# Passion of the Christ and Fahrenheit 911 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 30, 2004, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843 "2004-06-30T05:48:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/1 "2004-06-30T05:48:22Z")
First, I’ll admit I don’t plan on seeing F911. I have limited time & money for movies & don’t think it would enlighten or entertain me as much as it would piss me off (and not at George W.). And I loved PotC and found time & money to see it three times. These two movies do seem to have in common their polarizing effects, which got me to wondering- would it be fair to say that a person who liked one film would not like the other, that some people may dislike both, but that the fewest people would like both? and also (and I tried to Google info on this with no luck), did George W or anyone in BushCo 😃 publically comment on seeing PotC? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/2 "2004-06-30T06:05:45Z")
There are liberal Christians, and there are conservative Christians who dislike GWB. My mom is a very conservative Christian who never saw the Passion (thought it might be too intense), but intends on seeing F9/11 very soon. I think pigeon-holing certain “types” of people as a potential target audiences is silly. I saw the Passion and plan on seeing F9/11 tommorrow night. I also plan on enjoying it very much. 🙂 Despite what politicans and the media will have you believe, very few people are hard-core conservative right-wing Christian Republicans or hard-core liberal athiest bleeding-heart Democrats. Most people fall in the middle, and can get as much from seeing their Lord flogged as their president. Happy ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/3 "2004-06-30T06:10:17Z")
I haven’t seen F911 yet, although I plan to, and I expect to like it. I generally like most of Moore’s work, and from what I’ve heard, this is supposed to be one of his best movies yet. I did see _Passion of the Christ_, though, and I thought it was one of the best films I’d seen all year. So, based on my sample of one, I can affirmatively say that your hypothesis is entirely false. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/4 "2004-06-30T09:51:13Z")
I saw “The Passion of the Christ” and thought it was a rather good movie (not perfect, but overall very good). I saw “Fahrenheit 9/11” and thought it was a rather good movie (not perfect, but overall very good). I’m an atheist. My political views can’t really be generalized into a “conservative” or “liberal” label. Just another data-point. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/5 "2004-06-30T10:45:08Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > First, I’ll admit I don’t plan on seeing F911. I have limited time & money for movies & don’t think it would enlighten or entertain me as much as it would piss me off (and not at George W.). And I loved PotC and found time & money to see it three times. I have no cites, but I’ll bet a lot of atheists, like me, went to see **The Passion of the Christ** just so if we talked about it, we’d know what we’d be talking about, rather than rely on reviews, articles and other people’s posts. Yet, I hear all over the place conservative-types mentioning that they have no intentions of seeing **Fahrenheit 9/11** but plenty of them are sure willing to talk about it based on reviews, articles and other people’s posts. Weird. (Yes, I do plan on seeing **Michael Moore Hates America** so I won’t be an ignorant liberal when/if I speak of it) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/6 "2004-06-30T11:35:49Z")
I saw Passion because I was interested in the subject matter. I won’t see F9/11 because I don’t like Moore. The two are unrelated. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/7 "2004-06-30T11:59:41Z")
Lots of conservative Christians would love to see Dubya get scourged like Jesus did. Starting a war is inherantly un-Christian. Also, I’ve noticed that whether you are conservative or liberal has nothing whatsoever to do with whether you are pro-war or anti-war. There are plenty of anti-war conservatives, and plenty of pro-war liberals. You can find both where I work. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/8 "2004-06-30T12:07:56Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > I saw Passion because I was interested in the subject matter. I won’t see F9/11 because I don’t like Moore. The two are unrelated. Yet you seem to stick your nose into lots of threads concerning the movie. Why is that? You’re proud of being ignorant about the movie yet able to quote talking points and have opinions not your own. It’s just funny, s’all. Just seeing your name makes me smirk a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/9 "2004-06-30T12:16:48Z")
I apologise for the seeming personal attack on Liberal. I meant, seeing names of **anyone** who has no intention of seeing the movie in F9/11 threads makes me smirk. A bit. Ok, a lot. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/10 "2004-06-30T12:41:24Z")
I saw both in the theater - liked one, thought the other was crap. I won’t say which was which. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/11 "2004-06-30T12:50:20Z")
There are a lot of Catholics who don’t like what GWB has done at all – including the Pope and my Mom. I’d suspect there are a lot of people who would like both movies. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/12 "2004-06-30T13:14:03Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Yet you seem to stick your nose into lots of threads concerning the movie. Why is that? You’re proud of being ignorant about the movie yet able to quote talking points and have opinions not your own. > > It’s just funny, s’all. Just seeing your name makes me smirk a bit. What I have expressed my opinions about, as you know if you’ve paid attention, is Moore himself and interviews that I have seen with him and with people who have seen his film. All my comments have cleared been labelled with who said what, including fellow liberals who saw the film but found it to be inaccurate or dishonest. I am entitled to comment on what I have seen and what I have heard, and that is what I have done. I was also entitled to respond to the OP’s poll, I think without rude and irrelevant rebuttals. Incidentally, Moore himself despises Democrats. In his interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer, he stated, “If you know anything about me, anybody who’s followed me, I’m the anti-Democrat. I have railed against the Democrats for a long time. They have been a weak-kneed, wimpy party that hasn’t stood up to the Republicans. They let the working people down across this country. I rallied against Clinton when he was in office. I didn’t vote for him in ‘96. I didn’t vote for Gore in 2000.” ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/13 "2004-06-30T13:15:22Z")
I’m with **interface2x** - saw both, really liked one, really didn’t care for the other. Didn’t care for the other so much so that I regret seeing it. I agree with other posters, too. I saw both movies because I was interested in the subject matter and wanted to see what the producers had to say before I go off shooting my mouth about it. Don’t like Moore or don’t want to hear what he has to say? Fine, don’t see the movie - but then don’t go talking about it as if you understand his points, either. Snicks ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/14 "2004-06-30T13:26:34Z")
Then by the same token, may we say that we ought not to speculate about other people’s intentions until we have lived their lives please? ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/15 "2004-06-30T13:35:37Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > I was also entitled to respond to the OP’s poll, I think without rude and irrelevant rebuttals. You’re right, and I apologised for singling you out. > [@Liberal](#): > > Incidentally, Moore himself despises Democrats. In his interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer, he stated, “If you know anything about me, anybody who’s followed me, I’m the anti-Democrat. I have railed against the Democrats for a long time. **They have been a weak-kneed, wimpy party that hasn’t stood up to the Republicans.** They let the working people down across this country. I rallied against Clinton when he was in office. I didn’t vote for him in ‘96. I didn’t vote for Gore in 2000.” I did vote for Clinton and Gore, but I do agree with the bolded part wholeheartedly. I don’t care who Moore does or doesn’t like. I didn’t like Clinton any more than Moore did, so his statements don’t bother me at all. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/16 "2004-06-30T14:25:22Z")
To answer the OP: I really don’t like Mel Gibson, but I wanted to see **Passion of the Christ**. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and was very much affected by it in a positive way. I really don’t like Michael Moore, but I wanted to see **Fahrenheit 9/11**. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and was very much affected by it in a positive way. -Munch, liberal Catholic ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/17 "2004-06-30T17:42:26Z")
I didn’t see **Passion of the Christ** because I have no interest in the subject. Consequently, I do not feel it is my place to criticize nor condemn the movie and its viewers. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/18 "2004-06-30T18:10:03Z")
I saw PotC and was nearly bored out of my seat. Being an atheist I went in only asking to be entertained and I felt that Gibson failed to pull that off. I also saw F/911 and felt kind of “eh” about it. I pretty much knew everything he was saying already, and I was surprised how much stock news footage and public knowledge facts he used. I was also bored in a lot of places. Overall I guess I would say F/911 was a bad movie with a good message and PotC was a bad movie with a bad message. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/19 "2004-06-30T19:49:10Z")
Hi, **Ted**! I saw F9/11 and thoroughly enjoyed it. I haven’t seen PotC but not for the reasons implied in your OP. As you’ll probably recall from our prior conversations, I have a high regard, although not a worshiper’s regard, for Jesus of Nazareth. I went to see the _Last Temptation_ and found it insulting, portraying the man as a sort of mindless wind-up automaton, a ‘salvaton’ I guess you could say, doing the things necessary and required of a Messiah™ without having (as far as the movie showed) the vaguest idea why any of this was happening. I’ve delayed catching PotC due to descriptions that make me think I’d be similarly disappointed —while not presenting Jesus as an airhead, it is said to represent him as a brave and stoical person who is subjected to a long and drawn-out and graphical sequence of violence which is never explained, following which he rises up in a state of high apostolic piss-off. Also several descriptions of the PotC version of Jesus as some kind of hypermasculine guy exhibiting warrior-virtues — don’t know what that means but it doesn’t sound promising. Curious to see how you’d review it, I may want to see it yet. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843/20 "2004-06-30T20:06:37Z")
I don’t plan on seeing either. I don’t like fiction. :d&r: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passion-of-the-christ-and-fahrenheit-911/252843.md?page=2)