"Passion" DVD sells 2.4 million copies in first hours of US release

The DVD of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" has gone on sale in the United States. After the first few hours on Tuesday, 2.4 million copies were already sold. Churches and religious groups have become active in trying to promote the DVD, sometimes buying blocks of the film for sale to their congregations. Many were paid for in advance and picked up the DVDs yesterday. Fox Home Entertainment, who distributes the movie, reported that each customer bought an average of 1.8 copies of the film, with some people buying as many as six copies. Gibson's film was one of the most controversial movies in years. Besides its violent depiction of the crucifixion, some Jewish organizations complained it might spark a rise in anti-Semitism by blaming ancient Jewish people for killing Christ.