Bashing Christmas VS. Bashing the "Memorial"...what's the difference?

by gumby 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  gumby

  If a baptist minister.....knocked on the door of a Kingdom Hall on "Memorial" night, and said...."Good evening, I know your probably busy at this time so i'll be breif. Since many celebrate the 'Lord death' at this time of the year, many wonder how many true christians should actually partake of the emblems that are passed around? We would like to offer you a pamphlet to read when you have time, and come back when it's convienent and discuss this further" .....( offers them a pamphlet)

  Is this any different than two dubs walking up to a door decorated with wreaths, and christmas lights hanging off the eves, and many cars around from visiting relatives,....to knock on a door on christmas morning at 10am. and say to the person opening the door to a room full of people...."Good morning, i'm know your probably busy right now and so i'll be brief. We know this is a time of year when people are celebrating the birth of christ and we were asking people a question..........and that is.......Does Christmas truely have have gods blessing? We are offering our latest issue of our Watchtower and Awake magazines, and the Awake has an article that discusses this subject. (Takes finger and points at article) Perhaps at a more convienent time I can come back and we can discuss this further"? ( offers magazines)

  So.....is there a difference?

  Gumby
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  Gretchen956

  Well other than the obvious one of calling at a public location versus private home, no there is so difference.

  Gretchen
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  Funchback

  There is no difference except one's a house and one is a house of worship.

  But dead-on that they are both celebrations that are important to the one's celebrating it.

  Good analogy, gumby!
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  Amazing

  Hi Gumby,
  

  Interesting question and illustration. Celebrating Christmas was never mandated by Christ or the Apostles. Memorializing the death of Jesus Christ is specifically mandated Jesus Christ. So, technically, there is a difference.

  The approach and style you describe shows little difference ... and either way, a JW or a Christian could be offended or troubled by someone challenging their practice.

  That said, there is also no mandate against celebrating Christmas, and the birth of Christ is spoken of in glowing terms in the Bible ... so this celebration seems to be a matter of personal decision. The JWs have a false Memorial of Jesus Christ in that they confine it to a limited number, to celebrating it only once a year, and they ritualize it beyond what the Bible teaches ... so by their corruption of Jesus mandate, they add to the evidence that they are a false Christian religion.

  Jim W.
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  Sentinel

  I seriously doubt if our creators are concerned about how we enjoy our social events, or what we use to signify such events, like specific dates. Humans are very concerned with "time", but I doubt the creators have a calendar like we do, nor a clock on the wall.

  If people gather together and are happy and it makes them feel good about themselves, and they take care of the less fortunate and practice good qualities, I don't think it matters. If having the Memorial is what JW's do, then they can do it. It doesn't offend me. It is an old practice from an old religion that some feel is still necessary. Religion is way off track. Let's face it, Christmas has less and less to do with Jesus, and everyone except JW's seems to enjoy it. (Even Jews--go figure)

  I truly don't really care what someone else does or doesn't do, as long as they don't throw it in my face, or try to make me feel guilty. JW's do seem to have a problem granting others that courtesy. I don't want to bash anyone else for their belief structure--JW's included. I just want them to respect me as I respect them. If we constantly "bash" them and talk disrespectfully here, then we make ourselves just like them.
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  robhic

  I seriously doubt if our creators are concerned about how we enjoy our social events, or what we use to signify such events, like specific dates. Humans are very concerned with "time", but I doubt the creators have a calendar like we do, nor a clock on the wall.

  Good point. If a parent would demand that their children glorify him or her continuously under threat of punishment -- eternal punishment at that! -- how would that be viewed? I suspect most people seeing or hearing of this situation would conclude that this is a severely dysfunctional family.

  In a normal family the antics and activities of the children are a source of amusement, pride, joy and other emotions. Sure there are some bad things but they are dealt with and you move on if at all possible. The parents "parent" and the kids act like kids until they're grown and move out (hopefully ). The parents like to see their kids having fun or doing things. They don't demand constant adoration and attention from the kids.

  It's like JWs forbid Mother's and Father's day but like to think they practice "Heavenly Father's Day" every day 365 days a year! What's up with that?

  Robert
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  gumby

  Memorializing the death of Jesus Christ is specifically mandated Jesus Christ. So, technically, there is a difference.

  There is if you think like a dub.

  Your forgetting the illusration. The baptist, is preaching a biblical message of the wrongness of limiting the amount of partakers of the emblems that christ said ALL could partake of, who believed and accepted him. I would think that god would see that as much worse, ....than a christian celebrating something they were't instructed to celebrate.A christian can celebrate ANYTHING they want, if it's to give god glory (according to the bible that is)

  You make it sound as though a dub is more in the right than the baptist minister. Your still not a "closet annointed JW" in your heart are ya Jim?

  Gumby
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  gumby

  Hello?

  Gumby
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  r51785

  Amazing points out that the JW's have a false memorial. I think it goes beyond this. The memorial as practiced by JW's is nothing more than a ritualized denial of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus. The bread and wine are passed the vast majority of JW's publicly refuse to partake. They do this to follow the commandments of the ones who they truly regard as their "Christ" -- the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses. They ascribe their salvation not to the blood of Jesus but to the obedience to policies and procedures of the Watchtower Printing Company.
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  NeonMadman

  Back in 1973, I remember passing out the Kingdom News tract, "Has Religion Betrayed God and Man?" on Christmas morning. In those days, the tracts were passed out without a "sermon" as such, you just rang the doorbell and when the householder answered, you handed him/her the tract, saying something like, "I have an important message for you. Please read this." Then you booked for the next house.

  At one house, as I walked away, I heard the man of the house (into whose hand I had just thrust the vital message) say, "You people got a lotta stones!" At the time, I thought it was hilarious. Now I realize he may have had a point.