Why is everything related to pagan origins?

by upside/down 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  upside/down

  I don't get it. Why is EVERYTHING in Dub-land put through the "pagan" filter. It hasn't resulted in a better "Dub", they're a vile bunch as a whole.
  

  Example: What if someone out of the goodness of their heart and for no apparent reason wanted to celebrate (say without the traditional cake w/candles) the "birthday" of their child. Why does it have to be associated with what some "pagans" did eons ago? So what. Is this offensive to the Creator? How do we know Adam didn't say, "Hey babe today is Cains birthday- remember that mess... let's celebrate!" So what!!!

  So windchimes, toasting, holidays (all of em), real community service, smurfs, PG13+ movies, magicians, military air shows (Blue Angels), wearing military fatigues, beards, tattoos, piercings, having nice stuff, good jobs, pinatas, blood, gambling (not the stockmarket of course lol), tittie bars, oral sex, dating, masturbation, shopping at garage sales, statues (might have a deeemun), pokemon cards, comic books, soft porn, saying "God Bless You", education, having "luck", breaking the speed limit, reading fiction, playing sports, looking stylish or pretty, having sex during menses, etc, etc. are all bad?

  But I can slander, shun, accuse, gossip, cheat, lie, steal, defraud, be greedy, arrogant, haughty, self-righteous, mean spirited, un-loving, narrow minded, lazy, brown-nose, lord over others, take away freewill, judge, and execute punishment?

  So just what IS "pagan" then? I think it demeans the Creator to make it appear that THIS is the focus of His attention toward humanity and definitely contradicts everything their "Christ" taught!

  Discuss, please...

  u/d
• 

  Badger

  Pagan Origins is the trump card. While it literally means "thought up buy men who WEREN'T convinced they were talking to the One True God(tm)," It does scare the bejeezus out of John Q. Witness and a lot of traditional Christians.
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  Big Dog

  I agree with Badger, it was a great trump card to play when it was decided to ban an activity, or at the very least strongly discourage it. It was the catchall for, well we can't really come up with any good reason not to do this other than it might take time away from the borg and it will reduce us being different from everybody else, so we'll just say that it has some pagan origins and shut it down.
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  upside/down

  I'm beginning to wonder if "God" isn't really a "pagan". The Bible says all good gifts come from "God", and yet "christians" seem to be more like ancient Jews and everthing is "forbidden". I think they'll all be in for a surprise the day "God" finally decides to speak up. "God" wants us to enjoy what He's made. It's in the Bible!

  I've yet to see ANY celebration whether religious, cultural, nationalistic etc where it was anything but fun (at least in the US). As a matter of fact to show just how superficial most holidays are and NOT pagan is the fact that almost everyone celebrates them. Cinco de Mayo is Mexican and all us Merican celebrate it no harm. We just need an excuse to party. Who doesn't?

  Where is all the "pagan" ritualistic killing, sacrificing, orgies etc? You just don't see much of it. Oh wait except at the Kingdum Hall where they are doing sh*t behind closed doors that would make your head spin (I've seen it). I think it's very simple- the Dubs are anti-fun- period! This rule always works in their circles- If it's fun it must be bad (check and see). Very "Puritanistic". So they fulfill and set up to be fulfilled their own prophecies of self martyrdom and persecution. When was the last time you saw a Dub "persecuted" for the RIGHT reason? It's usually for just being wierd (I was counseled once for using this word "wierd" as it was "pagan") DOES IT EVER END?

  u/d
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  BrendaCloutier

  God a pagan. Now I like that. If "he" were going to "be" anything I think "he'd" choose paganism. Far more fun!

  Even Jesus celebrated the holidays of Judaism. He was, afterall, a Jew who brought us new teachings - some to supplant the old, but the holidays he did not touch.

  Paul and the JW's were/are just a sour lot.
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  Elsewhere

  I'm beginning to wonder if "God" isn't really a "pagan".

  The god of the bible is of pagan origins... the Hebrews borrowed a lot of their mythology from the other religions in their region.

  A great book to read about this is:

  The Book Your Church Doesn't Want You to Read by Tim C. Leedom
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  Satanus

  Most everything in the bible is of pagan origin. Through the centuries, it has been cleaned up and cleansed through redaction and destruction (natural or w a little help) of the pagan original traditions and/or writings. The jewish bible writers did this. The catholic church did it. The wt has done it also, to a degree. There is nothing new.

  S
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  AlmostAtheist

  It's telling what they forbid and what they don't. For instance, windchimes are not forbidden, there was an article expressly stating that if a christian chose to put them up for purely decorative reasons (and there was not a trace of "I hope this chases away demons") then they could put them up. Same goes for the pinata. (Always with the "don't stumble your brothers" caveat, though, so you're at the mercy of the dumbest person in your congregation!)

  But they do forbid birthdays & holidays -- the times when you would traditionally renew and strengthen ties with your family. Since it is likely that your family is not "in the truth", it is certainly to the Wantpower's advantage to forbid them. And has been stated, "pagan origins" is a great catch-all, since ANYTHING can be traced back to a pagan somewhere down the line.

  Dave
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  upside/down

  (Always with the "don't stumble your brothers" caveat, though, so you're at the mercy of the dumbest person in your congregation!)

  Ain't it da troof!

  Unfortunately, there was alway someone who was "stumbled" (which the Bible says is a tait of a new or weak one in the faith), yet in Dub-land it was always the "spiritual" ones that were always being stumbled- go figure.

  I had never heard of half this crap, till someone would speak up and let me know about such and such article and that I needed to read it.

  Funny, for a group that can't explain anything important (ie. 1914, FDS, anything "deep", or "meat") they all seem to know this trivial crap related to ancient "pagan" customs. NOBODY I'VE EVER KNOWN IN THE WTS can explain 1914 "in their own words" and without support literature. EVERY Dub I've known knows that smurfs are "bad".

  What was I thinking?

  u/d
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  Leolaia

  Except, they just recently inserted a big caveat on the matter of pagan origins as it concerns the "pinata", declaring that it doesn't matter "what it meant hundreds of years ago but how it is viewed today in your area" (g03, 9/22), that Witnesses should not be "preoccupied with the roots and possible ancient religious connotations of every practice and custom" (w98, 10/15), and it is a conscience matter "if it is very obvious that a custom has no current false religious significance and involves no violation of Bible principles" (g04, 7/8).

  Since birthdays have no "current false religious significance," the latter article strongly weakened their already lame case against birthdays, yet they argue that birthdays should still be banned because they involve a "violation in Bible principles" -- what BS...