by M.J. 30 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Growing up we always had a big family meal with all relatives coming in. It wasn't Thangsgiving, just considered Family day.....What's the difference?
That's like the kids my son's age in our old hall having "special day parties" but they are not B-day parties. Give me a break!
Hello everyone, this is my first post.
I've been married 18 years and my wife was baptized a JW 2 years ago but was studying with the JW for years off and on before she was finally baptized. Her parents and sister/husband live in Arizona and we live in California and they are JW's as well. For years, my wife would have Thanksgiving dinner with me and my family on Thursday and on Friday morning we would go to her parents house in AZ for the remainder of the weekend and they would have a family get together on Friday night but never call it Thanksgiving obviously. Turkey never made it to the dinner table but it was obvious what was going on. I think the only reason why they didn't have their "Family get together" on Thursday is because my wife and I are having Thanksgiving dinner with my family in CA. Sometimes we go to AZ after Christmas through New Years for vacation and I can tell you that they do celebrate New Years although, again, no one would say happy new year or anything but they would stay up late and drink some. These kind of psychological tricks are necessary, in their minds, to keep up the appearance of being "no part of this world", as they see it, rather than admitting to themselves what is obvious to everyone else which is the need to be different over rules common sence and reason. It's as if JW's say to each other "I'll lie to you and you lie to me". I just can't explain it any better than that...
Wow, great first post SAHARA - you nailed it! Mental gymnastics - with practice you can justify or demonize anything. Isn't it called 'cognitive dissonance'?
MJ - first off, it's not a worldly holiday - it's only celebrated in the USA I think. If I remember right, it's heavily linked with politics in that whomever wrote a letter to President Lincoln(?) for the day to become a legal national holiday said something about being thankful for our political freedom. That religion can find something wrong with anything, I'm afraid, even thankful and joyous prayers to God! Also true about not saying 'amen' to a non-JW prayer - instilled fear around every corner! There ain't nothin' wrong with enjoying a family get-together and eating turkey on a particular day that everyone has off work, but don't over-do it because turkey makes you naturally sleepy and you'll miss the game.
*** sj p. 21 Holidays and Celebrations ***
National Holidays
Other holidays are somewhat different in nature. These are not so universally celebrated, but may be unique to a particular country. For example, there may be national days of thanksgiving. In some places there may also be a certain day set aside to memorialize a nation’s war dead, or a day to remember the birth of a country or certain prominent presidents, rulers or national heroes.
Jehovah’s Witnesses also respectfully refrain from participating in such national holidays. Though we respect the authorities in whatever country we may reside, for conscientious reasons we do not give them what we view as worshipful honors. We remain neutral toward all such celebrations. This is in keeping with Jesus’ words regarding his followers: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.”—John 17:16.
What kind of 'worshipful honors' are involved with Thanksgiving? That's just idiotic! They really have to grasp at straws and make things up to make Thanksgiving out to be a satanic 'holy day'... 'neutral? sheesh.
Songs in the Night - Nov 22nd "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:20
"AS FOR the days of national thanksgiving, we, as citizens of the heavenly kingdom, have no special need of them; for every day should be with us a day of thanksgiving for all things--for the prosperity of our "holy nation" under the righteous authority of Christ our King, for its peace and joy and its glorious hope, for its privileges of spiritual enlightenment and blessing, for the perfection of its laws and the shaping of its course and destiny, and for the needed discipline as well, which is to prepare it for its future exaltation and glory. Let the people of the world and less enlightened Christians give thanks, as doubtless many of them do, out of a sincere heart, for the common blessings of this present life--for the air and sunshine and rain, for bountiful harvests and for seasons of comparative peace with the nations abroad. Yes, blessed be God, out of his abundant mercy these rich blessings are common to all--to the just and to the unjust--and it is well that the attention of all men should be called to mark and consider them....And while the world thus marks and rejoices in, and in some cases returns thanks to God for the truly glorious common blessings which our loving and benevolent Father showers alike upon the evil and the just, let our hearts not only rejoice in these things, but also in the higher spiritual favors bestowed upon the sons of God, giving thanks always and for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Z'93-12 R1490:1 (Hymn 324) http://mostholyfaith.com/
First time poster here....Hi everybody.
Reasons not to celebrate Thanksgiving....
1. It's a "worldly" and "nationalistic" holiday. (Isn't football....Super Bowl Parties, etc. kinda worldly and nationalistic too tho?)
2. Those pagan worldly people are actually giving thanks to God and spending time with families...I know, how dare they.
Reasons when it is acceptable to celebrate Thanksgiving, but not really celebrate it:
If you or your family fall into any of these categories, feel free to celebrate but not really celebrate:
1. Turkeys are a great price. I mean, who could afford to pass up those savings in these hard economic times? You can save like 5 bucks by getting a turkey now. (Jehovah always finds a way to provide for his people, doesn't he?)
2. Your whole family has the holiday off. (This is likely the "only" chance we have to spend with our relatives, isnt't it?)
If either of these apply to you, and your conscience doesn't object, then by all means feel free. Just make sure that while you celebrate without really celebrating, you never forget to remind yourself and those celebrating with you how awful and pagan those people are who are actually celebrating.
Good grief it has been SO long since I had to deal with this, it had actually slipped my mind. This one never made sense to me either. In my family we did the Friday thing too, but we did one other thing that was technically allowed. We celebrated my parents wedding anniversary, which was Dec 31st, just like Christmas minus the decorations. We'd have a big dinner and exchange gifts. My parents loved it because they got all the after Christmas sales. We never advertised it, probably because no one wanted to have them put a stop to it.
And welcome to Mountainsnowrider and Sahara! Great first posts.
Ada
Welcome to the hew posters. I once asked a witness lady what was wrong with Thanksgiving. She said, "Nothing, really, but since we don't celebrate anything else, I didn't want to confuse my kids. So I threw it out too."
A lot of jws celebrate Thanksgiving. We always had a meeting on Thursday, and you could tell which ones had been out celebrating with "worldly" family. I have even heard a speaker tell everyone to stay awake and not let that turkey put you to sleep.
With only one meeting a week now, they probably have all day and evening to celebrate.
I think thanksgiving is a holiday that blowsthe whole "JWs dont celebrate holidays because they are pagan" line. Thanksgiving shows the proof that it does not matter the origins of something, holidays are banned because the GB wants JWs to be TOTALLY seperate from non JWs. That is the case no matter the day or the origin. They completely ignore Pauls counsel at Colossians 2:16 "Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or sabbath days" (NET Bible)
The GB has banned anything that would make JWs appear "worldly" (normal citizen) to anyone. All JWs celebrate is the Memorial, which is just another talk, followed by passing wine and crackers that no one eats, then maybe going out to eat and going home. It is not a time of gift giving, family bonding, or joy.. It is a drudgery just the way the GB masters want it.
Well after reading the thread I conclude it's all about control, which in turn is all about the money. If they can control you not to eat turkey when the rest of the country eats turkey, the GB can control you to donate as much of your funds to their retirement project in Warwick.
Love Kate xx
And what do the Witnesses replace Thanksgiving with? Let's see now, oh yeah, it's Thursday night, which is traditionally a meeting night. You shall not eat a meal with your family because it is more important to come to the hall and receive some programming.
What days do the Jehvoah's Witnesses celebrate life on? None. Their idea of a holiday celebration is the "Memorial," which consists of attending yet another meeting, and "observing" some cheap wine and stale crackers being passed around, like a lame tease.
Excuse my language, folks but writing this as a "born in" who was robbed of a normal childhood by this cult, I can't help but get a bit angry as I recall all the stupidity these idiots imposed upon my life.
Piss off, Governing Body subhumans! I hope your Thanksgiving Day brings you nothing but misery.
