Bad? I have done research on it lately. Actually for a couple of yrs now, on and off. I have found no direct command from the slave that we couldnt celebrate it. I am going to research it again on the New WT library. I have researched it online as well and cant seem to find anything wrong with it. Is there a GOOD RELIABLE true site I can go to to get an ACCURATE history about thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is it..............................
by defd 97 Replies latest jw friends
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daystar
Well, since your idea of reliable and accruate differs from mine and many others here, I don't think we can do that.
I place a lot of trust in Wikipedia.org. You will find the wikipedi article on Thanksgiving here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving
For what it's worth, my family never celebrated Thanksgiving, though we didn't see anything wrong with it. I don't think our elders did either. We had turkey dinner just like most people and did not try to hide it. I think I recall us having other brothers and sisters over for it on occasion.
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under74
I don't know of any site defd. All I know is that I couldn't celebrate it when I was young because it "had to do with the government." It was patriotic.That's what I was told.
I know now it's just a good time for my family to get together and enjoy a big meal...no government involved. I love Thanksgiving.
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defd
I am asking this because I am thinking of allowing my kids to participate in it at school. You know every year for all the holidays they get to decorate and things. I am going to make sure I do not turn my kids into RIGID witness. I will raise them to be witness and serve Jehovah but to be BALANCED. I am or have been learning do that over the past several yrs.
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undercover
Here's the deal with holidays in general no matter their background, their influences from the past or the meanings behind them:
Holidays and the celebration of them are worldly. JWs strive to be no part of the world. So even though there's nothing Biblically wrong with celebrating birthdays or Thanksgiving, the FDS or GB will always condemn them as part of the world.
They are striving to alienate you from anything "worldly". When they succeed in that, then you will be less apt to question their intentions, their authority, their status as God's servant to men today. Like we've said in earlier threads, it's all about controlling you and what you think, what you believe so that they can better manipulate you to further their cause.
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under74
wow, that would not only save them humiliation but make them part of things... I hope you decide it's okay defd. Just my opinion.
I remember in the 4th grade crying when I had to do an activity sheet featuring a turkey & pilgrim....the teacher was fed up....but it didn't help me any...I thought Jehovah was going to kill me.
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TopHat
I would guess that if your family wanted to get together at your house and have a meal on Thanksgiving day....there would be nothing wrong with it....same excuse as the witnesses give for having service on Sunday....Most people don't work on Sunday.....On Thanksgiving the family from out of town has time to travel and visit you. Same goes for Xmas...the family has more time to gather.
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Cygnus
Dude, are you that immature that you have to be spoonfed how to conduct yourself on an upcoming Slursday Thursday?
Do your own thing, anything you want. Or do what most of us do - get sloppy drunk, watch bad football, eat way too much and pass out in the living room.
Just to fill you in on my JW family's angle, the whole family got together at Gramma's house for turkey and dad would say a prayer before we ate. Then when I got married my JW wife and I went to her Catholic stepmom and dad's for a huge TGiving spread, and one of the stepmom's kids would say the prayer.
I remember one TGiving, I was maybe 22 or 23, and my parents had just moved to Florida and I wasn't invited anywhere and I felt really lonely. A JW with worldly regrets! Post-JW some six or seven years ago I went downtown for "the biggest drinking night of the year" and never felt older (sans the 1996 Smashing Pumpkins show).
Anyway, here's what Mommy says:
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w60 11/15 p. 704 Questions from Readers ***Holidays as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Valentine’s Day and Easter have their roots in paganism. . . Regarding them the words of the apostle Paul apply: "I say that the things which the nations sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. . .Or ‘are we inciting Jehovah to jealousy’? We are not stronger than he is, are we?" "What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever?"
So instead of pursuing worldly functions which are of no value and serve only to 'incite Jehovah to jealousy', why not use this time wisely in favor of Kingdom interests.
Maybe this'll help too:
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km 11/84 p. 2 Meetings to Help Us Make Disciples ***As demonstration concludes, teenage child of other father comes on stage and asks father a question about observing national thanksgiving day this month. Father invites child to sit down and read last two paragraphs on page 21 of School brochure. Child gets point. Father points out that Society’s Index for 1966-70 refers us to fine article in November 8, 1969, Awake! with detailed information on the holiday.
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km 11/72 p. 8 Presenting the Good News—In All of Your Territory ***We suggest that the field overseer consider making arrangements for group witnessing on weekends, during worldly holiday periods, such as "Thanksgiving" and "Christmas," etc., for the coverage of such territories.
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luna2
defd, I applaud your decision not to be rigid and to be your own person as a JW.
That was my original goal four years ago when I stopped going to the KH and going out in service. I felt that I was too easily swayed by others in the congregation and made some decisions based on other people's consciences that were detrimental to myself and my sons. I wanted to become more confident about my own beliefs and less rigid in how I conducted my life as a JW.
Do your kids have other JWs in their classes? Because if they are being told to shun all Thanksgiving activities and your children are allowed to participate, you might be approached about it.
Good luck and stick to your guns (so to speak).