DAVID HARDEN/Arizona Daily Wildcat Rabbi Tom Louchheim of Congregation Or Chadash, right, gives his views of the movie "The Passion of the Christ" last night at a panel discussion in the Integrated Learning Center. Robert Burns, left, director of religious studies and a Catholic priest, was also one of the panel members.

The controversy surrounding "The Passion of the Christ" has yet to die down, nearly two weeks after it was released.

More than 100 people gathered in the Integrated Learning Center last night to express their anger, frustration or awe with the most controversial film of the year, released Feb. 25.

The panel discussion offered an important opportunity for interfaith religious dialogue, said Mark Krell, moderator of the forum and assistant professor of Judaic studies.

"This film really presented us with an opportunity for dialogue. People need to talk about it," he said.

Robert Burns, the chairman of religious studies at the UA, said he felt the movie was positive because it promoted the reading of the Gospels.

"For Christians, I think it's brought many Christians back to reading Scripture," he said.

Tyler Duhame, an undeclared freshman, praised the film for promoting religious discussion.

"People are reading the Gospels, and that made my heart happy," he said. "For the past two weeks, I've been watching the news, and this is all people are talking about."

Other audience members were concerned the film would fuel anti-Semitism.

"I'm concerned about the persistence of persecution of Jews throughout history," one man said.

Rabbi Tom Louchheim, of Congregation Or Chadash and one of the panelists, said he didn't think there was an attempt by the film to incite hatred against the Jews.

"I don't think Mel Gibson is an anti-Semite," he said.

But one Jewish audience member disagreed.

"I think Mel Gibson is an anti-Semite; the film is not theologically accurate," he said.

Burns said he did not think the movie would cause anti-Semitism.

"If you walk into the movie with an open heart, you walk out with an open heart. If you walk in anti-Semitic, you walk out anti-Semitic," he said, adding, "I came out more anti-Roman than anti-Semitic."

Louchheim noted there were also inconsistencies between the Gospels and the film.

"I was taken with the cinematography, but I noticed immediately some of the images fell outside the Gospels," he said.

Louchheim was "disturbed" by Mel Gibson's claim that the film is completely consistent with scripture, a view echoed by some audience members. But Burns said the movie should not act as a substitute for the Bible.

"It's not a documentary; it's a movie," he said.

Louchheim said he thought the film could be a powerful source in religious education if the churches compare it with the Gospels.

"I think it's going to be an amazing teaching tool for churches," he said.

Some audience members and panelists said they were concerned by the large amount of graphic violence in the film.

"There is no proper context (for the violence)," Burns said.

Rev. Ron Rude from the Lutheran Campus Ministry, who said he was uninspired by the film and referred to it as "X-rated," said he felt the large amount of violence was unnecessary.

"I think it was beyond what was needed," he said.

An audience member compared the violence in "The Passion" to the film "Pulp Fiction."

Krell said he thought the film's violence was a reflection of America's violence-obsessed culture.

"I think we have become desensitized to violence," he said.