Too Young for The Passion of the Christ?

[Salome]

My church is showing The Passion of the Christ this Friday. My youngest is coming up on his 11th birthday. Has anyone here let a child of that age watch it? And if so, how was it received?

[rossid]

My daughter would be this year but my son MIGHT not have been too young three years ago.

But now the two older boys are 14 and 16. They still have not seen it. Tragedy.

[R. Smith]

Its tough to say. I guess it depends on what kind of person your daughter is. Example. My nefew is 7, going on to 8. I thought about getting him 'The Dark Knight' for Christmas, but it might be to dark for him. My Bro. got him that, and he loved it.

I think that's a bit odd, 'cause nefew scares real eazy.

-i-Rog

[thief001]

I think it all depends on them and whether or not they feel they're ready to see it. My oldest daughter is 14 and still hasn't seen it and it is a tragedy because, I think as children, they get the sugar-coated version of the crucifixion shown to them and they don't fully understand just what Jesus went through for us. However, she still doesn't feel like she's ready to see all that and I, as a parent, need to respect that.

[jesus loves me]

I'm nearly 49 and I haven't and don't ever plan on seeing it. I am extremely sensitive to what they did to Him for my sake. I think a lot depends on how sensitive a person is and not their age.

[Valpo]

Well if you don't think they're ready to see the movie, then maybe there is a reason for you feeling that way. I think it would be more proper to take them through the crucifixion accounts in the Gospels, and maybe look for some historical context of crucifixion this way it is not too graphic, but they still get a vivid account. And then maybe they would be more prepared for the graphic nature of the movie.

http://www.cph.org/cphstore/pages/resources/40days/index.asp?adid=lhm

and....

http://www.cph.org:80/cphstore/product.asp?category=&part%5Fno=124309&find%5Fcategory=&find%5Fdescription=&find%5Fpart%5Fdesc=o+sacr ed+head+now+wounded

GREAT price on the 2nd link! Too bad I didn't think about this til now! The latter is more for your own study in a way you can relate the meaning of the cross to your son.

[Salome]

Thanks for those links. Good idea.

[pamcharlie]

I have just had a look at the rating on my dvd of the passion and it has an R15 Rating so it could be suggested that your 11 year might need to watch the passion with you at home first so he or she can see the movie in the home before at church just to see how they cope with the highly graphic scenes especially when jesus is brutally beaten etc , one of the leadership at my church said at the women's conference two years ago that she can not watch the passion due to the graphic volient scenes i will definately pray for you and your 11 year old

[Salome]

I have just had a look at the rating on my dvd of the passion and it has an R15 Rating so it could be suggested that your 11 year might need to watch the passion with you at home first so he or she can see the movie in the home before at church just to see how they cope with the highly graphic scenes especially when jesus is brutally beaten etc , one of the leadership at my church said at the women's conference two years ago that she can not watch the passion due to the graphic volient scenes i will definately pray for you and your 11 year old

Thank you for your prayers. The more I've thought about it, the more I think that we'll watch it at home for the first time. That way if it becomes too much they can just get up and leave. Although I think it is good that they are showing it at church.

[Bubelaiken]

actually i watched that movie when i was like 12 year old..
of course i didnt really fully understand the beating, and the deaths of jesus Christ. I was non-Christian when i watched that movie...

I would suggest that if your daughter didnt really fully understand like... why jesus was beaten or why did they do that to him. Most childrens dont really undstand and they always going to ask questions. Most childrens are curious. soo if your daughter didnt fully understand and ask you questions about it. just answer her question and tell her about it. but when i was 12 year old... I didn't really understand it. it didn't do any damage to me or my mind due ot graphic.


However I watched that movie again at 17. which i am now 17 lol.... but i am christian now... and I cried like a baby seeing jesus died. I Understand fully about why they beat him and why he died for us. soo that what i am saying is that there are some childrens are not fully understand the message of jesus christ and just tell your daughters what she think of it and if she has question about it then answer her question.

[Salome]

Thank you for your input. I appreciate all who have answered.

Believe it or not ..... I think I got the date wrong. I think they're showing it on Good Friday, which makes perfect sense, and not tonight. duh. :D

[mamaj96]

We've made a tradition of watching this movie every year on Good Friday. We allowed our now-11 year old daughter to watch it 2 years ago, when she was 9. She handled it very well and thanked us for letting her watch it. She's always been spiritually sensitive and mature. We'll be waiting longer with the other kids, though, and taking it on a case-by-case basis. I really think that age has little to do with it. Maturity and understanding is much more important. While I wanted my daughter to see what Jesus went through for all of us, the most important lesson for me to teach them is that He did it out of love for us.

[Salome]

We've made a tradition of watching this movie every year on Good Friday. We allowed our now-11 year old daughter to watch it 2 years ago, when she was 9. She handled it very well and thanked us for letting her watch it. She's always been spiritually sensitive and mature. We'll be waiting longer with the other kids, though, and taking it on a case-by-case basis. I really think that age has little to do with it. Maturity and understanding is much more important. While I wanted my daughter to see what Jesus went through for all of us, the most important lesson for me to teach them is that He did it out of love for us.

Very true -- out of love and obedience.

Thank you for your post. My youngest is the one who ruminates the most on spiritual questions. My oldest doesn't ask questions, just wants to obey and be pleasing to God. But my youngest will ask question after question about why and what for. He'll be real intense about it for a matter of minutes ....... and then he's done. :D Now my middle son. I haven't figured him out yet. But he does listen and retain. I'll take that!! ha!

[EmmoGomer]

It's rated an 18 here (You have to be 18 to see it in the UK!!!!!). They give ratings on films for a reason. I feel pretty strongly about that!!!
You have to do what you feel, but personally I will not be letting Joel see it until he's 18 - he can then make his own choice about it.

[Salome]

It's rated an 18 here (You have to be 18 to see it in the UK!!!!!). They give ratings on films for a reason. I feel pretty strongly about that!!!
You have to do what you feel, but personally I will not be letting Joel see it until he's 18 - he can then make his own choice about it.

You know, I'm such a stickler for that. It is rated R here in the states which means they recommend you be 17 before you see it. It's been a while since I'd seen it I never thought about the rating, just that it is a movie I want my boys to see eventually and when I heard they'd be showing it at my church I got on board real quick!

Heck, my 15 year old gets mad at me because there are some PG-13 movies I won't let him see. So much junk out there.

But anywho, thanks so much for your post. Gave me more to think about. There is a recut version of The Passion. Here's a bit about that:

The Passion Recut is the same film in spirit, Gibson said. "I have toned down some of the more brutal scenes without removing them or compromising the impact of the film." Gibson's Icon Productions and the film's distributor, Newmarket Films, took The Passion Recut to the Motion Picture Association of America hoping for a PG-13 rating. The MPAA, however, felt it still deserved an R. The distributor decided, therefore, to release it with no rating (NR).

And THAT even opened my eyes up a bit more about the whole NR thing.