Jehovah's Witnesses, is there anything I can say?

Question

Is there any thing I can say to acknowledge the season and wish you well? I have several JW friends. I love the season and love wishing people well via Merry Christmas, etc. I want to respect them and their beliefs about holidays, so should I just treat like any other day? I know my friends are used to people who don't know better wishing them happy holidays, etc, and they are very politely non reactive. Isn't there anything I could say that would acknowledge this great powerful time of year without offending?

Mundo-I am talking about reality, here. These are people I work with. It is not practical these days to completely dissasociate yourself from the world, if you want to feed your family.

Answer 1

***Thanks for your concern it is kind of you!
--USUALLY we are not offended by the good intent of people wishing us good even for a specific day, they might hold as holy!--We try to appreaciate that, rather than be overly sensitive!
--IT IS when people try to coerce us or our children into a celebration we believe to be offensive to our God & to us, that sparks our defensiveness!

--IF YOU WISH to you simply could say "I know you don't celebrate the holidays, but I wish you the best at this time of year , in good faith......"
--Or something similar to that -- my wife & I would not take any offense to that consideration , for it is acknowledging that we have a basis for our decision and are not being considered odd balls, by you, because we refrain from the celebration!
--AGAIN , most of us can distinguish from ones sincere expressions and coercing!

=====UPDATE=========

FOR-- hghostin

--Here is a short presentation of Christmas as a worldy holiday not a Christian celebration:

*** sj pp. 18-19 Holidays and Celebrations ***
--Christmas: As you are probably aware, December 25 was not the birthday of Jesus Christ. You may feel that this does not matter—that the event is the important thing. But the way the Christmas holiday developed shows that there is more to it than that. The following encyclopedias explain:
--“The observance of Christmas is not of divine appointment, nor is it of N[ew] T[estament] origin. The day of Christ’s birth cannot be ascertained from the N[ew] T[estament], or, indeed, from any other source. The fathers of the first three centuries do not speak of any special observance of the nativity.”—Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1981 reprint), by John McClintock and James Strong, Volume II, page 276.
--“Most of the Christmas customs now prevailing in Europe, or recorded from former times, are not genuine Christian customs, but heathen customs which have been absorbed or tolerated by the Church. . . . The Saturnalia in Rome provided the model for most of the merry customs of the Christmas time.”—Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics (Edinburgh, 1911), edited by James Hastings, Volume III, pages 608, 609.
--It is commonly known that Christmas was not originally a celebration of Christ’s birth. U.S. Catholic of December 1981, page 32, notes: “It is impossible to separate Christmas from its pagan origins.” The magazine explains:
--“The Romans’ favorite festival was Saturnalia, which began on December 17 and ended with the ‘birthday of the unconquered sun’ (Natalis solis invicti) on December 25. Somewhere in the second quarter of the fourth century, savvy officials of the church of Rome decided December 25 would make a dandy day to celebrate the birthday of the ‘sun of righteousness.’ Christmas was born.”
--When learning these facts about Christmas, how have some been affected? The World Book Encyclopedia (1982) observes under “Christmas”: “During the 1600’s . . . Christmas was outlawed in England and in parts of the English colonies in America.” Since people in the past refused to celebrate Christmas because of its pagan origins, it should be understandable why Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate it today. We take no part in Christmas parties, plays, singing, exchanging of gifts, or in any other such activity that is associated with Christmas...."

Answer 2

You would only need to greet them and treat them as you would on any other day of the year. If you respect their beliefs, you won't wish them "season's greetings", "happy holidays" or anything in that manner.

Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe it is proper to celebrate Christmas. The ONLY celebration that the Bible commands us to observe is that of Jesus' death.....not his birth. If this truly were a season of great importance, surely God would have saw to it that his followers would observe it, but the Bible does not direct Christians to observe ANY birthday, let alone that of Jesus' (who by all indications was NOT born anywhere near December). Because they do not share the view that this is a "great powerful time of year" as you do, there is no need for you to try and acknowledge it to them.

Again, just treat them like it's any other day. That's what they will respect and appreciate.

Answer 3

it is not authentic that one and all denominations think of that they on my own are the main suitable one (even though that's easily authentic of the JWs). In Protestantism, hardly any denomination have an unique view of their very own team; i've got been to many distinctive communities and that all of them agree that Christian brethren are to be recent in a extensive variety of different denominations, including the Catholics. They do worry that some communities are burdening their flock with guy-made regulations and stumbling blocks to grasping God's organic fact, yet that isn't the same because of the fact the JWs who're plenty extra severe of their censure of all others. as an occasion, I truthfully have 2 Watchtower magazines right here (approximately 8 years between them) which quote Jeremiah to declare the clergy of Christendom are in basic terms like the burst-open figs that cannot be eaten for badness. I have no end of books and magazines the place the Watchtower Society calls all religions different than their very own as component of Babylon the great, the prostitute in Revelation who is going to be destroyed in basic terms in the previous Armageddon. that's unreasonable to assume fulsome solutions to all six of your questions, so pardon me for in basic terms sticking to the main important one, and including that the biblical gospel is preached by applying myriad denominations to myriad human beings in myriad approaches. yet their gospel message isn't the same because of the fact the JW one, and that's what could heavily difficulty the JWs. they might desire to envision out, from the Bible, what the gospel is that Paul and the different disciples preached interior the 1st century, and keep on with that.

Answer 4

Treat it just like any other day.

How do you greet them every other day?
"Hello" "How are you doing?" etc.

They will not be offended though, if you do wish them a Merry Christmas, JWs are in the minority, so they understand that 'everyone' around them is celebrating the holiday.

Nothing you say will make them feel that Christmas is a "powerful time of year", because according to the Bible, it isn't.

Answer 5

Why does saying Marry Christmas offend Jw believers ?
I think they have a right to believe as they like and enjoy the holidays as well.....but i see nothing wrong professing what i know to be True in say CHRISTmas just as much as they have a right to say...whatever it is they say.....and i thought Christ was to them the first witness , so why would saying that offend them.......i just dont understand thier belief.......Wouldnt acknowledging the Messiah..the advocate..be what one would do ?
Its still Christs birth that paved the way for man back to God.....no matter the ( man side religion) of it..it still remains a Fact........

Merry Christmas..........to ALL

Answer 6

You can't offend people if it is your beleif you are blessing them.

At Ramadan my muslim friends invite me over. I'm Catholic, but understand they honour me with this invitation.

If YOU beleive in Christmas, wish them a merry christmas. In this way you are showing that you extend you most heartfelt love for them. They don't have to be "into" the day to receive your warmest wishes, do they?

If you must, say "For ME Christimas is about sharing the gift of God's love with others, so please accept this as my gift of love to you, for you to have and keep for all the year, given on a day I hold dear".

Answer 7

I have had people wish me a merry Xmas, I just say thank you and smile and nothing else. we understand that people are celebrating the holidays

Answer 8

It is best to just let it be neutral..Happy Holidays is not even appropriate for a JW. It is not a great powerful time of year for them.

Passover, is their Holy Day. They celebrate anniversaries, so an anniversary card wold be nice if they are married.

Answer 9

I know your dilemma because I used to be a JW. You want to share the joy of this time of year with your JW friends, but they will not reciprocate. I say simply just wish them good day, and go about enjoying the holiday. It is their choice not to participate. If that put them on the outside, again, it's their choice.

Answer 10

I'm not a JW, but wouldn't a simple, "God bless you" work? Or do you think they'd be offended by that too?