If as they claim that they are Gods organisation on Earth, why did Jehovah not tell them that for over forty years they were celebrating a pagan festival.
2007-02-27 09:54:46 · 11 answers · asked by claret 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Jehovah's Witnesses regret that their brothers did not fully understand or appreciate the interfaith and idolatry involved with their celebration of Christmas in the 1800's and early 1900's. But Jehovah's Witnesses are also grateful that their brothers finally did take that courageous and god-honoring stand for pure worship.
The facts about the paganisms surrounding Christmas are well-documented. The only real question involves what degree of pagan false religion should be acceptable to those who hope to engage in true worship of the only true God.
Despite many decades of conspicuous rejection of paganism, Jehovah's Witnesses have never claimed perfection in this regard. In fact, Jehovah's Witnesses have candidly discussed their early celebration of Christmas in some detail in their official history (see page 198 to 201 in the official history of Jehovah's Witnesses, entitled "Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom". On pages 200 and 201 there is a sidebar article with photographs depicting that last Christmas celebration (in 1926) at Jehovah's Witnesses' headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Jehovah's Witnesses have never claimed to receive "secret messages" from heaven. Instead, they believe the bible to teach that the angels can direct human circumstances and holy spirit can direct human thinking so that sincere bible research by godly persons can reveal God's will and purposes.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the burden is theirs to teach from the bible, but that Jehovah takes it upon Himself to open the hearts of listeners.
(1 Corinthians 3:5-9) You became believers, even as the Lord granted each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God kept making it grow; so that neither is he that plants anything nor is he that waters, but God who makes it grow. Now he that plants and he that waters are one, but each person will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers.
(Romans 9:1,6,11,15,16) My conscience bears witness with me in holy spirit... However, it is not as though the word of God had failed. ... in order that the purpose of God respecting the choosing might continue dependent, not upon works, but upon the One who calls... For [God] says to Moses: “I will have mercy upon whomever I do have mercy, and I will show compassion to whomever I do show compassion.” So, then, it depends, not upon the one wishing nor upon the one running, but upon God
2007-02-28 06:45:34 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
That too funny anyway Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas because they believe it a Pagan holiday but other Christian do celebrate Christmas they do it in remembrance of Jesus birth.
2007-02-27 10:00:22 · answer #2 · answered by Linda 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
bro Taze is not running us. we don't worship Bro. Taze. we worship Jehovah and Jesus Christ. Jesus is the head of the Christian Kingdom Halls in 236 lands. all the holidays are pagan and we do not celebrate them except Jesus memorial which this year is April 2. Jesus told us to celebrate his death not his birth
2007-02-27 23:47:03 · answer #3 · answered by lover of Jehovah and Jesus 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
What !!! Pagan belief systems within a Christianity inspired by God ? Is it blasphemy to eat Easter eggs?
2007-02-27 10:13:40 · answer #4 · answered by ED SNOW 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Because we were/are still learning. Keep in mind even the apostles repeatedly had wrong interpertations of Jesus' teachings. The important thing is we realised it was wrong, and Stopped.
2007-02-28 14:15:06 · answer #5 · answered by Ish Var Lan Salinger 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
witnesses did celebrate christamas just as they did smoke, certain thing have become clearer and clearer as understanding has developed over the years,
2007-02-27 20:51:41 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
As far as I know they DON'T celebrate christmas, nor do they celebrate birthdays.
2007-02-27 10:00:26 · answer #7 · answered by MARBELLA 1 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Yes Claret originally they did. When Charles Taze Russel was running them.
2007-02-27 10:06:00 · answer #8 · answered by : 6 · 4⤊ 2⤋
This question is getting a little old. There are over 80 similar questions in the last 12 months. Here’s a few. Yes, witnesses once celebrate Christmas, but over time, learned that it wass wrong to do so. At one point or another nearly every religion has tried to stop their followers celebrating Christmas, and Easter, over the last 1000 years, but failed in the effort and gave into the desires of their members, regardless of what the Bible teaches. During the holidays, there was a program on the History Channel about how Christmas developed and the efforts to stop it, long before the JWs ever came along.
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2007-02-27 21:30:18 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
It took them a while to figure it out, but once they did, they mended their ways. More than I can say for other Christian religions.
2007-02-27 10:06:42 · answer #10 · answered by Starjumper the R&S Cow 7 · 7⤊ 2⤋