I'm not Christian (Agnostic Atheist), but I do celebrate the secular holidays, not for their religious significance, but for the giving and the spirit of the seasons. It's making memories. What meant one thing a hundred years ago doesn't mean the same today. Just because people used to trim their trees in intestine doesn't mean that's what people are doing it in symbolism of today. It's the INTENT and the SPIRIT in which it is done that matters. If you're not celebrating Christmas because it's the Winter Solstice and you're celebrating the rebirth of the Sun, then don't worry about it.
Your View of Holidays and Their Origins
by headisspinning 19 Replies latest jw friends
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prophecor
I actually joined a church that had a wonderful pastor. They come from a long line of powerful preachers. It was sfter the holiday of Easter that I just couldn't hold on anymore. I know we as witnesses don't do Christendom's holidays, and it was something I couldn't get my head around, no matter how good the preaching and teaching from the pulpit was.
The focus that the entire world has wrong is the ressurection of The Christ. It was never meant to be that way. We as witnesses know the focus was to be on his death.
The whole way of their timing as to the ressurection is the greatest scandal that I could no longer participate in. Christ was to be in the grave for three days and three nights. The only sign that he would give the Pharisees as a sign as to his being the Messiah. There is just no way humanly possible for Christ to have died on Friday, to be raised on Sunday to fulfill that portion of scripture.
Also, as it pertains to the Sabbath, there's no real understanding from traditional Christianity that the Sabbath that Christ Jesus was crucified before was not a weekly Sabbath, but an annual Sabbath. A Sabbath that would not necessairilly fall on the tradiotional Sabbath, Friday evening to Saturday evening.
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jamiebowers
In a practical sense, holidays are times set aside for celebration with friends and family, and there's nothing wrong with that. Holidays are also times when people are more apt to be generous to others, and there's nothing wrong with that. If you're going to worry about "Pagan origins" of things, you better cease and desist from many things like:
the names of the days of the week and months of the year (named after gods)
the use of lipstick (berry colored lips used to symbolize a prostitute's willingnss to perform ora sex)
the exhange of wedding rings, the bride wearing a white gown, going on a honeymoon
etc., etc., etc
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unshackled
At first it was a little strange. But that is to be expected when one spent most their life not celebrating.
For me the word pagan is meaningless. Only reservations I have is knowing it is pandering to the capitalist machine. "You must buy this and that, on this date because we say so and everyone is doing it." Other than that, it's just a bunch of fun. Life's too short.
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baltar447
Hi HIS. My wife and I are pretty much almost inactive. We show up at the odd meeting or two. We've privately celebrated our Kids' birthdays, really low key though. I am still completely turned off by halloween and don't see us probably ever doing anything with that holiday. The others, idk we'll cross that bridge later maybe if we're able to pull off a full fade.
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talesin
I was born and raised a JW
Yes, me too.
But I have to say I never got a satisfying answer as to why JWs aren't allowed to celebrate birthdays
Me, too!!!!!!!
BUT,,
nothing they teach/say is logical,,, and that's the whole point.
I've learned that there is no sense to their "reasoning", it's pointless to try to understand where their rules come from ... they are just MADE UP.
you're okay, and they are crazy
t
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metatron
This aversion to "pagan" customs is idiotic crap. These customs were pagan centuries ago and often relate to religions that no longer exist.
In addition, the Bible itself is loaded with stuff Bible writers adopted from pagan religions in their own time! Like the phrase "sacred secret" , which came from pagan mystery religions in Paul's day. "Cast into Tartarus" is plainly pagan, mentioning the place that rebels against Zeus were thrown.
The Bible also justifies practices directly derived from paganism and the occult such as divination, as when the replacement for Judas was chosen by casting lots - or Joseph's interpretation of dreams.
Our number system was created by pagans - and so was algebra ( if you think Muslims are 'heathens').
The Watchtower Society sees nothing wrong with collecting millions of pieces of paper that plainly have occult printing on them - the US dollar!
metatron
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jwfacts
The quote from leavingwt says it all; the important factor is how you view the holiday, rather than its origins. Otherwise, you would not be able to do anything.
Virtually everything you ever do can be traced back to paganism. Food, celebrations, marriage, art, music etc. Religion, food and sex are the pillars of life, even more so in ancient superstitious times, so pervaded everything they did. It is what it means to you now that is important.
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garyneal
10 Good Reasons Why Celebrating Birthdays Should Be Allowed
CHRISTMAS: December 25th DOES have a Biblical foundation!
Just a couple of topics I've found here on JWN.
Here's how I view it as a Christian who has been celebrating things all my life without any remorse:
Birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas, all have pagan origins. Did you see the quote LeavingWT posted? There is also another Awake article that comes to mind, A Balanced View of Popular Customs, August 2000, p. 26. In it, they depict a lot of customs that have pagan and otherwise superstitious origins but they are allowed today as a conscious matter. My question is, how can we determine which custom / tradition is allowed and which is not? Is there a type of test or is it simply arbitrary? If arbitrary, who has the authority to determine which custom is allowable and which is not? Mad Sweeney touched on it, Romans 14.
Romans 14:5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.
Did you get that? If arbitrary, who has the authority to determine which custom is allowable? Each and every individual according to his or her own conscious.
It's been touched on many times on this board and you have probably seen it in your own experiences. Jehovah's Witnesses buying up the Easter and Christmas candy immediately after season. Did the meaning of these treats go away after the holiday passed?
How did they all of a sudden lose their paganinity at exactly 12:00 midnight December 26th or the day following Easter?
Truth is, they did not, but in the minds of the Jehovah's Witnesses, they did.
This raises the question, if they were able to lose their paganinity after the holiday passed and after they wind up in the bargain bins how could they have had it in the first place?
Truth is, they don't, but in the minds of the Jehovah's Witnesses, they did.
So who's rules are you conforming too? Only the rules you've bound yourself too in your own mind.
Read Romans 14 again with that thought in mind.
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charlie brown jr.
When I first left I didn't Celebrate anything because it had been so long since I had....
Many tried to give me a nice Birthday but I asked please don't.....
Then while Dating my wife (she never a JW)..... it was odd at first...then...
I statred having So much Fun...
I still ask my Birhtday be just our family.... (it's a guy thing I think)
But X-Mas..... I LOVE!!!!!
My family who were JW's celebrate X-Mas and we exchange presents a couple days before....
but I spend X-mas Eve and X-mas Day with my wifes family......
They Party from 5pm X-mas Eve...open Presents with the Children at Mid Night..... then take a nap..
open gifts home between us...then Visit other family members and eat drink and be Merry.....
So much Fun.... I hear we get home at 9pm X-mas Day..... I don't fall asleep... just don't remember...
And I'm never inb trouble the next day LOL
