Paula Fredriksen: Gibson goofed
Goofed? Name me one, just one movie producer who wouldn't sell his or her soul and the souls of their entire cast, crew, family, etc. for all the free publicity and heat opponents of Gibson's flick have generated for nearly a year before the first paying customer laid eyes on it. Gibson supposedly laid out $50 million to make and market the movie; he'll have made that cash back by the time the sun sets on the West Coast on Wednesday, when the film finally goes public, critics be damned. In that respect, the guy's a genius.

And as for the critics who claim the film will lead to a rash of anti-semitic reaction: get real. You idiots keep banging this drum like the American public are a pack of mindless boobs who take their lead from what they see on movie screen. I think it's bunk.

Anyway, as a recovering Catholic, I seem to remember something about how God sent his only Son to die for our sins, so it doesn't matter who killed Jesus. He was Dead Man Walking the minute he showed up.