Were Mel Gibson 's derogatory statements made after his arrest his truth ,or a symptom of something else?

Question

Should we not just judge him as an actor? His behavior though not condonible seems to be related to the drinking, that may be related to personal unresolved issues and wrapped up in guilt? The pressures have to be enormous,I have seen that pattern way too often to mistake . I am completely against what he said about the Jewish people, in his heart he knows this is not love. He carries conflicts from childhood to haunt him as he hits middle age. Who knows this predicament maybe what he needs to see if he will sink if swim. I think he'll swim, he is a smart man he just needs to ask for forgiveness,forgive himself and get on with it. We can help by not going for the throat when people are down.
Love is the only thing strong enough to win against addiction and remorse. Love you Mel Gibson
Take care of those precious priorities your Lord, your family and YOU, the rest can take care of itself. "What does a man profit if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?" ( Mt. 16:26)

I am open to everyone to answer and do hope I will get both a Christian and Jewish perspectives as well. Thank you In advance
~A~

Thank you to everyone kind enough to answer so far but please no smart remarks about God. Be kind please this question is not about God its about Mel Gibson who just happens to say he believes in Him and so do I. I do not feel superior than another if they don't believe in what I do. Thanks

Your answers have been very open and honest and have given me a window into how others have interperted this story. Picking the best is really going to be difficult . I have had most of your views at one time or another. It is in fact time that had given me a better perspective. Once I would have said drunks tell truth. I recall getting onto some wine at a wedding when I was a teen. Under the influence I was another person even I did not recognise. I have also been backed into a corner, on the defensive I said things that shocked even me. That were NOT my true feelings but random arrows to hit the target. If I had alcohol in my system I can only imagine what I might have said then. For me to judge Mel Gibson I would also have to put myself in the line up. He is not his father. We are all a work in progress. Thanks for your valuable answers! Now to the voting hummmm

Answer 1

Everyone has an opinion on this.

My take: Alcohol does lower inhibition, so people do stop reining in what’s going on inside their minds and allow others to get a "peek."

However, all this incident really shows is that the anti-Semitism issue is simply something in the forefront of Gibson’s mind. We can’t tell what his real conviction is regarding the Jews, or what he is committed to pursuing in regards to Jews. It just shows that the topic itself is something eating away at him -- and for many (innocent) reasons.

We know his Gibson’s father was anti-Semitic. That’s a pretty big thing in a kid’s life, whether or not he agrees with his dad. It’s something you can’t just put out of mind, and you’ll bat it around for much of your life.

We also saw the big stink last year about “The Passion,” which Gibson poured himself into. The anti-Semite issue threatened to derail his personal crowning achievement. Some people used it as a slur not against his artistic skill but against his very character and faith… the things he lives for.

That makes the issue ITSELF very large in his mind, eating away at him, and people haven’t permitted it to die over the last year either.

When a guy is wrestling with something so large under the surface, and he gets drunk and frustrated, it’s bound to come out in some way… often by venting and saying stupid things, just to get it out. This is simply what a person under stress does. We blow up and say things we might have thought but do not necessarily mean -- and sometimes we even say contradictory things.

I also look at his behavior afterwards – I think he groveled far too much to sound as sincere as he might have, but then again the media took the incident and fanned it into a “big event” in order to sell more papers and he stood to lose a lot in the process.

Still, he is making overtures of repentance, and he hasn’t promoted any form of anti-Semitism that I know of. People who actually know him trust him and say he’s a decent guy and not anti-Jew.

The Politically Correct movement is pretty bad at knowing how to prioritize incidents like this, tending to just act like a rabid dog in terms of policing people’s comments and thoughts indiscriminately.

So leave Gibson alone for right now. Judge a man by his long-term actions and commitments, and give a little grace to allow for mistakes and struggles along the way, and see where things go.

The whole affair seems based on bad motivations on many people's part.

Anyway, very good question... :)

Answer 2

I am Jewish and since "The Passion of the Christ," Mel Gibson has had some tensions with the Jewish community. Adding to this problem is that his father is open about his anit-semitic feelings. (Being related to an anti-semite doesn't mean Mel is, but he was influenced by his father.) The other consideration is that supposedly being drunk gets people to share their deep, dark secrets. (I don't know for sure, because I have never been around a drunk person before.)

My conclusion is that Gibson was raised in a somewhat anti-semitic environment, so some intolerant ideas are ingrained in his mind. However, he has done little else to offend the Jews, so his intolerance is under enough control for this incident to be viewed as a result of Mel's alcoholism.

Answer 3

I think what he said -- while not defensible -- were, at the end of the day, just the rantings of a guy who'd had way too much to drink.

I think most of us have said stupid stuff while drunk ...

The sad thing is, some people say bigoted things when they're cold sober -- and get away with it, especially if (unlike Gibson) they are social and political liberals.

For instance, some liberals -- including professional commentators and political cartoonists -- have made light of Condi Rice's ethnicity.

Others have made personal and even anti-Semitic attacks on Sen. Joseph Lieberman -- all because he, unlike most of his fellow Democrats, continues to support military action in Iraq while the rest of the Dems have flip-flopped on it.

Answer 4

I think it's just an example of how our own insecurities and being drunk can lead us to say things we don't really believe.

Kind of how like... I can imagine doing something horrible to my family members, but that doesn't mean I believe I should or want to. Or I can imagine myself burning down my school just because I feel like it. Lucky for me, and everyone, sane people think these things and shake their heads before moving on... Drunks are more on the insane side... and drugs will take away all reason entirely.

Just because we say stupid unnecessary crap when we're not in the right state of mind does not mean that we actually believe it.

Answer 5

I believe they were a symptom of his drinking & he lashed out at the nearest person ...wasn't the arresting officer Jewish? That said ...he should apologize & be charged for driving under the influence.
I don't really follow the celebs that much ...but I think more was made of this case than should have been.

Answer 6

this is alot of noise.

many drunken/under the influence people who get arrested (or not) get mouthy and insultive when they're confronted.

the officer just happen to be jewish. has nothing to do with jews in general. i hate to see what would have happened if the officer was black.

i hear about it all the time. everyone is yelling about it because they want to. haven't they watched cops enough to see this is more than typical?

smirks... the next big thing to get upset over. i'm starting to think folks want to be angry and unhappy about something.

lord?

LMFAO! ok. whatever.

gibson is just another scapegoat.

along with the lord i see.

Answer 7

Scientific research still remains inconclusive that drunks tell the truth in whatever state. What Mel Gibson said when he was all full of booze could either be him not in control of his speech or totally nonsensical. Either way, it cannot be justified that what he said was his true feelings/ thoughts.

Answer 8

I think that was really how he sees things. If he was drunk and killed somebody, his actions would not be excusable because he was drunk, he would be prosecuted.

As far as judging him just as an actor, he's not some off-Broadway putz making $20k a year. He has enough money to finance his own movies, and produce and direct them. That alone puts him in the public eye for scrutiny.

Answer 9

The true many times is painful,for that, we call that God Forgives us and doesn't judje us in His True. Such in the pray"Our Father" we ask for fogive,such as we forgive others mens. Mens must give to you their hands ,for the peace of our souls,if you whant that sincere.God Bless You.

Answer 10

People shouldn't use drink as an excuse. The drink did not put thoughts in your head that you didn't have before, it just made it possible for those thoughts, that you normally keep to yourself, to come tumbling out of your mouth. He is racist and that is bad.