Fascinating post, Gary. It's almost like your wife is in the middle of a Civil War, with herself. Between her alliance of common sense along with love, versus her sense of duty with its alliance alongside fear. I don't recall it being written anywhere in WT literature that purchasing candy on sale during the holidays is tantamount to celebrating those holidays. I could be wrong about that, but I think this is another example of the group herd dictating policy on off label matters to the point that any thinking individual would feel compelled to fall in line regardless of the evidence that supports their unique stance. The funny thing to me is that the companies that sell candies at discounted rates during holiday season, do so primarily for a profit, or at least as an lore to get you into the store and purchase other products. The companies could care less whether you celebrate the holiday or not, they just want you to buy their candies. Same with holiday hams and turkies, yet some JWs will still feel guilty which says more about the individual JW than it does the publishing company because I don't recall them ever publishing something that mandates a JW neglect purchasing such items on sale during those seasons.
Straddling the fence or leading a double life.
by garyneal 14 Replies latest jw friends
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RagingBull
all i can say is... you lucky bastard! LOL... sounds like you have an understanding mate who (deep down) knows that something is not right with the organization. Serving out of obligation. Service should be out of love, but the society will not let persons ACT on FAITH. They'd rather TELL YOU what to do. That's not right.
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BluesBrother
I've already told her that she sounds like a lot of the people on this board and even encouraged her to look here. She's not interested. There is nothing worse than an apostate.
That could be us, at home, too.....She is a non standard J w, with an independent spirit and thinks that most of them these days are definitely second rate.
Although not celebrating holidays, she would have no problem with a holiday cake etc....But "The Truth" is the truth, no matter what, and it is not self preservation either.....I just sow seeds where I can,
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DesirousOfChange
I don't recall it being written anywhere in WT literature that purchasing candy on sale during the holidays is tantamount to celebrating those holidays.
1 Cor. 10:25-30 -- 25 Everything that is sold in a meat market keep eating, making no inquiry on account of YOUR conscience; 26 for “to Jehovah belong the earth and that which fills it.” 27 If anyone of the unbelievers invites YOU and YOU wish to go, proceed to eat everything that is set before YOU, making no inquiry on account of YOUR conscience. 28 But if anyone should say to YOU: “This is something offered in sacrifice,” do not eat on account of the one that disclosed it and on account of conscience. 29 “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other person. For why should it be that my freedom is judged by another person’s conscience? 30 If I am partaking with thanks, why am I to be spoken of abusively over that for which I give thanks?
WT 10/01/2010 " Paul’s point was that, although Christians would not share in pagan worship, meat that had been sacrificed in a temple was not intrinsically contaminated ."
Thus, purchasing discounted holiday candy after the holiday has passed is not sharing in the holiday either.
However, Gary, it certainly sounds like the Mrs. is trying to straddle the fence -- wanting to keep one foot in "Paradise" and the other in the "world". I would suspect her eyes are opening. Still, I can attest that it is still very hard to just walk completely away from it all. In it are many friends and the guarantee of living forever in Paradise if you don't give out before the END that is very, very close!
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garyneal
DesiriousOfChange
I was wondering how long it would take for someone to find a WT quote concerning this. I was actually expecting Blondie to post something like that first. My wife did mention something about the Bible mentioning something concerning this and my thoughts went to the whole meat sacrificed to idols thing that Paul reasoned on.
Truth is, that whole scripture could be interpreted to okay the whole celebration of anything, particularly if no one is engaging in 'false pagan worship.' To each his or her own though so I won't judge my wife from wanting to abstain from the celebrations. Truth is, the WT took that scripture and made its own rules and the witnesses just follow it along as if it were manna from Heaven.