OK, I've heard that the bible only mentions two occasions regarding birthdays, and that they were both on negative occasions. So where does it say that celebrating the day you were born is wrong? I understand, and agree with the abstaining from blood, and christmas day, well, is not the day that Christ was born, but why not be free to celebrate the day that we know we were born on? I maybe would of studied J.W even more if I had a valid explaination of this. Thanks in advance,
2007-07-09 08:42:42 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"It is thought that the large-scale celebration of birthdays in Europe began with the cult of Mithras ("a Hellenistic and Roman GOD"; "the central GOD of Mithraism") which originated in Persia but was spread by soldiers throughout the Roman Empire. Before this, such celebrations were not common;" -Wikipedia; Topic: "Birthday"; Heading: "History of celebration of birthdays in the West"
The Jews "regarded birthday celebrations as parts of IDOLATROUS worship . . . , and this probably on account of the IDOLATROUS rites with which they were observed in honor of those who were regarded as the patron GODS of the day on which the party was born." -M'Clintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia (1882, Vol. I, p. 817)
Notice how exclusive the worship of the only true God must be: "Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips." - Exodus 23:13, NIVSB.
So, if pagan ceremonies or customs are really mixed in with ceremonies or customs that we use today, they are not merely unacceptable - - - they are detestable to God. We must completely get away from these unclean things and not even "touch" them. "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." - 2 Cor. 6:17.
If a holiday or custom is being deliberately participated in by a Christian, it must have absolutely no known pagan religion associations.
2007-07-09 11:53:19 · answer #1 · answered by tik_of_totg 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'm not a Jehovah's Witness, but I am a Christian, and consider most of them Christians as well, so here's my point of view.
There are negative aspects to celebrating one's birthday, and celebrating every other tradition you can think of. It directs focus on the individual, and can fuel selfish desires. For example, the main thing most people like about birthdays are the gifts related with them. It can create idols, whether the idol is the individual, or the gifts he receives.
All in all, I do not see anything particularly wrong with celebrating birthdays, but it can have negative effects, however small those effects are.
2007-07-09 08:48:50 · answer #2 · answered by enarchay 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
celebrating birthdays is rooted in superstition and false religion.
The Encyclopedia Americana(1991 edition) notes:"The ancient world of Egypt,Greece,Rome and Persia celebrated the birthdays of gods,kings,and nobles."It says that the Romans observed the birth of Artemis and the day of Apollo.In contrast,"although the ancient Israelis kept records of the ages of their male citizens,there is no evidence that they had any festivities on the anniversary of the birth date".
Other reference works go into considerable detail about the origin of birthday celebrations.'Birthday parties began years ago in Europe.People believed in good and evil spirits,sometimes called good and evil fairies.Everyone was afraid of these spirits,thatnthey would cause harm to the birthday celebrant,and so he was surrounded by friends and relatives,whose good wishes,and very presence,would protect him against the unknown dangers that the birthday held.Giving gifts even brought greater protection.Eating together provided a greater safeguard and helped to bring the blessings of the good spirits.So the birthday party was originally intended to make a person safe from evil and to ensure a good year to come' - Birthdays around the World,1967.
The book explains,too,the origin of many birthday customs.For example:"the reason for using candles goes back to the early Greeks and Romans who thought that tapers or candles had magical qualities.They would offer prayers and make wishes to be carried up to the gods by the flames of the candles.
Given the known origin of celebrating birthdays and more important the unfavorable light in which they are presented in the Bible,Jehovah's Witnesses have ample reason to abstain from the practice.They do not need to follow this worldly custom,for they can,and do have happy meals any time during the year.Their gift giving is not obligatory or under pressure of a party,it is spontaneous sharing of gifts at any time out of generosity and geniune affection.
2007-07-10 01:59:20 · answer #3 · answered by lillie 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Birthday celebrations embrace pagan false worship, and seem to offend God and Christ. Jehovah's Witnesses believe strongly in God Jehovah and in his Son Jesus Christ.
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!
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
2007-07-09 18:23:36 · answer #4 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Celebrating birthdays is rooted in superstition and false religion, but that is not the sole or prime reason why Jehovah’s Witnesses avoid the practice.
Some customs that were once religious in nature no longer are in many places. For example, the wedding ring once had religious significance, but in most places today, it no longer does. Hence, many true Christians accept the local custom of wearing a wedding ring to give evidence that a person is married. In such matters, what generally is influential is whether a practice is now linked to false religion.
There is no denying, though, that numerous reference works reveal the superstitious and religious antecedents of celebrating birthdays. The Encyclopedia Americana (1991 edition) notes: “The ancient world of Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Persia celebrated the birthdays of gods, kings, and nobles.” It says that the Romans observed the birth of Artemis and the day of Apollo. In contrast, “although the ancient Israelis kept records of the ages of their male citizens, there is no evidence that they had any festivities on the anniversary of the birth date.”
Other reference works go into considerable detail about the origin of birthday celebrations: ‘Birthday parties began years ago in Europe. People believed in good and evil spirits, sometimes called good and evil fairies. Everyone was afraid of these spirits, that they would cause harm to the birthday celebrant, and so he was surrounded by friends and relatives whose good wishes, and very presence, would protect him against the unknown dangers that the birthday held. Giving gifts brought even greater protection. Eating together provided a further safeguard and helped to bring the blessings of the good spirits. So the birthday party was originally intended to make a person safe from evil and to insure a good year to come.’—Birthday Parties Around the World, 1967.
The book explains, too, the origin of many birthday customs. For example: “The reason [for using candles] goes back to the early Greeks and Romans who thought that tapers or candles had magical qualities. They would offer prayers and make wishes to be carried up to the gods by the flames of candles. The gods would then send down their blessings and perhaps answer the prayers.” Other such background information is collected on pages 69 and 70 of Reasoning From the Scriptures, published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
As mentioned, however, more is involved in this question than whether celebrating birthdays was or still is religious. The Bible brings up the matter of birthdays, and mature Christians wisely are sensitive to any indications it gives.
God’s servants of old noted when individuals were born, which allowed them to figure ages. We read: “Noah got to be five hundred years old. After that Noah became father to Shem, Ham and Japheth.” “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, . . . all the springs of the vast watery deep were broken open.”—Genesis 5:32; 7:11; 11:10-26.
As even Jesus mentioned, among God’s people childbirth was a blessed, happy event. (Luke 1:57, 58; 2:9-14; John 16:21) Yet, Jehovah’s people did not memorialize the date of birth; they kept other anniversaries but not birthdays. (John 10:22, 23) Encyclopaedia Judaica says: “The celebration of birthdays is unknown in traditional Jewish ritual.” Customs and Traditions of Israel observes: “The celebration of birthdays has been borrowed from the practices of other nations, as no mention is made of this custom among Jews either in The Bible, Talmud, or writings of the later Sages. In fact, it was an ancient Egyptian custom.”
That Egyptian connection is clear from a birthday celebration related in the Bible, one that true worshipers were not observing. It was the birthday feast of the Pharaoh who ruled while Joseph was in an Egyptian prison. Some of those pagans may have been happy over the feast, yet the birthday was linked to the beheading of the chief of Pharaoh’s bakers.—Genesis 40:1-22.
A similar unfavorable light is shed on the other birthday celebration described in the Scriptures—that of Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. This birthday celebration is hardly presented in the Bible as just innocent festivity. Rather, it occasioned the beheading of John the Baptizer. Then, “his disciples came up and removed the corpse and buried him and came and reported to Jesus,” who ‘withdrew from there into a lonely place for isolation.’ (Matthew 14:6-13) Do you imagine that those disciples or Jesus felt drawn to the practice of birthday celebrations?
Given the known origin of celebrating birthdays, and more important, the unfavorable light in which they are presented in the Bible, Jehovah’s Witnesses have ample reason to abstain from the practice. They do not need to follow this worldly custom, for they can and do have happy meals any time during the year. Their gift giving is not obligatory or under the pressure of a party; it is spontaneous sharing of gifts at any time out of generosity and genuine affection.—Proverbs 17:8; Ecclesiastes 2:24; Luke 6:38; Acts 9:36, 39; 1 Corinthians 16:2, 3
www.watchtower.org
2007-07-09 08:52:56 · answer #5 · answered by Learn about the one true God 3 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Other JWs have stated most of the good reasons. I can add Eccles. 7:1. It says the day of ones death is of more importance than the day of birth. What has someone accomplished in life by being born? It is a little early for any job well done.
2007-07-09 10:19:31 · answer #6 · answered by grnlow 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I'm not a JW but I think its ecause you are putting youself before god.
2007-07-09 08:46:20 · answer #7 · answered by Star B 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
This is what we in the real Christian world call.....Adding to the scriptures.......Jesus railed at the Pharisees for this practice and we see it going on even today....
2007-07-09 10:00:22 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
Nothing wrong. It's wallmart day dear....
2007-07-09 08:45:54 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
that man made religion making up rules and disturbing their neighbors don't even bother
end of story! next!
2007-07-09 08:56:10 · answer #10 · answered by nomorepblm 2 · 2⤊ 4⤋