For those who have left, back sliders and plain naughty active JWs, this must be by far the easiest JW No-No to shed.
Do you know of any other teaching which is so readily subjected to flouting? I don't.
Why are anniversaries allowed but not birthdays?
by hyperpen 51 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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jws
When I was a JW over 25 years ago, I asked this same thing. I remember being told something like Birthdays are all praise to oneself - for doing nothing but being born. Before you even turned out to be a good or a bad person. It was nothing to celebrate.
Whereas a marriage anniversary was a team effort. It was the recognition that two people made the marriage work for another year, which was deemed to be an accomplishment - a work. It was an accomplishment.
If I'm not mistaken,my dad may have also celebrated work anniversaries. Because that involved effort towards a good cause.
I guess just managing to live another year wasn't deemed enough of an effort.
But, the other reason is to be different and distinct from other religions. To have that outward appeal as if they're doing something different so they must know something others don't. That's why they go to a Kingdom Hall instead of a church. Why they have Elders instead of Priests or Reverends. Why Jesus was hung on a "torture stake", not a cross. And on and on. WE'RE different and have secret knowledge of what God really wants, so that's why we're different. Follow us.
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BluesBrother
Because they cannot think of a scripture that could be twisted enough to say that they are wrong.
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steve2
Thanks for the reply jws. I've heard similar arguments but it is never stated in any publications - possibly because they know how hollow the reasoning is. The early reasoning on birthdays emphasized their "pagan" origins (although Job's daughters appear to have had a birthday). Other reasoning included glory belonging only to Jehovah (someone needs to tell Jesus to vscste his throne) and birthdays detracting from that because attention is on the individual. Trouble is, if you argue that doesn't happen with anniversaries, it implies it's okay if "attention" on humans is fine if it's more than one person.
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Vidiot
I think if the WT leadership had tried to ban wedding receptions and anniversaries after pulling the plug on everything else, they'd have experienced much more significant losses in membership, and they knew it.
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sparrowdown
I know witness couples who have had very large, very expensive anniversary parties complete with giant photos of the couple, speeches about the couples wonderfulness, dancing, gifts, the whole shebang. Mostly they are older couples the husband a much adored elder, the wife would win the stepford wife of the year award, children (if any) are at bethel or pioneering.... you know the type.
But birthdays? Noooo that's glorifying the individual, whereas anniversaries glorify Team Jehovah!
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stuckinarut2
if anyone ever threw me a birthday party now, halfway through my life, I think I would be so overwhelmed with emotions that I would burst into tears!
Amazing how something designed to show love to those close to us, has been stigmatised so badly in those of us raised as witnesses, and that it is tied up with guilt etc!
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SonoftheTrinity
Salafi/Wahhabi Muslims, not all Muslims, but the Saudis and the Terrorists, also don't celebrate birthdays, and criticize the Muslims who do. Ah, the parallel evolution of extreme positions! The joy of Sects!
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Finkelstein
The main point though its mostly about the connection to the ancients celebrating the supposed birthdays of select gods in paganism.
One could say that that today's personal celebration of birthdays has some originality was ancient pagan practices but that's not the way they are celebrated today on a personal level as juster of love and respect to the one person.