Christmas/Easter. As they don't celebrate any of these things because they say that it has pagan origins, (gee, the founder of Ford, Henry Ford, was a Nazi sympathiser and anti semitic-yet they have no problems I'm sure buying a Ford).
But I digress.
Do they, maybe deep down inside, resent not having their birthdays celebrated, or unable to celebrate their wedding anniversary-more so than Christmas or Easter as these celebrations are personal.
I've often wondered this, so if you know any JW's or are one, please be honest and tell me have you ever missed these celebrations, particularly as a child?
2007-08-19 22:09:42 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes yes yes, I know, Christmas is not the right date and Easter bunnies and eggs are of pagan origin. Don't remind me, I know all that. So again I ask you, why is it ok for JW's to drive and buy Ford cars, considering the Ford Motor Companys' origins?
Who makes all these rules they live by?
2007-08-19 22:22:51 · update #1
Why would they regret following the bible as god requires them to.?
These pagan celebrations can not offer life , only death.
By the way I am not a jw.
2007-08-19 22:26:29 · answer #1 · answered by pestie58 the spider hunter 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Bible makes our rules. As for the supposed Nazi connection, I highly doubt that cars have ANYTHING to do with spiritual matters. Celebrating Pagan holidays, is doing just that, celebrating Pagan holidays. Buying a car, is buying a car, there is little connection to religous matters, unless maybe the car is involved in false religion.
Honestly, I don't think I've ever resented not celebrating birthdays, or Christmas, or Easter or etc. I know what they are about. Also my parents celebrated their anniversary for years.
Consider the Bible gives us 2 examples of Birthdays, they both were involved with pagan worship and murder.
2007-08-23 13:57:02 · answer #2 · answered by Ish Var Lan Salinger 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am not a Jehovah's Witness, but I knew one for a few months. She didn't seem to mind not celebrating those holidays...as a matter of fact, she seemed proud of not celebrating them... she told me it "saved alot of money" by not celebrating Christmas. I can't recall her ever speaking regretfully of missing birthdays or anything else...
The interesting thing was that her family didn't want the kids to feel left out, so they had a special day on a random day of the year on which they had a turkey dinner and got tons of gifts. Apparently at least one other family they knew did the same thing. It seemed odd to me that they would refuse to celebrate the actual holidays, yet basically carry out the same traditions of gift-giving, turkey dinners, etc. and be okay with that.
My understanding was that they could celebrate wedding anniversaries.
I did not feel sorry for this girl missing holiday celebrations, since it was by choice and she didn't appear to mind... what I felt the most sorry for was that the JW's basically teach that you have to work really hard to make yourself acceptable to God... I would think that would result in a constant uneasiness and anxiety, hoping that you could work hard enough to gain His favor.
I know I'm a sinner too, and deserve to go to hell, and that I need God's forgiveness, but I am so grateful that I learned that I can't make things right with Him on my own, no matter how hard I try... that the only way for me to have a relationship with Him is by trusting that Jesus took my punishment when He died on the cross, and that God raised Him from the dead. What an incredible sense of peace I can experience, just knowing that God has given me a free gift of forgiveness......... and a relationship with Himself.
That's what I felt the worst about, that my JW acquaintance didn't know that, and couldn't have that peace... comparitively speaking, the lack of holiday celebrations- even birthdays- didn't seem so important.
2007-08-20 05:28:58 · answer #3 · answered by Amaris 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
True Christians (such as Jehovah's Witnesses) love Jehovah the Father and Jesus the Son, and so they are happy to obey God and Christ even when doing so seems inconvenient.
Incidentally, many or most Jehovah's Witnesses are happy to celebrate wedding anniversaries. Literally 100% of the birthday celebrations mentioned in the bible were by debauched enemies of God, whereas wedding anniversaries are not even mentioned in the bible.
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
2007-08-22 17:25:59 · answer #4 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I grew up with MANY witnesses as friends and yes, as teens, they often told me they thought it was stupid and often felt left out. Some continued and some left the Watchtower after they graduated H.S. but both sides felt "weird" for their lack of celebrating even personal birthdays.
2007-08-20 05:17:43 · answer #5 · answered by thefinalresult 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, not really, creating man made holidays is pagan.
Following Gods will is more than enough.
Christmas isn't even the right date. Refer to scipture about making days special except Saturday.-it is forbidden.
2007-08-20 05:17:17 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
in middle school, i hinvited a dear friend to my birthday party and i was upset that she couldn't go. she seemed a little embarassed but said she felt good about the fact that that was the way her family showed their love for God.
i was brought up catholic and was taught to give up something for lent every year. as a child, i thought it was mean to ask that of me. as i grew older, i understood it was just a symbolic way of showing Jesus that we'd be willing to sacrafice for Him, as He did for us so often. not catholic anymore, btw.
2007-08-20 05:29:44 · answer #7 · answered by susan l 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a Jehovah's Witness friend, and he really appreciated receiving cards.
2007-08-20 05:12:39 · answer #8 · answered by Mawkish 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋