celebrating holidays

serein

in the elder book on chapter5:16 it says about religiose hols and geting a judisial thingy if u do em but it also says like only religiose hols and not for non e religios hols so does that mean u can do thanksgiving

and in england bonfire night and what ever else is out there thats not religiose,

and they cant do anything cos its jws concients and they can if they want? its just that iv been depriving my kids all these years

and could have done some hols and only didnt cos my motherinlaw and study conductor and othes at my hall who are brain washed dont flipin no anything and told me not to so me being stupidly brain washed thought ok.

Ding

I'm not sure what the WTS means by non-religious holidays.

I suppose it includes things like Labor Day (USA).

But what about the 4th or July (USA) or Guy Fawkes night (UK)? Aren't those closely allied to worldly governments? Are those OK?

What about Veteran's or Memorial Day (USA) or other days to celebrate victory in various wars or at least the end of those wars? Aren't those closely related to war and the military? Are those OK?

What about Columbus Day (USA)? Doesn't that have overtones of military invasion of the Americas?

What about Presidents' Day (USA) or the Trooping of the Colour (UK)? Isn't that exalting worldly leaders?

If you dig deep enough, you can probably find something objectionable about almost any holiday or celebration.

GrandmaJones

And Bonfire night, doesn't that have something to do with ancient pagan sacrifices, with tossing something over a bonfire? I don't live in the UK but I have been told that this is symbolic of passing your children through the fire.

Of course, Halloween has obvious implications.

Perhaps you might get away with Mothers Day and Fathers Day. Perhaps even birthdays.

The Flock book was vague, and I am not familiar with holidays in other countries than the US.

I don't know what they could mean. It's dicey, isn't it?

GrandmaJones

Oooh, I thought of more:

Probably not St Patricks Day.

Probably not St Valentines Day.

Thanksgiving????

Probably for sure Secretaries Day, Bosses Day.

Probably not New Years, it has pagan implications....

Right now I can't think of anymore days....Anyone else care to offer opinions? I really think this is interesting, I can't imagine what they mean. They will really need to clarify this for the R&F

sooner7nc

What abour Arbor Day?

yknot

What about husbands who are unbelievers and insist on headship in regards to celebrating and religious ceremony attendance or holiday activity where the JWwife is expected to:

(a) participate under protest

(b) bow her head in subjection at his church's prayers

(c) sing their pop-esque gospels songs?

Seriously, somebody needs to call the Branch ........ I don't think they would take my call.

cheerios

i shouldnt think that thanksgiving would be sanctioned. it is supposed to be 'giving thanks to god' ... and as the pilgrims and the indians didnt worship the big skydaddy jehoober, dont see this one being 'okay' with them

Ding

If a JW promoted a "faithful and discreet slave" holiday praising Jehovah for the FDS organization, I bet that one would be okay!

WTWizard

Technically, the only Christian holidays are Valentines Day, St Patrick's Day, Easter, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, and Christmas. Many include Halloween, but some Christians feel that Halloween is a Devil worship holiday instead. The patriotic holidays (in the US) include Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day.

Which leaves a few out. There is no grounds for New Years Day to be frowned on, as this simply marks the start of the new calendar and a chance to purge old bad habits and start new good habits. The witlesses do use the prevalence of drunken bouts to dissuade others from observing it, but you do not have to go out and get drunk (or drink and drive). April Fools Day is not, as far as I know, religious. And Thanksgiving is simply a day to reflect on the bounty of the harvest, and can be used to give thanks for the harvest in any format you see fit. However, the witlesses do not apply this technicality--they ban first and ask questions later.

One question they should ask is what Colossians 2:16 has to say about judging people for observing different festivals. According to this scripture, if someone celebrates Christmas even if off date, so what? If they observe festivals, so what? Or, if they choose not to participate in certain festivals or participate in a limited way, so what? This is one more thing that the witlesses fail to uphold in their own Bible, when in fact they claim to uphold the whole thing and to be the only ones to do so.

celebrating holidays

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