[YouTube]
It was the summer of 82, when a priest, about to be ordered, was exhausted by temptations and an arrogant girl felt passionately in love… A sifted memory and a personal history of a narrator who tells with nostalgia and poetry the meeting of his parents until their marriage. [IMDb]
The Church apparently didn’t like Joe Bou Eid’s movie and saw it offending to priests and Christianity. It’s simple though: If you don’t like it, don’t go watch it because banning it will not get more people to Church.
“About to be ORDERED…”..lol
Dear sir,
i don t agree with your suggestion :if you don t like it don t go to watch it because banning it will not get more people to church. it s like if you are saying : drugs are not good from your point of view,then don t take them , because if you prohibit drugs then your interdiction will not ameliorate the health of human beings …. i will not reply later on on any comments … i respect all your points of view , but you should also respect me , my church, my country, and don t look for smart answers to convince me or convince others about this film
Get over it – it’s a movie. If you think an artistic endeavour affects and disrespects your faith, you really need to get out more.
If you think God will be upset because of it then we all have a lot more to worry about than a film.
Drugs are against the law. Has that ameliorated the health of human beings?
And I have never seen such an arrogant response as yours – “I will not reply later on any comments” – who cares if you reply or not, your comment was ridiculous and you know it. The real reason you won’t answer is because you don’t have a valid argument.
Mr. Toufic, you don’t need convincing about the film, you need convincing that the year is 2012. Enjoy the Middle Ages.
Very very very well said!! You articulated what I was thinking in a perfect way, thank you for that 😉
I personally loved the movie. All this commotion about the church being offended was due to Tony Khalife’s episode of lil nasher. He based his entire episode attacking the movie based on “trusted sources” opinions! He never actually watched the movie! It’s a work of art, and even if someone didnt like it, why does everything in Lebanon have to turn political and religion? Why does noone mention that the modern day romeo and juliet (as they call it) was based on a true story, based on facts that happened in certain events, and is simply a view of this director? Does it have to be “yawaleee 7eki 3an l deen! lezim nkaserlu ejre w ne7re2lu bayto” with anybody who dares go outside teh typical Lebanese war movie?! Its called art, not politics.
banning the movie would push more people to watch it
ppl say dont mix religion with politics then WHY the hell they mix it with movies and so called art ???
this is not good for the new generation who dont know about the church yet they will be misguided and have bad thoughts about the church because of FEW corrupted “priests” of course this wont effect on the current believers who already know about the church
A few corrupted “priests”? A few, really? I certainly won’t be allowing any institution to be my moral guide, certainly not one that has a shaky moral record of its own.
That is a job I take upon myself because I am an intelligent, well functioning human being. Believe it or not, I am able to make decisions for myself.
Trying to ban everything that doesn’t fit into your world view is not exactly an enlightened path. This things exist, deal with them. Spend an hour on Google, you may be shocked at what you find. Want to ban that too?
I totally agree with you Mr. Bey. We, Lebanese people, should stop being in self denial. These things do actually happen, whether we like it or not. And well it is very normal. Priests are human beings, they have needs like any other people- they eat, drink, and feel, they are not above Humans. Believers take it so personally while it is not. This movie is not offensive to anyone. Hats off to the director. And those who talk about their “Christian and political leaders,” placing them on a pedestal; please open your eyes and stop being sheep. And yes its not the middle ages anymore. Soon Christianity will be old news. I wish I’ll live to see this day happening. PS: the same reaction was to “Agora” movie. People you do not have to like it or not. these are facts
What exactly does Christianity will be old news mean? Why are we attacking religions instead of critisizing those behind such decisions?
Let us not mix between those please. This is like saying the Koran is fake ya sahar and is disrespectful to all believers.
People are free not to believe as much as they are free to. Freedom does not involve disrespecting the other though.
Thank you Najib for this Classy response :).
I actually feel like “da3it l taseh”, the whole point behind the post is being missed
I am sorry Najib, truly, if I disrespected you or was offensive to your believes. Please accept my sincere apology. However, to me, Christianity like any other religion or sect or any other form of worship of “superpower Gods,” is a mere phase in history. Throughout history many Gods have risen and then vanished.. You may call me an “apostate” or “Kafer” or anything you want, and trust me I would not be offended because I have no belief whatsoever. I have a progressive mind that is open to any critique or scientific discoveries, which makes me more at ease with any situation. Yet again, I apologize for any ill feelings.
Sahar,
No need for any apologies. I am a Christian but I did not feel insulted or offended by what you said. I am simply telling you that you cannot go after Christianity saying it will vanish.
I am open-minded and encourage doubting almost anything including miracles and you name it but there are historical facts that speak of a person called Jesus Christ and his deeds and acts and we can’t just ignore them 🙂
It’s not the same as Greek Mythology gods you know.
Dear Najib,
I am not trying to underestimate your faith or anything, but there is two sides to every story. Well I am Christian on papers too. But I chose to question and to embark on the path of knowledge and questioning. To me, whether a “historical Jesus” existed or not, I will be the same. I am not saying he did not exist for sure. But some scholars argue that he did not, some say he did but was a normal person and others say he is a mix of many characters throughout the years.
The term “Christ myth theory” is an umbrella term that applies to a range of arguments that in one way or another question the authenticity of the existence of Jesus or the essential elements of his life as described in the Christian gospels.[505][506][507][508] One viewpoint is that there was no real historical figure Jesus and that he was invented by Christians. Another viewpoint is that there was a person called Jesus, but much of the teachings and miracles attributed to him were either invented or symbolic references. Yet another view holds that the Jesus portrayed in the gospels is a composite character constructed from multiple people over a period of time.[505][506][507][508]
Supporters of the various Christ myth theories point to the lack of any known written references to Jesus during his lifetime and the relative scarcity of non-Christian references to him in the 1st century, and dispute the veracity of the existing accounts about him.[509]
David Strauss, the 19th century founder of Christ myth theory.[510]
Among the variants of the Jesus myth theory, the notion that Jesus never existed has little scholarly support, and although some modern scholars adhere to it, they remain a distinct minority; most scholars involved with historical Jesus research believe that his existence can be established using documentary and other evidence.[22][57][58][59][60][61]
In the context of historical theories, the hypothesis that Jesus never existed is a rather recent topic, and in antiquity his existence was never doubted, even by those who were critical of Christian teachings.[138] In the early 18th century, friction between the church establishment and some theologians, coupled with the growing emphasis on rationalism, resulted in discord between the English deists and the church, and John Toland, Anthony Collins and Thomas Woolston planted the seeds of discontent.
http://www.nobeliefs.com/exist.htm
These are few examples of my opinion.
Nothing but the best 🙂
bla bla bla 😀 you talk too much. Stop philosophizing
It is cultural terrorism!!
Plus I think our church should care less about artistic movies showing true stories, and care much more about our christian political leaders (all of them) and our religious figures and the situation we are in nowadays because of them…
well said Rachelle!
For Rachelle, you are right it is a cultural terrorism, they are planting in our heads that religion is something very bad, and we should be free of this Middle Ages thinking, who follows someone called God again or priests? walllllaaaawwww… is this freedom?
Second God is not feeling sad for sure… he is much bigger than this stupid matter as a movie… he died for us on a cross to give us real freedom from sin…
It is us who should feel sad because our community reached a point that uses religion and hypocrisy over religion to market its what is called art.
We should be sad for losing respect for others’ morals and values in the name of a fake freedom.
Your freedom stops when it reaches other’s freedom.
Hypocrisy, slander, showing that Christian girls are whores, counterfeit the history of the war during the 82s by showing that Beirut was under the bombs and in the mountains (who were full with Christian community) they were dancing and having sex and getting drunk… while they were bombed and killed and displaced from their own houses, while their families slaughtered and their girls raped… is this called art and freedom… waaaaaaaaaaaaaawwww shou hal moustawa bil jahel wil sakhafi…
I was almost 20 in the times you describe and lived both in Beirut & the mountains. Some places had it tough, others were dancing, partying & yes, dare I say it, having sex (and it wasn’t just the Christians, mkay?). Counterfeiting history? No, I experienced it myself…
The movie is not using religion to market itself, simply taking a slice out of time and portraying it as it was. Get over yourself, these things happened. They are not planting in our heads that religion is bad, but if you want some examples that religion isn’t all good, I would be more than happy to supply you with as many witness accounts as you would like.
And finally, please, please, PLEASE open a dictionary and look up the word “freedom” that you use so much.
This is a real story for God’s sake!! Why the conspiracy theory against Christianity?
Plus, people are being killed now in Tripoli, does that make you any less human for not stopping your daily life? It doesn’t even make sense??
Ba3den did you even watch the movie?? If yes you are over reacting if I might say. No one would ever become a less of a believer after watching it, I am Christian and it didn’t affect me negatively at all.
And yes I insist, this is Cultural Terrorism.
Well said.
My high respects to you comments Rita 🙂 i would also like to add that In the Bible, Jesus kicked the animals out and the people who were there selling, and said hayda baytou llah! Baytou al salat! Place for God and praying! All other religions respect the place of prayers , why is it always Christianity that pushes stuff to a whole new level?! It’s our church, a sacred place ! I respect everyone who defends the film, everyone has his point of view, but chari7a kbireh meb our society is offended by what this movie contents! Art is not only about breaking the ordinary, mech magroud njarri7 l muchehid bi heke scenes we just cannot accept it , we are Lebanese where everyon1 should respect the other and where religiOn still plays a big role!!! We all saw the movie of Nadine Labaki halla2 lawen, she also pushed it from the ordinaty but we all loved it why?! Because ma jarra7 bi hada! The message wosil bi tari2a ktiiiiiiir muhtarame and simple and nice and geniusly artistic!!! I wonder what this film holds as a message! So please, being open minde doesnt mean eno netkhabba wala art michen nfarje heke eshya weskha. Shame!
i just dont get the fact that they dont want to mix politics with religion yet they do it with filming or so called art
i didnt say there are NO bad priests in ANY religion on the contrary yes they DO exist but generalizing is so wrong as in eithests there are good and bad people
and miss sahar christianity will be old news ? yeah in a thousand years maybe, u can die with that dream where morality has become very low in such a way that children have 2 fathers or 2 mothers (GAYS ya3neh)
as i said in EVERY group there are bad people and they should be punished
as rita said Your freedom stops when it reaches other’s freedom
As I apologized to Najib, I would like to apologize to you Rob. I am deeply sorry if I offended you in any way. It was not personal to any Christian or any other believers. I just made a point of view from a neutral perspective.
” I am sorry Najib, truly, if I disrespected you or was offensive to your believes. Please accept my sincere apology. However, to me, Christianity like any other religion or sect or any other form of worship of “superpower Gods,†is a mere phase in history. Throughout history many Gods have risen and then vanished.. You may call me an “apostate†or “Kafer†or anything you want, and trust me I would not be offended because I have no belief whatsoever. I have a progressive mind that is open to any critique or scientific discoveries, which makes me more at ease with any situation. Yet again, I apologize for any ill feelings.”
sahar, had you said “soon RELIGION will be old news” nobody would have taken offense:)
But I see where you’re coming from…
🙂 hehe well, Christianity is a Religion, non? anyways, I do not understand what do you mean by you know where I come from. In all cases, thank you for nice and moderate reply
🙂
I meant I understood what you were saying before and that I know you meant no offense….and an open mind is a very rare thing!
WOW….in your equation, no morality equals gay. That would be a very impressive stance to take if we were all cavemen.
Your way of thinking inherently denies freedom to gay people thereby nullifying your agreement with “your freedom stops when it reaches other people’s freedom”.
Religion and politics do not mix, look around you.
On the other hand, some of the greatest art was created for religion.
Your faith shouldn’t be affected by such things and religion is not an untouchable subject. Live & let live, I believe is written somewhere important.
Mr. Desmond Bey i said “i just dont get the fact that they DONT WANT (i didnt say they cant be mixed) to mix politics with religion yet they do it with filming or so called art” and i didnt say that mixing religion with politics is good read well about the gay thing i dont look at it from religion point of view im not gonna gonna argue abt that it would be a long story
Yes, I read the gay thing well and I answered you from a personal point of view, not a religious one. I find your opinion on it odious and outdated but I respect your freedom to say it.
Again, religion and politics should not be mixed, I’m saying it, and religion and art have a productive history.
Religion and politics mixed messes up everybody’s lives, it should not be allowed. It creates a climate of us and them and could you imagine living in a place where the law tells you what you should wear, think, believe, read, hear, say and see?
That may work for you but I believe in a better place.
to all people who think the movie paints a bad picture about Christianity and that there are borders u shouldn’t cross :
– The movie is simply telling a beautiful story and i dont see how it could shake someones faith. If your faith is that shallow maybe u should rethink the reasons that made u a believer in the first place (probably because u are a born-christian)
– U are either a hypocrite or delusional if u think that religion hasn’t been holding Lebanon back for the past century. I mean think about it! we have been building unnecessary barriers, religious and social barriers, i mean life is hard as it is! loosen up, have a sense of humor, develop some kind of a tolerance to things that may seem different to what you are used to, come out of your shell, dont suppress ur creativity because of religious and social barriers! U talk about a free lebanon where u can express urself as u wish, yet u cannot accept people expressing their thoughts when they are not in accordance with yours. I m mean freedom works both ways buddy.
– Rob they didn’t mix art with religion, they just told a story. U are the one that mixed art with religion by not accepting the movie because of religious reasons. And don’t even let me start on your “gay†comment.
– Desmond/sahar u the man.
– Rachelle very classy and diplomatic, u would make a excellent politician 😉
– Tony I think Desmond said it for all of us
Very logical and straight forward Elie. Thank you for your compliment, except for the politician part since such thing may be considered offensive in Lebanon. Politicians here are anything but politicians :).
I can’t agree more with your first point; if an artistic movie can affect your faith and may in any way offend God in your opinion, well I think you have some serious belief issues you should start worrying about.
The problem in this country is that most people are not able to let themselves develop their own point of view, they are just too used to importing and adopting others’ ideas…
Banning the movie is free publicity! Never heard of that movie until now, gonna pre-order it on Amazon as soon as it becomes available. Religious nutcases should mind their own business and try to understand that people have the right to say whatever they want to say. I have a feeling that this movie will be subpar, and will probably be somewhat offensive, but that doesn’t mean that it should be banned. Censoring media is never the right option, because people will eventually find a way to watch it. As you said, those who are offended can stay home and boycott it.
Seriously now, this is just a film. This stupid government and these religious establishments need to get a grip. Most of my life, and that is some nice 28 years, I have only heard about films being banned and blocked in Lebanon.
I see no reason why any film should be banned. This is the freedom we love to hail and if that means being critical of an establishment, a government, a thought, an idea, an insect, or even religion and a prophet, why not?
If we are able to think that religions are valid and that prophets did walk this earth, why can we not question the opposite? Maybe they did not? There is enough scientific research and documentation to support both sides of the argument. This is not the point. My point is let us express, debate, talk, question and accept our differences.
I would like to tell you something, it happened yesterday and I quote the film’s facebook page:
“Officially “Tannoura Maxi” Best winner for two Prizes in Monaco Film Festival:
– Best Director (First Feature Film): JOE BOU EID
– Best Actress: JOY KARAM
Congratulation for every single person from the team and familly of Tannoura Maxi!”
Now let’s all start a war against the west and them trying to delete our culture and religion and against the cinema festivals who don’t have any single idea about movies 😀
Me, honestly and with an open heart, I can’t be but proud.
I find reading offensive. I will ban this blog.
And the comment of the week award goes to…you!
100%!! Same vote here
That’s a good way to make a point.
For those who didn’t like the movie, you just paid the ticket and watched it , so you’re already f…….
For those who did like it, good for you.
To make it a debate about Christianity and Christian values, that s wrong.
Not a priest who decides our conduit.
Not just bcz he is wearing in black that makes him a god.
go visit the Sistine and check the wall paintings
Go and read “songofsongs†old testament.
And then face yourself and accept that sex and love is part of our normal human nature.
People just like to talk and never act. You bore me by how lazy most people are in defending any cause what so ever.
Pepping, make a point and try and have it make sense. I get so bored with people who write drivel without thinking. Find out the difference between a cause and an opinion, and then see if you have either.