anyone feeling a wee bit guilty about celebrating Thanksgiving and Xmas??

by Star Moore 67 Replies latest jw friends

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  Star Moore

  I was feeling a bit guilty about celebrating as this is my 1st year out and I know the history of all the holidays and birthdays are pagan or bloody or idolatrous..

  But I was thinking that it's not what someone made them in the past but what they are right now.. to us, at this moment. Am I going to sit down on Thanksgiving.. and say, "I hate those Indians, think I'll go kill some"..???? No, I'm not. This scripture a friend showed me today.

  ICor. 10:23 All things are lawful, but not all things are advantageous. All things are lawful but not all things build up.......If anyone of the unbelievers invites you and you wish to go, proceed to eat everything that is set before you, making no inquiry on account of your conscience. But if anyone should say to you: "This is something offered in sacrifice," do not eat on account of the one that disclosed it and on account of conscience. "Conscience," I say, not your own, buy that of the other person.

  So, since Thanksgiving has a bloody history.. I will attend unless someone says to me, "this meal is a meal in dedication to the slaughter of the Indians." Otherwise.. it's GOOD to me!!!!!
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  Sparkplug

  Not one wee bit...but I also do not get to cook this year so I am a bit guilty of letting everyone else do it. hehe.
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  Mysterious

  Nope not guilty at all. But this will be my fourth Christmas so I should be a seasoned veteran by now haha. The unwritten rules of giftgiving still baffle me, however.
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  darth frosty

  Sorry I cant recall who posted it, but there was a thread recently titled 'can it be this simple' in it the poster stated that the reason they celbrate the holidays is because they are fun.
  
  
  One thing witnesses are good at is destroying the fun part of any thing. even when I was all in I enjoyed looking at the various christmas display's. The witness response is to complain about all the work and trouble to put them up. They are killjoy's. If you want to celebrate the holidays and feel comfortable doing so enjoy.
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  FreeChick

  No, not one bit guilty. I enjoy getting up early and having friends over. We eat, drink, nap and play card games all day.

  FreeChick (of the Eat, Drink and Be Merry Club)
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  freedom96

  No, not feeling guilty. Still trying to feel the holiday spirit though. Went so long without it.
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  stillAwitness

  This will be my very first Thanksgiving (I'm cooking lasagne cause that is about the only gourmet meal I know how to cook) and I am going to spend X-mas with my bf's family in florida! YIIPPPEEE!!! Can't wait! Should be much fun. I've already started holiday shopping!
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  Mrs Smith

  Also Our first Christmas. We don't do Thanksgiving in South Africa. My kids are so excited that's all they have been talking about for weeks. I can't wait to see their faces on Christmas morning.
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  bikerchic

  I celebrated Thanksgiving even when I was an active JW. Cooked a big turkey meal every year and missed meeting that Thursday night, in fact because the kids were home from school we skipped all congregational activities the whole weekend! Oh and on a few occasions we even celebrated thanksgiving with other JW's.

  No guilt here, none what so ever!

  Christmas was a different story the first year out for me I celebrated it but kept it well hidden from my JW family members. The second year I found out quite by accident that my daughters and son were having a huge Xmas party in the state they lived in so that year I began then to celebrate it with them and never felt guilty about it. Now I really look forward to it and love the festivities, scans the religious aspect of it I really loathe that part of the holiday. I'm totally into the comerical aspect of Xmas, he,hee!
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  JWdaughter

  In response to your subject line-NO! I am not doing anything against God, and in fact am in deep appreciation. If he takes that wrong, its on him! If intent matters, then no one in the US is gonna go to hell because they celebrate Christmas. If the worst it is to them is a secular holiday-nothing in the bible prohibits it. If they are thanking God, whats he got to complain about? And if they aren't, then all they are doing is overeating one day.