The celebration of life ( birth) is NOT a bad thing and will never be a bad thing in God's eyes.
Christmas & JW objection
by Luo bou to 26 Replies latest jw friends
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Juli
jdhf, troubled, and winston - good posts. Winston, I would only say that no one knows what day Christ was born. In my family ( non jw's ) we often have to wait months before having a family celebration for a family member's birthday because we can't all get together or the kid's are away at college. To us it is not when someone was born, it is that they WERE born, and we can't imagine our lives or the world without them. We celebrate life. The Watchtower seems to hate life and all of the joys that go along with being human.
On Christmas Eve in my family, all of us gather around a big table ( there are usually about 20 if the kids bring a friend). The youngest grandchild, who is now 18, traditionally says grace. We then thank Jesus for his human existence and what he brought to us. We then lift our glasses to the family members who are no longer with us and remember how we love and cherish them. After we wipe a tear or two we dig in to a great feast, followed by presents and much merry making. We celebrate Christ's entrance into the world, which we believe changed the history of humanity forever. It really has nothing to do with what day Christ was born; rather, just like our children, it was that he WAS born.
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Juli
PSacramento - you nailed it! Bravo on all points.
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PSacramento
Very well said Juli.
And thanks.
I know that some JW's counter with that tired old, "You shoudl do that everyday" crap.
Fact is, we know THEY don't and having a special day to do that, to remember our lord not just for a prayer or two, (or how the JW's do it by throwing in, " in the name of your son Jesus christ" at the end of a prayer like an after thought) is not a bad thing to do.
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Juli
I agree, PSacramento. I grew up Catholic, and the Advent season ( the four weeks before Christmas ) was so beautiful because it prepared us for the birth of Christ, made us take a look at our lives and how we could be kinder, more loving, more selfless towards others. It was a great time that focused on the lessons Christ brought to us through his example.
Traditions like birthdays and holidays tie one generation to the next, and create a sense of connectedness, which is an essential human need. By denying that essence of humanity in all but very perfunctory ways, the Watchtower tries to kill off the natural affection that people have for family, for joy, for laughter, for unreserved love. Once that is gone, peopel are capable of anything, in my opinion.
When my JW stepson came to live with us after his mother was DF'd, the hardest thing I had to do was try to instill a sense of joy, happiness, silliness, and how great it is just to be alive.
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PSacramento
Juli,
I couldn't agree more.
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jdhf
Psac..I agree it is a personal choice...we need to use our OWN consciences and NOT those of others....and that IS a biblical fact.