Ponderings on the 'refreshing highlight' of tonight's meeting

by Mysterious 14 Replies latest jw friends

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  Mysterious

  The refreshing highlight in their opinion that "[Jehovah's Witnesses] are free from the snare of the Pagan traditions of today's holidays". The talk was of course about Christmas. I find it amusing how many times they mention Pagans or Paganism at the meetings, considering neither word is found in the NWT. (excluding footnotes in the reference bible). Should they not be dwelling more on the "truth" than on bashing everyone around them?

  The talk was laughable anyway, made me want to correct the speaker on more than one occasion. No doubt his research on Pagan customs associated with Christmas came right out of the Watchtower and nowhere else.
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  Gadget

  Should they not be dwelling more on the "truth" than on bashing everyone around them?

  Thats one of the mind control techniques. Instead of proving their own arguement, they discredit the otherside so that no matter what points they raise nobody pays any attention to them.
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  Maverick

  You could ask this WTS "expert" about wedding rings, or the calendar! What determines what is or is not acceptable pagan material? We both know the answer...Mommy,(WTS) not the Bible!
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  badboy

  Perhaps a book detailing the pagan origins of things +a few things u didn't know would b in order.
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  Euphemism

  Thats one of the mind control techniques. Instead of proving their own arguement, they discredit the otherside so that no matter what points they raise nobody pays any attention to them.

  You're right, Gadget... and that's why, even when you do point out the flaws, most JWs will say: "Well, where else will we go?" or "It's still closer to the truth than anything else out there."
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  blondie

  Jerry Garcia--

  Choosing the lesser of two evils, is still choosing evil.
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  heathen

  The WTBTS is correct on the tracing of the holidays to pagans . The word pagan may not be in the bible but it is not difficult to see in other historical information that ancient Rome did have these customs that were adopted by christianity . The celebration of the winter solstice and the birth of the new year were very popular in the pagan cultures and there is no evidence to support that jesus was born in late december but rather to the contrary . The guy did die 2000 years ago so I think the whole concept of celebrating his birth to mary and joseph is ridiculous . IMO
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  Outaservice

  EVERYTHING PRE-CHRISTIAN IS PAGAN!

  Outaservice
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  JT

  You could ask this WTS "expert" about wedding rings, or the calendar! What determines what is or is not acceptable pagan material? We both know the answer...Mommy,(WTS) not the Bible!

  excellent point the ref material that the wt uses LIST the very things above and i recall asking a fellow elder HOW DO WE DETERMINE Scriptually- and his answer was - IT IS SORTA like blood components we let the SLAVE DETERMINE it
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  seattleniceguy

  Isn't that such a strange concept? Pointing at the neighbors and saying, "Isn't it refreshing that we don't live like them? Look at those guys, they actually believe thus-and-such. How refreshing that we do not. How utterly refreshing that we have removed all traces of commonality to other humans from our own lives. In fact, the Greek word for 'refresh' (mam-me-le-ka') is actually related to the verb 'to turn up one's nose; to reject.' Meaningless elitism has always been a deep source of refreshment for true Christians."

  Heh heh, hope I wasn't too sarcastic there. :)