by Beans 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
It didn't bother me not having a Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. That meant I could watch the Cowboys and not be bothered with all that family nonsense.
Hated those 4pm games though. They always ran over and my mom wouldn't let me watch the end. Had to go to the hall ya know.
Undercover,
Thanks for your interesting comments.
I must, however, take exception to this:
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.Why are you slamming my fellow rodent? Are you trying to dry up Puxantawney, Pennsylvania's main tourist attraction? Leave my amazingly prescient cousin alone!
Gopher of the anti-animal defamation class
Sorry for pushing my agenda, but for those who have not done so, would you please take my survey? Now, back to the subject at hand. To say that you are thankful all year, or you give give gifts all year, instead of Christmas and Birthdays is bunk. Every one needs a special day, like a birthday or Father's and Mother's day. We all need that special attention. All families need special days to look forward to like Thanksgiving and Christmas, where they can have a special celebration of their love and kinship. The JWs take so much of the naturally needed joy out life.
Gopher,
LOL, I'm all for furry rodents. I luv em. I pulled for the gopher over Bill Murray in Caddyshack. O wait, that's an R-rated movie. Forget that I mentioned that. Chipmunks are great. They sing good too. Jerry was one cool mouse. So was Pixie and Dixie. The Brain was a little self-centered though. And who can forget Rocky the Flying Squirrel? I don't know Puxatawny Phil personally, but he was good in the movie(Hey, Bill Murray made two gopher movies, I just realized that). Anyway, more power to the rodent family. Without em, Hollywood would not be the mecca of entertainment that it has become today.
Thanksgiving seems to be a perfect example of how lots of JWs make a BIG STINKING ISSUE out of just about ANYTHING you can possibly imagine. To me, it seemed totally blown out of proportion. They'll equate Thanksgiving to offering worship to the crop gods if they're fanatical enough. The whole issue boils down to "How do we (JWs) make as many people as possible feel like idiots and completely uncomfortable for what they do, so we can make ourselves feel superior to them?"
If there's a "pagan" history of anything, JWs will find it. However, like the pagan practices surrounding weddings (the rings, the white dress, the attendants, the honeymoon, the flowers), a lot of JWs will conveniently ignore the pagan background and enjoy the "celebration" anyway.
I knew several JWs who would have a family gathering on Thanksgiving Day, complete with a huge turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Their "reasoning"?? It's a holiday, so there's a long weekend, which makes it a good opportunity to get together with family and friends. There's a long weekend in September, when they could do the same, but do they?? Of course not. There's another long weekend in August when they could have a turkey dinner if they wanted and get together with relatives and friends if they wanted, but do they?? Nope.
The only reason we ever had Thanksgiving dinners when I was growing up was because my non-JW grandparents had everyone visit (their wedding anniversary was around the same time of year - which was the "official" excuse my parents used to justify our attendance) at their home. I seriously doubt that I would have ever gotten to know any of my cousins or non-JW relatives if it weren't for that yearly gathering.
Love, Scully
.......and what about not celebrating mother's day, father's day, grandparent's day? Those aren't religious by any mean. Actually, in my mind they are merely Hallmark Holidays, but still...the thought behind them is special.
Maybe times have changed, but when I was growing up, we did not celebrate these holidays either.
When I was about 10 we went to my grandmothers for Thanksgiving. Only the word was never uttered. It was the last thursday in Novemeber, turkey was served and much pie-age. We watched football, crashed on the couch. I remember thinking it very odd. But I said nothing cuz WOO-HOO TURKEY DAY RULZ!!
It then became a tradition. Every year. I think my parents were ok with it because the term "Thanksgiving" was never used. We were just going to grandma's for turkey dinner.
Now the past three years my mothers cousin took over the holiday. (Sort of) And when she invites my parents over the term "thanksgiving" is used liberally. They never balk. They have gone every year since she started having them. I on the other hand hate this woman and her family (psycho backstabbiing moneygrubbing social climbing gossip hounds) So I still go to grannys and hang out with her and we talk consipiratorially about how everyone in our family is nuts except us, the two gorgeous red-heads.
It's very weird. My parents are still very active dubs, but they have no problem with this holiday it would seem.
I thought I wouldbring this up again for our American friends!
Beans
