Has anyone else ever wondered............. why do jws celebrate wedding anniversaries yet never a birthday? This has been on my mind from the beginning of my association with the JWs. As a 'worldly' person, I loved organising parties for my childrens' birthdays. I would spend the day of their birthday remembering the whole miracle of life and I wanted to show them how important their birth was to me. Their life was the most important thing to me as a mother and I just had to celebrate it. Now, when I became a JW I gave the birthday celebrations away, never totally satisfied with the reasons given to me, yet trusting enough to comply. As the years flew by, my children missed many birthday parties, not just their own but also their friends. Each time I was questioned about it I found my answers to them rather pathetic and unsatisfactory. What also made it confusing for this newly converted was the fact that many JWs were having 'present giving days' once a year, the only pre-requisit was that it not coincide with anyones' birthday or worldly celebration. But it seemed to me a substitute for Xmas or birthdays. I also found alot of JW mums would have kids parties, they could have been a birthday party, with lolly bags, lucky dips, games, CAKE (minus the age number candle), and even presents. Now I was really confused! Ah yes, birthdays parties are pagan and were celebrated by non worshippers of Jehovah, and how could we forget the cup-bearer and John the Baptizer, both losing their lives at someone's birthday party. Now please explain........how pagan is a white wedding dress??????? A wedding band??????? The honey-moon???????? The wedding cake, and it's cutting?????????? Yet these things are accepted by JWs are they not???????? And where does it say in the scriptures that weddings are to be celebrated annually? OK, I was taught that God instituted the first marriage and hence we celebrate anniversaries. But didn't god create life? Isn't everlsating life the gift all faithful JWs hope for in the future? Why not celebrate the miracle of life every year, on the day of a person's taking their first breath? Inconsistencies, what, there are more in the WTS org????????? Maybe to some who were raised in the borg, these questions may seem unimportant. But to ones like me, who had these celebrations but had to give them up (not totally convinced), to come into the organisation, the questions are important. Any thoughts on the matter?
Ta, Bliss