Now convinced absolutely nothing wrong with birthdays, in fact the the Israelites had a feast to celebrate a child's turning the age of 3 (Google), but am unsure about Christmas spiritually although absolutely indulge in it as a purely family get together and fun time, gift sharing experience.
How do you feel about birthdays and Christmas now?
by Chariklo 20 Replies latest jw friends
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Finkelstein
I like birthdays to this day, for I believe it acts as a bonding social arrangement between family members and friends.
Christmas on the other hand has religious tones and is so overly commercialized, therefore unappealing to me.
I usually take a vacation at the time to avoid it.
Oh yes I forgot to mention that I have celebrated Christmas occasionally since leaving the JWS, there's a pretentiousness about it that erks me
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Theocratic Sedition
I missed out on a lot because of this religion, but I have to give credit where it's due. Thank you Watchtower for causing me to not feel like I missed out on jack shit when it comes to birthdays and holidays. To celebrate a birthday to me is the ultimate in arrogance. Like my old barber used to tell me as a teenager, "if you think you're important, drop dead." Who gives a f#$# about what day you were born. People suffer and die every day on the date of someone's birth. Besides, what makes the date of someone's birth special anyway? I'm glad I've never celebrated a birthday and to be honest with you the thought of it is somewhat repugnant. I still tell someone happy birthday when they announce their special day as I'm happy to see other people happy. It's still a stupid excuse to celebrate something, but if it makes you happy then have fun.
Christmas disgusts me. Commercial bull shit and a sorry excuse for the family to get together and get sentimental. Stupid songs, stupid children with their stupid parents, stupid holiday hours, stupid colors, phony emotions and sentiments, etc... Not to mention Christmas is about as Christian as Louis Farrakhan. It has pagan roots, and there's nothing to support Christ's birthday being around the time Christmas is celebrated. Honestly, I hate Christmas and I wouldn't have a problem if the goverment outlawed it tonight. Stupd holiday.
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mrsjones5
My father tried to tell my five year old daughter about the horrors of celebrating birthdays and Christmas. My baby girl was not impressed, looked my father in the eye and said "Papa you need to have more fun".
Out of the mouth of babes.
I celebrate the birthdays of the ones I love because they are important to me. I'm giving what I never got as a born-in, the sense and knowledge that someone really cares about my existence. That I was wanted and dearly cherished. That what I give my children when I acknowledge the day they were born. It's important to me and I really don't give a damn if others can't see why it's important.
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rip van winkle
This is the first birthday I will acknowledge in__ years and I plan to get s**t-faced drunk!
Pagan Shmaygan.
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Botzwana
I think people getting upset about Christmas are funny....Like Witnesses that still allow Umbrellas to be used but they have pagan origins....Christmas has NOTHING IMO to do with Christ;s birthday. To me it is about Santa Claus and watching Rudolph the red nosed reindeer program...And Frosty. I do not include Jesus with it.
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ammo
Hey Charliko, happy belated birthday!!
Yes this year has been the first year I celebrated guilt free, my one's today so yay, woke up had pressie's given to me which I was very staunch for years about not recieving, went out for a cool yum cha, and when I woke up silly as it may seem I thought yay Its my birthday and felt like a kid-(whats wrong with that?) my own friends did not even know when it was, but this year my husband really surprised me with all the thoughtfulness, now after being away from things for 6 month's I'm starting to wonder what all the bs guilttrips were about in regard to birthdays.
Xmas-meh! still probably not going to be whooping that one up, not only was the wtbts not real, neither was Santa! But each to their own and the best present I have given myself EVER is the freedom to be me- FINALLY
x
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J. Hofer
even when still "in" we kinda celebrated birthdays. that is we hit a bar where they would give a free birthday drink and get drunk. not much has changed, just that we give small gifts (i never know what kind of gifts are "expected", never learned that, hate it). "we" being several other inactive/dfed JWs from the same congregation.
as for christmas, i never learned how to celebrate it, so i pass. i do join public santa claus style festivities though, but i can't see myself putting up a tree and christmas lighting at home.
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perfect1
RIP- funny how pagan, which in JW land means- the worst thing ever- now has positive connotations for me. Makes me wonder what phase the moon is in!
Ha!
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mrsjones5
The moon is waxing and will enter into new tomorrow at 8:02am.