Mad Mel

Actor/director Mel Gibson's been the buzz lately, what with his drunken, anti-Semitic tirade several days ago and his subsequent apologies. Some Jewish groups remain outraged, though many were somewhat mollified with his latest mea culpa. The ever-sensitive Catholic League have asked that folks lay off poor Mel, who adheres to a very traditional form of Catholicism: He said he was sorry, OK?

Evangelical organizations have been silent. Perhaps they feel it's not their place.

Still, Gibson has become an evangelical darling. He screened an advance copy of his "The Passion of the Christ" to powerful evangelical leaders in Colorado Springs in June, 2003, and they responded in kind by helping make the movie a mammoth blockbuster. The film, of course, was also seen by some as being anti-Semitic -- a charge evangelicals hotly denied.

Evangelical groups embraced Gibson as one of their own. I think it's surprising that few leaders are condemning him OR supporting him ... they don't seem to be saying anything at all.