charles Boyle. "Six voted that the movie receive the classification XX: not available for distribution. (In terms of Schedule 10 of the Publications Act it could be interpreted to incite racial or religious hatred or intolerance, or offend racial and religious beliefs). Five would have passed it with various age restrictions. (One left early, another acted as chairman and therefore had no vote). - We trust and pray that the Film and Publications Board will show integrity by upholding the majority opinion of the 13 member panel." - But, as stated above, they ruled that the film should be allowed into South Africa, though only as a video for the over-eighteens.

The Argus reported that "the zeal and spleen of Christian fundamentalists has more than tested the tolerance of the senior executive officer" (of the Film and Publications Board). South Africa was, after all, attempting "to live up to the freedoms guaranteed in its new, mostly liberal constitution." But it is Rev Peter Hammond of United Christian Action who shows how very low and absurd the promotion of this film really is. He says: "Not even all the controversy surrounding Martin Scorsese's blasphemous 1988 film, 'The Last Temptation of Christ', could salvage it from being a disaster at the box office. In fact, the 'Last Temptation' was so boring and so badly made that, far from making money, it actually lost money for Universal Pictures. It was a total financial failure. - Now after being rejected by film goers worldwide there is an attempt to import this morally repugnant example of just how low Hollywood can go to South Africa..." 4)

Images of Jesus
There is a militant campaign against not only the teachings, but also the Person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Scriptures depict Him like this: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.. In him was life, and the life was the light of men... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father." (John 1:1-4, 14) - It is this Jesus whom many want to change into His very opposite. Even leading theologians in university faculties tamper with His identity and deity. In the USA there is a group of New Testament scholars, who call themselves the "Jesus Seminar". Since 1985 they have flooded the media with controversial views of Jesus. - Following the same approach, UNISA's Institute for Theology and Religion held a conference about Jesus in September 1997 and published their findings in a book entitled "Images of Jesus", edited by Prof CW du Toit, the director of the Institute. Who should feature in it, but Nikos Kazantzakis, the communist author of the novel "The last Temptation of Christ", on which the film is based. In the chapter, "Images of Jesus in Literature," Prof. du Toit points to Kazantzaki's work as a good example of how to gain a new perspective on the Gospels. Christian Theology, he feels, has traditionally shown Jesus restricted by dogma and confessions. He says: "It is impossible to really know the historical Jesus... Images of Jesus which are made outside of church dogma, and are independent of theological interpretation, must be welcomed." 5)

This is called "the search for the historical Jesus". In the same UNISA publication Prof. J Engelbrecht discusses "Jesus on the Screen" - e.g. in the films King of kings, Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, and the Last Temptation. Countering the resistance of the churches he says: "We should not frown upon modern or contemporary inter-pretations of him", for they might "aid in freeing ... fundamentalists from the literal approach to the Bible, and the Gospels in particular..." In the chapter, "Jesus in the world religions," Mr GA van den Heever compares Jesus with Buddha, Zoroaster and Krishna, saying: "In Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity there is a powerful belief that God visits humankind in a human body. Both Buddha and Jesus are believed to have a pre-existence... In Buddhism we find a belief in Buddha Maitreya who is yet to come, while in Christianity there is the belief in the second coming of Christ.... The universalist view of Christ's relevance for humankind is in agreement with the Buddhist view that Buddha became incarnate for the salvation of the entire human race." In the chapter, "The continuing Importance of Jesus", Prof AG van Aarde states that the New Testament has reservations in referring to Jesus as God. - With such arguments the "Jesus Seminar" theologians "want to liberate Jesus," or "rescue Jesus". They want to "educate the uneducated," making them believe that the real Jesus is not the Jesus of traditional religion, but a counter-cultural figure whom the church must learn to take seriously. 6)

But when we look at the Bible we see a very different picture. Simon Peter exclaims: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answers him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 16:16-17) Jesus openly declares: "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30) He rebukes Philip, saying: "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father... Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me?" (John 14:9-10) - An awe-struck Thomas says: "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). Peter declares: "He is Lord of all." (Acts 10:36) "Our God and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Pet. 1:1) John explains: "We are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." (1Jn 5:20) And Paul concludes: "Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever." (Rom. 9:5) "In him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily." (Col. 2:9)

In trying to explain away Christ's divinity some theologians have become "vain in their imaginations". In suggesting that He was a sinful mortal who regretted his Messianic pretensions, they show that "their foolish hearts are darkened." In putting Him on a level with Buddha Maitreya or making Him the Comrade of terrorists, they change "the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man". (Rom. 1:21-23) - Prof Johan Malan, in his publication, "Die Basuin", writes: "I want to extend a friendly invitation to theologians... to prayerfully examine their standpoints with respect to Jesus Christ in the light of Biblical statements. There is tremendously much at stake: firstly your own salvation, then that of the students who are trained by you, and ultimately also the churches and the broader community whom you serve."

What then is the point and purpose of such zealous distortion of the image of Christ? The ultimate aim is surely to control and enslave mankind through "vain imaginations", to put fear into their darkened "foolish hearts" and despair into their "reprobate minds" (Rom. 1), to make them slaves of sin and slaves of one another. For freedom can be found only in Christ where His person and standards rule. God says: "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." - "Who is Jesus?" That is the question of our times. Unless people agree on the answer to this question, all other debates about the human condition are pointless... Why did Jesus die... Why did He die at Calvary... Indeed, there is only one topic that should occupy Christians: Who is Jesus and what was His work? 8) - October is the month when we remember the Reformation. Let us all learn from it, and having understood and believed, to stand up for Jesus.
May God bless you richly,

Footnotes:
1. The Argus, 2.11.98, Film provides a test of tolerance.
2. Press Release United Christian Action, 16.10.98, P O Box 23632, Claremont 7735.
3. Rev Kenneth Meshoe, MP, ACDP, P O Box 15, Cape Town 8000;
4. United Christian Action, "Blasphemous and Boring - Just how low can Hollywood go?"
5. Die Basuin, February 1998 - translated from the Afrikaans.
6. Ibid.
7. Douglas Groothuis, Searching for the real Jesus. Ibid. 8. Prof. CR Seitz, The Real Question, Christian Challenge, Sept/Oct 1998.