I've done it: Christmas Lights Outside

by StephaneLaliberte 39 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  Rattigan350

  No, I'm not being sarcastic. Why are you all talking about the elders' response? You all left the religion and claim freedom, but to do things just because the world does them and it is not your idea, is following the world.

  Romans 6:16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living."

  Or 1 Cor 7:23 "You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings.'

  I don't see why fading from JWs automatically means one jumps on the bandwagon for the world.
• 

  Sea Breeze

  You all left the religion and claim freedom, but to do things just because the world does them and it is not your idea, is following the world.

  Rattigan,

  Have you ever done something that wasn't your idea? Are you drawing (or going to be drawing) social security? That wasn't your idea was it? Social security is not even in the bible!

  Please repent of your worldly ways.... especially hypocrisy.
• 

  StephaneLaliberte

  Romans 6:16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?

  Yes, that is true. You're a slave to the Watchtower. The Watchtower instructs you to hate the holidays, and so you do.

  How so? Had you been a JW before 1928, you would have been celebrating Christmas as well. Based on your theology, celebrating Christmas wasn't a deal breaker for Jesus when he selected the JWs as the true religion in 1919. By enforcing a rule like this, JWs are acting like the unforgiving servant from one of Jesus's parables (Matthew 18:21-35).

  As for us, once we leave, we have the choice to abide by our own conscience! For the last 10 years, I chose not to have any lights on my house. This year, I am choosing to have lights. It's my choice. The "world" doesn't care about it. All my "worldly" friends don't care about it. One way or another, my friends respect my choices. So, who's a slave to whom?
• 

  moomanchu

  Rattigan350

  but to do things just because the world does them and it is not your idea, is following the world.

  
  

  Ecclesiastes 1:9: "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun"

  Guess I can't do anything that is my idea.

  Now what?

  I don't see why fading from JWs automatically means one jumps on the bandwagon for the world.

  It doesn't, but if you want to jump on it you have the freedom to do it.

  I can jump on it and jump off it anytime I want.
• 

  NotFormer

  Rattigan succeeded in making this thread about himself.

  To the WT, having fun is "worldly". Christmas lights are fun, therefore worldly. 🙄
• 

  blondie

  After the first substantial snowfall, we put out our inflatable snowpeople and put up snowflakes on the porch, and have white lights on the oak tree and on the porch banister all year long. It is winter folks, get a life jws!
• 

  Scully

  Hey Stephane

  Glad you took the leap, and hope nobody bothers you about it. Honestly, they did us a favour when they announced that my (now) ex was No Longer One Of Jehovah's Witnesses™ because it freed us from the fear of being shunned. I honestly don't care if a JW shuns me, in fact I welcome it. My JW relatives have been fine, once they realized we were not going to try to change their minds about the JWs, and besides my parent sometimes needs help or just wants to keep in touch. JW stuff is a no-fly zone, I won't discuss anything related to it, *unless* they initiate the discussion. I keep it short and to the point, and then change the subject. They are beginning to realize that it becomes difficult to split hairs, so to speak, by including never-baptized non-believing siblings and excluding Inactive™ ones. Especially when they get 'forgotten' by their so-called Brothers™ and Sisters™.

  Enjoy your Christmas lights. Enjoy the season. Putting up or having extra lights during the darkest part of the year is normal. It crosses all cultures, and perhaps has always been a way to ward off depression that tends to increase as the days have more darkness than light.
• 

  Scully

  Rattigan wrote:

  Romans 6:16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living."

  If you read a little further in Romans 14:5 - 12 Paul says: "5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. 6 Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord 's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God". 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God."

  In other words, it's none of your damn business. Stop judging people who have made up their minds to do things differently from you. God doesn't seem to give a rat's ass, as long as we're convinced in our own minds.
• 

  Duran

  have white lights on the oak tree and on the porch banister all year long.

  My wife and I love that look. We do it with our oak and palm trees, and all year long as well.
• 

  Beth Sarim

  Yeah..

  Who wouldn't like some holidays lights up during the darkest time of the year.

  They are,, just lights. Some people gotta lighten up,,, you know.