Since leaving the truth, do you celebrate holidays, and does your participation in such bring you happiness?

by Stand for Pure Worship 102 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Finkelstein

  But it's quite another thing to (claim to) 'not understand' that people enjoy celebrations. That's just stupid, and a bit sad.

  This is just my own perspective coming form a person who grew up a JWS from birth, I'm not belittling people who do

  celebrate these holidays.

  Possibly I'm belittling these holidays knowing from where they originate.

  I have in the past immersed myself deeply toward celebrating Christmas for example and I found its just

  unwelcoming stressful and a bit of an annoyance to be honest.

  If something comes during these times I will participate as a social engagement though (less Halloween) and thats

  I believe is a worthy endeavor.

  Thats the great thing about being a free individual uncontrolled by religious dogma, is that you can analise things as

  they come and react upon your own personal perceptions.
• 

  144001

  <<<< Doing calls yesterday, a sister who is a pioneer raised the question about what do worldly people get out of holidays, especially Christmas. None of us in the car group were able to answer as it's all foreign to us. - -SFPW>>>>

  It's "foreign" to you and the other dubs because the WTBTS has successfully programmed you to believe that the bogus arguments they make against all holidays are valid and that you're not missing out on anything. They like to focus on any aspect of the holidays that they can characterize in a negative manner; xmas is bad because it's all about spending and greed. Halloween is bad because some kids got razor blades in their candy. Valentines' Day is bad because . . . oh yeah, it's named after "Saint Valentine," and we all know that "saints" are synonymous with "Satanic."

  When the day comes when you are finally free from the clever programming of the Watchtower, you will finally comprehend just how much of the good part of life you missed because you were enslaved by a cult. For most people, the holidays are not about any religious meaning. What they are is a great opportunity to get the extended family together for a dinner, etc., to enable relatives who have difficulty finding the time to get together to do so. Because they are holidays, most people get time off work which allows them to travel to relatives houses for the holiday events.

  I'm an agnostic, but if there is a "Satan" out there, I'm confident that he is the force behind the WTBTS. Nothing could be more evil than the efforts by the WTBTS to alienate its followers from their non-believing family members.

  Good luck to you in your quest to discover the truth about the WTBTS cult. Get out while you can; each minute you remain a witness is another minute of your life spent in support of an evil cult.
• 

  Frazzled UBM

  Also never a JW so I think the WBTS prohibition on normal celebrations is designed to enforce separateness and a bizarre sense of superiority. I love family celebrations so this dictate from the organisation and the stupidity of the rationalisation for it really pisses me off as I am a victim because I can't share this stuff with the person I love. So I go overboard with my son to compensate (Halloween, Xmas (a big tree with decorations lights etc., birthdays etc.) and I make sure I get my wife to participate in a way she can rationalise as okay and she also finds ways around it. My son and I gave her birthday cards and when she was happy to receive them I conspired to send her flowers for her birthday as well which she really liked and then I took her to dinner and a show on the evening of her birthday. So she is making good progress. She just got me a nice 'anniversay'present in anticipation of my birthday and I have organised a big family Xmas dinner on 21 December with my extended family here which she will come to and will probably enjoy. I learnt from last year that if I don't wrap a Xmas present and give it to her when noone is looking on the day she is happy. Bottom line - she really enjoys all this stuff but just needs it done in a way she can rationalise as okay.
• 

  Giordano

  The WTBTS is anti family in my opinion. they used to go out of their way to discourage their believers from Even having children. They don't want families with children at any of the bethel's.

  They use bogus dogma to discourage celebrating holidays, birthdays etc instead of allowing free choice. Or as the NT makes plain to honor ones god at any celebration one chooses.

  This ban impacts children and stifles family gatherings especially with non JW's.

  They discourage after school activities, school sports etc. and any classroom celebration which in turn makes a child feel alienated.

  Their Kingdom halls have no day care nor any appropriate programs for young children. Instead they support the 'rod' to keep restless children unnaturally quiet and still.

  Finally they discourage higher learning there-by making it difficult for the grown child to even find a job in many cases.

  Is it any wonder that in the USA 67% of born-ins have stopped identifying themselves as JW'S?
• 

  confusedandalone

  What I can't get is how Stand for Pure Worship can still face the elders and other members on the congregation when there has been direct discussion in watchtowers and conventions that witnesses are not to go to sites like this or hold conversations with disfellowshipped ones and apostates.

  This person is either a huge troll or they hae a dull conscience that allows them to be here because such activity is a judicial matter. THat means that Stand for Pure Worship is carrying on a secret sin and his/her prayers are hindered
• 

  wasblind

  Stand for Pure...../ Miseryloves elders/ No room for george

  Eyes has been open. No matter how hard he tries, he can no longer

  close them to the fact that this religion is a farce. That's why he is here at JWN

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  .

  He's doin' either one of two things

  (1) pullin' our leg Or (2) trynna convince himself more so than us, that he is indeed in the " Truth"

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  .

  As the poster miserylovesElders he wrote some very informative threads......... at times

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• 

  ShirleyW

  Was - I done tol' ya, he took about 5,00 volts to the brain after he took one of those pill cocktails that he has access to since he works at the pharmaceutical company which he's mentioned several times. I guess one of those cocktails didn't sit right on the brain and they probably found him foaming at the mouth and called EMS and they figured the only way to straighten him out was with the old fashion electrodes on the brain thing !
• 

  rip van winkle

  SFPW- Even though you've never celebrated a holiday, you have celebrated happy occassions? Have enjoyed a good meal with friends&/or family? Have you ever given or received a gift from/to a loved one? Have you ever gone on a family vacation? Or away with a friend? Have you ever reminisced with family members and laughed yourself silly? Looked at old photos? Told stories about funny things about you and your siblings/ friends growing up? Have you ever just been relaxed and satisfied? Have you ever looked forward to seeing someone you haven't seen in a long time?

  It's like all these things multiplied 100 times over and more. It's about family . It's about friends. It's about fun, laughter and good times. It's about celebrating being alive.

  At least that's what I remember.

  Edited to add: Sometimes its even about crab bisque'
• 

  NewYork44M

  I celibrate birthdays because it give my family pleasure. Isn't that what life is all about?

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mVRSGsBVZk
• 

  wasblind

  Miz works for a pharmicutical Co. ????

  Hey Miz, send me some heart burn meds, Blood pressure meds, and some flexeril

  wrap it up in a christmas package. Let it be your first celebration

  .