Actor and producer Mel Gibson sat down this month with viral podcaster Joe Rogan, where the Oscar-winning star talked about his belief in the veracity of the Bible and his views on creationism.

Gibson also talked to Rogan about the “opposition” he faced in 2004, when he made “The Passion of the Christ,” which became the highest-grossing R-rated movie in U.S. history, bringing in a staggering $370.8 million against a $30 million budget. In fact, the film’s record was just unseated last year by Disney’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

Of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, Gibson said, “I think, if you ever hit on that subject matter, you’re going to get people going because, of course, it’s a big subject matter.”

“The idea was that we’re all responsible for this, that His sacrifice was for all mankind, and that for all our ills and all the things in our fallen nature,” he continued. “It was a redemption, so, you know, and I believe that.”

While Rogan considers himself agnostic, he did agree with Gibson’s view that Christianity — more so than any other religion — is the target of societal scorn.

“Christianity is the one religion that you’re allowed to disparage,” he said, going on to describe Hollywood as teeming with “progressive, open-minded leftist people” who are open to other religious beliefs but view Christianity as “negative.”

As for Gibson’s own beliefs, the 69-year-old celebrity was raised in a Catholic household and adopted those convictions for himself as an adult. He told Rogan he is “very Christian” in his beliefs and trusts Scripture “to the full,” describing the Bible — and the Gospel accounts, in particular — as “verifiable history.”

He went on to say he believes in the truth of Scripture, in part because the disciples were willing to die for their faith. “Every single one of those guys died,” he said, “rather than deny their belief.”

“Who gets back up three days later after He gets murdered in public?” the actor asked rhetorically, referring to the resurrected Jesus. “Buddha didn’t do that.”

Rogan then turned the conversation toward evolution, asking the “Braveheart” star and director for his views on creation.

“I don’t really go for it,” Gibson said of the evolutionary theory, later adding, “Anything left to itself without some kind of intelligence behind it will devolve into chaos.”

The universe, he argued, needs some form of “big intelligence,” going on to say he sees human beings as distinctly different from all the rest of creation: “I think we have a soul. We’re created with a soul.”

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