why dont witnesses celebrate xmas, etc

aussie

i have asked this question but it hasnt really been answered for me, so why do they not celebrate xmas, birthdays, etc

sorry if its been asked but still curious, dont really understand.

CHRISTMAS because (and this is true) it is a pagan celebration. However, even they (WTS/Witnesses) admit themselves that the wedding ring and bridesmaids etc are pagan - so they try to have their cake and eat it - two faced if you prefer.

Birthdays - root reason - you are giving glory to yourself and not Jehovah - scripturally on thin ground because on two occasions in bible where celebrated it resulted in death John the Baptist and Phroahs baker

Hortensia

it has been a long time - let's see if I remember
christmas is pagan - the traditions were adopted from earlier religions before christ
birthdays celebrate the creation rather than the creator
many other celebrations are nationalistic and honor governments that will be destroyed by god when his government takes over the earth
easter is wrong on a couple of counts: pagan traditions predating christ, and it places too much emphasis on the birth of christ and not enough on the death of christ which is what "saved" humankind that's all I remember - anyone else?

jelcat8224

However, even they (WTS/Witnesses) admit themselves that the wedding ring and bridesmaids etc are pagan

Hey there stillajwexelder! Is this true?!?! They really have said that? I never heard this before. Do you have any links where I can read about this? I would love more info about that. Sounds interesting to me!

jelcat

NotaNess

Yeah, I'm glad to put my 2 cents in.

This is where I feel I have a better perspective, although some may disagree. Never being a witness and made to believe, what I feel to be "opinion & alternative translation" views on these subjects, I have had the option to look at it from a neutral point of view.

I've been challenged with the JW take on holidays, so I have done some research in the past, and I've found as an average summary of Christmas is that #1) if it's called a pagan holiday by the WTS, then you're saying that anything to do with the acknowledgement of Christ and God is pagan. #2) The original goal of the early Churches in creating Christmas, was to bring non-believers to the Lord via connections with existing celebrations of those times ( all that was just being creative in how they did it ). Many programs throughout history have used various creative methods to bring people together for a better purpose. #3) Knowing that it is a holiday in place to give honor, thanks and celebration for the gift of the savior, and choosing to shun it, is turning your nose to Christ period. It's the same thing as saying you're not going to acknowledge him in my opinion(anti-Christ). I've heard the "Celebrating his birth is not scriptural or something he told us to do" til I'm blue in the face. Who cares... what is in scripture is to honor Christ, and that's part of Christmas..totally scriptural. No one is forcing anyone to put up decorative trees and hand out presents and stuff your bellies. You can still acknowledge the gift God has given in Christ without all that commercial stuff during the season if it bothers people so much. What "True Christians" with "Honest heart" (ha, ha) are doing every year is celebrating life in Christ all year AND extra during Christmas which is clearly more than witnesses who are doing it less.

I'd like to note here that witnesses celebrated Christmas at one time, crosses, etc, and this brings me to a nice little Mind Control illustration called the "1 drop of poison in a glass of water" illustration. You ex-dubs know it by heart I'm sure. Not to mention Charles Russell and how this organization started. There is definitely 1 drop of poison in the history of the watchtower organization, so why "touch un-clean things"? Oh, I forgot, the WTS has the patent on hypocrisy.

As for Birthdays, this is my favorite. A couple of idiots kill people on their birthdays, and that's a big basis for staying "clean" from that celebration. Also, if you are someone who feels that getting together with friends and family to give gifts and have a party for someone is honoring a human over God, then yes, that is brain-washing. Having a birthday is not honoring a person. It's just a fun time for recognizing that a particular person has advanced another year in their life, nothing else, and we have added some fun to it. I'd like a witness to show me anywhere in scripture that God doesn't like that.

Ever been to a superbowl party as a witness? I could easily say you were giving honor to a team of 40 men(your team). Putting your hopes in them and not "jEHOVAH" on that day of celebration.

NotaNess

However, even they (WTS/Witnesses) admit themselves that the wedding ring and bridesmaids etc are pagan

whether they've acknowledged it or not, they can't get around the facts. even baptism going back to the egyptians.

WTS moto..."Acknowledge some things, ignore others"

aussie

thanx for all your posts i now understand it better as to why they dont celebrate it.

Aussie

smellsgood

Everything they do in my opinion, is to set up a straw man false religion to knock down and fly their magical doctrinal formulaic truth flag.

Christmas was a supplatation of a holiday that fell around Winter Solstice, when the sun disappears three days and rises I believe. It's ridiculous to say it was Christianity morphing with paganism.

That's like saying that a worship service that is distinctly Christian but is performed in a former pagan temple (as has been done) is a combining of Christianity and paganism. It is a replacing, a supplanting of the former. Besides, what could be more poetic, the sun rising after three days....the Son rising after three days...I think that's how they would've seen it.

The WT loves to say so many things about Christendom are pagan. They are lying to suit their own purposes. For God's sake, burning incense and altars was something that happened in pagan worship. It also happened in Jewish worship. Does the fact that something is similar mean automatically that it was borrowed? There are many historical examples that we can say definitely no. They don't scratch out the incense burning in the OT because pagans did it too. Morons.

WTWizard

The stated reason for not celebrating Christmas was that it was celebrating the rebirth of the sun. In effect, you are worshiping the sun when you do it.

The real reason is more along the lines of control. Cults work by removing the high points from the person's life. All that's left is the droning on of service and meetings. Having Christmas was distracting from that. Plus, the Tower wanted all the money the members were spending on Christmas for itself. So, by banning it, they now had the chance to take their greedy hands on the money that the Witnesses do not spend on Christmas decorations and gifts.

greendawn

Good points WTW, the WTS is out on a propaganda to demonise christian religions to cause their members to leave them and join their own dictatorial organisation which is supposedly pure and god approved.

Even if Christmas did have pagan roots it is a moot point because it was thoroughly christianised and does not refer those celebrating it back to any pagan deity or ideology. To the contrary it is centred around the birth of Christ.

Let's not forget the Apostle Paul didn't mind eating meat sacrificed to the idols.

why dont witnesses celebrate xmas, etc

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