2007-02-13 05:51:40 · 9 answers · asked by suleiman 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Christmas is rooted in the pagan celebrations of Saturnalia, Sol Invictus, and Yule. These were winter solstice based celebrations that occured in December. The early church put Jesus's birthday there to make conversion to their relgion easier for pagans, this way they could still hold their celebrations as they always had. No one really knows when Jesus was born but most scholars agree it couldn't have been in December because of details in the Bible. JWs believe that people are just glorifying the old pagan religions and not Christ by celebrating Christmas.
2007-02-13 05:58:59 · answer #1 · answered by Zen Pirate 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I am a Jehovah's Witness and the reason we do not celebrate Christmas is:
December 25th is not Jesus birthday. We do not know the
date of his birth. We do know the date of his death and
we are told to celebrate that. The date is Nissian 14 on
the Jewish calendar. "Do this in remembrance of me"
Luke 22:19
The Christmas celebration originated from pagan celebrations.
Dec. 25th was the celebration for the "Sun" god. Constantine
came up with a celebration that the Christians and Pagans
could celebrate together.
You can look up Christmas or any holiday for that matter in the
encyclopedia and see the origin.
Jehovah's Witnesses feel it is wrong to have any type of
paganism in their worship.
2 Cor. 6: 14-18: "What fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Be'lial? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God's temple have with idols? ..."Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves, says Jehovah, "and quit touching the unclean thing."
Jehovah's Witnesses give gifts all the time, just not for holidays or birthdays. Just because we want to.
2007-02-13 06:25:25 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
The name of the religion is "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". Its adherents can be called "Jehovah's Witnesses" or simply "Witnesses".
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."
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.’”
2007-02-13 10:19:28 · answer #3 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think they celebrate anything. which is actually much like the original catholic church, they believe that every day is as important as the next. or atleast thats what i remember from a talk i had with one of my JW friends ages ago....
many Catholic/Christian Holidays actually have alot of pagan influences so i can see why some branches of the Bigger tree of Catholicism sees some holidays unimportant.
2007-02-13 06:01:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
The ones that I have talked to say that Jesus said not to celebrate His birth, but, celebrate His Death. Something like that, but, I not a JW.
2007-02-13 05:56:33 · answer #5 · answered by Snaglefritz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Got one for you folks who claim to be Catholic.
A few years ago, the last Pope admitted the Christmass celebration was NOT for JESUS BIRTH. It got into the news papers world wide..........How come you don't know about it?
2007-02-13 06:04:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
They reject involvment in any earthly ceremony....which includes voting. Even if that ceremony commemorates the birth of Christ.
Such a sad cult.....wish they would see the truth.
2007-02-13 05:59:01 · answer #7 · answered by primoa1970 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Maybe they are smart in not glorifying a rat-jew.
2007-02-13 05:56:08 · answer #8 · answered by white_power 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because they're cheap?
May be. I don't know really.
2007-02-13 05:55:37 · answer #9 · answered by Malcolm Knoxville 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋