I'm a Christian(not jehovah) and shes JW. Shes a great friend and I want to get her a gift but I dont want to offend her at the same time. What should i do?
her Birthday is day after tomorrow and I need to know ASAP.
2006-09-23 04:18:51 · 11 answers · asked by bella 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Friends
No, it would put her in the position of having to reject it, if she's going to stay true to her religion. Her religion says that it's wrong to celebrate birthdays and even though some Witnesses don't actually see anything wrong with it, they must support that viewpoint. If it became known to other Jehovah's Witnesses that your friend accepted a birthday gift, it's entirely possible it could be viewed by some as celebrating her birthday. That could cause her some trouble, possibly being counseled by the elders in her congregation.
She won't mind your not giving her a gift. Your friendship is the best gift anyway.
(I was a Jehovah's Witness for many years)
2006-09-24 04:48:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a friend who is a JW. We give her presents for everything that she doesn't celebrate. We just change the name of the holidays. Her birthday is called Liz is the Best day. Christmas time we give her presents because there was a really good sale and we couldn't resist it. Some may be offended by it. Because after all it really is a birthday or Christmas present. If you have a really cool friend like I do there should be no problem.
We don't give her any cards with Christmas or Birthday on it.
Waiting to give it to her is a good idea too. That way she won't know its really a birthday present. Don't wrap it in birthday paper either.
2006-09-23 04:29:40 · answer #2 · answered by danadeville 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are a very good friend for being concerned about not offending your Witness friend. Giving her a gift for her birthday could possibly put her in an uncomfortable situation. Since you are such good friends she would likely worry about hurting your feelings because of rejecting the birthday gift. I know you wouldn't want to put her in that situation.
Jehovah's Witnesses are not against getting or giving gifts, so as was suggested, if you find something that you really think she would like, buy it for her, but don't give it to her for her birthday. Give it to her "just because" she is such a great friend.
You could also ask her why she doesn't celebrate birthdays. I'm sure she would be happy to explain it to you. I am going to include a link to an article. Notice paragraph #4. It gives a brief explanation why we don't celebrate birthdays.
http://www.watchtower.org/library/rq/article_11.htm
2006-09-23 12:25:16 · answer #3 · answered by izofblue37 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays. Maybe you could take her something and say it's just because she's such a good friend you wanted to say thanks. My Sister in Law (ex) is a JW and has gotten offended in the past over gifts on holidays she doesn't celebrate but has lightened up a bit lately.Maybe instead of a birthday card you could get her a thank you card or a friendship card and approach it that way.
2006-09-23 04:24:16 · answer #4 · answered by vanhammer 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Do not get her a gift and give it to her on her birthday. Save it and give it to her a week later or something, more of a friendship, just thinking-of-you kind of gift. I have had many JW friends and they are offended/put off due to their strict religious beliefs.
2006-09-23 04:23:58 · answer #5 · answered by lovemcss 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sadly, this so-called "question" is simply an excuse for the anti-Witness questioner to insult and demean the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Trinitarians repeatedly pretend that Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christian. Trinitarians use an artificial, trinity-specific definition of the term "Christian" which excludes anyone who does not believe that Jesus is God Himself, rather than the Son of God. Interestingly, pagans in the first century pretended that Christ's followers were Atheists(!) because the Christians had a somewhat different idea from the pagans about the nature of God.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe! Both secular dictionaries and disinterested theologians acknowledge that Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian religion.
The Trinitarian arguments are intended to insult and demean Jehovah's Witnesses, rather than to give a Scripturally accurate understanding of the term "Christian".
In fact, the bible most closely associates being "Christian" with preaching about Christ and Christ's teachings. Review all the times the bible uses the term "Christian" and note that the context connects the term with:
"declaring the good news"
'teaching quite a crowd'
'open eyes, turn from dark to light'
"uttering sayings of truth"
"persuade"
"keep on glorifying"
(Acts 11:20-26) [The early disciples of Jesus] began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus... and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.
(Acts 26:17-28) [Jesus said to Paul] I am sending you, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God... Paul said: “I am not going mad, Your Excellency Festus, but I am uttering sayings of truth and of soundness of mind. ...Do you, King Agrippa, believe the Prophets? I know you believe.” But Agrippa said to Paul: “In a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian.”
(1 Peter 4:14-16) If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy... But if he suffers as a Christian, let him not feel shame, but let him keep on glorifying God in this name
So why do anti-Witnesses try to hijack the term "Christian" and hide its Scriptural implications? Because anti-Witnesses recognize that it is the preaching work that makes it clear that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are by far the most prominent followers of Christ:
(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded
Learn more!
http://watchtower.org
http://watchtower.org/library/ti/index.htm
2006-09-23 19:27:12 · answer #6 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just get a little gift that isn't any big deal. Don't go overboard with something expensive or extravagant. That way it's not an ordeal for either of you.
2006-09-23 04:21:41 · answer #7 · answered by jbrowning001 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
dont get her anything today or tommorrow just say happy birthday and get them something like a week or 2 after is she asks y just says it's just a gift from u
2006-09-23 04:31:34 · answer #8 · answered by Make Love Not War! 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
get her something that u know she likes.or do she belive in birthday presents?just think real hard and what is somehthing that she likes or want todo or go .i know u can think of something she might need that could be related to her religion.
2006-09-23 04:23:18 · answer #9 · answered by faithfulforever06 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well get her a good pair of walking shoe's they are always walking up to my door spreading there lies about God and i am a Christan also.
2006-09-23 04:58:11 · answer #10 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋