Today Ash Wednesday marks not only the beginning of Lent, but also the opening of Mel Gibson's controversial film "The Passion of the Christ."
The film graphically depicts the last 12 hours of Jesus' life as recounted in the Gospel stories of the New Testament.
Gibson, a traditionalist Roman Catholic, financed the $25 million project.
"I wanted to create a lasting work of art and engender serious thought among audiences of diverse faith backgrounds - or none - who have varying familiarity with the story," he said in a news release.
Gibson said he had no intention of offending anyone, but controversy surrounding the film started as early as last June when the Anti-Defamation League expressed concerns that the film would promote anti-Semitism.
In the film, Caiaphas, a Jewish high priest, leads a mob of angry Jews who are later shown chanting for the Romans to crucify Jesus. The ADL said this portrays Jews in a negative and inaccurate light.
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Dan Wolne, lecturer of religious studies at UNM, said the Scriptures of the Bible are not necessarily anti-Semitic.
"They (Scriptures) say that there were Jewish groups in Jerusalem at the time of the Passover that were instrumental in putting Jesus on the spot for the sort of things he was doing and the types of things he was preaching," he said. "Now that doesn't mean all Jews, even at the time, were responsible for his death, much less Jews across time."
Although Gibson's film has upset some Jewish community members, he cast many Jewish actors who support the film. Maia Morgenstern, a Jewish daughter of Holocaust survivors, plays the Virgin Mary. Gibson even makes a brief cameo holding the nail that is pierced through Jesus' palm as a symbolic gesture that Jesus' crucifixion was also his fault.
"He (Gibson) defends his position pretty well in saying if anybody is guilty in the death of Christ, it's all of humanity," Wolne said. "Because according to Christian theology, he wouldn't have had to die if it weren't for the sins of everybody."
Although much of the controversy surrounding the movie involves anti-Semitism, Wolne said he has different concerns about "The Passion of the Christ." He said he is worried that the film will replace the Scriptures.
"My biggest concern is that people are going to substitute the movie for the actual reading of the New Testament," Wolne said. "The fact that there's no context also concerns me. It just launches into the story of the last 12 hours of Jesus' life. It doesn't really tell why these people are mad at him. If you don't know the context, what are you supposed to think? You have to know the context of Jerusalem. You have to know a fair bit about Jesus' teachings and why he angered so many people at that time."
Wolne has mixed feelings about going to see the film because of its violent images, but he also feels he has a responsibility to see it as a teacher of world religions.
Thomas Fitzpatrick, director of the Christian Student Center, said he is eager to see "The Passion of the Christ."
"I think this is the greatest outreach opportunity for Christians in almost 2000 years," he said. "We hope it will get people talking and asking questions, and we hope the Christian community can answer those questions."
