I mean, it just seems kind of depressing to not be able to celebrate things like birthdays, Christmas etc...So, what do JW's do for fun? Do they have any other kind fo parties? Do they go to Putt Putt? Just wondering....Also, if an non-JW gives you a gift or a card on your B-day or a holiday, do you decline it?
2007-10-12 04:20:58 · 25 answers · asked by bellesnail 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
OKAY...But what about the poor JW kids???...They have no choice if their parents wont let them celebrate things. Im sure that makes them sad....unless they are already brainwashed JWs.
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2007-10-12 04:26:28 · update #1
Jason, you mom sounds like a wise woman.
2007-10-12 06:36:57 · update #2
Hmmm good questions, just to add to the sadness... they cant have sex until after their marriage.
2007-10-12 04:23:46 · answer #1 · answered by mc_maybe123 2 · 1⤊ 8⤋
LOL That is such a funny comment. You obviously don't know any Jehovah's Witnesses.
We do 'fun' things all the time. We regularly entertain friends at our home. At least once every three weeks our bookstudy group gets together and provides a meal for the visiting speaker on Sunday. So technically, that would be a 'dinner party'. We visit and eat, it's a lot of fun.
As a family, we enjoy bike rides, trips to the zoo, the museums, hiking. A group of our friends also like to get together and play basketball or go bowling at least once a month.
Just because we don't celebrate the holidays that you mentioned, doesn't mean we don't celebrate life! The Bible says that Jehovah is a happy God. We can be happy and have a good time without dishonoring God.
2007-10-12 15:08:59 · answer #2 · answered by izofblue37 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Honestly, I have a pretty fun life. I give/get presents simply cause I want to, not cause it is December.
I personally haven't gone to Putt Putt, though have often wanted to. Was gonna with my Dad, but he is dead now, guess I will do it on my own. I did love bowling with him. I also go for walks, shopping, playing video games, etc.
Honestly, I try to handle how I explain my feelings about Birthday gifts on the person and the amount of knowledge they have. I as a rule politely refuse the gift.
Growing up I understood that Christmas was pagan and that as such Christians wouldn't want to celebrate it. It really is no different than deciding not to celebrate Kwanzaa, or Hanukkah. I never felt that my not celebrating any of these religions was wrong.
As for your comment on Brain Washing, no need to be rude. We don't believe in Brain Washing, or Brain Dirtying either:D
I lately have seen quite a few mention our "unusual beliefs" such as not celebrating Christmas, does this mean those who don't celebrate it because they are of Jewish faith are unusual??
2007-10-12 15:32:18 · answer #3 · answered by Ish Var Lan Salinger 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
We have parties all the time, we sing and dance and have fun! We play putt-putt golf all the time, we go bowling, go skating, go to see decent movies at the theater (no R ratings) and all kinds of stuff like that. And just because we don't celebrate a holiday once a year, doesn't mean we are unhappy. The adults are happy because we don't feel obligated to spend thousands of dollars on gifts for the family and friends. So that at the end of the year we aren't in debt like everyone else. We are also happy because we are pleasing our god, Jehovah when we obey him. The kids are happy because they don't have to wait until one particular time of the year to get things, they get them all year around. We are a happy people, faithful in what we believe. And everything we believe is Bible based.
2007-10-13 10:46:58 · answer #4 · answered by SisterCF 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The JW's I know certainly don't seem sad. I don't know much about what they DO celebrate, but the family that lived next door to us for 16 years really bought a lot of gift wrap paper from the Elementary School fund raiser. They had motorcycles and used to go riding them all the time.....even their little guy (1st grader at the time) had his own motorcycle with TRAINING WHEELS! The mom would always come take her kids out of class when class parties were scheduled, though.
2007-10-12 11:27:42 · answer #5 · answered by kj 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Are you kidding me?
There is more to life than buying presents for people you don't even like just because they are buying presents for you!
I used to hate Christmas.I spent my time getting drunk.
Oh,I might mention that I used to be a catholic before I found the truth of God's word and became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Nothing has given me more satisfaction in my life than being able to understand the Bible and the meaning of life and why there is so much suffering on the earth.
Witnesses love life and having fun.They are normal people.The difference is they don't get involved in pagan celebrations and they don't overindulge in alcohol or take drugs.But yes,we have parties and picnics,go to the beach,have BBQ.All the normal things that normal people do.
Witness children are not 'poor'! They don't have to wait for a certain pagan holiday or celebration to receive gifts.They get gifts throughout the year.They get together with other witness children and do things normal children do.
If a non witness were to give me a card for Christmas or Easter or whatever,I would graciously take it.There is no harm in that.Many people are ignorant and think they are being kind and thoughtful
2007-10-13 01:28:20 · answer #6 · answered by lillie 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No it's not. There's nothing as pleasant as receiving (and giving, of course) gifts spontaneously, not just because it's a birthday and you are obliged to give.
We have parties, with a mixture of brothers and sisters of different ages, nationalities and backgrounds. We play games, tell stories and jokes, sing, dance, eat! My PC's memory is running low now because of the number of photographs I have from these gatherings.
Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate great events in life, like weddings, wedding anniversaries, welcome and farewell parties, graduation parties and also "just-for-the-sake-of-it" parties.
Basically everyone who knows me knows that I do not celebrate birthdays or Christmas, and they know why although they may not agree with me. To each his own.
My parents still insist on wishing me "Happy Birthday" and "Merry Christmas", it's okay I thank them for the well wishes. When people who do not know that and get me a card, I accept and explain why I will not accept one from them again. (I do not accept if the person gets me a gift just to see if I will brush aside my beliefs for material gain)
Do Catholic children feel deprived because they do not celebrate Ramadan or Hanukkah? They've never celebrated it, it makes no difference. The same with JW children- you can't miss something you've never had.
Besides, the JW children attend the JW gatherings I mentioned above, and their parents give them presents any day of year- they are not deprived. When you meet a Witness family, take the child aside and ask them how they feel about it. You'll be in for a surprise.
2007-10-12 12:46:02 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
No. If you think JW's live sad lives because they don't celebrate Christmas, why is there such a high rate of suicides among churchgoers around that time of year?
Non-witnesses I know don't give me a Christmas card because they respect my position concerning the holidays. If someone gives me a card anyway, I will accept it and say thank you.
You say that Christmastime is fun? Do you go into hock to pay for gifts that you feel obligated to buy for others? Is it fun to fight over items in the stores before the Christmas deadline? Tell me. How much fun is it to buy things for others when they expect something from you? How much fun is it to wake up the next morning after getting drunk at the office Christmas party where Jesus was not even mentioned? That does not sound like fun to me.
2007-10-12 11:30:09 · answer #8 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 5⤊ 3⤋
We are very happy. Why shouldn't we be?
WE SERVE THE HAPPY GOD JEHOVAH !!!
My life before I learned the truth was very unhappy and believe me I did it all. I celebrated all the Holidays and threw some really big parties.
I was getting high and sleeping around.
I was in the entertainment industry going to recording studios and could even had signed a record deal.
But I started studying with Jehovah's Witnesses and my life changed drastically.
I got married and my Wife and I were baptized in Aug. 1996.
I DO NOT MISS THE HOLIDAYS OR MY OLD LIFE AT ALL !!!
Please don't feel bad for us. We are truly happy because we have the truth.
My Mom says we are brain washed but my brain has been washed clean of all the filth I was once part of.
2007-10-12 13:22:26 · answer #9 · answered by Jason W 4 · 5⤊ 1⤋
As a JW kid I must admit sometimes I was envious of other kids but to say a sad life the answer is no.
The time I spent in the company of other brothers and sisters , the time in meetings , the time I spent knocking on doors and the time at assembles far out weighted the few holidays the other kids celebrated.
The bible says a day in the house of Jehovah is worth a thousand spent elsewhere.I think it's wrong i think it's worth ten thousand days spent elsewhere.
If I could go back in time I would not change a thing as far as time spent with my spiritual family and my god.
I feel sorry for the kids who missed out on it for just for a few meaningless few days.
2007-10-12 11:39:52 · answer #10 · answered by pestie58 the spider hunter 6 · 5⤊ 1⤋
no, i was a about 8 when my parent became one, but i never missed the holidays, we do have tons of other parties!! maybe i'll invite you to one lol. but its up to the JW if they're given a present whether to take it or not, i did when i was a kid and my parents didnt mind but as i got older i stopped because i didnt want to seem to compromise my beliefs for material gain. thanks for asking an honest question!
oh and the poor ones get plenty of stuff from the better off JW's, nobody is left out or ever feels uncomfortable.
2007-10-12 14:08:42 · answer #11 · answered by drummergirl 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋