Another benefit to being an ex-jw

by jeremiah18:5-10 8 Replies latest jw friends

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  jeremiah18:5-10

  This year my wife, kids and I are celebrating Christmas and birthdays for the first time. Having been a born-in, I was raised to believe that these events were not only pagan in origin, but also self-promoting and greedy. What I have learned as the year as progressed and as Christmas gets closer is quite the opposite.

  As it turns out, my wife and I never learned how to give gifts and to shop for other people, neither have my kids. Instead we always just bought thngs as needed and typically without much thought or sentiment. That's what you learn as a JW. Now we are all learning the joy of giving.

  We are each getting $500 or so to spend on xmas gifts, and none of it can be spent on ourself. We have to take an interest in each other and our friends to find out what their interests are and then buy gifts for them. We are left trusting that they are doing the same for us. It has proven to be a great life-lesson, not just for my kids but for my wife and I as well. We are all learning to be unselfish and generous.

  I hate that I missed out on this all of my life. I hate that my kids (13 and 10) have missed out until now. I'm sad and disgusted that the WTS misconstrues these events as being selfish and greedy. We're seeing them to be totally the opposite.
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  Broken Promises

  Good for you!
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  jamiebowers

  That's great! Finding the perfect gift for someone is so much fun.
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  Phizzy

  One of the very true statements found in the Bible "There is more happiness in giving...."

  Every time you here a normal person sum up what Christmas and Birthdays mean to them they say "It is a time of giving...."

  The miserable WT/JW leaders do not want their worshippers to be happy, no, if something makes you happy that is not making money for them , then you are doing something wrong, in their mind you should be sending all those $$ you will spend on presents, and making your family happy, to them.

  Well stuff the miserable joy killing bastards.
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  jeremiah18:5-10

  Problem is my 10y.o. son is mostly into computer games and I really want to try and get him more into sports and outdoor activities. Any suggestions on a gift that could help accomplish this?
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  Vidiot

  Phizzy - "The miserable WT/JW leaders do not want their worshippers to be happy..."

  No authoritarian leader truly does.

  A happy, contented populace puts far less effort to advancing the leadership's agenda than an anxious, trigger-happy army. It's the same reason authoritarian regimes (religious or otherwise) have historically disliked liberal sexuality.

  In addition, "discouraging" birthdays, Christmas, etc. has been extremely effective in socially alienating JWs from non-JW friends and relatives.
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  WTWizard

  Selfish and self-promoting? Greedy? What happens when you display a nice Christmas scene in your front lawn or attach lights to your gutters? I suppose the householder is the only one to benefit from the work, supplies, and electricity spent on such lights. Or, if you are a tenant in an apartment building with a hallway that is visible from outside. I spent quite a bit of money on Christmas lights and supplies so I can put up a display that draws comments from out of town, even New York City (which is famous for its Christmas displays). The management actually takes it for a professional job, and I know that most professionals would charge between 1 and 1 1/2 ounce of gold for such a display. I do it for the benefit of the complex, the tenants there, and myself.

  If that's self-promoting, it is actually a way to display talent and to develop it. I do most of the actual work during times when the tenants are either sleeping (I put up the lights so they will be surprised when they get up the next morning) or busy doing other things. Once, a tenant headed off to church before I put up Christmas stuff (and changed the Halloween items for Christmas), and came back to a Christmas scene. It is not my objective to be excessively self-promoting (or to disturb others by making excessive noise or leaving big messes), but to have a display that I can enjoy. It also serves as a "tip" for my complex, like giving a little something as a gift.

  Which will still be appreciated even after the actual money becomes toilet paper. A well-displayed Christmas or Halloween scene always carries value. The value is within the human soul, which the Washtowel does its utmost to damn. Most people know they are drawn to good Halloween or Christmas displays, but they don't know why. And yes, putting them up gives you some benefit.
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  QuestioningEverything

  Christmas is great fun!! I celebrated for the first time as an adult in 2008. My boys were thrilled (15 and 10 at the time). We started our own Christmas traditions and make the day all about family.

  Enjoy your new life with your family.
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  jamiebowers

  Problem is my 10y.o. son is mostly into computer games and I really want to try and get him more into sports and outdoor activities. Any suggestions on a gift that could help accomplish this?

  How about a Wii? He'll get exercise and exposure to some sports that may motivate him to play in real life.