"we don't need holidays as an excuse to give gifts to our children"

by Sour Grapes 41 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  thetrueone

  Its also note worthy that birthdays themselves were celebrated in ancient Judea, the bible itself quotes John the Baptist celebrating his birthday.

  What the JWs have done is acknowledged that pagan kings and deities had celebrated their birthdays as well and therefore that made it a wrong

  and displeasing thing.

  Since December 25 was chosen by Christendom as being the day Christ was born most people assume that this really is the actual day.

  Its kind of secrete held back by most organized Christian religions from their followers but made so to create relevancy to their worshiped god of choice.
• 

  OUTLAW

  JW`s don`t need an excuse to make excuses..Or..

  To sound Crazy..

  "This isn`t a Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner..Turkey just happend to be On Sale!"..

  "This isn`t a Christmas Turkey Dinner..Turkey just happend to be On Sale!"..

  We don`t take blood transfusions..

  We use "HemoPure blood substitute" made from Cow blood..

  Because..

  The Bible says to pour animal blood on the ground..

  ...OUTLAW
• 

  NewChapter

  Sometimes when I read things, I am struck by how different my experience was as a JW. For whatever reason, maybe I was too dense to fully understand the culture, or maybe I belonged to liberal congregations (although I DID attend one rural congregation for some years). But I OFTEN wrapped gifts, especially for my daughter. I also received a lot of wrapped gifts. And my daughter had so many toys they practically spilled out of her room. Others in the congregation also wrapped gifts (usually toys, books, or beautiful clothes they had made) and gave them to my daughter.

  Maybe we were all bad witnesses. But one had to be vigilant! By ignoring holidays and Bdays, there was no reminder that it was time to give a gift. We had to think about it, and we did. I'm sure many didn't, cuz it was the lazy way out.

  I still don't miss it. But this is one area where I can say that I didn't need to wait for a special day to give gifts and I can absolutely mean it.

  NC
• 

  Mickey mouse

  I was raised in the lie and I think maybe had one wrapped present in my whole childhood. I don't think that in itself is necessarily damaging to a child but the hypocrisy of hearing your parents pushing the "we don't need a special day to give presents" line is. I remember being on the field service once and the householder bent down and asked me (I was a child) if I felt that I missed out because of not having christmas and birthdays. My mum was glaring at me and I knew what to say: "oh no, we get presents at other times". But that was a lie.

  Do you know what really sucked? As we got older, we used to buy anniversary presents for our parents but they never bought us presents. Kind of the wrong way around, don't you think?
• 

  PSacramento

  The WTS says:

  The only two birthdays the Bible does mention were for rulers who were enemies of God. (WT 1994 July 15, p. 15; cf. Reasoning from the Scriptures 1985 pp. 68, 69)

  This statement is incorrect. Other birthdays are mentioned in the Bible and not in any pejorative sense either: Several scholars hold that birthdays ("day") are mentioned in Job 1:4-5. Among them are Albert Barnes, Adam Clarke, Robert Jamieson, Andrew Fausset and David Brown.

  The Living Bible's paraphrase of Job 1:4-5 says:

  Every year when each of Job's sons had a birthday, he invited his brothers and sisters to his home for celebration. On these occasions they would eat and drink with great merriment. When these birthday parties ended...

  Job appears to define the "day" as a birthday in Job 11:1-3.

  Nothing in the Bible text indicates that Job's children did anything evil. Their celebration is not portrayed as a pagan practice. And Job does not condemn the celebration. Moreover regarding Job it is said that he was "a man of blameless and upright life...who feared God and set his face against wrongdoing." (Job 1:1) So if God did not approve of observing birthdays Job obviously would not have allowed the celebrations among his children.

  The birthday of John the Baptist was also celebrated. The "angel" who announced John's birth said:

  And you will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice over his birth. (Luke 1:14) (The New World Translation 1984)

  And most importantly, angels in song and glory celebrated the birth of Christ:

  But the angel said to them: "Have no fear, for, look! I am declaring to you good news of a great joy that all the people will have, because there was born to you today a Savior, who is Christ [the] Lord, in David's city..." And suddenly there came to be with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying: "Glory in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of goodwill." (Luke 2:10,11,13,14. NWT)

  This positive event was left out of the WTS's consideration because it negates their assertion that only two birthdays are mentioned in the Bible and both in a negative sense!
• 

  ScenicViewer

  My wife and I too would wrap gifts for our kids. We avoided holidays, per Watchtower teachings, but we used the last day of school as an event to do the same thing. Showered the kids with wrapped gifts, and let the kids know it was their special day. Really it was no different from a birthday celebration, except the Watchtower didn't condemn it.

  we don't need holidays as an excuse to give gifts to our children

  This is the loaded language that many Witnesses use. Translated it usually means 'we no longer give gifts to our kids, or to anyone else.'

  One can also see a lot of bad things such as desperation, anxiety and depression.

  Are you aware of the increase in suicides at this time of year

  Have you not noticed the desperation, anxiety, and suicides among Jehovah's Witnesses? It's probably the most depressed Christian religion on earth. I have known way too many Witnesses that attempted or committed suicide. Others struggle greatly to reconcile the harsh disfellowshipping rules with Christian love and kindness, and having to shun children or other family members is too much for many of them.

  The point was mentioned that every bright light casts a shadow. Why do Witnesses only see the good in their own light, but the shadow in someone else's light? In a left handed way, I am grateful for such a biased point of view, because it helped me to reach the conclusion that the Watchtower is primarily a religion of manipulation, loaded language, and slanted viewpoints. None of which harmonizes with Bible truth.
• 

  Ding

  "We don't need holidays as an excuse to give gifts to our children" is an example of WTS-induced arrogance.

  It's saying, "You worldlies need an excuse to give gifts to your children. We are superior to you."

  The truth is that the WTS takes JWs' children's childhoods away from them -- not because of their teaching about holidays -- but because they turn them into door-to-door magazine peddlers as soon as they are able to toddle alongside their parents.
• 

  Bella15

  "We don't need holidays as an excuse to give gifts to our children." I always hated the word "excuse" in this sentence. I am YET to meet a loving parent, loving children, a loving friend that uses a holiday or any other event as an "excuse" to give a present. They use the holidays as "special occassions" to stop for a minute and think of you specially and show not only with words but actions their feelings towards you.

  The word "excuse" in this sentence is part of the Watchtower lexicon to brainwash people.
• 

  ScenicViewer

  @PSacramento,

  Thanks for that post. I was not aware there were scholars that viewed Job's day as a birthday. The Living Bible is rendition is great too. This is going into my notes.

  Jehovah's Witnesses accept several pagan based practices, such as sending flowers to a funeral, wearing wedding rings, having pinjatas at a party, and wearing pants.

  Concerning the pinjata, the Society says,

  "A main concern is, not what the practice meant hundreds of years ago, but how it is viewed today in your area." (Awake 9-22-03 p23, 24)

  If that good logic can be applied to some pagan practices, why can't it be applied to birthday celebrations and all other pagan based practices as well? Believe it or not, the birthday observances that result in murder are in the minority.
• 

  ScenicViewer

  @ Ding and Bella 15

  Nicely expressed about using the word '"excuse" to give presents'. Watchtower arrogance. Language that is loaded, loaded, loaded!