Anyone else find it odd that JWs don't do New Year's Resolutions? I have never read anything about it in any WT publication. Yet, it is like some unwritten rule. This one is really puzzling to me, how could setting goals for the next year possibly be bad?
JWs and New Year's Resolutions
by JW_Rogue 12 Replies latest jw experiences
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Darkknight757
From WOL
"New Year’s Celebrations. The date and customs associated with New Year’s celebrations vary from one country to another. Regarding the origin of this celebration, The World Book Encyclopedia states: “The Roman ruler Julius Caesar established January 1 as New Year’s Day in 46 B.C. The Romans dedicated this day to Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. The month of January was named after Janus, who had two faces—one looking forward and the other looking backward.” So New Year’s celebrations are founded on pagan traditions."
So in short, it's bad like everything else so no resolutions because that would be like participating in "new beginnings".
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JW_Rogue
I understand how they could say the celebration is pagan and also that the holiday encourages bad behavior, but setting goals is generally a good thing to do. The WT at any other time of the year would encourage goal setting, especially "spiritual goals". -
Darkknight757
It's a good question to be sure. I've always thought that because the New Years festivities were frowned upon that making resolutions would just naturally be also.
anyways according to the j-dubs, New Years is actually September.
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Beth Sarim
Observing any Holidays by JW's is a NO-NO. Taboo. Out!! Zilch!!!!
By a dubbie making a New Years' Resolution, in a way is observing the New Year's Holiday. Being no part of the World at all.
Totally unnecessary practises. Extremisms!!!!
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JustMe2
"Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.
"The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_resolution" iSo the resolutions were part of the worship of the Babylonian and Roman gods. -
JustMe2
The correct link: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_resolution
Apparently it doesn't make any difference that we're not worshipping Janus or the Babylonian gods or that our resolutions have nothing to do with them!
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LongHairGal
It would make perfect sense for people to see a new year as a time for new starts and getting rid of bad habits or acquiring new ones.
So, why would Witnesses have anything against New Year's resolutions?
Well, Jehovah's Witness don't celebrate holidays, and that would include New Year's Day and not partaking in the festivities. But, what does that have to do with a person's private resolutions? Nothing.
The religion likes to lay out how a person should live their life and they go WAAY overboard with their intrusiveness into people's lives in every area. They might see the idea of people's personal decisions as "vanity" and something they have no control over (which they have no business concerning themselves about - but they do)... It may start dangerous habits, such as Witnesses thinking. And they can't have people in the religion doing that now can they?
It's about control, in my opinion.
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JW_Rogue
The religion likes to lay out how a person should live their life and they go WAAY overboard with their intrusiveness into people's lives in every area. They might see the idea of people's personal decisions as "vanity" and something they have no control over (which they have no business concerning themselves about - but they do)... It may start dangerous habits, such as Witnesses thinking. And they can't have people in the religion doing that now can they?
I think it is about making JWs different, not for any real reason but just so they'll stand out. No matter what the Holiday is when asked about their plans JWs will end up talking about their religion. What they are after is more attention for the religion.
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Island Man
I think many inactive JWs and never-baptized born-ins make new years resolutions. Why? I notice that many of them start attending meetings early in January every year. They start attending regularly for a week or two then they fade out and disappear again. I get the feeling that "returning to Jehovah" was a new years resolution that they made.