Christian priorities and holidays

jurs

EVEN when I was a JW I thought it odd that Witnesses gave so much importance to holidays. When I was studying, I was bogged down with how awful they were because they are pagan and how wrong it was to celebrate. It seems to me like more attention was donated to the issue of holidays than what the meat of Christianity is. Jesus sacrifice, LOVE , forgiveness, peacefull relationships, ect.

INSTEAD, being a good and faithful JW the focus was on following a list of no no's . If you didn't do or participate in certain no no's than you are more superior than people who do.

The priorities are really mixed up. Do you think that Jesus would be upset by giving presents and celebrating Christmas? I really don't think so. I think he would be upset by rules of man coming before love.

just my 2cents

jurs

freedom96

Many of what I consider to be "true" Christians, celebrate Christmas as others do, but they DO consider the basis of what Christmas originally was all about. Oh, they agree that Jesus was not born on that date, but they say that is not the point.

It just seems so much more innocent and pure than the WTS taught. These are well meaning people, and they respect the holiday for what it stands for, and enjoy it to the fullest.

I do think Jesus would appreciate that, regardless of petty details. Perhaps it is something that needs to be done once a year, to make us appreciate the little things in life, to bring joy and happiness. Oh sure, we can twist it around and say how horrible for the families that cannot afford it, etc. I have seen many times though, where a family may not exactly be able to afford a lot of toys and gifts, but the spirit is there, and they enjoy it to the fullest, maybe even more than many who use it only to buy stuff.

moana

jurs:

I think the older I get the more I realize that Holidays are not about or for me anyway. I love the time I can spend with my hubby and this year I heard a wonderful message.

It's this.....we spend a lot of time thinking and buying the perfect gifts for people that have everything. The light finally went on! It's not about me. I do have everything I need & fighting crowds at malls and spending lots of money is not Peace on Earth. I think it would make me happier to try to help other people - than buying expensive sweaters we don't need.

I'm usually so selfish - this is so out of character for me. It overwhelmes me when I think of the love Jesus has for me - much greater than anything the jws have.

peace baby

WingCommander

So, it doesn't matter that holidays have pagan origins??

Pagans practiced human sacrifice - if that were part of Christmas, would you still do it??? Rediculous. I'm sorry, I don't find ANY pagan practice "harmless", no matter how "innocent" it has become down through the ages.....do you all really think that makes it ok? I wouldn't think that God would think so!!!

I'm sure this post will get a flood of "Christmas is soo good and loving" responses. Sheesh. :)

Don't let me stop you from mixing pagan and Christian views together.............keep celebrating the Sun.......errrr.......Christ's birth!!

Wing Commander :)

Francois

JWs and other fundamentalists haven't yet figured out that you cannot love a list of "Thy shall nots," a negative religion based on fear. The master came with a positive religion of Love. And that IMHO was exactly why he said if someone importunes you to carry his pack for a mile, if you can think of nothing better to do, then carry it for two miles, do something positive.

It's hard always to be positive, but at least we can acknowledge that we know that's the direction in which we should be heading.

NameWithheld

WingCommander, just about everything around you has 'pagan' origins. The JW memorial does, Christianity does, our calendar does, wedding rituals do, etc, etc. Maybe you should stop being so concerned about the politics of a 1000 years ago (which is all it was, the Roman's adopting other culture's practices as they folded into the Roman empire) and what things were done 1000 years ago and consider what those things mean to people TODAY. So what if Christmas was evolved in parts from a sun worshiping celebration? Don't see too many people today doing sun dances on Dec 25 ...

I'm not a Christian, not religious in anyway, and I enjoy this time of year - time off work, family and friends, a reflection on a better human spirit (people ARE nicer this time of year). Stop dwelling on the negatives and see the good.

Humanity through the ages is filled with rituals and beliefs of 1000's of gods/goddesses/etc. Every culture has adopted from those around them over time, and your beliefs are shaped by your surroundings. There are few white American Muslims, being Christain/Muslim/Budah/etc is mainly an accident of birth. Both sides of this latest conflict sit around SURE of their god - SURE that the other side is all wrong. Both are wrong.

Edited by - NameWithheld on 25 November 2002 12:14:57

cruzanheart

Human sacrifice IS part of Christmas, as any parent who has stayed up until 2 in the morning putting together a bike will tell you.

WingCommander

NameWithHeld:

So, by your own guidelines, we should all take into account that C.T. Russell was over a hundred years ago - so forget about his pyramid measuring, rascism, false prophecy's etc, etc, and just go with the flow of the GB and Watchtower's new light. After all, like you said, we have to learn to live, be born into, and adapt to our surroundings. Heehee. They were so long ago, that they couldn't possibly do any harm.

Wing Commander :)

Edited by - WingCommander on 25 November 2002 12:34:14

Scully

Wing Commander:

Christianity is BASED on human sacrifice, isn't it?? Even JWs acknowledge that Jesus was "the ransom sacrifice" or "the lamb of God that takes away sin from the world".

Love, Scully

Swan

WingCommander wrote:

Pagans practiced human sacrifice - if that were part of Christmas, would you still do it??? Rediculous. I'm sorry, I don't find ANY pagan practice "harmless", no matter how "innocent" it has become down through the ages.....do you all really think that makes it ok? I wouldn't think that God would think so!!!

I fail to see the logic in this. It appears to me that this is rather black and white thinking. Didn't Christians also have a bloody history. I'm thinking of the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem witch trials, and the Catholic/Protestant wars of England's history and Ireland's present. What about the Jewish history from which Christianity stems? Countless men, women, and children killed by Israelite armies because God promised them a certain piece of land. What about the human sacrifice of Jephthah's daughter or Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac, which was a certainty if not for the intervention of an angel?

There is good and bad in all religions, from my point of view, but the illogical black and white views of many of it's adherents is one of the main reasons that I don't follow any religion any more. I respect many of the things Christ taught, but I celebrate the holidays mainly as the secular holiday which it has become. I just don't see the point in rejecting the whole thing because somebody killed someone else a long time ago. Perhaps someone here can explain this to me? I would earnestly like to understand your point of view.

Thank you.

Tammy

Christian priorities and holidays

Share this