Holiday Viewpoints and Former Jehovah's Witnesses

by The wanderer 28 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  The wanderer

  Holiday Viewpoints and Former Jehovah's Witnesses

  Being in the organization the viewpoint was that holidays were
  of pagan origin. Whether it was Halloween, Christmas, Easter
  or what have you, it was all labeled as being pagan and
  "worldly."

  There is some truth to that viewpoint

  During the course of my personal research there were
  a number of web sites and books that agreed with this
  position regarding the holidays. One in particular that
  comes to mind was The Two Babylons, By The Late
  Rev. Alexander Hislop.

  Not being able to join in the festivities

  Because of the things that we as former Jehovah's Witnesses
  were once taught, and because of my own research, I have dis-
  covered that I cannot celebrate any of the holidays.
  
  I could not picture myself putting up a Christmas tree
  (perish the thought), or becoming involved in any of
  these types of festivities.

  What has been your personal experience?

  • When you left the organization how did you deal with
    the issue of celebrating the holidays?

  • Did you feel any sort of guilt or feel as if "something
    was wrong" when confronted with the issue of cele-
    brating the holidays?

  • In general how do you deal with the holidays?

  ---

  Please post your perspective and viewpoints for a
  lively discussion of the matter.

  Respectfully,

  Richard Matos

  (The Wanderer)
• 

  skyking

  I definitely feel the same way you do. But I do let my kids but they know I do not like it.
• 

  Finally-Free

  I like having paid holidays as much as anyone. I like to get together with family for dinner. As for the christmas trees, easter bunnies, and other holiday trappings I can take it or leave it. They don't bother my conscience at all, but I won't spend my money on that stuff either. I will give gifts to the kids of my neices and nephews but that's it.

  W
• 

  daystar

  "There is nothing new under the sun"... meditate upon that and you may find the answer you are looking for.
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  OUTLAW

  Oh my God!..He`s Back!!..LOL!!.....Wanderer..I celebrate all the holidays..Its fun..Ancient festivities no longer hold the same meaning..Now they are social events you can enjoy with your family and friends..Don`t let old habits stop you from enjoying life..You won`t believe the fun you can have participating...OUTLAW
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  JWdaughter

  I'm glad to see the Wanderer has wandered back.

  My thought is that most everything one way or another has 'pagan' origins or associations. Even the Christian story does. Every Jewish festival does. As was pointed out on another thread, Christians glorify death themselves. And certainly the Angels celebrated Christs birth, honoring a person who gives their life or means to help others is not a bad thing(funerals, anniversaries are celebrations of the accomplishments of men). If you don't step on cracks because you like nice smooth sidewalks can you be accused of superstition because some won't-thinking that if they do that they will break their mothers back? Stupid analogy, right? Well that is how stupid it is to me to say that celebrating something or enjoying it for the reasons WE do should be condemned because of the reason that non-christians may have done it hundreds of years ago. Unless I start WORSHIPPING the tree, an egg, pumpkin, others, etc, then my activities are NOT worship or honoring a pagan god. And neither are yours. God has better things to do than obsess with this crap, and HE is eternal.
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  The wanderer

  Hello Outlaw:
  
  Point well taken. It is
  nice to hear from you
  again.
  
  The Wanderer
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  lovelylil

  I feel the same as JW daughter does. Lilly
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  fullofdoubtnow

  I celebrated Christmas last year, thanks mainly to my boyfriend, but felt guilty about it as I had only been out of the org for a couple of months. This year, I am looking forward to it now, and helping him plan it. I see no reason, now I am no longer a jw, not to celebrate any holiday.
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  Jeepthing

  Personally, I don't like any holidays nowdays due to all the commercial propagandas. I just realized that society have their own pagon holiday(sort of one), memorial day which they set a certain day, a once a year like any other holidays. And it is man made one, even though it is mentioned in the Bible(did not say once a year but as often as You dirink it, in remembrance of me 1 Cori 11:25,26). Basically the Thanksgiving Day is like that. So do I feel guilty if I celebrate a holiday? No. I would feel guily if I am celebrating to promote the commercial propagandas and set an example to my children that it is okay to do everything the world do. That is like a peer pressure. When we were jws, I hated it when people made sound like we were depriving our kids from all the holidays stuff. Just like if you don't were a brand name clothe, you are not cool. You don't have to do everything that world expect you to do. Holidays don't mean anything anymore, unless you use that time to get together with family and enjoy each others company.