Jehovahs Witness Thanksgiving

by Beans 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Beans

  First I would like to say to all the Canadians "Happy Thanksgiving" ! Now for some reason the JW`s don`t celebrate Thanksgiving because apparently everyday they thank Jehovah and THEY don`t need a special day. To me it is a family event and a good excuse to sit down together and relax.

  Now this gets interesting, my mother always buys a Turkey the week after because they are cheaper and has us over for dinner the week after "Jehovahs Witness Thanksgiving"! Interesting eh!

  Also as I have posted before when I was a kid I wanted to have present day substituting Christmas and now my sister has evolved this practice with her own JW family so I call it "Jehovahs Witness Christmas"

  Beans

  Canadian Overbeer
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  Beans

  Well it has been two days of Turkey Sangwiches and now the Turkey soup is on. Yes we can thank Jehovah for our blessings for sure!

  Beans
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  Gopher

  I think many JW's celebrate Thanksgiving, on the sly if necessary. Even they seem to think that this restriction is a bit silly.

  My dad (an elder) took out my mom and some other JW friends to a restaurant on a Thanksgiving not too long ago -- and they had the traditional turkey and all the trimmings. He explained to me that they did this AWAY from the city where they lived, so no one would really know!! LOL !!
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  concerned mama

  The soup pot is bubbling at our house, too.

  Happy Thanksgiving, Beans!
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  Room 215

  This is just another example of JWs obsession with saying ``no'' juest because normal humans say ``yes''-- it makes them feel holy to be contrary simpy for the sake of being different... a childish bid for attention. Most JWs know there are no scriptural principles violated by an innocuous celebration that insitutionalizes the reunion of family and friends, and that's why so many discreetly observe it with all the tradtional trappings while avoiding any reference to the ``T'' word.
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  Celia

  Long time ago, in a paper I wrote in a college class, at a time I didn't know very much about the inner workings of the Watch Tower Society, I wrote this :

  ....In their effort to prove that they were different from all other Christian churches, Jehovahs Witnesses have, over the years, come up with quite amazing interpretations of the Bible....

  As for Thanksgiving, it's great there is a day when the whole family can come together for a big meal ; life is so busy, family members live far apart... And during these reunions, noone asks if such-and-such is Catholic, Methodist or Atheist... we're just family... But the JWs can't do that of course, only active JWs in good standing are worthy of being invited for a meal anyway...
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  undercover

  I can see the WTS, as an organization or publishing house, or whatever, not endorsing or encouraging any one holiday. It does make sense that if trying to appeal to people from all over the world, that to encourage or endorse a holiday that is observed only in certain countries takes away from that message of unity.

  On the other hand, to try to influence followers that certain customs, holidays or observances as unscriptural or unchristian just so as to create an air of superiority or spirituality is just another way of promoting the us vs. them mentality, thus causing the beleivers to think that they are "no part of the world". Thanksgiving is not a pagan holiday. Is it religious? Maybe in the strictest sense in that we are giving thanks to God. To me, it's just a custom of the land. Nothing highly significant about it. Same as Mother's Day and Father's Day. Nothing pagan or religious or even nationalistic about it. But somehow it's wrong. Why? "Just 'cause. They're the world. Their ways are not God's ways". So I guess Super Bowl Sunday is out for "true Christians" too, huh? That has basically become a holiday. It's definately worldly. What about Ground Hog Day? "Oooooo, that's being superstitious." Does anyone really beleive that we can forcast the weather by some furry rodent popping his head out of a hole? Please.

  I hafta admit, growing up as a JW, my favorite holiday was Halloween, the worst, most vile, satanic, demonic, anti-christian holiday of em all. The spooky costumes, movies and haunted houses were just too cool. Too bad I didn't get to enjoy it as a kid.
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  Beans

  Undercover, I didn`t get to enjoy my first Haloween until I was 16. Some houses made a few coments about me and my buddy being to old but with my House to House and Door to Door experiences I went on with great faith and accepted the candies even at my old age of 16, nobody could spoil my first Haloween!!!

  Some excellent points here about Thanksgiving and other PAGAN or WORDLY views by the Wastetower.

  Beans

  Canadian Overbeer

  http://Quotes.JehovahsWitnesses.com
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  Jourles

  Goddamned unbelievers! Un-yoke yourselves or be damned! A few tidbits from the refuse mill:

  *** g82 8/22 18 I Quit Church, I Quit Smoking, I Quit Business ***
  I continued my activities with the Presbyterian Church; Yvonne continued her association with the Witnesses. There were no religious squabbles between us, but in time Yvonne began to drift away from the Witnesses. She stopped studying with them, became very worldly, started to celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's and other holidays, and even became involved with politics.

  *** g76 11/22 12-13 A National "Day of Thanks"-The Dream and the Reality ***
  The early Christians were admonished to apply the principle found at Ephesians 5:20. In the name of Jesus Christ, they were to 'give thanks always for all things to their God and Father.' Yes, an attitude of constant appreciation for God's provisions and protection was emphasized repeatedly. The words "thanks" and "thanksgiving" are used over forty times in the Christian Greek Scriptures.

  On the contrary, the idea of a single day of thanks undoubtedly would have reminded the early Christians of the pagan Romans, who held an annual thanksgiving celebration in December. A writer of the second century noted: "We [Christians] are accused of a lower sacrilege, because we do not celebrate along with you the holidays of the Caesars in a manner forbidden alike by modesty, decency, and purity."

  What, then, is the modern-day Christian likely to conclude as he views this national holiday? Looking at many of the present practices, he may be reminded of Second Corinthians 6:14, where we read: "Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have?"

  Naturally, many dedicated Christians will not be working secularly on that day. Some may choose to take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy fellowship with family and friends. Yet, what "spirit" will a Christian manifest? It is true that God created turkeys and other foods, so these are not in themselves objectionable. But undoubtedly one who is a true Christian will want to be careful not to stumble others.

  Consider what the apostle Paul says, as recorded in First Corinthians, chapter ten. He reasons that Christians should wisely avoid eating before others a perfectly acceptable food if doing so would stumble them. 'Respect your brother's conscience' is the message.

  So on November 25, the declared "day of thanks" in 1976, personal decisions need to be made. Dedicated Christians certainly will not want to convey to others the idea that they believe in one-day-a-year gratitude. Really, should not all who profess Christianity encourage a spontaneous spirit of thanksgiving-from the heart-the year around?
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  waiting

  Lord, I ACTUALLY remember that crappy article - and used it to convince my sister (new jw) not to celebrate Thanksgiving with her Catholic husband. Damn.........he was furious with her. It was a big, family, gathering for him - nothing else. She got to where she hated the holidays - always a major fight with her husband.

  Only JW's make it into some kind of religious holiday to be shunned because "only we worship the True God and give Proper Thanks to Him Every Day."

  Btw, I knew many jw's who'd have Thurs. & Fri. off work - plus the weekend. They'd have a big family gathering then -ALWAYS on Thursday,(everybody is off work! - like they aren't on Fri, Sat, & Sun.) and always Turkey (cheap!), and all the trimmings (goes sooooooooo well with turkey!)

  Subversive jw's. Who would have thought.

  waiting