http://www.themcpassion.com/discussion.htmlWhat the director Rik says, and I think it is very true. Some of the megachurches in Singapore had turn Christianity into MacChrist or MacPassion:For the record, I'm a fan of both Christ himself and of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Our short film is in no way intended as a parody of either Jesus or the brutal blockbuster that detailed his final hours. It's important to say this because, even though The McPassion is only four minutes long, it's already caused more division in my creative life than any other project I've ever worked on.
I openly confess: I'm a believer, man. Nowadays, of course, the label "Christian" is used by a lot of divisive factions that I may not agree with so I always get a little nervous when tossing my faith out there without the chance to clarify; so, in short, I fully embrace the redemption uniquely offered by the atoning sacrifice made by the Lamb of God and his message of love for the whole world. Further, I don't think there is anything at all funny about his teachings, the beating he took, or the sins of humanity (past, present, and future) that gave, and continue to give, that beating purpose. As for Gibson's remarkable film, I was shaken to my core and left the theatre after watching it with a far deeper appreciation of the text, "by his stripes we're healed." I'm proud of the risk Gibson took in making that film and have incredible respect for him as an artist and storyteller.
All that said, I do believe that the increasing amount of church-directed marketing for entertainment products is fair game for parody and satire.
Companies now exist for the sole purpose of telling Hollywood how to market their films to the "church crowd" and church members are routinely told by church leaders that it is their "Christian responsibility" to buy a particular inspirational or entertainment or both product (and that's what we're talking about here, products; many of which are generating big, big dollars). And it doesn't matter if we're talking traditional, mainline churches or hip, emergent, post-modern ones with ancient-future liturgy; it's the same deal, only the pitch and packaging are different.
Look, I'm no theologian, but whatever “the Gospel” is, I know this much – it's free. No one ever has to buy another anything to get closer to God. Everywhere we turn these days, someone is selling us something. And as I understand it, the primary purpose of coming together as believers is to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed. Isn't Jesus, in a sense, the product to end all products? Why can't at least some of our gathering times be a sanctuary from commerce? Why can't the church be the one place lost and hurting people can go to heal and seek shelter from financial exploitation? From being told their lives will remain incomplete without buying this book, this pill, this...one...more...thing? Sure, filmmakers will always have to advertise and shamelessly self-promote their works (like I'm painfully doing on this web site); it comes with the territory. But can't we keep the P.T. Barnum in all of us where he belongs, on billboards and in TV commercials and out of sacraments and doxologies
