Work Christmas functions: Being a Bible Student (unbaptized)

rulehayl

Hi All,

I have been studying with the Witnesses for more than 6 months and regularly attend both Midweek & Weekend meetings, and I am nearly at the end of the "Bible Teach" book.

My boss is adamant I attend team Christmas functions. She knows about my studying and potential baptism next year, and has suggested that I attend and just not participate in activities like Kris Kringle. My Study Conductor feels this could be the start of a slippery slope, and could potentially harm my progression because I may make excuses for participation in Worldly events.

I try my best to follow all of Jehovah's rules, but sometimes I just want to quit now because it becomes too overwhelming and difficult.

What can I do?

SplaneThisToMe

Hi Rulehayl,

I am not sure about your circumstances (age, if you have JW family, how you began studying, etc.) but I will just begin by sharing my own experience. I started studying about 12 years ago when I was 15. I went to high school with JWs and hung out with them a lot. During this time, I started attending meetings, assemblies, and conventions. When I decided to get baptized, I had to give up all holidays and my relationship with my worldly family was changed drastically.

I progressed well in the organization, serving as a regular pioneer and ministerial servant, even giving public talks. Despite my seemingly "strong faith" and the privileges I enjoyed in the congregation, I began to do research about the history and policies of Jehovah's Witnesses. I recommend you do that as well, before you make the decision to get baptized. Know that it is very difficult to leave the organization if you begin to question the things you are being taught. The truth is that the faithful and discreet slave gives new light constantly, changing doctrines that impact our lives significantly.

A good place to begin you research is jwfacts.com and youtube videos of Witnesses who have spent their entire lives in the religion and left. Also, Crisis of Conscience is a book written by former (disfellowshipped) Governing Body member Raymond Franz, and it's worth reading a free pdf online.

I'm sure you have a wonderfully close relationship with your Study Conductor, but if you tell them you are on this site or any other site that is critical of JW's, they will instantly thwart you from doing so.

Just do research, research, research about this religion. Don't get stuck in it unless you are absolutely sure what you're getting into. Take it from me - After giving a short portion of my life (relatively) to this, I face being shunned by all my friends (100% of my social support system), all because I my beliefs and faith has changed.

Vanderhoven7

Dear Rulehay,

Please do not let men and their organizations be your conscience.

There is nothing wrong or immoral about celebrating the birth of Christ or the birth of your family members.

The Watchtower organization has a history of majoring in minors; creating and enforcing man-made commands as if they were God's commands. Some of these commands resulted in loss of health and even life. For example:

ORGAN TRANSPLANTS
1967-1980: prohibited as "cannibalism" WT 11/15/67 p.702
Since 1980 - permitted WT 3/15/80 p.31

VACCINATIONS
1931-1952 Prohibited as being a "direct violation of the everlasting covenant."
Golden Age 2/4/31 p.293
Since 1952 - permitted WT 12/15/52 p.764and AWAKE! 8/22/65 p.20

BLOOD POLICIES

• 1940 Blood transfusions are acceptable
• 1945 Blood transfusion are not acceptable
• 1956 Blood serums unacceptable
• 1958 Blood serums and fractions acceptable
• 1961 Blood fractions are not acceptable
• 1964 Blood fractions are acceptable
• 1974 Blood serums are personal choice
• 1975 Hemophilia treatments: Blood Fractions (Factor VIII & IX) are not acceptable
• 1978 Hemophilia treatments: Blood Fractions (Factor VIII & IX) are acceptable
• 1982 Albumin is acceptable
• 1983 Hemodilution is acceptable
• 1990 Hemodilution is not acceptable (Blood Brochure)
• 1995 Hemodilution is acceptable

Note the last 3 changes in particular to see how quickly Jehovah changes his mind back to previously held positions.

Please do some research into the organizations history. Try JWFacts.com

Pete Zahut

I try my best to follow all of Jehovah's rules, but sometimes I just want to quit now because it becomes too overwhelming and difficult.

How do you know for sure whether the things they are telling you are"Jehovah's" rules or the rules made up but humans who started their own religion? You can prove just about anything if you know the right combination of scriptures to daisy chain together.

Deciding whether or not to be part of Christmas festivities at work is minor compared to the other things they'll want you to do. One of "Jehovah's rules" they'll expect you obey is to sacrifice your life or child's life (if you're a parent) should you have a medical emergency or surgery that requires a blood transfusion. My father died a horrible death in front of his 4 children and 5 grandchildren who were visiting him in a modern hospital full of professionals who were at the ready to save him. He died because he signed the Jehovah's Witness required "NO BLOOD TRANSFUSION" papers before having a surgery. Like you, he was only studying with the Witnesses at the time and the only thing he knew about blood transfusions was what he learned on his "Bible Study" with them. A couple of years later Jehovah's Witnesses changed "Jehovah's Rules" and decided it was ok to accept blood fractions but not whole blood. These fractions would have been enough to save my father.

Even though the elders told us that my Father will surely be resurrected in the "New System because he died upholding "Jehovah's Rules", they would not allow us (his JW family), to have his memorial service at the Kingdom Hall because he was "only studying" he wasn't a "Baptized member of the Congregation".

They used to say it was "Jehovah's rule" not to accept organ transplants or life saving vaccinations. Many JW children from years ago, contracted polio and other diseases because they were following "Jehovah's Rules" which were changed later when a newer generation of JW's realized the folly in these and other life altering beliefs that were in place at the time.

Funny how it is that " Jehovah's Rules" seems to always change along with whatever the current JW's believe.

OnTheWayOut

We can talk about learning much more before you get baptized later.
Right now, you need to think about a few things.

1. You are not a baptized JW, you are not subject to some heavy rules. You are slowly being manipulated with subtle mind control.

2. It is not interfaith to attend team functions, despite the fact that people at work use a religious holiday as their reason to gather. Ask yourself if they are actually involved in worship and some kind of inaccurate dispensing of false religious beliefs, or if they are blowing off steam at a time of year that people have chosen to do so.

"...because I may make excuses for participation in Worldly events."
Those are buzz words that go back to Number 1 above. Instead of you making decisions for yourself, JW's and the Watchtower will say you should decide, but then give reasons why you should do what they want you to do.

ShirleyW

I try my best to follow all of Jehovah's rules, but sometimes I just want to quit now because it becomes too overwhelming and difficult.

Just think about that sentence, ever hear of any religion that has so many crazy rules? There's only one God in heaven so think to yourself, why after just studying for a short while you are already having a bit of difficulty conforming. So, please keep this in mind, if you choose to go forward and actually become a JW your head will spin with all the things you used to do and say that you won't be permitted to do or say anymore.

zeb

So Christmas function. Is there singing of Christmas songs? No. will there by any of the traditional trappings of Christmas? No.

It is an end of year thing a marking of time announcements and some one saying a happy Christmas to you all.

That's it. HM of the others would regard the occasion as anything but secular?

Loosen up and take note of the other advice given here.

peace.

Live long and prosper.

smiddy3

What can I do?

What you can do is take the advise of all the above posters and get away from this mind controlling manipulative family destructive organization before you lose your self worth.

I gather you believe in a God ,OK ? no problem, he gave you a brain for you to use and make decisions for yourself in other words you are in control of your own destiny.

However if you get baptized as a JW you then give your brain over to those few men in America who will decide what you can do and what you can`t do in all activities of your life including your family ,friends.associates ,etc,etc,etc,

It does not happen all at once it is a slow process that they use to control all your activities.

It`s like the" Hotel California" you can enter but you will never leave on your own terms.

Save yourself the trouble and a lot of heartache

moreconfusedthanever

1 John 5:3 says God's commandments are not burdensome.

Matthew 11:30 says the yoke is kindly and the load is light.

If you are finding it overwhelming and difficult while you are still in the love bombing study stage alarm bells should be ringing.

BluesBrother

Nb . The way it works.... If you are unbaptized they cannot stop you sharing in Christmas, although if they wish to be difficult they could remove your status as a " publisher".

If you were baptized and they found out you could be in hot water with the congregation. In practice every Witness makes " concience decisions" over Holidays and some go further than others but definite involvement is forbidden, job or no job....

Is that the life you want? Do you want to follow men's rules forever? The Bible says nothing about it....

Work Christmas functions: Being a Bible Student (unbaptized)

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