. . . newspapers throughout the Bible Belt gave credence and consideration to Jewish concerns that Mel Gibson�s "The Passion of the Christ" was a Pandora's box of anti-Semitism.

In Kentucky, the Advocate Messenger (Feb. 22) reported a typical response, quoting a Rev. Tom Patterson, who said "many were responsible for Christ's death," not just the Jews.

The Shreveport Times (Feb. 24), after a church group�s viewing, reported the minister saying, "What held Jesus to the cross wasn't Romans. It wasnt Jews. It was love - love for you and for me."

In the Tuscaloosa News (Feb. 24), one viewer said the movie depicted "the horrible things that we can stoop to when the crowd goes in the wrong direction," but if anti-Semitism "is what you get out of it, you got to be going into the movie looking for that."

No paper that we saw quoted anyone who blamed the Jews or was angry at the Jews.

In Texas, the film critic for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said that Gibson "fanned the flames of anti-Semitism into a marketing bonfire - preying on Jewish people's very legitimate fears" (Feb. 19). Three days later the Star-Telegram printed "a rabbi's perspective."

Kentucky's Louisville Courier Journal (Feb. 22) reported the concerns of the local Jewish federation. The Dallas News (Feb. 18) printed a list of Jewish and Holocaust Web sites to help readers acquaint themselves with the source of Jewish fears.

The Weekly Standard (Feb. 23) and the Hartford Courant featured pieces by Jewish writers who trotted out Lenny Bruce, a "Jewish prophet," said the Courant, and Bruce's routine in which he confesses that his family killed Jesus. "Yes, we did it. I did it, my family," said Bruce. "I found a note in my basement. 'We killed him. Signed, Morty.'"

Larry Miller in the Standard adds that he doesn't object to the Passion being made into a film but "I'm a little afraid. Afraid of what, I don't know. But afraid."

The Jewish Week movie review reiterates much of the voluminous criticism I already linked to yesterday.

PS Other local Jewish commentary: Protocols, the irreverent Jewish blog from YU which has been all over "The Passion" for months, notes a couple of silly protests.