Why do Jehovah Witnesses not celebrate Birthdays and other?

Question

See this link:

http://www.freeminds.org/doctrine/holidays.htm

What do you think about it?

Answer 1

I've seen it... I already knew that about JW. You already know what their rationale is. We both know it doesn't make sense.

Answer 2

Regarding birthday celebrations, 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!


Jehovah's Witnesses practice strict political and nationalistic neutrality, so they do not celebrate nationalistic holidays such as Independence Day and Memorial Day.

Other holidays derive from false religion, and so are incompatible with pure worship as adulterating interfaith. For example, Easter derives from the pagan god Oestre and celebrates "rebirth" and "fertility" instead of commemorating Christ's Last Supper and death as Jesus commanded:
(Luke 22:1-22) [Jesus] dispatched Peter and John, saying: “Go and get the passover ready for us to eat.” ...14 At length when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them: “I have greatly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it again until it becomes fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”

Seemingly innocuous holidays may have only a tangential connection with false worship, such as Mother's Day and Father's Day (although arguably derived from ancestor worship). Understated observance of these is not generally considered interfaith by Jehovah's Witnesses, but it is too easily misunderstood in some cultures.

Since such celebrations are not required in true worship, and can easily become a distraction, so Jehovah's Witnesses focus their attention elsewhere. In particular, they are focussed on the preaching work which *IS* a requirement for Christians:

(Luke 10:1-17) [Jesus] the Lord designated seventy others and sent them forth by twos in advance of him into every city and place to which he himself was going to come. 2 Then he began to say to them: “The harvest, indeed, is great, but the workers are few. Therefore beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/library/rq/article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2000/12/15/article_01.htm

Answer 3

The question you need to be asking yourself is whether you are celebrating a birthday in accordance with the examples given ion the Bible. Do you find a true follower of God and cut off his head to give as a gift?

The other question is whether you are a Christian like the Apostle Paul or like many of the Christians living in his time of whom he said that he felt he had worked for nothing, as they had returned to the observance, holidays, and rituals of men?

You may think that it is okay to celebrate a birthday because Jesus did not specifically say not to, but do you accept that excuse from your children when they do something they know is a gray area of being wrong, but because you didn't specifically say not to, than it must be okay. Are you willing to say that you know the mind of Christ and God and what they may or may not think is okay, simply because they didn't specifically lay it out in detail?

If you feel you are equal to them and know it is okay, or even just Christ, than do so, that is your right. God gave you the right to choose in all things. Even those who have abortions can argue that it is okay, because God didn't specifically say it was wrong. Are they just as right?

Answer 4

I am not JW but I have a family member who is. They do not celebrate holidays or birthdays. I know that anniversaries are sort of a gray area and some do celebrate.

Answer 5

Because they think its like Idol worship to celebrate a holiday. For them, the only thing you should celebrate is the Lord.

Answer 6

I think they do not celebrate birthdays because they believe that they should celebrate the lives of other people EVERY day, not just one. I think that is a good enough reason. I think it is a little extreme, but I don't want to call it strange.

Answer 7

Well they have that way of seeing things...

In fact I understand why they don't celebrate Christmas and of course Mother's day. But not why they don't celebrate Easter, I suppose they may celebrate it in a different way...

PS. To explain myself better, I will say that Easter is the only festivity that we know when exactly is because Jesus died in the first thursday of Jews easter, so, we calculate our easter in the same way, but nobody knows the date of birth of Jesus, in fact, at first was celebrate on january 6th (as Reyes in Spain) and I think was in VI century more or less, was moved to december 24th... so who knows what exactly we are celebrating... And finally Mother's/Father's day, is only an invention... a way to spend money in presents

Answer 8

If J.W.s are so hung up on celebrating the TRUE holy days as set forth in the Bible then they should faithful followers of God's/Jehovah's command to obey, honor, respect HIS HOLY DAY: THE 7th-day SABBATH (Saturday).

Answer 9

If three wise men had a party for Jesus, then I am down with it.

Answer 10

Why do you ask a question, when you already have your answer?
Maybe to stir people up?
Stop worrying about "refuting" others' beliefs and mind your own business.