NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

4/12/2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES- A panel discussion on the film "The Passion of the Christ" will be held Tuesday, April 20 at 7 p.m. in Room 227 of Morrison Hall on the Northwestern State University campus. Admission is free and open to the public.

The discussion is sponsored by the Louisiana Scholars' College at NSU as part of its Senior Colloquium on religious tolerance.

Panelists will include Howard Ross, director of the North Louisiana Jewish Federation in Shreveport, Jim McGill, a Roman Catholic educator with the Greco Institute in Shreveport, Rev. Doug McCain of the First Methodist Church in Natchitoches, and Dr. Nahla Beier, an English teacher at the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts. Eve DeLeon, a student in the Scholars' College, will serve as moderator.

"The Mel Gibson film has provoked an enormous amount of controversy," said Professor of Philosophy Dr. Fraser Snowden, who is teaching the Senior Colloquium this year. "Many Christians have praised it as a profound faith statement, while critics have accused Gibson of inflaming anti-Semitic sentiments and of distorting historical facts. We hope this program will provide a context for a thoughtful discussion of the many important issues raised by the film."

Each panelist will give a brief presentation on his or her reaction to the film, followed by an open question and answer session.

For more information, contact Snowden at (318) 357-4587.

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