Can you celebrate your 100th birthday when you are a JW?

by blondie 52 Replies latest jw friends

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  blondie

  As a devout Jehovah's Witness, Mrs. Merle is prohibited from celebrating her birthday. But a week from tomorrow, relatives and friends will flock to the Camoset Village Country Living Mobile Home Park in Johnstown to attend a Super Bowl party that just happens to feature ice cream and cake.

  "That's why we're calling it a Super Bowl party," explained her son Bob Merle, 73, who lives just five trailers down the road.

  "We don't celebrate birthdays, but we have to celebrate 100 years," said Mrs. Mechem, 78. "That's an accomplishment."

  http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06028/645840.stm

  
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  jgnat

  A hundred year old woman has to make an excuse for a party? Me, if I were in the company of a centenarian and they wanted to smoke a cigar and dance naked across the rooftops, who am I to say no?
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  luna2

  Kind of sad that they have to pretend that it's a Super Bowl party. At least they figured out how to observe the day in some manner.
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  Cellist

  JWs have gotten really good at celebrating without celebrating. I wonder if they would've df'd her if she called it what it was, a birthday party.

  Cellist
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  blondie

  Technically, I don't think you can be df'd for celebrating a birthday; I'm sure they find some other "principle" though.

  Blondie
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  JH

  Imagine 100 candles on a cake
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  minimus

  Blondie, r u trying to get this old lady df'd or somethin'?
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  carla

  Didn't the society have a big birthday bash years ago celebrating their 100 years? Though, I don't think they called it that, even though to the rest of the world it sure looked like a birthday celebration. Birthday/anniversary, really what's the difference?
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  TresHappy

  My non-JW friend has a JW mother is in her 90's; and while she won't accept birthday presents; she drives down and gets her mom on her birthday and takes her into the big city of Pittsburgh for a meal and a movie. I call that celebrating a birthday and power to her!
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  myself

  Imagine 100 candles on a cake

  yeah, but if they make them say Steelers it will be okay.