responding to the Reasoning book on birthdays?

by BlackSwan of Memphis 22 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • NeonMadman
    NeonMadman
    Do Bible references to birthday celebrations put them in a favorable light? The Bible makes only two references to such celebrations:
    .....
    Everything that is in the Bible is there for a reason. (2 Tim. 3:16, 17) Jehovah’s Witnesses take note that God’s Word reports unfavorably about birthday celebrations and so shun these.

    Haircuts are mentioned substantively only once in the Bible, in the account of Samson. Since the haircut is presented there in a negative light, I guess, following the Watchtower's logic above, we must conclude that haircuts are to be shunned by Christians.

  • peacefulpete
    peacefulpete

    There was nothing negative about the birthday story in Gen 40. The traitor was executed and the innocent man was exonnerated. The story itself has God using the birthday as a day to free the man who later was responsible for freeing Joseph. The Herod story was not about the arrogance or paganism of birthdays but about the arrogance and vengfulness of the Queen and princess. The birthday setting was only backdrop for the tale, it has no bearing on the plot or moral. Incidentally Josephus has Herod executing John because of his political clout, fearing an uprising.

  • Kenneson
    Kenneson

    I hope the following thread will prove helpful.

    http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/79690/1.ashx

  • AudeSapere
    AudeSapere

    AlmostAtheist has a nice paper on this subject. I have a copy somewhere on my work computer.

    If you pm him, he may be able to email to you too.

    Oh.. I just noticed that much of his essay is presented on Kenneson's thread (noted & linked above). Fourth on down.

    -Aude.

  • BlackSwan of Memphis
    BlackSwan of Memphis

    Greendawn: I was reading a point last night in a book by Ron Rhodes that pagans have stories of floods, does that make the flood story pagan? Also, in some of the things that I’d printed out I read a really great point that I thought I would share.

    Back in the early days when they first got rid of Christmas and Easter, the idea was that if they found that things had a pagan origin they needed to root it out. Well, if God is SO incensed with things of pagan origin, then why aren’t they continuing with the practice of rooting out all things evil/pagan? Like you said and Poztate said in another thread, wedding traditions have pagan origins. If it means That much, then why not root it all out rather then pick and choose?

    Moggy Lover: I especially liked your opening: The chapter on "Birthdays" as found in the "[Human] Reasoning book is trite, mostly bunk, and deceptively misleading in that it makes statements that are contextually misapplied.

    For instance the concluding sentence in the introduction says that birthdays "are not a Biblical practice" If that is the case then COs, Branch Overseers, WTS Presidents, Circuit Assys, District Assys, wedding rings on the left ring finger, driving cars, watching TV, eating pizzas, etc etc are'nt either. So what? You mean we should'nt do them? Where does one draw the line at unsuitability of practice, simply because it is'nt a "biblical" practice.

    Awesome point.

    NeonMadman: If we look through the bible, I suppose we could find a lot more instances like that, huh? Thx

    Wow, lots of info!! Thank you guys for helping me, I really appreciate it! This is going to keep me busy reading, lol.

    BSoM

  • KW13
    KW13

    Celebrating a birthday is celebrating a milestone in a persons life. Why shouldn't they be happy? Why shouldn't you be happy with them?

    The two birthdays in the bible are bad so that means birthdays are bad altogether is rubbish. That says to me that we had nothing good to say, so we thought we'd just talk **** instead.

  • troubled mind
    troubled mind

    And let's not forget the 'new' information from the article about Pinata's . If people no longer look at birthday's as pagan in origin , But rather a day to show love to each other.... then it must be okay , right ?

  • KW13
    KW13

    oh, whats that t.mind? explain...sounds interesting...

  • stapler99
    stapler99

    This reminds me of a demo during a district assembly where a father is reasoning with his daughter on whether she should be attending a friend's birthday party. "So, what do you think that jehovah is trying to tell us about birthdays?" "Well I think that in the past they were bad but they are OK now because they don't chop your head off any more," said the little girl. This got a roar of laughter from the crowd, basically because it is something that everyone can relate to - it's plain to see that the ban on birthday celebrations is _un_ _scriptural_. The only reason that witnesses don't celebrate them is because of the authority of the religion.

  • troubled mind
    troubled mind

    Someone else on here can tell you the exact article , the jest of it was : Are pinata's bad ...they use to be used in religious celebrations ect. but now a days people just consider them fun .So since they no longer hold the former general view as something linked to false religion then they are okay to have at a party. The same reasoning goes with windchimes , they used to be viewed as bad and a witness would never have one hanging in their yard ,Why because in some cultures they were used to ward off evil spirits.. Then a few years ago the view was lightened up a bit as that since most people now view them as pretty garden decor we don't necessarily have to avoid having them. So what I'm saying is no one in their right mind see's any connection to birthdays and false religion so should no longer be banned. Same thing with Mother's Day,and Father's Day.

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