Women have many issues facing them because they are women. Cervical issues, uterine issues, ovarian and fallopian issues, breast issues, and the list could go on (making any man in the room cringe at the word vagina). Issues such as these arise simply because we are the only sex to have these organs. It is a sad state of affairs that medical research has historically ignored women with simplified responses to illness, such as heart disease, on the assumption that we are shorter, less-hairy men with breasts. Our uniqueness has not been taken into account in many research studies, including one medical trial in which it was determined that aspirin could prevent a second heart attack in an all-male participant group, however these results are not transferable to women (Mitchell, 2000).

A combination of diseases are more common to women in general because of female attributes, such as having a cervix and certain hormones that contribute to other diseases. The rates of breast cancer are far higher for women than for men. Men account for less than 1% of diagnosed breast cancer (Public Health Agency of Canada, 1999). Women’s rates of developing osteoporosis are higher than men, with 1 in 4 women as compared to 1 in 8 men (Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Centre, 2002). What I find quite alarming is our higher rate of death attributable to cardiovascular disease, with 39% of female deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease as compared to 36% for men (Canada. Public Health Agency of Canada, 1997). While 3% does not seem like a significant amount, it actually is when considering the other diseases I mentioned. There is no discernible reason as to why females are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than their male counterparts. While heart disease is the second leading cause of death for all Canadians (Statistics Canada, 1997), only passed marginally by the total of all cancers, more women than men die from their first heart attack (Donatelle, 2002, 418). Is it because there is a lack of information out there? Or is it because the information available is based mainly on the research derived from the male portion of the population?

There are related issues associated with the lack of women in clinical studies that require women. I believe everyone has heard of the devastating results of Thalidomideâ?¢, a drug that was marketed by a German company to pregnant women to curb their morning sickness. The drug was available from the 1950s until 1962 when Canada finally pulled it from the pharmacies’ shelves. A full ten years of use produced the most severe deformities in the children of the women who took the drug (Thalidomide Victims Association of Canada, 1998). While the benefits of this drug have now been researched, there is no indication whatsoever that this drug was ever researched on anyone, let alone women, before giving it to pregnant women.

There is another medication given to women from the years 1938 and 1971 that didn’t seem to be researched, and if it was, the research was conducted by the manufacturer. Diethylstilbestrolâ?¢ (DES) was a drug given to pregnant women, which was claimed to reduce the chance of miscarriage. The repercussions of this drug are three-fold. Firstly, the women that ingested it have a higher risk of breast cancer. Secondly, the daughters born to those who have taken it have an increased risk of suffering from a rare form of cervical or vaginal cancer, infertility, abnormal reproductive structural changes, and pregnancy problems. Pregnancy problems include ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, and preterm labour. Finally, the sons of women who have taken DES may be affected with problems of epididymal cysts, testicular varicoceles other testicular problems, hypospadias, meatal stenosis, and microphallus (an abnormally small penis) (DES, n.d.). DES is not believed to have an effect on men’s fertility (Ibid.).

These are just a few examples of how manufacturers, not research facilities, have shaped women’s health to be what it is today — a mess. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is another issue that has received attention from women recently. Up until 2002, HRT was believed to prevent diseases in aging menopausal women, such as cardiovascular disease (or more specifically, heart disease), osteoporosis, and endometrial cancer (Your Medical Source, 2003a). These are good intentions, but there are risks to be noted as well. These risks were often negligible according to many older studies and include: blood clots, breast cancer, asthma, gallstones and fibroids (Your Medical Source, 2003b). But, as reported in an issue of the Women’s Health Journal, a U.S. study of HRT conducted in July of 2002 was halted because its findings were astonishing. “Rather than preventing diseases in aging women, as many had claimed, the study found : actually increases a woman’s risk of heart disease and breast cancer:. there is no role for HT in disease prevention” (Research Bulletin). This is another example of how effective medical testing on women who would take these drugs could have been used to fully understand the ramifications of this drug, instead of relying on manufacturers’ claims.

Medical research for women is vital to understand how different our bodies are from our male counterparts. Over the ages, delving into the information regarding women’s health has barely scratched the surface. In the 1960s, women had to face a panel of men who would decide their fate about whether or not their uterus could be removed. In the 1970s, articles in medical journals began to surface as to how to deal with “the new breed of women who asked questions and demanded to know why they were getting a particular treatment” (Kennelly, 2002). However, it wasn’t until 1981 that a committee was formed to head-up The Canadian Women’s Health Network.

At that time, the committee was one of few sources for this valuable information. Women formed these groups to attempt to fill the knowledge gaps not filled by the Canadian National Health and Wellness organization. Without the support of Canada’s health system, this committee easily lost momentum until 1983 when a theatre company developed a play called “Side Effects” which was based on women’s stories of their struggles. A full three years later, in 1987, funding was finally approved for the Canadian Women’s Health project. Over the next 6 years, the proposal was presented, rejected, revised, reformed and firmed-up. In May of 1993, the Canadian Women’s Health Network was officially unveiled (Canadian Women’s Health Network, 2005). The network’s vision statement is: “The Canadian Women’s Health Network is a Network of individuals, groups, organizations and institutions concerned with women’s health. The CWHN recognizes the importance of information sharing, education and advocacy for women’s health and equality. We work to build and strengthen the women’s health movement in Canada and throughout the world” (Canadian Women’s Health Network, 2005).

A network such as the CWHN can provide vital information to women and their health service providers. The network can help to induce the necessary changes in our medical research system to include women in their clinical trials. I personally do not want to suffer, nor have my daughters suffer, needlessly because researchers did not want to deal with the fluctuations in a woman’s hormone cycle.

What is needed moreso than the plethora of information available through the CWHN is an advocate that lobbies the government to ensure women of this country are included in any medical trials. Connecting research funding to the inclusion of women in the trials will provide a level of assurance. For far too long, the health of Canadian women has been compromised in the name of the economic good. I suggest changes to the research sector must be made to include the following:
1. Research companies must be separate from the manufacturers so as to avoid potential bias and unethical marketing strategies.
2. Research companies must be required to include women. If the drug being researched has a chance of affecting a woman’s future ability to bear children, women must be provided a choice as to whether they wish to proceed. Informed consent should be confirmed by the signing of a waiver.

What I hope for in a program such as this is a change in the public’s expectations for quality medical research that doesn’t exclude individuals from one gender. As well, a change is needed in who is performing the research. Preferably, manufacturers of marketed items should not be conducting the research trials. When the research process changes, Canadian women can feel assured that their health is finally in good hands. Good hands means individuals who respect women and who do not merely consider us as shorter, less-hairy men with breasts.

References

Canada. Public Health Agency of Canada (1997). Heart Disease and Stroke in Canada. Retrieved April 5, 2005, from http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/hdsc97/s02_e.html
Canadian Women’s Health Network (2005, January 20). Canadian Women’s Health Network: About us, background. Retrieved April 7, 2005, from http://www.cwhn.ca/about.html
Canadian Women’s Health Network. Winnipeg Consultation Organizing Committee (2004, December). The Strength of links: Building the Canadian Women’s Health Network. Retrieved April 7, 2005, from http://www.cwhn.ca/ ARCHIVE/strength/index.html
DES Action USA (n.d.). General information. Retrieved April 7, 2005, from http://www.desaction.org/index.htm
Donatelle, R.J. (2002). Access to health. 7th ed. California: Pearson Education.
Kennelly, J. (2002, March). Making connections: women’s health and the anti-globalization movement. Canadian Woman Studies, 21(4), 160(5).
Mitchell, P. (2000, March). A Prescription for female complaints. Herizons, 13(4), 48.
Public Health Agency of Canada (1999, April). Breast Cancer in Canada. Retrieved April 5, 2005, from http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/updates/breast-99_e.html
Research Bulletin (Spring 2003). Hormone Therapy: Health Protection Lessons from the Women’s Health Initiative, v3 n2. Retrieved April 27 from http://www.cewh-cesf.ca/bulletin/v3n2/page2.html#4
Stats Canada (1997). Selected leading causes of death, by sex. Retrieved April 4, 2005, from http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/health36.htm
Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Science Centre (2002, February 7). Women’s health matters: Osteoporosis Health Centre. Retrieved April 5, 2005, from http://www.womenshealthmatters.ca/centres/osteo/index.html
Thalidomide Victims Association of Canada (1998). What is Thalidomide? Retrieved April 7, 2005, from http://www.thalidomide.ca/en/information/what_is_thalidomide.html
Your Medical Source (2003a, December). What are the benefits of HRT? Retrieved April 7, 2005, from http://yourmedicalsource.com/library/hrt/HRT_benefits.html
Your Medical Source (2003b, December). What are the risks of HRT? Retrieved April 7, 2005, from http://yourmedicalsource.com/library/hrt/HRT_risks.html

Happiness. We all want it, and when someone’s got it, they flaunt it and everyone else has the secret hope that money can buy it. What brings happiness? People ask the Dalai Lama since he seems to have it together about what constitutes happiness and how it can be attained, but is it something that can be learned from another who’s got it, can it be developed on one’s own, or is it something deeply engrained within our being to be happy or not?

If you asked people who seem to be happy, you would get completely different answers. To a new mother it may be the scent of her sleeping baby. To the teen, who has just celebrated his eighteenth birthday, happiness may be not getting a hangover the next day. To the old lady in a purple hat, happiness may be finally knowing who she is and being content just being.

Do we search for happiness only when situations in our lives turn for the worse? I don’t have any talent for any specific thing. I am a mediocre singer, I’m an okay mom, and a so-so wife. I type at mid-range speed, and hell, I’m just an average writer. But you know what? I’m absolutely okay with that because I have a lot more to be happy about.

Happiness isn’t about how much money you have (although some of us wish this were true), or what talents you possess or how much you are idolized by others. It’s something elusive to a lot of people who yearn for a magic pill to give it to them. It’s probably the reason for many of the addictions in this world, with so many people endlessly searching for anything to make them happy for a while.

There is one mistaken assumption made by many, and it is that happiness can be taught or learned. This is not the case. It isn’t something that you can obtain by watching an instructional videos about how to smile and how hope it brings you inner joy. It’s about that there is something deep within that your heart that decides you don’t want to be unhappy. No, it is something within your subconscious that says rainy days will not deter your smile.

A piece of information that has recently come to my mind is about quality of life expectancy. It is a measured and calculated amount of happiness, really, but by whose standards are the measurements compared? One person with a severe mental disability is the happiest person you could ever meet, but according to society, they may not have “quality of life.” So are they really happy? Of course they are. It isn’t something that someone else can tell you that you have, not even if they are full of PhDs.

For me, happiness is hearing the sound of beautiful, perfect, miniature feet slapping against the floor, followed by an array of sensational giggles. Happiness is the smell of a freshly bathed child snuggling in my arms. Happiness is that full bed on Saturday morning with cuddles from two little girls and a husband. It is also in the knowledge that for all that I do, even if done incorrectly, I am still me, and that’s okay. That’s the source of my happiness. What’s yours?

A typical student in today’s society has a lot to worry about, including ever-rising tuition thanks to a wonderful (did you read the sarcasm?) government that doesn’t seem to get that education should be a huge priority, and the extremely high cost of textbooks you’ll only use once–although we distance Ed students pay indirectly for that, it’s still a major factor in our high tuition costs (fortunately we do get to claim book fees against our income taxes whereas traditional students do not).

Exam anxiety is also high on the list of worries. With the increasing demand in the workplace for smarter, harder working employees, the pressure to excel is intense. The thought that you may not get that great job with a B+ under your belt is a factor in everyday student stress. The list of common student stressors is endless: roommate/dorm problems, dieting, time management, burnout, homesickness, loneliness, lack of sex, sex-deprived instructors, the list could go on and on.

What I have noticed as a student of distance education is that our type of student has a few more items to juggle in our everyday struggle to attend school. Sure, a few of us are part-timers that take one or two courses at a time, and the full-time student numbers aren’t high, but that does not limit our stress. I’ve found that a student’s decision to attend Athabasca University is often one of sheer desperation. That’s not to say that AU should only be used as a last resort, but it can be the only option for many people. A distance ed student often has a full-time job to pay for their studies, plus a family to support, a mortgage, and bills, which traditional university students often don’t have. Does that make us more susceptible to stress? I think so.

Whether it be a single mom looking to better the lives of her kids, or a father with a family to support who works nights as a security guard so he has time to study, or a childless couple just needing a better career to pay the mortgage, we all have our stress factors while we attend school. It is how we attempt to overcome, or handle, this stress that helps us win the everyday battle. Long-term stress can have disastrous affects on the body. It has been reported that stress can actually cause the body to break down over time (1). For students to manage our stress and limit our chances of becoming susceptible to drastic action like suicide, we must take an active role in managing our stressors. Of course there are a select few that handle stress as if it were something to be easily tamed, but the rest of us haven’t any clue how to handle the pressure of everyday life without snapping. Stress management takes a conscious decision to fully get a grasp what plagues us.

To deal with stress you have to identify the cause. Is it that instructor that seems to pick on you? Or maybe that morning commute? Assessing exactly what causes the stress is the first step to getting a handle on it. After all, it won’t help you to exercise and eat right when your dorm buddy is still keeping you awake at night. The second step involves how you react to that stress. When that son-of-a … er, guy, cuts you off in traffic, instead of screaming at him and producing gestures you’d be embarrassed to use in front of your Grandma, think about what you can do to change your reaction.

Living in Calgary I find that traffic stress is enormous, so to bring my stress down a notch when I see someone weaving in and out of traffic I imagine that they must be in a bigger hurry than I am. Who’s to say that they don’t have an emergency on their hands? Changing the way you react to stressors can make a big difference in how little the stressors affect you. Nevertheless, there are times when stressors cannot be avoided. You can’t avoid classes if your instructor is an ass, so what do you do? Do you punch the gal out because it would feel the best? I think not, considering that would add the future stressor of learning not to bend over in the shower at the local penitentiary.

There are a few other options: You could consume an insane amount of alcohol right before class, use writing or journaling to help you relieve the stress, or you could wrangle one of your friends one night to treat you as the instructor does in order to inoculate you to the barrage of stress. It sounds insane but if there’s anything you can do to relieve the stress of its clutches on your health, so be it. Be creative. It could be fun in the end.

I think the most revitalizing way to relieve stress is to indulge in some humour. I’m within an hours drive of Yuk Yuks comedy club if I really want a good laugh, but even picking up a comedy at the local library, or a joke book while I’m there, can release a power pack of endorphins.

Another common way to relieve stress is through proper eating and exercise. I know you’ve heard it before, but exercise can help to release more of those endorphins that elevate your mood, which helps to reduce mental stress. Think about it this way, when that instructor gives you that C-, you can take it to the gym and beat the hell out of a punching bag instead of keeping it internal which beats the hell out of you.

Through these steps, and many more that can be found free online, distance Ed students prepare themselves to cope in our world of endless stress. With diligence, and conscious effort, we can beat the odds of capitulating to the stress demon. In the end if you know that you have made a difference for your body, you can feel good in the knowledge that you have made that one step toward avoiding the dreadful statistic of student suicide.

A guide to Stress Management
Helpguide: Stress Management and Stress Release
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm

[1] Donatelle, Rebecca J. Access to Health. 7th ed. California: Pearson Education, Inc.

While most people wouldn’t think that donating a portion of my body is part of being a softie, I beg to differ. Every time I pass another accident on the highway and shed a tear, every time I hear of another child with a threatening form of cancer battling to the near end of his or her life, I feel better knowing that I can make that small difference in another person’s life by donating a small part of me.

I have been donating blood a total of seven years. It started with my first year of college in Medicine Hat when a blood donor clinic arrived at the school in the midst of finals and I had a moment to spare. I walked into a giant line-up of people patiently waiting their turn to give a piece of themselves so another may live. A short while later a small pinprick was the only lasting physical effect from my hour of well spent time. The mental effect will last me a lifetime. I also came out knowing that my very rare blood type was very much in need, as the Canadian Blood Services still calls me every eight weeks to ask if I will be at the next donation clinic.

That first donation sparked an interest to help out more and more. Even though throughout the years my donation totals have reached a mere ten, I still feel better knowing that my small discomfort of a needle and an hour of time given is well received by that mother that may not lose her child in its battle with a deadly disease.

Still, I wanted to help out more and that is what drove me to the Canadian Blood Services website. I wanted to find out about other ways to help, (i.e. plasma donation, platelet donation, etc) when I stumbled upon something I never knew before. There was a small link on the left hand side of the Blood Services main page called “Bone Marrow Registry”. It sparked my interest, so I clicked the link to see what else I could do.

That small link looped me in with 215,000 other Bone Marrow Registrants willing to be part of a group who at any moment could be contacted to donate Bone Marrow.

I’ve heard all the normal questions, even from my own husband; “Doesn’t that hurt really bad?” No, in fact the donation process is so smooth that the most you’ll feel is a bruising as if you’ve fallen. “Why would you donate Bone Marrow, isn’t that what relatives are for?” Normally yes, relatives are the first choice in Bone Marrow donation to someone in need. But there is a huge chance that there is no match to be found, so this registry provides other options for those who have none. I may never be chosen in my lifetime, but knowing that I could be is enough for me to sign up immediately.

It took all of 20 minutes to fill out the very important questionnaire. This is so important because it informs you not only of the procedures, but also the impact of the donation. It also gives you the chance to turn back if you aren’t comfortable at that point with going forward. I filled it out completely and mailed the form to the Bone Marrow Registry office in Calgary.

About a week later I received a call to schedule a blood sample (of course they needed it to find out all the logistics of my blood) at my local Health clinic and within a couple of days the initial procedure was done. Now my name is finally part of 215,000 other people waiting to see if they are chosen.

I was so excited to have found another venue to assist others that I wanted to share my experience with others. This is the era of the internet so I used it to my advantage. It was the most terrifying and ‘faux pas’ thing I have ever done. I didn’t want to guilt anyone into donating, that wasn’t my purpose at all. But the majority of people don’t even know about the registry, so my goal was to inform.

I composed a small email to inform my friends and family members of this great need. Yes, there are 215,000 registrants today, but out of those numbers only 800 were able to donate since the registry began in 1989. If I could just have another person even consider becoming part of the registry or to start donating blood, that’d be enough for me.

On this road of giving blood and being part of the registry, I believe it has changed me for the better. I am a better person, a more giving person, and more willing to be open to the unknown, all for the gift of life. My next appointment to donate blood is on January 11th in Okotoks, when’s yours? Blood, it’s in you to give.

For more information on donating blood in your area’s clinic or on the Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry, please check out the Canadian Blood Services website at http://www.bloodservices.ca/

Donor Experience. http://www.bloodservices.ca/CentreApps/Internet/UW_V502_MainEngine.nsf/web/42AA5BE250375B1185256AC400689176

Registry Background. http://www.bloodservices.ca/CentreApps/Internet/UW_V502_MainEngine.nsf/web/66C07EAB7AC53C5285256AC40073F7EC

We love to hear from you! Send your questions and comments to voice@ausu.org, and please indicate if we may publish your letter in the Voice.

SCHOLARSHIPS NOT ALWAYS FREE TO APPLY FOR

Last week, when I read v12 i35 I clicked on the link for the “CBC Literary Awards Competition,” my excitement grew as I thought I was actually eligible for a scholarship. You see, as with most students, I am often ineligible due to the type of degree I’m taking or the fact that I don’t speak French or some other characteristic that disqualifies me. Other than the ones AU automatically enters each student for, I haven’t had the opportunity to apply since commencing my studies.

When I came upon the one for writing I was overjoyed, but my bubble burst when I read that to ‘apply’, you must pay a non-refundable amount of $20 to CBC. Yeah, ok, like my taxes don’t give enough to CBC that I have to pay “Administration Fees” to apply for a scholarship.

What I’d like in future is information on whether or not you have to pay up front to apply for a scholarship. As a starving student, this is information greatly appreciated.

Jody Waddle

Tamra

I know, you’re sitting back rolling your eyes thinking, “not another review of The Passion,” but that’s not what this is. The questions that have come up since I’ve seen the film are unending, and the false, emotionally-loaded answers provided by critics and non-critics alike are interesting to say the least, but still false. While I am no theologian, I do have an opinion, and a knowledge of my faith to back it up and help clear up the most common questions and comments.

What follows are a number of questions or criticisms raised in Mr. Buhler’s article, as well as other sources, to which I’d like to bring a different perspective:

My friends who have seen the movie have said that it is gore-fest. Is that true?

While some of the scenes are extremely bloody, including the scourging scene, gore-fest is not the term I would use. “Historically accurate” is more precise. Historically, scourging is only second to crucifixion for extreme torture. The fact that flesh and blood flew is in fact what would happen to the human body with that type of torture. When the actor who played Jesus, James Caviezel, was accidentally whipped during the scene, he said it was the most excruciating pain he’s ever felt. That single wound left a 12″ gash upon his side. The many wounds Jesus received would have spilled vast amounts of blood, just as the movie depicted.

There is a scene in which Mary and Mary Magdalene use white towels to soak up Jesus’ blood from the ground. What is that about?

This scene represents the fact that Mary and Mary Magdalene knew that Jesus’ blood is sacred.. Claudia (Pilate’s wife), who gave the towels to the two Marys, had dreams about Jesus being the holiest of men, and was also compassionate toward Jesus’ mother. The towels are strikingly symbolic of these things, though they were not mentioned in The Bible.

What is with the scene with Satan walking around with that weird looking baby?

It’s very true, Mel Gibson added some things that are not in the Bible at all. If you’ve read any of the Gospels, you’ll know that there isn’t a huge, drawn-out depiction of the crucifixion. At most, it is two pages long. So, with theologians and historians at his side, Mel Gibson added in little touches to do with the devil.

This is just my opinion mind you, but I believe Satan was mocking Mary, as he seemed to be looking at her. Mary is losing her only Son in the most torturous way and there’s the Devil with his own demon child mocking Mary.

What is to be learned about Christ or God from Jesus being beaten like an animal?

There is a lot to be learned by those who wish to be open to discussion. We could learn that it was the most torturous death to have been endured for our sins. We could also learn that Jesus Christ, while fully God was also fully human, in that he bled.

Why focus on only the suffering and death of Jesus; why leave out Christ’s other messages and mission?

It is the belief of Christians that Christ’s mission was his suffering and death for him to be the new covenant between God and the people. He died for our sins so that we could have eternal life.

It is generally known that the human hand cannot support the weight of a person being crucified. Wouldn’t the nails have gone through the wrist?

True, the hands do not have the bone structure to support the body on a nail. What is not noted in Mr. Buhler’s and others’ criticisms, is the small post on which Jesus also stands, and where his feet were nailed. Crucifixion is not a long drawn out form of torture. The crucified die of suffocation, not of having nails driven through their wrists, or of bleeding to death.

“The pectoral muscles would be affected and you could not let your air out. You could take it in, but could not let it out. And so, you’d hang there and suffocate, you would push up on your legs to let the air out, and then come down to take it in. When they wanted to bring about the death immediately, they broke their legs and they couldn’t push up ” (The Debate, 1981).

Jesus’ legs were not broken. The post under the feet offers more time for the crucified to suffer as it allows them to prop themselves up longer.

Since crucifixion was meant to be humiliating for its victims, wouldn’t Jesus have been stripped naked?

You may have seen in many churches that crucifixes have Jesus in a loin cloth as well. This allows our minds of the 21st century to focus on Jesus himself rather than what his genitalia depicts him to be (although a lot of critics say that having Jesus in a loincloth denounces the fact that Jesus was a Jew and would therefore be circumcised).

Why does the Jesus in the movie look like he’s a European?

Even Israeli’s and Jews come in different colors.

Do Christian churches consider Jews to be “the Christ-killers”?

The Roman Catholic Church does not consider Jews to be “the Christ-killers,” nor have I heard of other Christian churches believing this. Mel Gibson belongs to a traditional Catholic church based upon Roman Catholic beliefs (up until Pope John XIII). The Jewish have always been and always will be God’s chosen people according to The Bible.

What about the phrase “?perfidious Jews’ which was in earlier versions of Catholic sermons?

Perfidious, in the old Good Friday liturgy, referred to the rejection of God’s Son, the Messiah, by the particular Jews who called for his crucifixion (Carroll, W.). It is not the derogatory, racist term that people make it out to be.

Should Mel Gibson’s connection to his traditionalist Catholic regressive sect cause alarm?

Why is it felt that because Mr. Gibson belongs to a certain religious group that he is automatically anti-Semitic? Saying this is like saying because a person didn’t like “The Passion”, they are anti-Christian. Neither statement is true.

Shouldn’t Christians be offended by the marketing of items, such as Passion coffee mugs, because it trivializes Christ’s crucifixion?

Actually, as a Christian, I believe a mug or other marketing item would remind me of Jesus’ suffering for my ultimate salvation and, as a Roman Catholic, it can even deepen my faith through those small reminders.

Why does the film only recount the last hours of Jesus’ life, and not include more details of his ministry?

It is true that many incidents are left out, such as Christ preaching to the leaders in the temple as a child, and when he performed miracle after miracle. Nor does it include his ultimate resurrection and the apostles witness to this fact. It doesn’t discount these events, but the film is only three hours long and could not have been made longer to appease the minds of everyone.

I hope this article can help anyone out there struggling with what The Passion means. It would be a very hard movie to review as it is the controversial subject of religion. By keeping your head cool and your mind open, I think anyone can view this movie.

REFERENCES

Carroll, W. (n.d.). Judaism and Christianity. Retrieved April 2, 2004, from
http://www.ewtn.com/library/HOMELIBR/JEWS.HTM

Holy Bible. (1993). The Gospel’s of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. Nashville, Tennessee. Catholic Bible Press.

The Debate. (1981). Was Christ Crucified? Retrieved April 2, 2004, from http://answering-islam.org.uk/Debates/Deedat_McDowell.html