Watson observed, "Why does the boat's captain sound like an actor out of "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure"?"
Wait until you see NEXT YEAR'S video -- they're re-making "Cabin Boy" with a theocratic subtext!
2018 Convention movie: Jonah.... oh my god it's bad......!
by stuckinarut2 63 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Nathan Natas
Crazyguy asked, "Does anyone know or does the Bible state when the Jonah story supposedly happen?"
I'm not a "Bible scholar" but Wikipedia says, "Jonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of Israel in about the 8th century BCE."
I think the WTB&TS teaches that Jonah lived last Thursday.
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yodastar
Kind of agree with Steve2 there 'Careful' ( what does that stand for anyways) but I digress, Lloyd is a very pragmatic, say it as it is and doesn't get all hyped up kind of guy. The Cult deserves everything that Lloyd offers up in very insightful info. Seriously the borg is absolutely shameful in this sort of consistent brainwashing of the young- hey who didn't like movies when we were young. That's who they target with this rubbish!!
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Finkelstein
Do what the leaders of the WTS (GB) say kids or you might end up in a whales stomach or worse.
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Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho
We've got a food critic...
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sparrowdown
Did anyone notice putting "sackcloth" on the baby? Looked like a real baby crying to me and I thought isn't there special protocols to be followed on movie sets when working with children and animals? Just a thought anyway.
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stuckinarut2
Haha! @wake me! "Jonah sticks"!
Love it
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Rabbi Midge
At the private request from a forum member I am providing the following Jewish perspective to the question:
Does anyone know or does the Bible state when the Jonah story supposedly happen?
While the prophet Jonah is believed to be a historical person, the Biblical account is understood to be a satire.
The details are purposefully written to be either funny, preposterous, impossible or even outright silly to produce either:
1. A moral lesson for Jews to make them rethink their theology on being the only "chosen people" of God and the prejudices this produces as a result
2. A guide for prophets, teaching them how to do their job by teaching them how not to act and what attitudes not to have
3. Or a combination of the above.
Most Jewish scholars tend to favor the third view.
While Jonah is believed to be the historical author, it is impossible for him to have done any of the things mentioned in the book. Why?
1. Tarshish is a mythical place, and in the book of Jonah is merely a literary device meaning "a far away place." There was a pseudo-mythical harbor in Iberia that was washed away and became popular in Greek and Roman mythology, but it wasn't Spain which is mentioned by the reviewer (which I assume he got from the Watchtower).
2. Nineveh did not exist at the time of the book's composition. God's "sparing" it in Jonah's story is thus useless as it was eventually totally wiped away.
3. Jonah is the only prophet in the history of the Jews who is 100% successful in his assignment (at least in this written story) and over this Jonah pouts.
4. The book ends leaving the reader to question their views and beliefs, providing no answers nor the means to get them.
The story is basically a parable asking the Jews to reconsider their own views of uniqueness. Were we truly chosen by God to be his only people? Or were we just like every other ancient people who thought the same thing about their deity and place in the universe? When it came to bringing mercy to people of other nations, people who were not Jews, were they not just as deserving to the same? If God is truly the God of all, is not God's prophet the servant of all? Shouldn't we rejoice in the redemption of all instead of the condemnation of those who believe and worship differently?
Despite how you answer the narrative is not historical, at least not from a Jewish prospective.
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sparrowdown
Rabbi Midge - " ...the biblical account is understood to be a satire."
Interesting you say that, as a JW we were taught the account (along with many others)is literal but I could not get past the humour of it I always thought Jonah was a very funny character imagined him with a George Constanza look and voice. Lol.
JWs are a joyless, humourless bunch that take these stories way too seriously so alas my laughing at bible characters and stories was not appreciated.
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Rabbi Midge
All you had to do was trust your gut, Sparrowdown. Too bad the Witnesses didn't appreciate your insight and humor.
The idea that it was not a literal tale is quite ancient too. Jonah is read on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) where the Jews see themselves as the people of Nineveh, repenting and fasting for their sins. This identification with a Gentile people on the holiest day of the Jewish year shows how the intent of the book's lesson was not lost on the Jews.
Except for the Hasidic, the idea that the Jews are specifically chosen by God and thus unique above and at the expense of all other peoples has long been rejected.