Celebrating birthday: ground for disfellowshipping? (page 2)

james_woods

Irregardles of whether this is specifically mentioned in the new WT talmud for elders - in my experience if the B-day celebrators did not repent and say they were sorry convincingly enough to the prosecuting elders, they could very easily create reason enough in their minds to DF them.

Many DFings occur based simply on local congregation politics and just how rabid a body of elders is on the case.

I have seen only one witness ever DFd for drunkenness, for example. She was an inactive person who was disliked by some elder's wives. I have, however, seen several extremely drunken elders who stayed as drunken elders forever - I suppose until they died.

brotherdan

I think the elders book leaves it vague on purpose. I'm sure that either further advice will be given in specific circumstances by the service department, or a letter will be written to the elders.

On page 65 of the elders manual it says, "Not all holidays directly involve false religion and require judicial action." I'm not sure if this is new or not. I was trying to think of what holidays they might be thinking of and thought of birthdays...

leavingwt

To all who feel that birthday celebrations are accepted within the JW community: Please hand out some Birthday Party invitations at the Kingdom Hall and then report back to us.

The Finger

In the Book "At Home" by Bill Bryson Page 50.

"...we still pay homage to three of their gods-Tiw, Woden and Thor- in the names of our three middle weekdays, and eternally commemorate Woden's wife, Frig, every Friday."

JW's see nothing wrong with this. Why fuss about birthdays?

sir82

To all who feel that birthday celebrations are accepted within the JW community: Please hand out some Birthday Party invitations at the Kingdom Hall and then report back to us.

They are definitely not accepted.

However, neither are they disfellowshipping offenses.

They are lumped in with other "really bad, but even we feel it's too much of a stretch to justify judicial action" offenses such as:

-- Attending R-rated movies

-- Dating an unbeliever

-- Attending a 4-year university

-- Wearing a beard

-- Probably a half dozen more if I thought about it

You won't get disfellowshipped for any of the above, but you will lose any "privileges" you might have "enjoyed" as well as be viewed as a pariah by all those who are "spiritually strong".

NeonMadman

I think that a judicial committee can be convened and a person disfellowshipped for anything that 3 elders can agree that those actions should be taken for.

yourmomma

i may be wrong, but i believe there was a member here that went by the name "sherpard" who was DF'd for celebrating his childs birthday. He recorded the entire conversation with the elders and put it on youtube i think. i think the youtube id is "circutoverseer" or something like that.

elders can DF you for anything they want.

leavingwt

They are definitely not accepted.

However, neither are they disfellowshipping offenses.

This is news to me.

leavingwt

The person would be DF'd for their "attitude", IMHO. However, the root cause would be celebrating a birthday. If the JW tells the elders that he did it, he enjoyed it and he would most definitely speak to other JWs about his opinion, how could the elders ignore this?

Source: http://www.watchtowerletters.com/newpaper_article.html

brotherdan

Here is how the elders react to someone that is caught having a birthday party:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN2HvFYMG3w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PEoRw9V7Iw

Celebrating birthday: ground for disfellowshipping?

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