my daugher wanted to invite a jehovah's witness to her birthday party?

Question

but they can't go to things like that. why not? i feel bad for this little boy being left out of such fun and innocent things like parties. is there anything we could do to include him? the kids are 9 yrs old.

lover: i never suggested you're brainwashing your children. i had a very good friend as a kid who was jehovah's witness until he moved away. i just don't understand why they can't help someone else celebrate a birthday

hey, do you think it would help if i told his parents that we're pagan? lol just kidding

maybe what we'll do is just invite him over to play at another time.

Uncle: wow, celebrating birthdays is a pagan custom? i had no idea and i'm pagan! i guess i just never thought about it lol

Lover; another question, can a JW be friends with a pagan?

Answer 1

Well we feel that B-days are a pagan custom. I know there are those who feel bad for us that we do not celebrate various holidays, but I can tell you that I was raised a Witness and never felt neglected, or left out of such things. I know there are also some who get their feelings hurt that we do not celebrate their b-days. Once again we are just trying to follow the Bible. We have no problems with parties in general or fun or presents. If you want you can just invite him to play in general. A good idea may be to try to have a brunchish thing, or something along this line,(maybe at a park) with one or both parents, thus also giving the kids a chance to play, and giving you and the parents a chance to know/understand each other. Explain that you mean no offense but do not understand certain points, then ask questions.

PS PLEASE do not try to include him in the B-Day on the sly or pretend something isn't what it is. I remember in school the teachers would try to get me to eat B-Day cake, sometimes still with B-Day candles/writing and would say, this doesn't have anything to do with B-Days. It was sooooo insulting to me.

Answer 2

You can have a party anytime with the children, just a fun party with out celebrating a birthday? The reason Jehovah's Witness's don't celebrate birthdays is they follow the teachings of The Bible. The early Christians did not celebrate birthdays because it's origins were pagan?
Talk to the parents and ask if you could invite the little boy to just a fun party?


[e-mail]

Answer 3

If you want to include the little boy, have a party for no reason at all.
Witnesses are very serious about following Bible precedent.
They try to imitate the first Christians ....to a T.
According to the World Book Encyclopedia: "The christians of the first century considered the celebration of anyone's birth a pagan custom."
Why?
The Bible definitely speaks negatively about the practice.
However, if the parents of that boy are doing a thorough job, he is not lacking gifts. Just not for that reason.
If you want to incorporate him in fun and games, hold a "for-no-reason-at-all" party.

Answer 4

when I was in Elementary school one of my best friends was a jehovah's witness. It could be difficult. But what we always did, is we always included them in the invitation. Just so she didn't feel left out. I knew her parents wouldn't let her come of course, but thats still no reason for me to have excluded her.
She was raised a certain way and she knew she couldn't attend the parties, but just not being excluded by her friends made her feel better. If they are really good friends then try talking to the parents and see what they would allow. Maybe a seperate outing instead of him attending the party.

Answer 5

The only two birthday celebrations spoken of in the Bible were held by persons who did not worship Jehovah God. (Genesis 40:20-22; Mark 6:21, 22, 24-27) The early Christians did not celebrate birthdays. The custom of celebrating birthdays comes from ancient false religions. True Christians give gifts and have good times together at other times during the year.

I have children who are 9, 3, and 10 months and you shouldn't feel bad for these children, because their parents are doing the best thing they can do for them. They may be missing out now, but later on they will be glad that they didn't participate. Jesus said he and his disciples were no part of this world (John 15:18,19) and most people don't understand that that means shunning ALL pagan traditions and holidays. Jesus never told us to celebrate his birthday, only the anniversary of his death. (Luke 22:19)
I take my children to parks, on trips and plenty of fun activities, so believe me they are not missing out on anything

Answer 6

Jehovah's Witnesses believe strongly in God Jehovah and in his Son Jesus Christ, and that the bible was provided to humans as insight into God's opinions.

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 7

Don't feel bad for the Witness kids. They're fine.

The reason that Witnesses don't celebrate birthdays is because they were not celebrated by early Christians. The only two mentions of birthdays in the Bible were of non-Christians (or non-Jews). The first was Pharoah, and his baker was killed during that celebration. The second was Herod, and John the Baptist was killed during that celebration.

Thus, birthdays are not Scriptural, and Witnesses don't celebrate them. Parties are fine. Witnesses have them. They just don't have parties centered around birthdays or secular holidays or the like.

Answer 8

Please don't feel sorry for the boy. He is not left out of any thing. As a witness I give my son gifts all the time. I don't what until a special day to make him feel special. He feels special every day. There are other ways and reasons to have a party. And we can do it when ever we feel we want to have a party.

Answer 9

Talk to the parents and see if he can come to the party without his parents feeling like they're compromising their beliefs. Surely there have been situations with other Jehovah's Witnesses being invited to birthday parties in the past. Explain to the parents that they don't need to bring a gift but that their sons presence is enough and he can play with the other kids. Arrange with his parents to cut the cake and exchange presents before their son arrives. Also point out that your intentions are not to cause conflict, only that their son is well-thought-of to be invited. I wish you well.

Answer 10

I am attaching some information regarding recognition of birthdays, parties, etc., in the J.W. religion.

Sadly, if that is their custom, there is little that you can do to include the boy. They are very strict with their beliefs, and the parents will have the final say as to any involvement with the party, so don't be offended if they decline the invitation for any part of the celebration.