Holidays

by LittleToe 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  bubble

  Christmas, birthdays, halloween, mother's day, father's day, valentine's day, easter - I say bring it on.
  
  I celebrate them all, but 4 years after being df'd, I still feel weird when I'm celebrating.
  
  Damn the WBTS.
• 

  daystar

  Daystar:
  Sorry pal. I'm normally on your wavelength straightaway, but you've got me dancing on the head of a pin with all those angels.

  First you asked whether Xmas has pagan influences, then you asked something about intent, and now I'm completely lost. I'm afraid I can't follow your train of thought.

  Would you mind rearticulating it for the ole dunderhead, here, please?

  LOL! No, it's just my meandering way. I'm sure that I'm just rather unclear... and there was digression.

  Winter Solstice was Christianized to align itself with the pagans of the time. Greendawn suggested that the pagan roots of the holiday are meaningless in its current Christianized version. What I'm suggesting is that the symbolism remains despite the Christ myth overlayed upon it (the nativity), and that one should recognize this and decide if they're okay with that (I certainly am) or try to expunge the pagan influences (nigh impossible to do, IMO, and keep the holiday at all).

  Greendawn doesn't find the pagan spirit in the holiday, when I see it throughout. Due to our perspectives no doubt that. But I insist that the energies symbolised by the pagan trappings remain. And I'm just discussing, no offense meant to Greendawn or to anyone else.

  Then...

  I guess my point is that the whole question is moot because our intent is what matters. Rom.14:14.

  Hmmm... I have problems with this philosophy generally though, as to which end of the equation a person is responsible for, intent or outcome. My mother has the best of intentions, I am sure, but she is controlling, manipulative and coercive, for example.

  That was me responding to you.

  Then your response:

  Daystar:I'm afraid you've lost me. How does your scenario contradict the assertion that each are responsible to God for their own actions, whith their conscience accusing or excusing them?

  You'll recall the Jesus greatest gripe was with hypocracy, not alleged "wrongdoing".

  Intent is all that matters when it's something that only affects you. Cause and effect also comes into play when you're meddling with another sentient being...

  I think this is where we both lost it. We can discuss whether intent or outcome are primary some other day.
• 

  BlackPearl

  I thought I'd have a little fun with this, since it's the first time in my life I can really feel like the kid I never got to be. Sorry if it's a little cheesy, but I had fun doing it.

  
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  Sunspot

  Well now---THERE ya GO!

  Just seeing BlackPearl's active and pleasant post----makes me feel GOOD as it brings a smile to my face! We ALL need to feel like a kid again now and then, and to enjoy these things on a purely simplistic level......without having to feel the need to analyze everything to death as the WTS does!

  Annie
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  Leolaia

  Russell knew full well about the "pagan orgins" of Christmas and wrote about it. But that didn't keep him from observing what was, for him, the glorious nativity of the Lord. He noted that if Jesus was really born in September-October, his miraculous conception and the angelic annunciation would have occurred around the time of Christmas. And he felt that was good enough reason to remember the Lord at that time of year.