common objections to celebrating Christmas

by lovelylil 36 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  WTWizard

  Now I know that the Watchtower Society went beyond the things written. Paul said that celebrating those other events was a conscience matter, not a judicial issue. Jesus never condemned those who celebrated other events. The reason why Jesus' birthday was not celebrated in the Bible during his ministry is that the Bible could not report every detail of his life. And December 25 was picked, not because of the sun-worship festivals, but based on Hanukkah which often falls on or near that day.

  That leaves only personal conscience as an admissible objection. And we should not impose our conscience on others (not only 1Thess 4:11 says so, but that violates the premise against coercing others). People can celebrate as they see fit, and if that means putting a billion lights on every surface on their property, so be it.

  There are a few potential pitfalls, however. People still have to work within or below their means or they will face "Five Months of Bills". Putting too many lights on one circuit can blow fuses or start fires. And most important, people should not endanger lives and ruin their celebration by drinking and driving.
• 

  Lady Liberty

  Dear Lovelylil,

  Thank you for this!!! It is EXCELLENT material! Since we are about to be DF'D for celebrating Christmas, I have 7 days in which to appeal..which I won't. However, I just may send a letter D'Aing myself, along with this and other info. So thank you!

  Sincerely,

  Lady Liberty
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  lovelylil

  LL,

  your welcome and Merry Christmas!
• 

  blondie

  Thus, it is again proven that Jesus' birth was about one year and three months before our common era, A.D. 1; for, his ministry ending when he was thirty-three and a half years old, April 3rd, A.D. 33, the date of his birth may be readily found by measuring backward to a date thirty-three and a half years prior to April 3rd, A.D. 33. Thirty-two years and three months before April A.D. 33 would be January 3rd, A.D. 1, and one year and three months further back would bring us to October 3rd, B.C. 2, as the date of our Lord's birth at Bethlehem. The difference between lunar time, used by the Jews, and solar time, now in common use, would be a few days, so that we could not be certain that the exact day might not be in September about the 27th, but October 1st, B.C. 2, is about correct. Nine months back of that date would bring us to about Christmas time, B.C. 3, as the date at which our Lord laid aside the glory which he had with the Father before the world was [made] and the taking of or changing to human nature began. It seems probable that this was the origin of the celebration of December 25th as Christmas Day. Some writers on Church history claim, even, that Christmas Day was originally celebrated as the date of the annunciation by Gabriel

  Studies in the Scriptures, Vol 2, The Time is at hand, B61

  http://www.ctrussell.us/
• 

  Cindi_67

  Cyndi,

  I did put in at the end of the paragraph in parenthesis, but here it is written out;

  John 10: 22,23

  Sorry for not reading. I'll look it up, and I'll do my homework.

  Thank you
• 

  M.J.

  "I always felt it didn't matter what the day represented in ancient times, it matters how we view the date today."
  
  The WTS explicitly agrees with this principle, when applied to piñatas.
• 

  Octarine Prince

  No one can escape pagan influence in this world. Weddings, funerals, days, months, etc.
  
  Do what you want.
  
  Happy Holidays.
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  Cindi_67

  We have just found out that Jesus was around when the Jews were celebrating Hannukah and we all know Hannukah's celebration is in December. Nothing wrong with keeping with that tradition. Other ancient cultures had their own celebrations probably influenced either by Jews traditions or coincidentally falling around the same time. Because of that many of these celebrations were intermingled with pagan traditions and that's why the Society has condemned Christmas and birthdays as pagan celebrations; because of these little "pagan" rituals that have been added to them with time. In their beginnings the Society celebrated Christmas, as we all know, but in their search for its roots they found out all the different rituals related to our modern celebration of Jesus' birth.

  They will never change their point of view regarding this celebrations, the debate will bring out that followers of Christ are not to be "part of the world" and if we celebrate and do what the world does we are not any different from them.

  That's what they teach and that's it. No changes. Too late for changes. A bent old tree cannot be straigthen.
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  lovelylil

  cindi,

  You are so right. For the society, not celebrating Christmas is more about not wanting to be identified with the rest of Christendom, more than it is about what the bible really teaches. Glad you did your research and learned something new about why Christians celebrate this day. Thanks for your input on this thread and Have a Merry Christmas! Peace, Lilly
• 

  DoubleVision

  I found this yesterday onlineoops...forgot where

  Whether an object is an idol or not primarily depends on how it is viewed……….. the fact that various creatures, plants and heavenly bodies—all part of God’s creative works—have been and still are being given veneration would not in itself make them unacceptable for decorative or ornamental purposes. Many things that were at one time worshiped by the ancients have lost their idolatrous significance and are generally regarded as being merely ornamental.
  *** w72 5/15 p. 295

  What should be a Christian’s attitude toward shapes and designs that have at some time or place been connected with false religion?............. So the Christian needs to be primarily concerned about what? Not what a certain symbol or design possibly meant thousands of years ago or how it might be thought of on the other side of the world, but what it means now to most people where he lives…………With so many different designs having been used in false worship, if a person went to the trouble and took the time he might find an undesirable connection with almost every design he sees around him. But why do that? Would it not be needlessly upsetting? And is that the best use of one’s time and attention? g76 12/22 p. 15
  

  You all rock merry christmas.

  DV