by berylblue 14 Replies latest jw friends
I distinctly remember a paragraph stating that persons needed to turn to Christ, not ET, or something like that. It was hilarious. I thought at the time, "This is pathetic, acting as though a fictional character poses a threat to Jesus".
Who remembers this?
Rosemarie
Oh, also, what was the WTS and JW rank and file reaction to John Lennon's statement about the Beatles being more popular than Jesus? I wasn't a Witness then.
Also, did the WTS really ban the dance, "The Twist"?
Rosemarie
Awake 1983 7/8 27:
Christ or E.T.?
E.T.—The Extra-Terrestrial burst on the scene in the United States this past summer, attracting theater audiences in record numbers. In only six weeks it grossed nearly $150 million. With spin-offs in E.T. dolls, toys and other merchandise—as well as the movie’s release in other parts of the world—it is estimated the public could spend a whopping $1 billion on E.T. Why the E.T. fever?
The movie depicts an ungainly 3-foot (90-cm)-high creature from space, stranded on earth, who befriends a ten-year-old boy named Elliott. E.T.’s friendliness and benign powers, such as healing the boy’s cut finger and bringing flowers to life, win the affection of Elliott and his family. Sadly, a wasting illness appears to take the creature’s life. But when he is inexplicably “resurrected” before Elliott’s eyes audiences cheer. His touching good-bye, when E.T.’s alien friends take him home, leaves hardly a dry eye in the theater.
Interestingly, many have noted parallels in the story to that of the life of Jesus Christ. Said Professor Albert E. Millar, Jr.: “I think the thing that struck me most was the idea of the capacity to heal, and then when E.T. died and was resurrected.” We have in E.T., then, an enchanting Messiahlike figure that gives momentary emotional release to our need for a true friend with powers greater than ours. Therein lies the movie’s great appeal.
Despite its seemingly Christian message, however, the movie subtly condones youthful misbehavior. In an early scene we find youths playing “Dungeons and Dragons” in a smoke-filled room with a lighted cigarette on the table. Later on, when E.T. gets drunk sampling beer, and Elliott in telepathic sympathy feels the effects, it is all portrayed as something cute. Further, some of the language used by these children is gross profanity. This, along with the supernatural aspects of the movie, has bothered many Christians.
Whether parents or their children see this movie is, of course, a matter of personal choice. But because of the movie’s great popularity, let us not forget that it becomes an effective vehicle for sugarcoating youthful conduct that is definitely wrong.
E.T. may be a skillfully constructed and highly entertaining movie. But it provides no substitute for our True Friend, Jesus Christ, who saves us from this dying, wicked world. After all, E.T. is make-believe. Christ is reality.
Thanks so much
That article is disgusting! They must really have their hands full with Harry Potter. Such bull$shit!
granny
Also, did the WTS really ban the dance, "The Twist"?
Indeed they did, Rosemarie. I would have been about 16 in 1962, and the Watchtower study article really laboured the point that the twist was similar to tribal fertility dances and aroused awful passions in young people and was therfore to be abhored by witnesses.
Interestingly, this was the one occasion when I saw someone openly disagree at a meeting. The then Mag / Territory servant, a Brother Fred Chloe of the Feltham congregation answered one of the study questions and stated that he had no problem with the twist and would dance it on a Saturday night if he chose to do so.
Englishman.
ah! so thats why i became a smoking, profane alcoholic at the age of 5, because i went to see the film E.T.
I remember the WTS putting a Jesus twist on E.T.
I swear they just don't have anything better to do back at bethel. Come on, the movie is a classic, entertaining, and should just be left at that.
I honestly never noticed the parallels to Jesus before myself.
How atrocious it would be for humans to BELIEVE that another living creature could cure the sick, communicate telepathically and be RESURRECTED.
Next thing you know there will be about 2 billion people in this world saying that nothing is possible in life except through E.T.
Wait a second, those 2 billion people are already spoken for.
They are called Christians!!!!!!! (these little emoticons should account for the reaction I will get with that comment. teehee
Brad
They're a bunch of penis-breaths
About the John Lennon-Jesus Christ question:
I was too young to remember if the WT had anything to say about the Lennon-Christ furor. But I do remember Bethelites visiting our congregation in the 70s and commenting on the Beatles being satanic and we should not listen to them. I caught some flack because of my owning all their albums and listening to them. Whenever talks were given from the hall about satantic music the Beatles and the Stones were always mentioned. The Stones were easy picking because of the album, "Her Satanic Majestys Request". The Beatles were satanic because of their obvious drug use, Indian religion influence, etc. What I found interesting was a few years later, the WT actually qouted John Lennon in a one page article about smoking. They qouted a song from the "White" album where John sings, "I think I'll have another cigarette; curse Sir Walter Raleigh...." but they left off the rest of the line, "....he was such a stupid git". So after being told how satanic the Beatle are the WT then qoutes one of them in one of their articles to support their stand on anti-smoking. Go figure.
