Stigmata

Stigmata: Music From The MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack
$17.98
Wanted Identify - Natalie Imbruglia and could not find on any MP3/Itune service. Finally broke down and bought this. Songs are ok. Would have rather found the track for $0.99 though.

End of Days
$9.99
Since suffering is the means of salvation,
I probably merited a bit by enduring this
entire film.
Then again, a truly virtuous man may have
removed the DVD from the player,
burned the DVD and sprinkled the player
with holy water.
I will probably take the coward's way out
and sell the DVD to recover my money.

Why then the two stars?
Because the action and effects were very
good and, in themselves, entertaining.
Some of the sets and cinematography
were very well done.

This is not a horror film even though
it is promoted as one.
It is never scary.
It is an Arny action flick,
which is not all bad.
I like most of them.
This one ultimately fails because it
tries unsuccessfully to be something else.

The plot was beyond stupid.
If one is to use a religion
and a human institution
that has existed for over 2000 years
as a player in a plot, not done often
enough considering its influence in
human affairs, one ought to at least
try to do so in a somewhat realistic
and credible way.
This film does not even attempt that.

Spoiler
**********************
One example is the ending.
Our hero, after having a religious
conversion experience before the
altar of God in a Catholic Church,
exerts his will to commit suicide
in the church to prevent his Satan-
possessed body from serving the
interests of it's new tenant.
This merits him, we are led to
believe, a place in God's kingdom
alongside his dead wife and daughter,
who appear to welcome him home.
There's a wee theological problem
with that.
Suicide or self-murder, according to
Christian morality,
is a sin, an objectively evil act,
never good or heroic.

I didn't realize that 666, the number of
the beast in Christian sacred scripture
is actually 999 upside down,
and that means the reign of Satan
will begin in the year 999.
No, wait a minute, there was also
supposed to be one in front of it,
so Mr. Horny guy will ascend in 1999.

No big deal, but why was the Pope speaking
Italian to the members of the hierarchy.
The language of the Church is Latin
and the Pope at the time of the film
was Polish.
Vatican City is just by Rome
and Rome is in Italy,
therefore...
Oh OK, I get it.

********************

If your a big-time Arnold fan,
you'll enjoy this movie,
and as I wrote above, it is an
effects-action-violence extravaganza;
so if that is your cup of tea, you'll
like it for that.
If you're a Christian, or someone who an
understanding of the nature of the Church
and its teaching, you'll spend as much
time annoyed as entertained.

Note bene:
There is a scene of incestuous sexual
activity with nudity that includes
a mother with her apparently young
daughter, that is, too young,
and is entirely gratuitous.
Enough of a reason to say goodbye
to this one.

They Bore the Wounds of Christ: The Mystery of the Sacred Stigmata
$16.95
Like everyone else here, I enjoyed the book. But one must question its accuracy when the writer consistantly refers to "the five wounds of christ" as hands, feet and side. That's three wounds. The five wounds of Christ are hands, feet, side, crown of thorns and scourging. One does not count each hand. To do so would indicate that one having a mark on one hand may have stigmata. Not true. One must have the mark on both hands to have what is considered one wound of Christ.

Bless the Child
$9.98
Who would ever suspect the Mesiah to be a woman? Well, the son was already here, so why not the holy spirit in female human form? After all, as stated in Revelations, the faithful and true one is unnamed, and noone knows it's name but it itself. Revelations also mentions a Bride and a Woman on the Mount. There's a reason Revelations hasn't been able to successfully be decoded. A woman may actually have more of a chance to save the world. Who is Mother Earth anyway? The DaVinci code may actually have some truth to it.