What would you do?

Beans

When I was a young JW I always wanted to have Christmas as I always felt I was missing out! So I convinced my Presiding Overseer father that we should have a day where we exchange gifts like in the Spring or something. So he thought about it and said that it would be OK and we did this and it was called PRESENT DAY.

So as you know I stopped going to meetings when I was 16 and now my sister has introduced this festive event with her JW in laws and has become a large event. Last summer my sister asked me if I would participate and I said no and explained why. So again this weekend she was very persistant about wanting me to become involved with PRESENT DAY.

I had to go through the whole spiel again and she is perplexed and says well it is just giving presents to family, so I said why then do you not celebrate Fathers day and Mothers day as ther is no mention in the Bible about that and many other celebrations and yur just giving presents! Again stumped!

If I am exchanging gifts it is Christmas or a birthday, I really am not into this and disagree with what they are doing as it goes against everything they preach!

WHAT WOULD YOU DO? What is the best way to explain this better than I have?

Beans

http://Quotes.JehovahsWitnesses.com

My friend suggested we have PRESENT Day on December 25th!

Edited by - Beans on 23 December 2002 21:52:31

Edited by - Beans on 23 December 2002 21:57:46

jurs

What would I do? I'd go. I love getting and giving presents. When I was a JW we had I love you parties and my kids would get presents. It never was as special as birthdays or Christmas, and I knew it, but it helped me feel less guilty.

Why don't you want to go? What explanation did you give your sister? Is it because a special part of childhood (Santa , birthdays, trick or treating) was withheld from you and your angry about that? Will you be shunned or looked down upon by others and thats why you don't want to go? I hope you write back and explain why you don't want to go. Then its easier to say what I'd do in your situation.

Take care

jurs

Scully

Well, it sounds to me like PRESENT DAY in your family was a substitute for all the "real" holidays and celebrations that you could have had.

But what's more important? The substitute / symbol?? Or the real thing?? If she's married... ask her if she could choose between her husband or a picture of her husband, what would mean more to her?

(You can use the same comparison later when you start talking about the blood issue.... LOL)

Love, Scully

Scully

PS: You can also show her from her lovely NWT the following passages from Romans chapter 14:

Welcome the [man] having weaknesses in [his] faith, but not to make decisions on inward questionings. 2 One [man] has faith to eat everything, but the [man] who is weak eats vegetables. 3 Let the one eating not look down on the one not eating, and let the one not eating not judge the one eating, for God has welcomed that one. 4 Who are you to judge the house servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for Jehovah can make him stand.
5 One [man] judges one day as above another; another [man] judges one day as all others; let each [man] be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day observes it to Jehovah. Also, he who eats, eats to Jehovah, for he gives thanks to God; and he who does not eat does not eat to Jehovah, and yet gives thanks to God. 7 None of us, in fact, lives with regard to himself only; 8 for both if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. 9 For to this end Christ died and came to life again, that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.
10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you also look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written: " 'As I live,' says Jehovah, 'to me every knee will bend down, and every tongue will make open acknowledgement to God.' " 12 So then, each of us will render an account for himself to God.

If you've agreed with a JW at the outset that the BIBLE is the final authority, it's fun to watch them try to explain how they can 'judge' one another for observing Christmas or birthdays (or any day), when the BIBLE specifically says that the matter is to be left up to the individual.

Love, Scully

Quotes

Hey, how come my family never got PRESENT DAY!!!!!

Pistoff

I would go, give a few gifts, and have a good time.

This may help them to open their minds.

My family and I have done this for anniversary for years; i can remember a picture in the awake or wt showing presents on the piano.

go figure.

Kingpawn

Beans, let me get this straight. You talked your dad into this as a kid, it caught on, and now you don't want to do it?

Beans

Thanks for the scriptures Scully!

Why should I have to celebrate another day of present giving? The other thing is how hypicritical they are (they drink like fish) and how hypicritical this PRESENT day seems to me as well.

It has CHRISTMAS pasted all over it on a different day!

Beans

safe4kids

Hey Beans,

I know that I don't respond often but I enjoy reading your posts. I understand your strong feelings about the hypocrisy shown but I have a question: are there kids involved? The reason I ask is that if so, this is the only chance they have to enjoy something that resembles what most other children get to enjoy and look forward to each year. My family started having Present Day (yep, we even called it that too) after we adult children started having kids and they LOVED it! Yeah, I knew it was hypocritical but gawd, we were stifled in so many other ways! It was the only outlet we had for giving to the kids and allowing them to have some type of "normal" family tradition to get excited about--let's face it, the Memorial just don't cut if for kids!

So, I'm just thinking, if there ARE children in your family, would it be possible for you to share in it for THEM, while continuing to explain your excellent arguments to the adults in the family?

Merry Christmas!

Dana

Beans

Thanks safe4kids. Yes there are many children inolved and a very good point! I can't believe that PRESENT DAY is a world wide event!

If I go I will get plastered and start blabbering on about there religion and they will never invite me back!

Beans

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