Anybody else in congregations that have parties in October for kids to dress in costumes and pick pumpkins, parties in November with Turkey, fixings and candles, and parties in December with red and green colors and baking similar looking snow-themed desserts? (Not to mention the spiffy new wardrobes for Easter. . . I mean Memorial season.)
Totally-NOT-Holiday parties
by neat blue dog 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
-
Wasanelder Once
Do you fault them for trying to enjoy life? Obviously they are making an attempt at making Jehoobie happy while still giving their kids a reason to enjoy the season. Hypocritical? Of course. No I never saw anyone in my old congregations go any farther than a turkey (cheaper in the season) dinner in Nov. I have heard of some who had a "Gift" day and that seemed a bit suspect. Religion is so stupid.
-
William Penwell
I remember when I was about 10 years old my mother thought she was doing a nice gesture by having a non Halloween party on Halloween evening for all the J Dub children. All the J Dub parents in our congregation had no problem sending their children to the party. It was lots of fun without the Halloween connection, yet one of the children's parent, that had no issue allowing their child to attend, complained to the congregation overseer. My mother got a call from him raking her over the coals about having a "Halloween" party, which was the last time my mother tried to do anything nice like this. It is why I have no use for most of those two faced, hypocritical bastards.
-
William Penwell
Wasanelder Once, I have seen some J Dub families have the turkey dinner and even hand out gifts around that time of the year but it is not celebrating Christmas.....
-
carla
I remember a story (I think on this board) of a newbie jw who was told she could not go to her non jw grandma's house for Thanksgiving. The elder invited her to his house. When she got there she found a turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries, the whole nine yards along with many friends and family. Yet he wasn't celebrating Thanksgiving, the grandma died shortly thereafter. assholes.
-
carla
I forgot to add, all jw's should be married to a ubm then they get the best of both worlds like my jw! yep, he gets to do holidays (if he is not feeling super dubby at the moment) just to 'keep the peace'. Though I never know if this holiday or that will be graced by his attendance. The rest of us just chuckle over the whole thing now and shake our heads. We don't say anything because we all still like him. (yeah, we love him and his quirky ways, everybody knows he is just horribly misguided by the cult)
-
WTWizard
If they have to fake it, doesn't that tell that something is wrong with the rule in the first place? That is like having a speed limit on a stretch of road that is so low that the maximum safe speed on that road is 10 times the speed limit, and then having speed traps along that stretch and wondering why everyone is "speeding". If "everyone" is doing it, I would suspect that the whole rule is at fault.
Even if I don't believe that jesus is or was real, I will not judge everyone around for celebrating Christmas as they see fit. I myself enjoy Christmas songs even if they have the Nativity scene in it, since I know that the Nativity scene is really pointing to the real Christ--the sun. The same for the other holidays. I put up nice decorations for these events in my apartment hall, and see no problem with others doing the same. About the only common way to celebrate Christmas (and other holidays) I will judge anyone for is if they drink and drive, and then because they put everyone on the road in danger and because it is actually a crime to drink drive.
But no faking things. It is Christmas, and that means Christmas (even though the "Christ" is in fact the sun). None of this "winter" rubbish, or other means of watering things down. And it is the whole nine yards (the tenth is going to church, which I have about as much use for as for drink drivers--which is none). Christmas music (and not just "winter songs"--Christmas songs). The whole deal with the lights (LED lights which use much less energy and are much safer than incandescent or fluorescent lights). Decorations including Santa Claus (and crosses which represent, not jesus, but the chakras in your soul).
Ditto for Halloween. I decorate for that as well, and put out a large dish of Halloween candy (no razor blades--you need to get those separately, because I believe scum that put drugs and razor blades in candy deserve a nice long jail sentence). (And I believe that getting hit by cars is far more a danger than drugged or razor-bladed candy.) I put out that bowl of Halloween candy (which come directly from the store, still in their wrappers) the morning of Halloween and take it down the next morning. I don't see anything wrong with Halloween celebrations (again, the most common problem is careless driving, including drink driving--which is the one thing I give Bah! Humbug! to).
-
millie210
Holidays exist for a reason. They mark time, force people to slow down and think about the concepts that tie humans together.
Thats a pretty powerful thing to eliminate without replacing.
Big mistake on the part of the Org
When I was "in" I always bought my kids Halloween costumes the day after (reduced prices at least) along with tons of candy.
We always did a Turkey on T-day (because its cheap dontcha know) and I always took the kids to a lodge with snow for skiing at Xmas.
All in an attempt to give them the best of all worlds.
Now they are all "out" of the Org with me and life is so easy just letting things flow as they will.