Because it says in the bible Birth is a spirtitual, and only mothers can go through it.
2006-09-30 12:15:07 · 17 answers · asked by boobearz68 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Jehovah's Witnesses are quite thankful for the gift of life, and regularly thank the Almighty for life in their prayers. Witnesses are also taught to honor their parents, partly because of the parents' role in giving life. But a birthday celebration does not honor the true God or parents, it honors oneself.
A Witness would be very likely to take special note of such birthdays as 16, 21, 30, 40, etc. His family and perhaps a few close friends would likely take note as well and perhaps even congratulate him privately. However, a Jehovah's Witness would not stage an ego-centric gathering around such an occasion.
Bible students are encouraged to consider:
: 0% of faithful biblical Jews celebrated birthdays
: 0% of first century Christians celebrated birthdays
: 100% of birthdays celebrated in the bible were by debauched enemies of God (See Mark 6:17-29; Gen 40:19-22)
Bible historians (M'Clintock, Strong, and others) have noted that faithful Jews of the bible did not celebrate birthdays, and that ancient pagan birthday celebrations were at least partially intended to honor the patron gods of the particular day.
By comparison with such paganisms, the bible does not even tell us the birthdates of Jesus or ANY of his apostles!
Admittedly, the bible doesn't specifically forbid birthday celebrations, which is why they rarely results in 'disfellowshipping'. Still, the practice is certainly 'frowned upon' and against the consciences of most Jehovah's Witnesses.
http://www.watchtower.org/library/rq/article_11.htm
2006-10-02 22:02:13 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Basically because their Governing Body says it's wrong, and they live their lives according to what they're told by the GB.
The GB is a group of men that, much like the Pharisees of Jesus day, have compiled an endless list of do's and don'ts as to how people should live, making unwritten rules about matters that don't even concern religion. Because long long ago in a land far away, birthdays were celebrated by pagan kings, the GB decided that's a good enough reason to declare the celebrating of birthdays sinful.
The GB, as of this writing, has not forbidden the rank and file JW's to celebrate anniversaries of their marriage - yet - so you will find that most of them do remember their wedding anniversary. But if the GB decides to emphasize the fact that in the Bible, no worshiper of Jehovah ever celebrated a wedding anniversary, and decides to class them in with birthday celebrations, then JW's would be willing to die rather than eat another piece of anniversary cake. .
2006-10-03 01:41:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
They rationalize this by stating that only two birthday celebrations were mentioned in the bible and they both ended badly. I can't remember the first, but the second ended with the birthday girl asking for John the Baptists head on a silver platter. And of course it was delivered to her. So that is why they don't celebrate birthdays. But wedding anniversaries are OK. Go figure.
2006-09-30 12:17:58 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
That and because there are only two incidents where birthdays are a celebration in the bible and on both occassions bad things have happened to those people in the stories. They don't celebrate it because of that... Also they dont' celebrate the Christmas because Jesus' birhday was only mentioned the once it wasn't something that he celebrated on an annual basis as well that he is not the son of God....
2006-09-30 12:17:52 · answer #4 · answered by Tyana 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
The bible doesn't tell anyone to do it. As I said before, 2 b-days in the bible-2 godly people murdered.
B-days were only reserved for royalty and most of these persons wanted to make gods of themselves and were pagan.
Why would you want to do what pagans do? Besides, as the years go by, I don't want to be reminded I am a year older...yikes.
2006-09-30 12:25:01 · answer #5 · answered by skept1c 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Because they are crazy party animals !
One time a long long loooong long long long time ago
A Jahavahvava Witness group had a big birthday party celebration and alot of them got very drunk and out of control.
Well a few of them pulled out guns and shot Rival Jahavahvava Witnesses when a Dr. Dre song began to play
after that they banned celebrating of anykind.
Hope that answers your question. .
Why do alot of you talk about the bible like you freakin wrote the thing.
Its a fairy tale book, all that stuff is made up.
2006-09-30 12:23:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Im NOT a J.W. but I dont find my birthday that much special either. I dont think that age should determine how mature I am...everyday I should mature with some success.
It is more of a society thing where society sees that you are this age and expects you to act such a way. This is not a bad thing but sometimes you find ppl that are 30 but act like their 14 year olds.
2006-09-30 12:18:42 · answer #7 · answered by leikevy 5 · 3⤊ 2⤋
from what I can recall it is due to the fact that it once was classed as a pagan holiday and John the Baptist was beheaded on King Herods Birthday!
2006-09-30 12:16:27 · answer #8 · answered by silverthorn73 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Because its pagan not christian to celebrate birthdays, like i said before your Ignorance surprises me.
2006-09-30 12:23:16 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
But does it say only they can celebrate it?
Mums that is.
Why can't we be thankful we have achieved another birthday in this difficult world?
2006-09-30 12:17:20 · answer #10 · answered by Alicat 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋