Why is it wrong for Christians to celebrate Christmas?

by james_woods 37 Replies latest jw friends

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  james_woods

  This was inspired by Terry's thread...

  It is something that raises many questions about the JW belief system.

  For one thing - the Bible certainly explains all the details of the Christ Birth. It certainly does NOT tell people to avoid celebrating it with feasts, customs, etc. In fact, the NT has at least as much (or more) detail about this momentous event than it does about the last supper.

  So WHY is the Christmas so alien to the Jehovah's Witnesses?

  Could it possibly be that this is another of the curious JW alienation of Christ as the basis of their religion? (as opposed to war-lord Jehovah?)
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  sloppyjoe2

  JWs prided themselves on being separate from the world. This is a pretty significan't way to demonstrate that. I think that idea is more important to them than any pagan practices they can attribute to the holiday.
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  james_woods

  JWs prided themselves on being separate from the world. This is a pretty significan't way to demonstrate that. I think that idea is more important to them than any pagan practices they can attribute to the holiday.

  Yes. But there is really practically NOTHING that one can attribute to "Pagan Worship" about Christmas -- perhaps some local customs (yule log, etc.) -- but Christmas itself is essentially a Christain invention from long before the Jehovah's Witnesses were invented by Franz and Rutherford.

  My theory is that the hatred of Christmas by the JWs is actually a hatred of the Catholic Church (and perepherally a hatred of Christ as opposed to Jehovah).

  Note what Terry has posted about Alexander Hislop and The Two Babylons --- Hislop was equally the architect of the JW doctrine as was Russell.
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  BluesBrother

  I would agree with the last two posts, it has more to do with seperation from "Satan's world" than a rejection of Jesus..... It feeds the us vs them mentality that is essential in a high control group such as them

  They would dispute that Christmas is a Christian celebration... but I cannot debate the history of it. I must read Terry's post.

  NB most of the ones I know are tightwads who love the idea of not spending money on it !
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  AndDontCallMeShirley

  CT Russell had no problem with IBSA members celebrating Christmas. While acknowledging that Dec. 25th was not an accurate date, CTR saw no reason why a Christian could not celebrate Christmas in good conscience.

  On the other hand, Rutherfraud tirelessly looked for/invented ways to make JWs different than all other Christian denominations, so Christmas got trashed along with just about everything else.
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  EndofMysteries

  The JW reason - many of Christmas practices had pagan origins. This is true. So according to JW reason for this, it's origin, no matter what it means now, means it's corrupt and pagan and God would hate it. (although they pick and choose, they have no problem with cremations, wedding customs, etc)

  The bible says not to judge what another chooses to celebrate or acknowledge, but if they do anything, do it all for God's glory. After having left and asked Christians of other faiths why they do it if they know it's pagan roots, they said because the evil was taken out of it, they turned the pagan things into something about God. When they celebrate it's for God and christ, not some other gods.

  The WT said adapting pagan customs was a bad thing. It was doing these things that allowed christianity to spread. Paul even in a way did that when he went to the pagan temple and pointed to the statue that said unknown God or something to that effect and said that is the same God he worships.
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  EndofMysteries

  To add to my last comment though, Christmas lights and electricity didn't exist in pagan times. They used candles on the trees too. So most of christmas things today technically doesn't even have pagan origins either.
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  sowhatnow

  my mom explained it to me this way, its not in the bible. [?]

  its pagan, its selfish, like birthdays, you show how selfish you are by wanting presents and jehovah hates selfish people.

  so i was taught to want anything is showing selfishness. and to think of yourself as being special, and none of us are special were all the same.

  so, i never asked for anything, even a box of cereal! lol. anyone relate??

  so brainwashed was i , growing up, about how being selfish was bad, till this day do not now how to take a compliment.

  I rarely take credit for anything, i let my husband walk al over me, and everyone else for that matter.

  I deny myself anything new, shopping at thrift shops,

  and anything fun. i dont know how to have fun, its selfish to have fun.

  i do for everyone else and expect, and get, little or nothing in return. not that I care i do for people becasue it make thier day good.

  so, this is dificult to even think about doing holidays. i just cooked a turkey dinner and then when my sister posted photos on facebook of my table.

  i felt compeleld to make an excuse as to why i had the dinner in the first place ,[which would be true,i dont care for the history of the day] i posted

  'a day off and family what else do we do'.

  and then posted a link from alternet or wired, cant recall, on how we should be ashamed to celebrate a holiday that was a reminder of how rotten back then they treated the indians.

  those poor indian nations forgotten all the time.

  yea, in my family Im an outlier , the odd one. that weird one with the mac book who likes to watch ted talks ,pbs nightly news and reads foreign affairs. lol.

  no one so far remotely thinks like me accept my son. its no wonder im so bored, lol
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  AndDontCallMeShirley

  my mom explained it to me this way, its not in the bible.

  Neither is JW.Org, so JWs shouldn't have a website either.

  (isn't childish linear thinking great?)
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  kairos

  The simple reason is that it makes Jehovah sad now.