I've always wondered this, and with the holidays coming up, why does the watchtower only pick on certain things, and leave other things to question, or to the conscience?
Why do JW's only pick on Birthdays, Holidays, when so many other things are pagan
by Joliette 47 Replies latest jw friends
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Girlie
For attention purposes to appear different from the world and it really does work, but not in a favorable sense for them.
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PSacramento
By isolating their followers from the rest of the world, the WT can control them far better.
True power is taking something like a birthday, in which a parent gives thanks for the birth of their child and making it seem wrong to do celebrate God's greatest gift to us.
Look at Christams, a time of love and peace and joy and happiness, a time to celebrate the birth of our saviour and they WT manages to make their followers believe that doing good will towards each o ther, loving each other and celebrating the birth of Chist is a BAD THING.
The WT, in being able to do this, in being able to control the very thought process to a degree that expressions of love are only allowed under their rules, has true power over its followers.
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Joliette
Thank you guys for your replies.
Me and my mom got into a discussion about this, and my mom said if its really about celebrating peace and love, then why do it on Dec 25th, when people know thats not the day that Jesus was born? Why not do it another day? Why cant we show our appreciation throughout the year?
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WTWizard
They want everyone in the cancer to become complete dorks. Wearing a wedding ring in the world is optional. Thus, one would not look like a dork if they took a stand against that. The same can be said about everything else that is "pagan" that they let go.
However, most people do the holidays. Christmas (and Hanukkah) are recognized by the majority of people, and one way to ensure dorkhood in the world is to treat Christmas with contempt. When you are not allowed to discuss Christmas (or any other holiday) in anything but a derogatory sense, people do not like that. The same goes for birthdays. It also makes things more miserable at work--people can and do get fired because they will not participate in the holidays and/or birthdays. (Though they are going to have to update that soon, if this sxxx about dirtifying holidays in the world succeeds. Seems that there are just a few pigs in high places that are hellbent on making "Christmas" into a swear word like the N word is today.)
Additionally, the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger is hellbent on depriving children of anything to set one year off from others. Christmas and birthdays are always eagerly looked forward to by children. Try lighting a small tree where children are around and see what happens. Even back in the days when a "lit" Christmas tree meant putting a measly 35 C7 bulbs on a 6-foot tree, it was still spectacular to me when it went up. Getting that Wish Book out, the annual trips, the big shopping deal, seeing the Christmas cards coming in and being displayed, and finally the big day of getting up early to check my stocking and open the presents under the tree meant something to me.
By picking on these holidays and birthdays, and not other "pagan" things, the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger deprives children of these things. Instead, they are treated to another Big Boasting Session, Great Boasting Session, Grand Boasting Session, the REJECT Jesus Party, and endless pio-sneer drives. Life becomes one big blur, and one remembers nothing except that they were always being dragged from door to door. And, it is always dreary--the endless cycle of boasting sessions and field circus doesn't offer anything meaningful to children. It also gives them nothing to show for it.
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Ding
I agree with PSacramento that it's a control issue.
Joliette wrote, "my mom said if its really about celebrating peace and love, then why do it on Dec 25th, when people know thats not the day that Jesus was born? Why not do it another day? Why cant we show our appreciation throughout the year?"
We can!
But do JWs celebrate Jesus on any day?
What's wrong with celebrating on December 25?
"Christendom" does it then, and the WTS wants JWs to be different so they can control them.
Okay, celebrate Jesus on another date, like May 17.
The WTS would say that's wrong too.
The only "celebrating" they'll allow is the Memorial of Christ's death, and even then 99.9% of JWs don't join in.
At most KHs no one partakes at all.
The WTS has effectively supplanted Jesus in the lives of JWs.
They are more concerned about what the FDS organization thinks and does than about what Jesus thinks and does.
To the WTS, Jesus is little more than an historical figure in the religion, like Moses or Joshua.
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Joliette
>>>to the WTS, Jesus is little more than an historical figure in the religion, like Moses or Joshua.
Wow, thats deep.
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garyneal
Me and my mom got into a discussion about this, and my mom said if its really about celebrating peace and love, then why do it on Dec 25th, when people know thats not the day that Jesus was born? Why not do it another day? Why cant we show our appreciation throughout the year?
That is typical JW reasoning. Perhaps one answer to that question is, "Why not?" Why not celebrate it on the 25th of December, how is it hurting a Christian's relationship with God? In regards to doing it on another day or showing appreciation throughout the year, does she?
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Ding
I wrote: "to the WTS, Jesus is little more than an historical figure in the religion, like Moses or Joshua."
Joliette replied: "Wow, thats deep."
Think about it.
According to WTS teaching:
1. Jesus had nothing to do with what happened on earth from the first century until 1914 CE.
2. Then all he did was select the WTS to be the FDS organization, an "event" that can't be verified.
3. Even the WTS leaders don't claim that Jesus talks to them.
4. The WTS don't talk to Jesus; in fact, they say it would be idolatrous to pray to him.
So what impact does Jesus have on their lives today?
None.
How is that any different that the way they view Moses, Joshua, or any other people in the Bible?
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Joliette
Garyneal:
I told my mom that you dont have to include Jesus in Chistmas. Some people recongize that religion is a sensitive subject and that they are trying to take religion out of christmas. Then mom said: but that day still has pagan orgins, and pagan connections, etc, etc. I'm like weddings and lipstick has pagan orgins also. She said, stop being silly (wtf?)