JW's on Christmas Day (page 3)

Dagney

@Theocratic Sedition: I'm curious, what did they say?

I'm a raised in, but we did not go out every holiday, but more than enough to leave me scarred. Especially as a kid, looking into those houses all warm and full celebration, it was a "test" as we were told.

Eventually I too felt how disrespectful it was and was saying "Happy Holiday" even at the door. I told my fellow JW's that I really wished them that, just as much as I would wish them a "nice day."

The last 10 yrs or so I was in our friends created our own traditions...as in we had our own "non" holiday parties, sleepovers, brunches. I've been to many "non Thanksgiving-Thanksgiving" dinners at elder's houses.

cobaltcupcake

My father used to drag us out on every stinkin' holiday. I hated every second of it.

The Odd Life of Jehovah's Witnesses - Merry Christmas

blondie

The elders must have drawn straws as to who had to take the congregation group out. He would stay and conduct the group and then leave for some other pressing errand. The group would consist of pioneers behind on their time, aux pioneers trying to impress, any jw trying to impress someone with their spirituality.

My father was not a jw so we had duties at home to be part of my father's Christmas delusion. Dropping by unannounced was bad enough on Saturdays, but on Christmas, dropping by on New Year's Day was worse, waking up grumpy partiers.

WTWizard

I went out in field circus on Thanksgiving--the first year I was in the cancer. There were so many turkeys cooking that the group got a craving for a turkey. Needless to say, there was nowhere open that served turkey--served them right for going out Thanksgiving.

This is cruel to children, on both sides of the door. Especially when they are just getting ready to open their presents, and the witlesses show up. The parents get into a discussion, and every minute wasted doing that feels like an hour when you are a 5-year old waiting to open the presents under the tree. Waiting until after the presents are opened, children are ready to leave for Grandma's and are now running 15 minutes behind schedule. Obviously, the parents are not going to be driving faster--especially if there is snow on the roads (given the speed traps where police these days are eager to give out speeding tickets for 1 km above the limit).

For those outside, they have it rubbed into their faces that they are losing out. They claim to not be missing out--yet, they go to more than 100 doors to find Christmas trees in most of them. Then they are coerced into realizing that enjoying the decorations is wicked, giving them phobias. Many of the children inside also have plenty of toys, usually in plain sight (they are never put away as soon as they are opened). Quite a few of the witlesses lack toys as children--and I have seen that fact with my own eyes. They see people enjoying Christmas, and are threatened with Gehenna if they whine about not celebrating.

For this year, instead of doing field circus, I was one of the reasons why the witlesses get mad. I put up a professional-quality Christmas display in the lobby in my apartment building--the whole hall in my building has a nice Christmas display sure to get even worldly children in other sections of the complex wishing they had tenants doing their halls as well (not to mention, the complex manager enjoys the display). And instead of scamming people into the cancer or holding children up from opening their gifts, I managed to hand out a few--all 3 of them to all 3 at work that deserve them. Instead of a washtowel rag, they got high-powered LED lanterns that run off D batteries (so, when they start getting rolling blackouts, they will actually be able to see). And, for one of the tenants that had a small kitchen fire (smoke damage) and was displaced a few weeks (and had to dispose of quite a few items), a few LED light bulbs to replace the squiggly things in the living room ceiling fan.

Try lighting your way in a blackout with a washtowel rag.

Ding

If they really want to make converts, why don't they realize that going d2d on Christmas day is totally counterproductive?

How would they react if someone in a Santa costume interrupted a meeting at the KH and wished everyone inside a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year?

Christ Alone

It sure would make the meeting more interesting...

carla

I think jw's go out on holidays (add most days) so they can appear righteous to others in the cong and possibly for the doors but mostly for each other. How do jw's handle Matthew 6:1?

"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."

or Matthew 6:5

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

JW's on Christmas Day