Aladdin, the movie - 2019

[jayrtom]

15 hours ago, ouzo said:

Sorry, totally disagree. It's a scene film showing and promoting in a "nice" way spiritualism whatever you say. In this case, yes, I can't say it's a matter of conscience. Of course each of us we have the free will to choose our kind of entertainment. I personally, won't judge anyone. But saying that this is a matter of conscience.. No, I won't say this.

Just look at this article:

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101984081

 

Do you think it is judging the friends that enjoy fairy tales?

...

Maybe you are one of the millions who have enjoyed it...

...Doubtless you have enjoyed this type of entertainment...

 

Also this other article, where a broomstick is compared with technology!

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101985842?q=disney&p=par

IN Goethe’s fairy tale The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, made popular by Paul Dukas’ music and Walt Disney’s movie Fantasia, the apprentice hit upon the idea of putting to use his master’s uncanny power to lighten his own work. He set a broomstick to work to carry water for him. Not knowing how to control it, he soon found that the obedient but mindless slave carried so much water into the house that a flood resulted. The story, of course, had a happy ending—the master came to the rescue.

Like the apprentice’s broomstick, technology is basically a powerful tool. It can be put to use to make our work easier, more efficient, and perhaps even more enjoyable. But when it is not properly controlled or when it is misused, it, too, can become a force with disastrous, even fatal, consequences.

 

13 hours ago, Pjdriver said:

 

I think discussing the appropriateness of a particular movie in a group of people with varying backgrounds, is a recipe for contention. We will always have differing opinions. Especially when the FS says it’s a conscience matter. It’s hard for some to imagine that there might be another view, that is as legitimate as theirs. 

 

That's why, I never discuss my choice of films (mentioning specific films) with others

[carlos]

I was curious to see if our publications had ever mentioned the story of Aladdin, so I did a search for it. Apart from a producit named "Aladdin's lamp", there are two references to this tale:

 

Quote

g94 2/8 pp. 22-23 "Sapporo’s Festival of Snow and Ice" mentions:
There is the old German Diet House, a baroque-style snow building. The huge Arabian Castle featuring Aladdin and his ‘magic lamp’ is easy to identify.

g74 1/8 pp. 8-11 "What Do You Know About Prayer?"
Practicers of non-Biblical religions often consider their worship to be a sort of “magic” that gets their god to do whatever the worshiper wants. But the Creator is not like the fabled jinn of Aladdin’s lamp, waiting to do man’s bidding.

None of those articles has to do directly with the story of Aladdin, but interestingly they both assume that their readers are familiar with the story. The same happens with other fairy tales, such as João has mentioned above.

[Shawnster]

15 hours ago, ouzo said:

Sorry, totally disagree. It's a scene film showing and promoting in a "nice" way spiritualism whatever you say. In this case, yes, I can't say it's a matter of conscience. Of course each of us we have the free will to choose our kind of entertainment. I personally, won't judge anyone. But saying that this is a matter of conscience.. No, I won't say this.

Either its a matter of conscience or not. If it is, then we are free to choose for ourselves. If not, then the elders will begin counseling all who watched the movies and restrictions will be placed on these individuals. 

 

Do you know of any shepherding meetings being formed to counsel or correct ones who have watched this movie?  Are judicial meetings being formed and publishers being reproved for seeing this movie? 

 

If your conscience feels the movie is inappropriate, that is wonderful.  That is your conscience.  If it's not a conscience matter, then please provide evidence where publishers are being punished or reproved for watching the movie. 

 

Choices and activities that are clearly not conscience matters result in discipline and loving correction.  

 

15 hours ago, ouzo said:

I said before that I don't want to judge any of you. I don't have this right. But I can't say that these kind of movies are just matter of conscience. Friends, we don't help others promoting these thoughts. 

If you say it is not a conscience matter, then you are judging.  That is the definition of judging - something is explicitly wrong and must be avoided by everyone and anyone participating has done a great badness toward Jehovah. 

Edited May 30, 2019 by Shawnster

[Guri]

12 minutes ago, jayrtom said:

That's why, I never discuss my choice of films (mentioning specific films) with others

[Pavlos]

Please friends accept my apologies. Have all a good day

[Shawnster]

16 hours ago, CynthiaG said:

This is just sad.....

In fact it's rather simple. If I invite them I will pick somethimg other than marvel to watch or not play the songs they dont care for or not cook meat for dinner...

This is the course of wisdom.  We should not avoid associating with any Christian simply because they may not approve of our conscience decisions.  The course of wisdom is to have wholesome association with these people in settings and situations we know won't offend them.  

 

I also understand Carlos point of view.  Perhaps this experience will help you understand Carlos reasoning.  The friends from my congregation were at a party.  The only people at the gathering were Witnesses, mostly from our own congregation.  A group of younger ones were with a regular pioneer couple playing an innocent card game played with a standard deck of cards.  The mother of one of the young children pulled her child from that group and left the party.  Why?  Because she did not approve of the title of the card game.  The mother was offended by the title of a card game to the point she left what we used to call a congregation get-together.  This was shocking because nobody playing the game ever considered someone would be offended.  It never even entered their mind.

 

Friends in my congregation like to get together in autumn for an outdoor activity.  At night, since it's autumn, there is a bonfire where people roast hot dogs and marshmallows.  This offended the conscience of a publisher.  Why?  Because they felt the origin of a "bonfire" was demonic or Satanic.  Had the friends called it a camp fire, the conscience of this individual may not have been offended.  Same type of fire, just a different name.  Humans have been sitting around fires cooking and talking and associating for over 6,000 years, but this Christian's conscience was bothered to the point of not coming to the gathering.  

 

And that's the point.  Some people's consciences are so easily offended that they react negatively to surprising and unimagined offenses.  It is extremely difficult to have wholesome association with such individuals when it's impossible to know in advance what they may or may not be offended by.  It's easier to simply to avoid or extremely limit associating with them.  That may not be the best choice, but it is the easiest.  

 

It's great we all have different consciences.  We can all learn from each other.  All of us should constantly be refining our conscience as we grow in Jehovah's organization.  I love the illustration Carlos shared - a lax conscience is like a fire alarm that never works so, when the fire comes, the warning is never sounded.   On the other hand, an overly-strict conscience is like a fire alarm that is always going off by accident and sending out false alarms thus the alarm is ignored when the fire does finally come.  Both types of alarms are ineffective.  Likewise, both types of consciences - overly lax and overly sensitive - are ineffective.

 

We all must find balance.

1 hour ago, ouzo said:

Please friends accept my apologies. Have all a good day

If my conscience tells me something is wrong and should be rejected, I have difficulty understanding why others would accept and enjoy that something.  I do understand where you are coming from and your heart is in the right place.

[carlos]

1 hour ago, Shawnster said:

This is the course of wisdom.  We should not avoid associating with any Christian simply because they may not approve of our conscience decisions.  The course of wisdom is to have wholesome association with these people in settings and situations we know won't offend them.  

I agree. I happily adapt to others' consciences within reasonable limits. If I invite a brother to watch a movie and he feels uncomfortable, I have no problem watching another movie that he finds acceptable or doing something else. If I go to the movies with a brother and he wants to leave the theater, I will leave with him, even if I don't have a problem with the movie. If I invite a brother who doesn't drink alcohol and it's only my family and his, I won't serve any alcohol, even though I have no problem having a glass of wine. Those things are reasonable.

 

Now if brother always wants to leave the theater, I will stop going to the movies with him. If a brother is always bothered by everything I watch, read or do, or if he criticizes my choices or I feel I'm constantly being judged by his holier-than-me attitude, I'm fine going with him in service or in theocratic activities but I won't spend much social time with him. It's great to make our own conscience choices but when someone imposes their conscience on others people will flee from them.

[pnutts]

This movie is highlighted in the news here because the lead actor grew up & went to school in the GTA - specifically Mississauga, ON ( ? ).

He was not born in Canada though.

 

Haven't seen it, even though Will Smith is in it. Took me awhile to recognize him as the genie in the ads on tv.

[Shawnster]

I like Mississauga 

[tuntun]

Too bad if I can't watch that movie. I think it's just a comedy movie that we can watch with our families.

in this 2 weeks most people here will enjoy holidays on the occasion of certain major religious days. And I have plan to watch something with my family in the cinema. 

 

I think if we want to be too straight, of course there are almost no movies that can be watched. even children's movie like transformers present a lot of violence and firearms.

[Lewis]

We all know as true christians we all do our very best to bring glory to Jehovah God, in 1 Corinthians 10:23 it reminds us that many things are permitted but not everything is beneficial or constructive. The dangers in todays movies is that Lust, Anger, Hatred, Violence and whatever else you can think of, is in everything, even in the most innocent films available. this becomes really hard to watch a decent film anymore, the deeper this system goes the deeper the questionable content gets.

 

We cant allow these films to affect our heart and affect others around us. This can become a stumbling block for someone who is struggling with a habit or behaviour that is between that person and Jehovah. 

 

Jehovahs spirit guides us by our conscience, if conscience is telling you that what you are watching is wrong, then it probably is.

 

[Krusso]

On ‎5‎/‎30‎/‎2019 at 7:42 AM, New World Explorer said:

12 Regarding the need for a Christian to be sensitive to the conscience of others, Paul wrote: “It is best not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything over which your brother stumbles.” (Rom. 14:21) Would you be willing to forgo things that are within your right if you could thus avoid stumbling a brother whose conscience differs from yours?

In my opinion (kindly remember we all are imperfect and might be wrong and change) this scripture summarizes the principle to apply. According to Paul there were two classes of people, the ones  with a weak conscience and the ones without it. Paul never said one group was right or the other was wrong. If they were going to interact in any form or shape, the one without the weak conscience should act taking into consideration the one with the weak conscience. If I lived at that times I would apply the counsel and not eat meat in a pagan temple (a public place where I could be seen and stumble others), I would by my steaks at the temple and roast them in the privacy of my home and eat with my family.

 

Nowadays we should get to know our brothers and sisters the max that we can, so we can access if they have a weak conscience or not and act accordingly. If they do and we decide to socialize with them we will think about their conscience before ours. Reality is since we are so busy with our spiritual routine, work, raising children, etc.  and do not have much time left for entertaining, that either we will watch the movies we want to watch by ourselves or invite brothers with the same mind set. Another reality is that if you project to be more sensitive than the average, your opportunities to socialize will be limited. Either you live with that or you do not try to impose your opinion on what is right or wrong regarding entertainment.  Respect the free will of the others and trust that if they are making a bad decision sooner or later they will realize that and change. Of course I am not referring to situations where we realize that the decision will take to take the person to a path of sin. The list of sins is very clear.

 

Regarding movies, where I lived 20 years ago the ratings were completely different from the American rating, much more liberal. Rated R was 12 years or older. So we watched al the movies that American brothers would not watch because was rated R. When I started dating my husband who was a bethelite in Brooklyn, movies was a delicate subject because going to the movies at that time without cable TV and Netflix, was my only entertainment and he did not watched the movies that I watched at all. Until today his  conscience is more sensitive than mine. There are movies that I watch and he does not ( he is not a movie person anyway). He respects my conscience and I respect his. No imposing. Free will is a gift that I personally give a lot of importance.

[Hope]

A sister I know and like very much unfriended me on Facebook because I went to see the Aladdin film.  It is distressing to me, but what can I do?  She thinks it represents an independent attitude on my part and doesn't want to possibly be influenced by other bad decisions I might make and talk about.   

[Wanda Hill]

My friends and I go see things and just to keep from dealing with junk like that, we just keep our mouths shut about it!..lol..and if one of us sees something that someone else won't see, we just stay out of it..after all, we all have to answer to Jehovah for ourselves..I really think you would like my friends, Uani..

[CynthiaG]

59 minutes ago, Hope said:

A sister I know and like very much unfriended me on Facebook because I went to see the Aladdin film.  It is distressing to me, but what can I do?  She thinks it represents an independent attitude on my part and doesn't want to possibly be influenced by other bad decisions I might make and talk about.   

I can understand the sister who deleted you to a degree. This is the unfortunate downside to social media. Actually quite regularly I have deleted people. A couple of those times I explained to the person why. They didn't seem all that interested so I've since stopped explaining unless I'm directly asked.  

 

My social media is like peeking inside my real life so I take it very serious who I allow to follow me. I've deleted because a sister would post bikini pictures, I've deleted because a newer to the truth sister would throw up gang signs in her posts (and say it meant something else to her). Recently I unfollowed a sister who posted about being excited about GOT the 7th season. And I've deleted because some of the friends think a certain racial slur is appropriate to utilize since they are ethnic. 

 

Honestly, some might say I'm ridiculous and that's ok. There are added variables I also take into consideration it's never been just a one time offense then I'm done. Some of these issues I know are my own hangups. If a friend posts regarding a movie I disagree with I just won't like the post not delete them alltogether necessarily. The sister I deleted that posted about GOT that was kind of just my last straw with her she and I are not friends in real life and she never posts anything spiritual. My attitude is that I'll respect your feed and you respect mine. Once that line gets crossed to many times I just take them off. It's the same in real life Jehovah encourages us to have close association with those who build us up spiritually. 

 

I've since just taken a break from social media alltogether. I originally created the accounts  for family out of state.

 

46 minutes ago, Wanda Hill said:

My friends and I go see things and just to keep from dealing with junk like that, we just keep our mouths shut about it!..lol..and if one of us sees something that someone else won't see, we just stay out of it..after all, we all have to answer to Jehovah for ourselves..I really think you would like my friends, Uani..

Much Agree! I'm what you call more selective in my choice of entertainment so I don't speak or give an opinion unless specifically asked about it. 

Edited June 5, 2019 by CynthiaG

[Hope]

1 hour ago, Wanda Hill said:

My friends and I go see things and just to keep from dealing with junk like that, we just keep our mouths shut about it!..lol..and if one of us sees something that someone else won't see, we just stay out of it..after all, we all have to answer to Jehovah for ourselves..I really think you would like my friends, Uani..

 

I normally do.  I usually go to the movies by myself coz it's too hard to find something everyone will like/no one will have a problem with.  I honestly didn't think my saying I'd gone would result in such lengthy private messages, then unfriending.. it's not happened before.   

[Tortuga]

16 minutes ago, Hope said:

 

I normally do.  I usually go to the movies by myself coz it's too hard to find something everyone will like/no one will have a problem with.  I honestly didn't think my saying I'd gone would result in such lengthy private messages, then unfriending.. it's not happened before.   

Tell her that you have taken her advice to heart and you will never watch Aladdin at the movies again....

[EccentricM]

3 hours ago, Tortuga said:

Tell her that you have taken her advice to heart and you will never watch Aladdin at the movies again....

...Only on DVD or Bluray.

Edited June 5, 2019 by EccentricM

[tuntun]

11 hours ago, Hope said:

A sister I know and like very much unfriended me on Facebook because I went to see the Aladdin film.  It is distressing to me, but what can I do?  She thinks it represents an independent attitude on my part and doesn't want to possibly be influenced by other bad decisions I might make and talk about.   

I ever hadn't attended meetings for two weeks because I was busy with various activities related to secular work.

Even though I attend the meetings regularly for more than 10 years. A fellow of my congregation insinuated me indirectly on Facebook. That I am a kind of person who has blood debt.

I don't really like hanging out with people who is very critical or feel themselves to be more righteous than others. So I unfriended him.

[tuntun]

7 hours ago, Tortuga said:

This topic is about the movie Aladdin. If you want to discuss blood guilt then please start a new topic and a moderator can move these comments to the new topic. 

I think it's about a matter of conscience.

There was a sister who stay away from other sister for watching a movie that she thought was related to worldly things such as violence and spiritism.

Some people whose their conscience are too strong judge other witness for watching a movie who might make her could become 'blood guilty' in one way or another.

 

Maybe someone think watching Aladdin movie can raised someone imagination (just buying and rubbing our hand on certain vas and the money or the girls comes).

Maybe she believe it strengthen someone for watching another movies related to spiritism so that finally someone who is really interested and finally have a contact with it. Which is off course it would be blood guilty.

 

Many young people play with ouija boards after watching a number of movies about that, who is being played by the young people.

 

Edited June 6, 2019 by carlos
Removed inappropriate video

[Darren G]

I have bought the Aladdin 2019 on blu ray and appreciate the comments from both sides.

 

The truth is theres hardly any movies in satans world including most Disney films, others such as indiana jones, star wars , star trek, pirates of the carribbean etc, that are 100% suitable for true christians.

 

These films contain violence, mystic arts and other things some of us would not watch them for.

If we were to live 100% by Jehovahs laws and principles we would have very little to watch.

 

Being as imperfect as we all are we just have to struggle to keep our viewing habits as christian as possible.

 

But its crazy in the extreme if anyone in the truth watches things like Game of Thrones, they need to go see the elders and even if they dont then Jehovah is watching and will clean house sooner or later.

 

Satan must just love it when so called true christians watch things as extreme as GOT.