by RayPublisher 12 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Hey folks I recently celebrated my very first birthday party! There was a big "One" candle on the cake and we had a blast. It felt great to be "normal" and just do what other people do.
Anyway it inspired me to do a new YouTube video and article on my blog, so if you feel like checking it out the links are below:
JWStruggle article:
http://www.jwstruggle.com/2012/12/my-birthday-jesus-birthday-and-whats-really-pagan/
YouTube video:
My wife was telling me how she was discussing the "pagan" roots of the wedding ring with a friend, and I suppose they had a chuckle over the fact that sometimes "we just decide for ourselves what's still pagan and what's not."
I corrected her, saying, "Actually, you don't have any choice in the matter. It's already been decided for you. . ."
She completed my thought almost seamlessly: ". . . by the Society"
Yep! And I include several quotes from articles in the video on what is "pagan" and what is "not very pagan" according to the WT Corp leadership.
• Throwing rice at a wedding? Pagan!
• Birthdays? Pagan! (of course)
• Toasting at a meal? Pagan!
• Pinatas? ...Not quite as Pagan!
Happy Birthday!
Raypublisher: Eric, have a happy birthday brother. And happy holidays to you and your family.
Kojack
The whole "Pagan" thing was and is just designed to make JW's different, there is simply no logic, scriptural argument ( a real one), historical reason or anything apart from , " Hey, let's be weirdos".
WTF is NOT pagan ? There is not actually a "Christian" celebration instituted plainly by Jesus in the Gospels, the "do this in remembrance of me" was not such unless you wish to follow the twisted W.T reasoning.
To truly follow the example of Jesus and therefore be truly "Christian", we should do as he did, and celebrate jewish festivals, all of them, so :
Happy Channukah !!!!!
Thanks all!
@Phizzy - Good point- the arbritary "we are different" policy of the JWs goes all the way back to Rutherford, as Gruss reports in his book, The Four Presidents of the Watchtower. He said there that Rutherford intentionally begain this idea as part of his greater plan to stir up controversy and "persecution by Satan's world". These things included banning Mother's day, changing the Bible Student's name, etc.
JWS idolize a religious publishing house called the Watchtower Corporation that has roots in paganism ( Pyramidology )
There is no mention of celebrating birthdays as something wrong in the bible and distasteful toward god, John the Baptist is quoted in the bible
to celebrate his birthday. Because it became known that certain pagan kings had their birthday celebrated, the WTS. saw it
as something detestable (pagan). Since celebrating someones birthday is an expressive act of love and respect for someone else
under Christ's own commandment, it shouldn't be perceived as something evil or wrong.
Job apparently saw no problem with birthdays as he did not stop his children from regularly celebrating their own special days (Job 1:4,5; 3:1-3). And Abraham had no problem giving a party for Isaac when he was weaned, a celebration of his special day. (Gen 21:8) The Watchtower concludes that since the early church did not celebrate birthdays, we must not either. A birthday is in reality nothing more than an anniversary of a special event. Although the early church did not celebrate birth anniversaries, they did celebrate the anniversary of the death of the saints. The Watchtower allows the celebration of wedding anniversaries which is the celebration of the birth of the marriage. The Watchtower had no problems with celebrating their own 100th anniversary of the birth of their organization. Yet at the same time they disfellowship and condemn to eternal death those who celebrate the anniversary of one's birth. How can one celebrate the birth of an organization but not celebrate the birth of one's mate? Surely if the Watchtower is right, the same God who destroys people forever for celebrating the anniversary of their birth would not thinking lightly of people who celebrate the anniversary of their wedding or the anniversary of an organization's birth.
The reality is that EVERY tradtion we have can be traced to a pagan root of some sort.
To make issue of that is the hight of pettiness AND hypocracy.
