What do the JWs have against New Year's Resolutions?

by somebodylovesme 11 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  somebodylovesme

  Are New Year's Resolutions of "pagan origin"? Or do they just not do it because wordly people do it? just curious.

  ... My (inactive-dub) hubby and I want to make shirts that say "Pagans Have More Fun". ha ha.

  SLM
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  Englishman

  I don't know of any reason why New Years resolutions should be frowned upon, however, I am sure that they will be disapproved of somehow. Isn't everything?

  Englishman.
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  peacefulpete

  To maintain the cult separatness it is necessary to berate or belittle any celebrations or traditions not original to them. Calling a tradition a waste of time or worldly suffices to keep the JWs from doing it. No reasons need be given. They have in the past of course condemned the New Years celebrations because of the "revelry" and "drunken bouts" that often surround the occasions. I remember secretly setting my alarm to go off before midnight so I could be awake at new years. My parents forbid our staying up, as it appeared we were celebrating the worldly holiday. THey mellowed with age but the stigma of having anyone know about it remained.
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  U.2.K. Tha Greate$t

  They do not celebrate new year/resoultions cause it is worldly upon the rights of unrighteous men and women who behave in ignorant acts of ingorance.sex before marriage, drunkness, drugs, etc. Im not a witness, but i agree with them on alot of things, therefore i take no part in all the celebrating the rest of the world do. and besides holidays and all that crap seems boring!
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  Gopher

  They do not celebrate new year/resoultions cause it is worldly

  This seems to corroroborate the first three posts on this thread

  unrighteous men and women who behave in ignorant acts of ingorance.sex before marriage, drunkness, drugs, etc

  Oh -- they only do these things on New Year's Eve??? oooh -- that's why it's so bad, LOL!

  I'm not a witness

  If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, what is it?

  holidays and all that crap seems boring

  Everyone has the right to their own opinion. However millions, even billions of people really look forward to holiday occasions. They must find them at least SOMEWHAT interesting.
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  Goshawk

  Two possibilities come to mind:
  
  - The scriptures not to swear an oath (Jas.5:12, Matt.5:33-37) taken to the extreme. [i.e. but let your yes mean yes and your no mean no].
  - Or simply a reminder that another year has passed and the imminent destruction of 99.9% of mankind has not happened. (But it will soon, it is imminent, time is short, this 20th century will ?? oops that was last century.)
  
  Goshawk
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  BluesBrother

  I could not find any specific refs to the resolution, but I guess they are just part of the nasty pagan customs and rituals. It really bugs me when I read this stuff. The articles they printed elswhere would have you believe that all worldly people get paralytic drunk and have sex because it is New Year.

  OK I stayed home as usual, but I am sure that it is not universally true. I used to have a perception that anybody "Out of the truth" was immoral and loose living , now I think I know better. But that is the perception one gets from the 'Tower.

  This is a brief quote from the Reasoning Book

  ***

  rs p. 180 Holidays ***

  Are

  New Year?s celebrations objectionable for Christians?

  According to The World Book Encyclopedia, "The Roman ruler Julius Caesar established January 1 as New Year?s Day in 46 B.C. The Romans dedicated this day to Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. The month of January was named after Janus, who had two faces?one looking forward and the other looking backward."?(1984), Vol. 14, p. 237.

  Both the date and the customs associated with New Year?s celebrations vary from one country to another. In many places revelry and drinking are part of the festivities. However, Romans 13:13 counsels: "As in the daytime let us walk decently, not in revelries and drunken bouts, not in illicit intercourse and loose conduct, not in strife and jealousy." (See also 1 Peter 4:3,
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  somebodylovesme

  Thanks for all the responses. What's funny to me - having grown up as a non-Witness with many Witness friends - is that is was the WITNESS youth who introduced me to drinking and partying! go figure. :)

  SLM
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  locomente

  Gopher....I'd say that U.2K. is a "duck". But, who am I to say....I'm just one of those worldly, apostate types. I would say that perhaps he/she needs to be invited to a holiday party....then he or she might not find them so BORING. This is my second year back in the holiday swing....my kids went carroling and raised money for a homeless shelter, with a co-worker, I organized donation boxes to take to a schools' giving tree, I gave to my family and friends....I felt much less selfish than when I was studying to be a Witness...and looking down my nose at all the "pagans".

  locomente
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  shamus

  I guess that you can have a big explanation all the times... but the more I come to this board, the more that I see questions such as, "Why don't witnesses ever " bla bla bla... and it always comes down to one thing.

  IT'S PAGAN!

  Everything is pagan. That's why we don't do it!

  The pagans did this.. the pagans did that... everything is pagan. Why don't they just piss off!