Page 2/The Battalion/Tuesday, July 26, 1988
Mail Call
Don’t be an Ian
EDITOR:
Ian Dick, I will be one Christian who is unwilling to make the “minimal
effort” of following your prescribed plan of censorship against The Last
Temptation of Christ. Christ may (or may not) have ascended into heaven
surrounded by cherubs and serenaded by angels, but He certainly did not
arrive on earth that way. His entrance here as a baby underscores the most
fascinating thing about Him — His humanity. The true blasphemy would be
for us to assume that God presented Himself on earth through Jesus because
this method was the only way He could approach us; God must therefore
have chosen to speak through the human Jesus for a reason. Jesus, as a
human form, yet not a human, would seem to imply that God really didn’t
need a human messenger after all, and therefore just as easily could have
(and maybe should have) chosen another vehicle for His message. I applaud
the filmmaker’s desire to emphasize the humanity of Christ. This portrayal
should not be a threat to Christians — it should be a comfort. Sex is not “evil;”
eating, sleeping and being afraid are not evil — they are human. As was Jesus
Christ.
Lynda Livingston, grad student
Ian’s lesson #2
EDITOR:
Since the first days of this nation, censorship has constantly been around
to alter what people see, hear, learn and inevitably know. Censorship allowed
once for “good reason” opens the door to censorship for some “not-so-good
reasons.” Freedom’s struggle with censorship will hopefully end someday,
but not on this day.
Ian Dick (in his letter to the Editor on July 20) spoke of doing evil to stop
evil. Mr. Dick’s message is clearly an attempt to censor the movie, The Last
Temptation of Christ. Without ever having viewed this film, Mr. Dick finds it
blasphemous. Even when I agree that blasphemy is wrong, I cannot condone
censorship. I can merely hope that assertions of the truth will out weigh the
atrocities of fiction. By avoiding evil and temptation, the truth can be found
by all individuals. But by censoring any ideas in life, be they true or false or in
between, we have allowed someone else to decide what is true and what is
false, what is right and what is wrong, what is evil and what is good.
We as a nation must, like individuals, avoid the temptation of censorship.
Let each person see and hear what he chooses and through facts and
scriptures let him find truth within himself. If I were to say The Battalion
should not print Mr. Dick’s letter, I am censoring his thoughts. Instead I say
print my ideas as well and let individuals decide. In this, I have advocated the
truth and only censorship can hide it!
Paul Normandin ’84
Ian, the truth is the truth
EDITOR:
It was inevitable. A film depicting Jesus of Nazareth as less than holy is
due for release and all those who deify him go crazy. One can hardly blame
them for being less close-minded than they usually are.
I’m refering in particular to Ian Dick’s letter in which he calls on all
Christians to, among other things, threaten theaters that show The Last
Temptation of Christ with non-patronage of their theaters in the future.
Mr. Dick, if you take offense to this film’s depiction of Jesus then I take
offepse to your infringement upon my right to see Jesus as he may have lived
his life. You se.e the film as “patently blasphemous.” As you describe it, I
don’t. Besides, the filmmakers can do what they want with their portrayal of
Jesus. It’s his philosophy of life and his words of wisdom and sagacity which
have outlived his physical existence and will undoubtedly outlive the life of
this film.
If Christians are so sure that exclusively Jesus spoke the Universal Truths
then what harm can a mere film do to Truth, which will ultimately prevail
regardless of what Universal Pictures does to their man on the cross?
As for me. I’ll wait to pass judgment on the film until I see it, which is only
logical after all.
Loris Salinas ’88
More truth, Mr. Dick
EDITOR:
This letter is in response to a letter by Ian Dick published in Mail Call on
Wednesday, July 20. Come on, snap out of it Ian.
In your letter you claim that the film, The Last Temptation of Christ,
focuses on a fictitious erotic relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
Suppose, just for a second that this relationship was real. Does it really make
any difference? I would say that if Christ’s words were true, then Christ’s
character matters little. As far as I’m concerned, the truth is true whether is is
written in gold leaf on fine velum or in crayon on the outside of a garbage
can.
You claim to know that this movie is not worth watching because it is
blasphemous. Since when was fitting into any religious belief system a
requirement for having value. I, for one, might want to go see this movie. It
sounds like it could have some interesting things to say about Jesus Christ.
Can you imagine what it would be like to have to be pure beyond reason?
Mary Magdalene was a prostitute that worshipped Christ as God. Can you see
the kind of temptation that would be? There may be some possibilities for
this film that you have not even considered and you would like to have it
banned before you see it and judge for yourself. You said that the erotic
relationship that you refer to is only presented in dream sequences. Are you
suggesting that sex never crossed Jesus’ mind? Wasn’t Christ supposed to be
human as well as God.
I have a feeling that I know why you want this film to close before it
opens. If the film has no social or entertainment value, it will flop. Few
people will go to see it. The producers will lose a ton of money, and you can
sit back and consider it a sign from God that the movie was packed with lies.
If the movie is a big success, however, it might shake your Christian values.
You might have to open your mind to some more modern points of view.
I suggest that you give this movie a chance to entertain or maybe
enlighten you before you decide that it should not be seen. Or, are you afraid
that the Christian God is not powerful enough to prevent His flock from
being tempted. If this is the case, then you need a new all powerful being to
worship because yours doesn’t measure up.
Joe! Huddleston ’90
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters
for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and
must include the classification, address and telephone number of the writer.
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Opinion
Nose hazards of highway trave
Last week I
went on my merry
way to Houston (a
city, by the way,
that I shall now
and forever more
rename as The
Crime Capital of
the World). My
motives for the
trip were simple M3rk
enough — get N a j r
some food, see a
play, have a swell time. Little did I know
that I would soon be initiated into the
less than elite group of VOCASH, Vic
tims Of Crazed Attacking Street Hea
thens.
This is how the story goes:
I was driving home from a keen and
swell evening at the theater. The con
versation in the car went along; these
lines —
ME (to my Swedish friend, Frederick,
in the back seat): Gee don’t you think
all these billboards are ugly, Frederick?
FREDERICK: Yes, they’re ugly.
ME: Ah.
FREDERICK: They’re very ugly.
Very, very ugly.
ME: OK, thanks.
FREDERICK: No, I mean, they’re
really very, very, very ugly.
ME: OK, I heard you. OK.
As you can tell, it was, philosoph
ically, a very stimulating and entertain
ing conversation. That is, it was until the
DUDES showed up in their gigantic,
1979 prize lumbering automobile and
almost killed everyone around us in a
mile radius. I think their bumper sticker
said something to the effect of, “Move
out of our way or die.” (This, of course,
is a very dangerous attitude to have on
EM 1960. And no, 1960 is not a radio
station. It is a road, a street, the world’s
most dangerous thoroughfare. Those of
us in the know realize that it is one of
the nine layers of the Abyss.)
Anyway, here come the DUDES
probably at speeds exceeding the speed
of sound — certainly at speeds exceed
ing those posted at obvious intervals
along the side of the road to ensure each
and every driver a pleasant and safe
driving experience. The DUDES, al
most killing me and my screaming
Swedish friends (who, by now are
scarred for life, and if the inclination
ever hits them to return to the U.S., will
probably choose to die a miserable
death by reading about A&M’s Board of
Regents again and again and again) now
stop a few feet in front of a red light, 1
suppose waiting for me and my mainly
Honda hatchback.
And (my fatal mistake) I couldn’t re
sist. I had to yell, “Catch a clue.” But by
the time I had uttered the beginning of
my witty statement, a mean, drunk pas
senger DUDE leaped out of the car,
diming a beer can at my car like a base
ball. I drove off.
The story goes quickly from here.
The DUDES trapped me, in an apart
ment parking lot. The mean, drunk guy
with the beer can leaped out again, hit
my car with his beer can and his fist and
then (I guess not getting enough plea
sure from whacking my car with his fist)
he slugged me in the face (my window
was rolled down — no air conditioning).
And then he slugged me in the nose.
And then he slugged me in the face. All
the time I was sitting in my car, be
mused that anyone would want to hit
me of all people. I’m still bemused at
that.
I think he wanted to fight. I, of
course, had to politely decline. After all,
I didn’t want to hurt the guy. (ATTEN
TION: FOR THOSE OF YOU AT
HOME, THE PREVIOUS SENTENCE
WAS AN ATTEMPT AT HUMOR.
SAID ASSAILANT, IT ONLY HE
WERE GREEN, COULD HAVE BEEN
MISTAKEN FOR THE HULK. THE
AUTHOR DOES NOT WISH THAT
YOU THINK HE COULD HAVE
HURT SAID DRUNKEN HULKISH
ASSAILANT, EVEN WITH THE AU
THOR’S INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE
OF THE MARTIAL ARTS, WHICH
INCLUDES SEVERAL BRUCE
MOVIES AND ONCE SEE!
CHUCK NORRIS IN PERSON
■omp
Kliile
lliadc
Instead, we memorized andi
orized the licence plate numbeil
called the police. Of course, I wasi]
ing all this time, “Don’t takethelal
your own hands; take it to court’
ecstatic at the thought ofjil
Wapner, Doug, Rusty and thn
gang at the People’s Court helpir,
out.
But it doesn’t work like that.Tkij
per said that the punishment fort!
sault and battery was merelyaCJ
misdemeanor — the equivalentto:
on the wrist. The fine? About25d|
Not even any time in the joint.
That is, if they can find the guy
I Foi
Itrein
house
ith a
idoo
ide-:
ame:
Foi
iocs
littoi
Th
/ho ji
Ini
illy r
eeke
Jiir
ic “v
It ca
Inudi
licize.
I “A
Out h<
It dc
iosp'
Th
ive i
he c
So, this 1$ where I get a link-
fused. I wiV) ,in my right. At each
in the conflict I did nothingwroni]
though I did run a stop sign in the:
speed chase). I was driving safely,i (hey
don’t think “Catch a clue” wasirw 1 ^
matroy. But regardless, I got Mil
the nose and bled all over mybandJ en( . C(: ]
And is it right that if a guy thesize l
Sears Tower strolls over andbonip
other guy in the face three time!
out provocation, all he gets is a “si|
the wrist” while another guy can
cumb to nature’s call in a dark alb
if the police spot him, can beds
with a felony for indecentexposurf
I suppose then that if my assailai
stead of punching me, had togoa®
his business on my tire, he’d be gi P e xas
(
! Wh
statevv
to vas
five-to-10 in the slammer insttf
working a few hours overtime T
Donalds to pay his hefty 25 doMp j ] u
to the state while I walk around THEn
bloody bandanna, a nicely-bruw puter
trum and a dent in my car. Bl ar
institu
And if that’s justice, then Ip TH
know what injustice is. The wholt®’ es >
sounds a little crummy to me right
Mark Nair is a graduate studtif.
opinion page editor for The Balt:
>20!
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