Or christmas. I couldn't imagine not celebrating the birth of my children.
2007-03-01 15:35:25 · 6 answers · asked by the_little_one_said 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
But just because it is not in the bible does not mean it didn't happen.
2007-03-01 15:57:46 · update #1
Only two birthdays in the entire bible... Pharaoh and the Roman emperor that beheaded John the baptist.... Birthdays were a celebration of a god in the form of a man (Pharaohs, Emperors). No Christian or Israelite ever celebrated a birthday in the entire bible.
Jesus was not born in December. The Soltice/Saturnalia is the true name of the Christmas celebration. The account of Jesus in a manger with three wise men is false. Read the account of Jesus birth in the Gospels to verify this. JWs have chosen to please God above "pleasing" their own children with these celebrations. Pleasing God is their first priority. All else is a distant second.
This is why they do not celebrate it.
2007-03-01 15:41:39 · answer #1 · answered by Chi Guy 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
A better question is why do you restrict gift giving to specific days of the year, rather than all year long.
JW children are treated special all year long, not just on special times.
They are not told that if they are not good they won't get any gifts for Christmas, birthday, or Easter.
They are also not treated like they somehow will not understand the meaning behind being a Christian, and not just have modified Bible Stories read to them. They are taught the Bible, as a whole, even reading it to better their reading ability. They will not fully understand it, but by the time they reach the age of understanding, they have a good basic knowledge of the scriptures. At age 12, they begin receiving the gift of learning how to teach others about the Bible.
What is a better gift, one set to be given only on specific days of the year, or one they will use throughout their lives?
2007-03-02 05:20:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Because never you see Jesus or his disciples doing that nor god servant before that, and the only two times you see in the bible celebreating birthdays were to people that not serve God and there were two deads, the origins of bithday party is pagan, is like you gave a candy to your kid but that candy came from the toilet it seems maybe ok but the source is dirty.
Genesis 40 and the story of the death of John the Baptist.
2007-03-01 23:46:19 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Birthdays are not celebrated by us for a number of reasons. Christmas is a much simpler thing. It is based on Pagan doctrines.
2007-03-02 03:05:44 · answer #4 · answered by Ish Var Lan Salinger 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Jehovah's Witnesses typically *DO* celebrate when a child is born! However, Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate annual birthdays or the ostensible "birthday" of Christ (the so-called "Christmas").
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/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001215/article_01.htm
2007-03-01 23:41:51 · answer #5 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
They're cheap :-)
2007-03-01 23:39:12 · answer #6 · answered by Ana D 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋