Wedding Rings.

by Lost in the fog 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Lost in the fog

  We have long queried why so-called things of pagan or religious origin like Christmas or Easter are banned by the WTS but the use of wedding rings were not.

  I was talking about this with a friend who follows a Wiccan path of belief and he has sent me the following information from one of his magic magazines.

  QUOTE:

  " Why do we wear our wedding ring on our ‘ring finger’ ?

  Haven’t you always wondered? Why do we choose to put our Wedding Rings on the ‘Ring Finger’? Well, as you can understand, the name of the finger itself actually implies its participation in Wedding Rituals.

  Why a Golden Ring on Ring Finger?

  This part of Wedding Rituals actually dates back in ancient years. First of all, the Ring, symbolises the Wholeness and Unity. It’s the perfect shape of Alchemists and it’s linked with Ouroboros - the symbol of eternity.

  Now why on the Ring Finger? This finger is associated with the Sun and Apollo, god of all blessings. When we ‘activate’ this finger we actually activate the power of the Sun and Apollo in us. As every ‘Planet’ is associated with one Metal, the Sun and Apollo is associated with Gold.

  Thus, to properly activate the Ring Finger we need to wear a Golden Ring on it. Therefore, in Wedding Rings, we conjure the blessings of Apollo and the Sun, the bringers of timeless happiness. "

  So WTS put that in your pipe and smoke it!
• 

  blondie

  The WTS now allows jws to have luaus although they originally feasts to their gods.

  https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102003253?q=luau&p=sen
  

  Luaus I read with interest your article “Let’s Have a Hawaiian Luau.” (June 8, 2002) Several years ago I attended a luau in Hawaii. I felt there were strong religious and spiritistic overtones. Even if luaus today do not involve religious or spiritistic aspects, how are they different from other celebrations that have pagan origins but simply have been adopted by modern cultures to be a family fun gathering?

  L. F., United States

  “Awake!” responds: As noted there in our footnote on page 24, while the luau may at one time have had a connection with false religious practices, the word now has simply come to refer to a Hawaiian banquet. A specific gathering to which the word “luau” is applied may or may not be appropriate for a Christian to attend. As in all aspects of life, Christians should make decisions that will leave them with a clear conscience before Jehovah God.​—1 Timothy 1:5, 19; see also the January 8, 2000, issue of “Awake!” pages 26-7.

  The WTS now allows pinatas even though used many times at birthday parties.

  https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101971449#h=1:0-24:169

  https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102003687#h=1:0-20:45

  https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102004486#h=14:0-16:499
  

  Piñatas I read with interest the article “The Piñata​—An Ancient Tradition.” (September 22, 2003) It left me with some questions. The ties to false religion are well-documented. But the article seemed to take the position that as long as it doesn’t bother someone’s conscience, it is OK. What about birthdays and holidays such as Christmas?

  S. W., United States

  “Awake!” responds: Christians refrain from any celebrations or customs that continue to involve false religious beliefs or activities that violate Bible principles. For example, the Bible definitely puts birthday celebrations in a bad light. (Genesis 40:20;Matthew 14:6-10) However, if it is very obvious that a custom has no current false religious significance and involves no violation of Bible principles, each Christian must make a personal decision as to whether he will follow such a custom.
• 

  Half banana

  I agree with what you say about wedding rings, most rituals are bound up with ancient superstitions.

  You also mention Easter is not celebrated but in reality the essentials which the pagan Easter festival which was fed into the Christian Church is also incorporated into WT doctrine. It is so central to the ransom belief that all the things to do with the death of Jesus are found in paganism. The last supper was cribbed from Mithraism including the symbolic wine and biscuits. Even the fundamental pagan symbol of cleansing by human sacrifice is present. The timing of Easter at the first full moon after the spring equinox is perpetuated by JW doctrine. The death and resurrection of Jesus had counterparts in pagan worship as the son of the Sun God going to his heavenly father hence the brightness of the two of them ruling together in the heavens.

  There are a lot more fascinating parallels which can be related directly to older folk tradition but the main point is that the Roman Church especially under Theodosius in the late fourth century banned all references to the pagan texts under harsh penalty and so began the illusion that the church and Bible had come by divine decree. The beliefs and rituals had in reality all come from paganism. Virtually all of Jesus' life, works and biography had been borrowed from pagan predecessors.
• 

  Finkelstein

  Yes the giving and wearing of rings looks to have pagan roots but will the JWs stop doing so because of that, hardly unlikely.

  The days of the week have pagan origins, so do the months of the year but that doesn't necessarily mean people observe these set events as pagan rituals.

  As far as the celebration of birthdays in ancient times goes, Jesus Christ had a celebrated birthday according to scripture, which puts birthday celebrations up in the air.
• 

  smiddy3

  The days of the week have pagan origins, so do the months of the year

  Anybody here remember the calendar put out by the Organization ? I can`t recall whether it was by the IBSA or the JW`s

  And for some reason it never took off.
  
  
• 

  blondie

  smiddy3, you might be interested in this link:

  https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6027819985403904/calendar-jehovah-god-historical-tidbit

  Jehovah's calendar?
  
  
• 

  oppostate

  This Wicca business is even more messed up than the Watchtower!
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  oppostate

  The unpagan calendar idea was Woodworths(?)

  He was told not to be an idiot😆
• 

  Tenacious

  Luau, pinatas, birthdays, etc. has always been about control.

  The governing vermin gets off by imposing their power and control. Satan wanted the same exact thing. It's never been about money.

  There is an excellent video on YouTube (don't remember the user) where it's proven from the NWT in the original Hebrew how the same word is used for when Job celebrated his kids birthdays. I think the title may be something like "Jehovah's Witnesses Question Birthdays" or some thing.

  Blondie thanks for those links and articles. Love them!!
• 

  Vidiot

  I've said this before, but...

  ...go back far enough, and pretty much everything has "pagan" origins.

  In their defense, though, the morons and amateurs who crafted the WTS's theology probably had no fucking clue.