Former JWs' First Christmas (page 2)

Benjamin Belial

With a screen name like Belial, I can't say I'm surprised.

Kneel before your god.

ithinkisee

Even the "Society" acknowledges that eventually many holidays do not necessarily mean the same thing they originally did anymore.

While a lot of fundies and even some not-so-fundies associate it with Christ's birth or whatever that doesn't make it wrong.

It is like a Muslim not allowing a woman to get an education due to religious beliefs doesn't make it wrong for people of other religions to get an education.

(How's that for a WT-styled analogy?!?!?!)

-ithinkisee

"Would you celebrate your birthday on the wrong day?????????????" Actually....yes. There are times that it is not convenient to celebrate my birthday on the exact day. So, sometimes my wife takes me out for a birthday dinner the week before or the day after. It depends. Another thing to remember is that in the Catholic/Christian Tradition Jesus is a conquering King. What Jesus did was to take a pagan holiday, a day devoted to a false Roman god and to make that day a day for Him. It would be the equivalent of a conquering king taking the day that was once made to honor his enemy and turn that day into a day to honor himself. What a great way to sort spit in the face of your enemy, in my opinion. So, the Christians took the good things such as gift giving and the pretty things such as greenery and incorporated those things which once brought to mind the pagan Roman god and now bring to mind Jesus Christ. There really is nothing wrong with that. In a very real way, Christianity did what no temporal power could do and that was conquer the culture of the Roman Empire. Jeff S. www.catholicxjw.com

Saoirse

Would you celebrate your birthday on the wrong day?????????????"

Yes. Often someone's birthday falls during the week and it's easier to throw a party or have a dinner on the weekend. The same with Anniversaries. My husband and I have taken Anniversary trips up to a month before or after the actual date due to work or other obligations.

My birthday is on Christmas day. I doubt I will be able to celebrate it on that date this year because my Grandmother is close to death and I need to travel out of town to be with her. If my local friends do something for me when I get back, I am not going to complain because it's not the right day.

Since we have no way of knowing when Jesus was born anyways, the date we celebrate his birth really doesn't matter. It's the thought that counts.

On that note:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!!!

Super_Becka

"Would you celebrate your birthday on the wrong day?????????????"

Sure, why not?? If my birthday is on, say, a Monday night, I'll probably go out for supper and whatever on the Saturday night before hand, just because it's more convenient. I'm still celebrating a special day, I'm just not doing it on the exact date. That doesn't make it any less special.

Christmas came about and overtook the pagan elements that had been present before Christianity came along. I don't see anything wrong with a Christian festival taking the place of a pagan festival - it converted the pagans, didn't it?? Christianity conquered paganism and it did so not by alienating the pagans or completely messing up their lives, but by changing the meaning of their celebrations, using the same timing and some of the same elements to honour God rather than the pagan gods. Can someone tell me what's wrong with that?? Christianity prevailed, I think that's all that matters.

I say go out and enjoy Christmas. Celebrate, spend time with family and friends, eat too much, spend a little too much money, stay up a little too late, whatever you want, do it!! You only live once, enjoy it while you can!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

-Becka :)

codeblue

So to the people that say they would celebrate their birthday on the wrong day, would you do so every year?

I have missed an anniversary and had to celebrate it once at a different time...but I would not do that on a permanent basis, it takes away the significance to the event.

Don't misunderstand: I think the holidays are a great time for families, because we all know that the only family thing we did as JW 's were meetings, f. service, assemblies...nothing FUN!

I guess, being that Jesus is such an important person, my logic tells me it should be done on the real day he was born. Of course, the actual date is not posted in the Bible, we just know it was in the fall of the year. Even secular historians realize that fact.

Double Edge

I guess, being that Jesus is such an important person, my logic tells me it should be done on the real day he was born. Of course, the actual date is not posted in the Bible, we just know it was in the fall of the year. Even secular historians realize that fact

I've never been a dub, so my thinking is perhaps a little different than most folks on this board .... I grew up celebrating the birth of Christ. And that's what it amounts to, a celebration of the birth, not the day. All Christian Churches know that December 25th isn't the 'true' birth date of Jesus, but for most, it is the tradititional day the Church comes together to celebrate the birth of the Saviour - something all of the many different sects have in common.

Former JWs' First Christmas