by candysearching 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I posted this on another thread, but got no response.
Why do JWs claim to not celebrate Christmas and/or birthdays, but will accept gifts?
Why don't JWs celebrate Christmas/birthdays? Is there a reason?
Haven't there been a great deal of false prophecies made by the WTS? Do the JWs not notice this, or do they just not care?
Why do JWs claim to not celebrate Christmas and/or birthdays, but will accept gifts?
Because they are unwittingly hypocritical. And before you ask, "Are they really that clueless?" the answer is "Yes."
Why don't JWs celebrate Christmas/birthdays? Is there a reason?
Yes. Because the Governing Body tells them which pagan things are okay to do and which pagan things are NOT okay to do. That's the entire reason. Although, one of Jehovah's Witnesses would require some time to go and find some reasoning from a little brown book before answering you.
But they would leave the discussion feeling happy that the Governing Body provided the little brown book since it answers so many questions for them, so that they don't have to think about it.
Haven't there been a great deal of false prophecies made by the WTS? Do the JWs not notice this, or do they just not care?
Tons of them. They have a 0% success rating when it comes to predicting the future, and a 90% success rating when it comes to convincing their adherents that things turned out exactly as they prophesied. Most Witnesses would care, but they don't study their organization's history. So, the upshot is they don't care.
I hope this answered your question to your satisfaction. It is a frustrating reality for many who post here.
Welcome! I hope you will post more often. Do you have a boyfriend, girlfriend, or relative who is trapped by this organization?
Respectfully,
AuldSoul
In their eyes, they're not celebrating Christmas or any other holiday wherein gift-giving is traditional, as long as they're not the ones giving the gift. In other words, "don't look a gift-horse in the mouth."
The Watchtower Society puts their own spin on the scriptures using really weak arguments against the celebration of Christmas and birthdays, but since the shunning of these holidays is verbotten by the WTS and this attitude comes down from and is promoted by the heirarchy within, it is taken as god's word, for the WTS heirarchy has set themselves up as the ONLY CHANNEL between god and man today.
All of their prophecies are false, and always have been, but it's kind of like Steppfordville. They only allow their members to see and hear what they WANT them to see and hear, on threat of dire consequences if one fails to obey them.
Frannie
hypocritical I guess it has never made sense to me. The truth of the matter is the kids are never suppose to take gifts even from a teacher or a buss driver, but the Adults can do this ex: Christmas Bonus
Because their motto "it is better to receive than give."
Hi candy, Welcome to the forum!
Welcome to the forum, Candy! What prompts your questions, if I may ask? A relative that's a JW?
Dave
Ahh, another good thread on the weird WTS doctrines against holiday celebrations and their poor track record in predicting the future. I love reading these threads, I always find new information on them that I didn't have before.
A comment on the whole "don't celebrate Christmas" thing:
Before Rutherford, Bible Students (they would come to be known as Jehovah's Witnesses later on) were allowed and encouraged to celebrate Christmas, but when Rutherford took over, that celebration was demonized and shunned by JWs. On one of my threads, a poster commented that it was Rutherford's way of separating his organization from that of Russell. How accurate would that be?? It makes good sense to me.
As for accepting gifts but not giving them for holidays, I think that's very selfish. If you don't celebrate something, you shouldn't accept gifts associated with it. That's like saying, "Birthdays are evil, but I love birthday cake" - it's hypocritical. Gift-giving is a big part of Christmas and other holidays, so if JWs refuse to take part in the celebrations and do everything in their power to demonize Christian celebrations, then they certainly shouldn't be accepting gifts on these occasions.
For the false prophecies, it reminds me of Orwell's book, "1984" - Big Brother (aka the GB) likes to rewrite history and ignore the fact that they've been incredibly wrong in the past, or at least make up weak excuses for their errors so as to keep their followers loyal. Wouldn't want any JWs leaving the WTS on account of the organization's dishonesty and persistent doctrinal errors!!
Just my two cents. I'm looking forward to what everyone else has to say about this.
-Becka :)
My husband was disfellowshipped before we were married. Of course, he was brought up in the "one true religion" (the term itself is an oxymoron if you ask me), but as he got older, he sort of drifted away. He had his first Christmas with me last year, and I just sort of wondered why his parents would not celebrate Christmas (come to Christmas dinner), but would accept gifts from non JW friends.
I think my husband is feeling pressure from his parents to return to "the truth" as they call it, but he tells me he just has too many unanswered questions about the religion that he once blindly and wholeheartedly accepted.
They have attempted several Bible studies with me, but I made it pretty clear that I have no intention of converting to a religion that grants group of men who publish little pamphlets so much power. Too many failed prophecies. Clearly the WTS is not the true channel between God and man (if you even need such a channel).
Seems to me the JWs operate purely by instilling fear of damnation in the hearts and minds of the members. Not a religion I feel God would condone.
Hey Candy,
JW's that just drift away live in a terrible world of guilt. Their humanity tells them the Watchtower can't be right, but their doctrines are largely internally consistent and "proved" from the Bible, so their logic (faulty and limited, but logic) makes them believe it's "the truth". So every news report is a cause for fear, and every mention of JW's is a cause for guilt. (Many of their doctrines don't stand up to scriptural scrutiny, but no JW ever scrutinizes them.)
He would be greatly helped by reading the book "Crisis of Conscience" by former Governing Body member Ray Franz. Ray exposes the internals of the Watchtower and makes it clear how corrupt it is, how fully separated from god it is. Please get that book for him (Amazon.com has it). He'll see it as a huge relief.
Dave
