by Latte 45 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Recent articles have stated that many things once forbidden are now a conscience matter.A wife could shop for her husband for holiday goods and dinners and join him in celebrating family gatherings during these festivities.Its all up to your conscience now! What a turn around,it is what these things mean to you now ,not what they were hundreds of years ago.
Back in the twenties the Society celebrated birthdays,xmas and holidays.Maybe they are returning to the god old days.
Yes, but don't forget that this is an Awake! article which is sanitized for public consumption, not the Watchtower "manna from heaven" .
They also wrote in that article "It is wise to AVOID turning such matters into BIG ISSUES." That's what they themselves were always doing in the past.Now,what brings this change of heart?
Blueblades
I don't think we can draw the conclusion that the Watchtower Society is changing its views on birthdays. The article merely pointed out the use of the pinatas in Mexico during birthday celebrations. Undoubtedly, the use of it during social gatherings was in question. And that is what is left up to the decision of those attending such gatherings.
It is worthy to note, though, that many JWs often celebrate "special days" to make up for the losses of birthdays, holidays, etc. It may be on such occasions that pinatas are used.
However, I do agree that the suggestion that such things should be viewed as they are now and not as they were a hundred years ago can have great implications for many things. (Wind chimes, for example?)
And those of us who raised our families in the day when these things were forbidden and denied our children the joy of these celebrations.What about this?The lost years of childhood.
(Wind chimes, for example?)
lol - ok I give up, what's wrong with wind chimes?
closer
Funny how they've done this. Even though by their own mouth, it is now ok... JW's are in such fear of "the next guy up the line" that I think for the most part, they will find a way to look at these words as totatally specific to pinatas (and not include birthdays).
Yes, the society is backing away from birthdays. 10 years ago or so (pretty sure it was a 1983 WT QFR), they basically said the exact same thing, in a discussion of birthdays, and yet managed to still paint birthdays as bad (even though their words, up to the last line, were just as clear as those in this current Awake). The article went something like this:
"Of course, christians are not concerned with what pagan connotations a tradition had hundreds of years ago....." and yet, the last paragraph or so said, "Of course, mature Christians would not want to do anything that might stumble...."
But yeah, I think this is as far as they'll go. They'd love to have witnesses just do it, w/o noticing how wrong they were all along.
Closer, If I remember correctly, the original windchimes were hung out to keep evil spirits from entering the house. Or something like that
A main concern is, not what it meant hundreds of years ago, but how it is viewed today in your area . Understandably, opinions may vary from one place to another. Hence, it is wise to avoid turning such matters into big issues.
Good post. Maybe they are catching on to to the idea that most people aren't pagans just because they do something that a pagan once did. I remember an article similar to this about toasting drinks....it is now allowed..when I was growing up it wasn't. Wind chimes....yes, I gave a beatiful set to my parents and they dismantled them. That was the first time thatI was told how awful chimes are.
A main concern is, not what it meant hundreds of years ago, but how it is viewed today in your area .
Ok....let's be honest.
If you were to ask ANYONE........how is a birthday viewed today? What answer would you get?
Would people say..." well, in my area...we like to idolize people on their birthday, and put them on a pedastal, and give undue importance to them". Then we have a cake with candles on it so we won't get any demons comin to the party. We have the victim blow on the candles and make a wish we TRUELY believe will come true. After that......we chop off the head of someone and finish the night with a wild orgy".
Gumby
