Movie raises other key issues

To the editor:

I recently attended the showing of Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ." It seemed to be a fairly accurate description of the events surrounding Jesus' death according to the Scriptures.

The violence in the movie was very graphic. Some who say Christians are being hypocritical when they profess love and kindness and then urge others to see this movie are missing the point: Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

There seems to be some controversy over who's to blame for Jesus' death. You need only look in the mirror. Jesus said all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

What puzzles me is the silence of Jews on the controversy regarding the Ten Commandments, which are found in the Old Testament and are regarded (by the ACLU) as part of a religion and therefore should not be allowed in schools or other public places.

I challenge that thinking on the grounds that the Ten Commandments is a historical document that is part of the Jewish people's heritage. We can hang the Declaration of Independence, which mentions God, in our schools and public buildings.

There comes a time when every person has to stand up and say enough is enough. If we don't, our democracy will fail and we will no longer be governed by the will of the people but by a small group who would deny our godly heritage as a Christian nation.

WILLIAM RINGPFIEL

Cape Girardeau