cannot celebrate birthdays, but they can celebrate wedding anniversaries? A birthday is nothing more than an anniversary of a special event. Although the Watchtower does not observe birthdays, they are allowed the celebration of wedding anniversaries which is the celebration of the birth of a marriage. The Watchtower Society also had no problems with celebrating their own 100th anniversary of the birth of their Watchtower magazine.(1979) Let's imagine in this case that the Watchtower Society is correct. If God (Jehovah) destroys people for celebrating the anniversary of their birth, would not the same god destroy people for celebrating the anniversary of one's marriage? And as for the men in these biblical references, they commited evil acts, the actual birthday celebration wasn't evil. None of these biblical accounts suggest that these men committed evil because of the birthday celebration. Are these reasons worthy of depriving children of their special day?
2006-10-31 07:32:33 · 11 answers · asked by softfuzzyrabbit 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
There are other positive references to birthday celebrations within the book of Job.
2006-10-31 07:33:25 · update #1
The Watchtower states, in the Reasoning book:
"Do Bible references to birthday celebrations put them in a favourable light? The Bible makes only two references to such celebrations...Jehovah's Witnesses take note that God's Word reports unfavourably about birthday celebrations and to shun these." (Reasoning from the Scriptures, pp. 68-69).
Jehovah's Witnesses argue that as negative things happened on these men's birthdays, then all birthdays must be evil. This is clearly a case of guilt by association as far as the Watchtower is concerned. But is this really sound reasoning?
Want a real answer - READ THIS!
http://www.spotlightministries.org.uk/birthdays.htm
JW's aren't even a Christian religion, so it really doesn't matter. Just go out and Celebrate and eat some cake and have a good time.
2006-10-31 07:59:25 · answer #1 · answered by bob 3 · 1⤊ 4⤋
There is no record in the Bible ever that any of God's people and even Jesus our greatest exemplar have celebrated their own birthdays. Why do you think the disciples of Christ even when they are with Jesus didn't even celebrate his birthday? Yes, a birthday is also an anniversary but it is an anniversary that Christians and the Israelites were not celebrating. Not all anniversaries are bad, the Israelites celebrated the passover, which is an anniversary of their being saved. Celebrating wedding anniversaries is a personal decision for every JWs. They are not required to celebrate it. The Bible doesn't say ANY BAD thing about wedding or wedding anniversaries but for celebrating birthdays it relates it to BAD things related to non-Christians or non-Israelites. JWs are not depriving their children of special day. They can choose any day of the year to give gifts to their kids, if they want, even every month, or every week. It is still a personal decision. We don't have to wait for one year to let them know that they are special. Regarding Job 1, it doesn't say birthday , it is only a day that they celebrated for Job's sons. Even the hebrew word for day doesn't mean birthday.
“The notion of a birthday festival was far from the ideas of the Christians of this period in general.”—The History of the Christian Religion and Church, During the Three First Centuries (New York, 1848), Augustus Neander (translated by Henry John Rose), p. 190.
“The later Hebrews looked on the celebration of birthdays as a part of idolatrous worship, a view which would be abundantly confirmed by what they saw of the common observances associated with these days.”—The Imperial Bible-Dictionary (London, 1874), edited by Patrick Fairbairn, Vol. I, p. 225
2006-10-31 08:07:50 · answer #2 · answered by trustdell1 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
JWs are correct in not celebrating birthdays but they may celebrate wedding anniversaries. Here are the reasons:
a) Jehovah God wants his people to be separate from pagans. In Exodus, God punished the Israelites who made a golden calf, partied, and called their celebration as a day for the LORD. Too, Jesus Christ did not celebrate his birtday. If his birthday was that important, then it would have been clearly stated in the bible. But, it is not.
In 2Corinthians 6:14 true Christians are urged not to practice what the unbelievers do. These are unclean in God's eyes.
WOULD YOU EAT A CANDY FROM A GUTTER since it looks delicious to you? I
Too, many reference materials like World Book Encyclopedia says that birthday celebrations originated from pagans.
Birthday celebrations and wedding anniversaries are not the same. Jesus attended a wedding, but never a birtday bash. Did he?
Your reference to Job or his children celebrating birthday is wrong. It is a misinterpretation. Probably the Job's kids celebrated a good harvest. Try to read the context.
Why do you seem angry w/ JWs? Is it because they don't share w/ your many unbiblical beliefs like the Trinity, hell-fire, etc?
BTW, I disagree w/ JW and Watchtower on certain issues. But, on these ones I agree w/ them.
2006-10-31 07:57:32 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Frankly, there is no need for a Christian to celebrate either. Still, that does not mean that the two are equal in import or that Christians must view the former [wedding anniversaries] as they do birthday celebrations.
As noted, it can be said that both are anniversaries because an “anniversary” is ‘the annual recurrence of a date marking some event.’ It could be an anniversary of any event—the day you had an automobile accident, saw an eclipse of the moon, went swimming with your family, and so on. It is clear that Christians do not turn every “anniversary” into a special day or have a party to commemorate it. One should consider the aspects of an event and decide what is fitting.
For example, God specifically instructed the Israelites to celebrate annually the day when his angel passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and the resulting exodus of his people in 1513 B.C.E. (Exodus 12:14) When Jews, including Jesus, subsequently commemorated the anniversary of that event, it was in obedience to God’s direction, and they did not do so with a party or with gift-giving. The Jews also treated as special the anniversary of the rededication of the temple. Though commemorating this historical event was not commanded in the Bible, John 10:22, 23 suggests that Jesus was not critical of its being done. Finally, Christians have a special meeting on the anniversary of Jesus’ death. Of course, this is done out of obedience to a clear command found in God’s Word.—Luke 22:19, 20.
What about wedding anniversaries? In some lands it is common for husband and wife to take note of the anniversary of their entering the marital state, an arrangement that God originated. (Genesis 2:18-24; Matthew 19:4-6.) Certainly, the Bible does not put marriage in a bad light. Jesus both attended a marriage celebration and contributed to the pleasure of the occasion.—John 2:1-11.
It thus would not be strange that a couple might on their wedding anniversary take time to reflect on the joyfulness of that event and on their resolve to work for success as a couple. Whether they focus on this happy occasion in private, just as a couple, or they have a few relatives or close friends with them would be for them to decide. The occasion should not become a mere excuse for a large social gathering. On this occasion Christians would want to be guided by the principles that apply every day of their lives. So whether one takes note of a wedding anniversary or not is a personal matter.—Romans 13:13, 14.
Can you please show me where there are positive references regarding birthdays in the book of Job.
If you would like further information or a free home Bible study, please contact Jehovah's Witnesses at the local Kingdom Hall. Or visit http://www.watchtower.org
2006-10-31 07:44:53 · answer #4 · answered by Jeremy Callahan 4 · 7⤊ 1⤋
Most of the reasons given for not celebrating birthdays could also be applied to not celebrating wedding anniversaries.
1. Jesus never celebrated anyone's wedding anniversary.
2. No Christian in the Bible ever celebrated a wedding anniversary.
3. There is no command in the Bible to observe anyone's wedding anniversary.
4. Wedding anniversaries 'honor' the couple whose anniversary is being celebrated as do graduation parties which honor the graduate, baby showers which honor the baby and even parents, all of whom are imperfect humans and according to JW logic, not worthy to be honored.
5. Anniversary parties - just as birthday parties - are sometimes extravagent and not modest in nature. Sometimes they are overdone, causing a financial burden, and lavishly heap undue honor upon the couple
6. Celebrating anniversaries is 'worldly', first being done by non-Jehovah's Witnesses. JW's have followed this 'worldly' example.
Pagans offered flowers to the dead. Jehovah's Witnesses do the same thing...they send flowers when someone dies. But their intent is not the same as the pagans. The same goes for birthday parties. Perhaps pagans celebrated birthdays as some sort of religious ritual....I say perhaps, because no one actually knows....but birthday celebrations today are merely remembrances of an important day..a birth....just like a wedding anniversary is the remembrance of a different important day..a wedding.
The bottom line is that JW's don't celebrate birthdays because their Governing Body tells them not to. Just like they insisted for decades that the 'superior authorites' in Romans 13 were NOT the governments. Then the Governing Body changed their mind, and guess what....now JW's don't argue about that anymore.
2006-10-31 10:05:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
A birthday celebration does not honor the true God or the godly institution of marriage; it honors oneself and is akin to self-worship.
A Jehovah's Witness would not stage an ego-centric gathering around such an occassion. 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!
The practice certainly offends the consciences of Jehovah's Witnesses. They plan many celebrations for their children, but always in a manner which pleases Jehovah.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/library/rq/article_11.htm
2006-10-31 09:09:09 · answer #6 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Job 1:18While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,
And this is a birthday party because?
Were you a guest at this party?
What great source of wisdom are you referring to?
Though it can be said all birthdays are anniversaries,
It can not be said that all anniversaries are birthdays.
The two birthdays in the bible are by pagans.
2 Cor chapter 6 tells Christians what they need to do about pagan festivals.
2006-10-31 07:45:19 · answer #7 · answered by TeeM 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
So what you're saying is that since Christ didn't specifically say not to celebrate a birthday, that it's okay? I assume you accept that same excuse from your children.
2006-10-31 08:39:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
They apparantly have their own bible with their own set of rules with it being such a new religion and all that has come from the devil. The greatest trick the devil has pulled on society is to divide religion into uncountable variations. This keeps people confused and drives them away from what real religion is.
2006-10-31 07:37:46 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
Why your concern?
2006-10-31 07:36:15 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋