How do you explain to worldly people why Jehovahs Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays?

by Iamallcool 25 Replies latest jw friends

  • miseryloveselders
    miseryloveselders

    So, Eglon was a Canaanite king who oppressed Jehovah's people and he was very fat. So, fat=bad. Ehud was Israel's hero, sent by Jehovah and he was left-handed. So, lefty=good.

    LOL OMG!

    The Governing Body has openly declared war on the individual. No focus can be shown to any person, ever (unless they were in a Nazi concentration camp or their name is changed, so you can't verify the phony story). A birthday party is all about the individual. All focus is on them that day. A cake has their name on it. A song is sung in their honor which also contains their name.

    We can't have that, because everything is hive-minded. No independent thinking or actions are permitted. No independent study or even Bible reading is encouraged. Everything has to be OKed by the leaders of the group. Every thought and action has to be identical for everyone in the group or the group members will turn you in to the leaders of the group. Think of a flock of migrating birds, flying in formation. No deviation or individuality is allowed. You aren't a Christian; heck you aren't even a Jehovah's Witness anymore. No, you are "one of Jehovah's Witnesses", because you are not a person, but only a part of a group. You are merely a minuscule cog in the collective who would not be missed if you disappeared. The "Organization" grinds on to Paradise and you can ride its coattails there or you can go off on your own and die.

    Meanwhile, the Governing Body can demand adoration, praise, and worship. But it's okay, because none of them are mentioned by name. They are a "class" and no individual is promoted.

    One of the realest pieces I've ever read in my entire life.

  • OnTheWayOut
    OnTheWayOut

    MeanMrMustard got it exactly right. Add in that the JW's are told not to celebrate birthdays so that JW kids feel out of place with non-JW kids at school and JW's feel out of place at work with coworkers.

    JW's often want to feel "different" or "special" from others. They feel superior when they don't participate in pagan birthdays, holidays, when they say Jesus was nailed to a cross, when they refuse to give or take blood, when they snub family gatherings for some JW stuff.

  • jgnat
    jgnat

    Regular people want sound bytes, not long explanations.

    I'll give an analogy. My daughter is crazy about Afghan hounds; grooming them, training them, and showing them. When trying to explain the whole show dog culture to strangers, I start with, "Dog People are Crazy". I then describe some insanity, like grooming five hours a week, or "teaching" the dog to bark "spontaneously", "on command", so it looks more "natural" in the ring. I give my little story and then I finish with my sound byte. Dog people are crazy. I'll temper my judgement a little, because I am the crazy groupie. I took a lot of the pictures of her dog at his last show.

    With the whole birthday prohibition thing, I might start with, "Jehovah's Witnesses Got a Lot of Rules." I might clear up some misconceptions, say, NO smoking, but CAN drink alcohol and coffee. I'll then rattle off the holidays and events that JW's don't celebrate, but also point out that many JW parents have "special days" for their children anyways. If I am asked WHY, I'll tell them it doesn't make a lot of sense, but that JW's use the negative birthday examples in the bible as the reason.

  • I quit!
    I quit!

    When I was a JW I'd tell people "Because the birthday cake is a symbol of John the Baptist head served on a platter. Look it up!"

    Not really but I'm sure what I did tell them made about as much sense.

  • moshe
    moshe

    How do you explain it? With difficulty-

  • clarity
    clarity

    Funny, didn't the watchtower just celebrate their anniversary lately?

    Funny how we "are allowed" to celebrate our wedding anniversaries ... and yet the miraculous, life affirming, beautiful birth of a child .... is to be FORGOTTEN. Don't even mention it on that day, sssshhhhhh you dont want them to think they are special.....well do you????

    So aside from the one big birthday thing, with the 'baby showers' and all...forget it!!

    Or god watchtower will punish you severely.

    clarity

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