IHT: Frank Rich: Mel Gibson's 'Passion': publicity juggernaut: "In January, the star had gone on 'The O'Reilly Factor' to counter Jewish criticism of his cinematic account of Jesus's final hours - a provocative opening volley given that no critic of any faith had yet said anything about his movie (and wouldn't for another three months). Clearly he was looking for a brawl, and he hasn't let up since. "

Here is another person who thinks Mel played us. He worked up the entire anti-semitism claim himself. Not that it isn't there, but can you imagine how this all would have worked out had he reached out to liberal Christians and Jews?

But no. He needed that conflict. He had to have some buzz and the best way was to tell conservative Christians that the jews didn't want them to see this film. Kind of the same kind of thing that racists have done in the South for over a hundred years--suggesting some nonesense about southern Blacks to inflame southern Whites. It is shameful and not worthy of the many Christians who have bought this.