Birthdays vs. Baby Showers

The Missus

In the mind of a JW, why is there such a difference between celebrating someone's birthday from year to year and celebrating the actual day they were born, or celebrating that day a few weeks earlier or later in the form of a baby shower? When I was a JW and a sister was in the hospital with her new baby we would go up to visit and bring gifts for the baby, in essence, celebrating that baby's birthday.

When I was in I never thought about it, but now I want to know! If they don't celebrate birthdays, then they should not celebrate birthdays. period.

lavendar

Yeah.....just one of the many things that doesn't make sense in the WTS.

ziddina

It's just another example of hypocritical behavior, IMO. BTW, HI! See you're not a frequent poster; how long ago did you leave the JWs? Just curious?? Zid

Heaven

Their belief about not celebrating birthdays is a crock. Upon reading the scriptures they use to support their belief, I concluded that they've missed the entire meaning of that scripture. They use their belief to differentiate themselves so they can say they are "God's One True Religion" and that they are "God's People". It's all wank!

zid... I like your angel/devil smiley! It's perfect for this post.

I also like the 'Corner Stork' Baby Shower Favours in the ad for this post. They're so cute!

isaacaustin

Why do they allow wedding anniversaries (we-ism) while disallowing b-days (me-ism)? Birthdays are observed at all stages of life...starting in school. They are observed by classmates/workmates. The WT institutes this ban to separate kids from the start from nonJWs...making them stand out as different...and maintaining this in the workplace with adults. Anniversaries are an affiar between the couple, and possibly a friend- who would presumably be a JW. They are not applicable to children and not observed by one's workmates. Yet they can be denounced for the same exact reasons as b-days.

blondie

http://www.freeminds.org/sociology/children/birthdays-and-pinatas-new-light.html

Additional points

Finally-Free

I guess baby showers are ok because there's no mention in the bible of any beheadings taking place at baby showers.

W

isaacaustin

according to JW teaching and logic baby shower SHOULD be shunned. The baby shower recorded in Matthew ch 2 was the magi gifting Mary and Joseph (the WT insists were sent by Satan to lead Herod to murder Jesus). So this shower is associated with a plan to murder Jesus and the wholesale murder of all children 2 and under in that region in Bethlehem- not simply a beheading of one person. How much more negative can we get?

Olin Moyles Ghost

This is something I had trouble reconciling in my mind. Why is it ok for a JW to celebrate a child's birth (with a baby shower)--but celebrating anniversaries of that birth is a gross sin that warrants disfellowshiping? It's like the society is saying you can do it once, but any more than that is against the rules. Seems like a narrow distinction...quite legalistic.

@isaac - good point

There's no mention of "true worshipers" observing baby showers in the Bible. As we were taught, the Magi were pagan astrologers. Add that to the "fact" that the Magi were directed by Satan's star in order to kill lil' baby Jesus, and you have a recipe for a great Questions from Readers article--Are Baby Showers for Christians?

The Missus

Hi Zid - I am a frequent reader of this site but not a poster since I usually can't think of anything enlightening to add! Not DFd or DAd, just started fading about 6 years ago.

Thanks for that link Blondie - very interesting

Isaac - I like that reasoning, will be using that when this topic comes up with my JW family

Birthdays vs. Baby Showers

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