2006-12-25 10:30:34 · 21 answers · asked by Kellkat 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Jehovah's Witnesses generally arrange to visit the homes of their neighbors somewhat later on December 25 (and January 1) than they do on a typical morning of field ministry. It is their hope that householders will perhaps be considering more closely what the bible says about Jesus Christ during the so-called "Christmas" season.
Of course, Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians; they teach that Christ was and is divine and of the same nature as 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!
Jehovah's Witnesses love and respect and honor Christ. They do NOT celebrate so-called "Christmas" because "Christmas" does NOT celebrate Christ; "Christmas" celebrates the pagan Saturnalia. Jesus was not even born in December. Nearly all so-called Christmas customs dishonor Christ.
(Jeremiah 10:2-5) This is what Jehovah has said: "Do not learn the way of the nations at all... 3 For the customs of the peoples are just an exhalation, because it is a mere tree out of the forest that one has cut down, the work of the hands of the craftsman with the billhook. 4 With silver and with gold one makes it pretty. With nails and with hammers they fasten them down, that none may reel. ...the doing of any good is not with them."
http://watchtower.org/e/19981215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001215/
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19981215/
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm
By contrast, it's tragic that the one holiday Christ actually *DID* ask Christians to commemorate is entirely ignored by almost all of Christendom. It is, of course, the Memorial of Christ's death, sometimes called "the Last Supper" or "the Lord's Evening Meal".
(1 Corinthians 11:23-25, NWT) The Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did likewise respecting the cup.. Keep doing this... in remembrance of me.”
(1 Cor 11:24, 25, NEB) "Do this as a memorial of me.”
Christ Jesus himself personally celebrated and explained the significance of that Last Supper to his followers (see Matthew 26:26-29). Christians who commemorate the Last Supper have done so on the same Jewish calendar date as Jesus did, Nisan 14, which generally falls between late March and mid-April. Interestingly, Christians in the centuries immediately after Christ's impalement were sometimes called "Quartodecimans" which literally mean "Fourteen-ers", because the early Christians were well-known for this true holy day.
How would Jesus feel to learn that the holiday he commanded was widely ignored, while his so-called followers chose to celebrate a pagan false god and their own traditions of men? We don't need to wonder.
(Matthew 15:6-9) You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. 9 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/article_08.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20011115/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/
2006-12-26 02:28:56 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's really a matter of personal choice. I know personally our congregation made arrangements for those who wanted to go out this Monday. Although I did not engage in door-to-door work I did however join my mom and some other Witnesses on some return visits on Christmas. Since Witnesses don't celebrate Christmas anyways because its unscriptural, we don't see it as a day off from our spiritual routine. It is day where most Witnesses would get a chance to get off work and school along with everyone else. It would be a good opportunity for more Witnesses to go out in service when normally some wouldn't be able to on the weekdays. Also you could reason that more people will be at home, which would make it a good time to go on calls. Once again we're not trying to "bother" people, for we understand that people want to be with their families this time of year and of course have their own beliefs. Yet we are encouraged to follow this scriptural admonition at 2 Timothy 4:2: "preach the word, be at it urgently in favorable season, reprove, reprimand, exhort, with all long-suffering and art of teaching." Yes we would want to take full advantage of the time we have off if we're able to do so to pursue kingdom interests. Even if I didn't go out in the ministry this past Monday, I know some where out there our brothers and sisters in over 235 lands were still out preaching the good news._ Matthew 24:14
2006-12-26 06:06:57 · answer #2 · answered by Joseph U 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's a personal choice. I know a lot of Jehovah's Witnesses that would not go out because they want people to actually listen to them so even if they do not agree with the reasons Christmas is celebrated, they still want to respect those who celebrate it and speak to them another time.
There are others who may just go talk to people they have already talked to before and who they know won't mind talking.
They definitely believe in Jesus but December 25th is not Jesus' birthday and the whole christmas celebration originated from pagan and false religions or other sources
2006-12-25 12:33:58 · answer #3 · answered by Mackenzie 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Yes, there are some that do this on holidays, myself I do not, this is your day, not going to interrupt you and your visitors, or the football game or your meal.
In all my years in the Ministry, going from house to house, I have never encounter a hostile disagreement face-to-face, as in your explanations that you give when a Witness comes to your door. You people have a fantasy mind, Hyponym: bubble, dream, fairyland, fantasy life, fantasy world, ignis fatuus, phantasy life, phantasy world, pipe dream, science fiction, will-o'-the-wisp, wishful thinking. Most of your explanations are nothing more than untruths. Which you have never said or did, you just like to toot your horn.
When I go from house to house, someone may tell me that they are on the phone, busy, or not interested, I simply say, “maybe some other time” and have a nice day, go to the next home, there is always someone that is nice & wants to talk about God's Word.
For those that say they come to the door “nude” all I would say is “you must be missing some brain cells” because no one in their right mind would deliberately come to the front door because of a Religious Organization knocking or ringing doorbell. By the way, each State has facilities, a building or place that provides a particular service, that take care of people like this, they are called a “Mental Institute.”
2006-12-25 11:51:33 · answer #4 · answered by BJ 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Well as long as you've asked the question and are directly addressing JW's, no I did not. However, I ask you to think about this? As you are criticising their door-to-door work, have you ever wondered why we bother to keep knocking?
It is a) out of love for our neighbor and b) out of respect for and obedience to the man who's "birth" you were celebrating today. His very last instructions to his disciples, before he returned to heaven was "GO therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations...." (Matthew 28:19) We are merely following the example of those early apostles. At Acts 20:20 the Apostle Paul
said that he "did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE." That is not an attempt at conversion, merely an explanation of our reasons.
2006-12-25 11:24:20 · answer #5 · answered by Q&A Queen 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Quit knocking the door knockers folks. They are nice people generally the ones I've known. It can be perterbing if you are in the Godly process of trying to be fruitful and multiply but still invite them in for some turkey or cranberry sauce or something to be a good neighbor. At least they do get to know their neighbors a little. I do wish it was just to pay a friendly visit though instead of to convert me. I simply say I pray to Jesus and God and the Holy Ghost and agree Jehovah was one of the names we call God. As much as lieth within you, follow peace with all men the scriptures say.
2006-12-25 10:38:22 · answer #6 · answered by Lovin' Mary's Lamb 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
My congregation went to share the good news of God's kingdom but I personally did not go out today.
Incidentally, such behavior as answering the door nude is not really a deterrent. If one truly does not want the witnesses to call, merely tell them to make note of your address and mark you down as a "do not call" and they will be happy to do so. They will alert the congregation that covers that particular territory and you will not be disturbed for about a year. They are not there to annoy you. They are there in obedience to Christ's command to preach the good news of God's kingdom and they are there in imitation of the first-century Christians who did the exact same thing - from house to house and door to door. The Bible reports on this christian activity, although apparently many have never read it and have not been taught this in their respective denominations.
Speaking of first-century Christians carrying out this mandated door to door work, I wonder how many people answered the door naked only to find that it was Jesus knocking.
Hannah
2006-12-25 10:41:54 · answer #7 · answered by Hannah J Paul 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
i work with Jehova witnesses. and they dont believe in christmas so its just another day.
However, if anyone does go knocking it is possible that they would find someone home alone and depressed and just might find a convert just as easy. The idea is if they do go out that someone might need them. but most people would indeed be insulted.
2006-12-25 10:37:19 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
I am at home with 3 kids...weren't able to go out to ministry today. But surely there were many who did in other parts of the globe.
2006-12-25 10:34:20 · answer #9 · answered by Tomoyo K 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
If they do, consider how many they may have stopped from committing suicide today. I did see some on a street corner near businesses that were open today.
2006-12-25 18:16:44 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋