by Robert_V_Frazier 28 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Does anyone know of any specific cases of Jehovah's Witnesses who were disfellowshipped because of celebrating any of the forbidden holidays -- Christmas, Easter, birthdays, etc? I have a discussion going with a Jehovah's Witness who claims that he doesn't know of anyone ever being DFed over that.
Thanks in advance,
Robert V Frazier
Unit 5a of the Flock Book defines this as "Apostasy":
Apostasy.
Apostasy is a standing away from, a falling away, defec-
tion, rebellion, abandonment; it involves teaching false
doctrines, supporting or promoting false religion and its
holidays or interfaith activities. (Deut. 13:13, 15; Josh.
22:22, ftn.; Acts 21:21, ftn.; 2 Cor. 6:14, 15, 17, 18;
2. John 7, 9, 10; Rev. 18:4)
Celebrating a false religious holiday would be similar to
performing any other act of false worship. (Jer. 7:16-19)
I had a friend that was disfellowshipped for having a birthday party for her son. She was inactive at the time, so the elders tracked her down until they finally cornered her as she was getting out of her car at the grocery store. They literally turned around and followed her after passing her on the street!
*** The Truth that Leads to Eternal Life chap. 16 pp. 140-150 Popular Customs That Displease God ***
Chapter
16Popular
Customs That Displease GodEASTER
AND CHRISTMAS18
Easter is Christendom?s chief religious holiday, said to be held in memory of Christ?s being raised from the dead. But did Christ give a command to celebrate his resurrection? No, he did not. History books tell us that Easter was not celebrated by early Christians and that it is based on ancient pagan practices. The Encyclop?dia Britannica says:"There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament. . . . The sanctity of special times was an idea absent from the minds of the first Christians."
Dr. Alexander Hislop says of Easter customs:
"The popular observances that still attend the period of its celebration amply confirm the testimony of history as to its Babylonian character. The hot cross buns of Good Friday, and the dyed eggs of Pasch or Easter Sunday, figured in the Chaldean [Babylonian] rites just as they do now."
The word "Easter" that appears once in the King James Bible at Acts 12:4 is a wrong translation for the word "passover." "Easter" appears nowhere in the Catholic Douay Bible. Christendom?s chief holiday, Easter, therefore finds no support at all in the Bible. It is of pagan origin, and therefore displeasing to God.
19
What about Christmas? By checking reference works in a public library, you will find that it was unknown among the earliest Christians. Jesus instructed his followers to observe a memorial of his death, not of his birth. (1 Corinthians 11:24-26) Says The Catholic Encyclopedia: "Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the church. . . . The first evidence of the feast is from Egypt."20
What, then, of the date December 25, celebrated by many as the birthday of Christ? It could not have been the date of Jesus? birth. The Bible shows that at the time shepherds were still in the fields at night. As the Encyclop?dia Britannica (1907, Vol. V, p. 611) acknowledges, they would not have been there in the cold, rainy season of winter. (Luke 2:8-12) As for the origin of the date, The World Book Encyclopedia says:"In A.D. 354, Bishop Liberius of Rome ordered the people to celebrate on December 25. He probably chose this date because the people of Rome already observed it as the Feast of Saturn, celebrating the birthday of the sun."
21
Since the date of Christmas is of pagan origin, it should not seem strange that the customs of Christmas are also of pagan origin. Thus the Encyclop?dia of Religion and Ethics tells us:"Most of the Christmas customs now prevailing . . . are not genuine Christian customs, but heathen customs which have been absorbed or tolerated by the Church. . . . The Saturnalia in Rome provided the model for most of the merry customs of the Christmas time."
Also, The Encyclopedia Americana points out that among the customs borrowed from the pagan Roman feast of Saturnalia was "the giving of gifts."
22 There is no escaping it: Christmas is of pagan origin. Knowing this, we should pay attention to the apostle Paul?s warning against mixing the true and the false. He says that even "a little leaven ferments the whole lump." (Galatians 5:9) He reproved some of the early Christians for observing days that had been kept under the law of Moses but that God had canceled for Christians. (Galatians 4:10, 11) How much more important it is for true Christians today to shun a celebration that was never authorized by God, that stems from pagan Babylon, and that falsely bears the name of Christ!
FINER THAN PAGAN CELEBRATIONS23 True Christians have something finer than pagan celebrations. They have the "fruitage of the spirit," which is "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22, 23) This fruitage produces a generosity that is much more beautiful and genuine than the "Christmas spirit" that blooms just once a year. God?s spirit produces kindness and unselfishness that can plainly be seen every day of the year. This prompts Christians to give, not with the hope of repayment or because they are pressured into it, but out of genuine Christian love.?Luke 6:35, 36; Acts 20:35.
24 Real Christians can give gifts and have good times together throughout the year. (Luke 6:38) Parents do not have to wait for birthdays or for Christmas, but they can bring gifts to their children at various times during the year. This makes for many happy occasions instead of one or two. Further, the children know that it is their parents who are giving them the gifts, doing so out of love for them. This helps to cement the bond of love between parents and children. Moreover, children are not encouraged to be unthankful to man or God, because of thinking that they are entitled to receive gifts on certain days.?Colossians 3:14.
25 Learning the truth about the pagan origins of popular customs can have a marvelous liberating effect. No longer do we feel obligated to follow practices that have proved to be a burden, financially and otherwise, to people of the world. And, most important, our knowing the truth frees us to pursue the course that is pleasing to Jehovah, so that we may find everlasting life in his righteous new system.?John 8:32; Romans 6:21, 22.
[Footnotes]2 Paralipomenon 34:3, 4, Dy.
The Encyclop?dia Britannica, 1910, Vol. VIII, p. 828.The Two Babylons, pp. 107, 108.See modern Bible translations of Acts 12:4 or The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, p. 145.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1908, Vol. III, p. 724.The World Book Encyclopedia, 1966, Vol. 3, p. 416.Encyclop?dia of Religion and Ethics, by James Hastings, Vol. III, pp. 608, 609.The Encyclopedia Americana, 1956, Vol. VI, p. 622. [Study Questions]1. By seeking to please God, do we gain or lose?
2. What determines whether a popular custom is wrong?
3. (a) What warning did Jehovah give his people against pagan religious customs? (b) How can we be helped to apply the counsel found at Romans 12:2
4. What does The Catholic Encyclopedia admit about the cross?
5. What does the book The Ancient Church say about the pagan origin of the cross?
6. Where did the cross have its origin, and of what god was it a symbol?
7. (a) According to the Bible book of Acts, was Jesus put to death on a two-beamed cross? (b) How do ancient Greek writers use the word that is translated "cross" in some Bible versions?
8. When did the use of the cross begin among professed Christians? And why did they adopt a pagan sign?
9. (a) Is it normal to cherish an instrument used to murder a loved one? (b) If one has been using a cross, what decision must he make? What will help in making the right decision?
10. (a) How far back does the use of religious images, shrines and pictures date? (b) In this connection, what questions deserve our consideration?
11. (a) Did God allow the ancient Israelites to use religious images as aids to devotion? (b) Why did the early Christians also avoid the use of images?
12. How did images of Christ get started? So, did early Christians have images of Jesus? mother?
13. (a) What determines whether a statue or picture displeases God? (b) What is the origin of the halo or "nimbus"?
14. What did faithful servants of God in the past do when they found such false religious items in their midst?
15. (a) Are holidays that give worshipful honors to creatures pleasing to God? (b) Holidays in memory of the "spirits of the dead" are based on what false doctrine? So, what is the truth about All Souls? Day?
16. (a) What is wrong with holidays or celebrations that honor nations or worldly institutions? (b) How do the Scriptures show what course Christians should take?
17. (a) At a birthday celebration, who is exalted as the center of attention? (b) Who are the only persons whose birthday celebrations are reported in the Bible? (c) How did the early Christians view birthday celebrations?
18. (a) Did the early Christians celebrate Easter? (b) What is the origin of Easter?s popular customs? (c) Does the Easter celebration find any support at all in the Bible?
19. (a) Was Christmas celebrated by the earliest Christians? (b) What memorial did Jesus instruct his followers to keep?
20. (a) How do the facts show that Jesus could not have been born in the cold of winter? (b) When was the date December 25 chosen, and why that date?
21. What do the facts of history show as to the origin of most of the Christmas customs?
22. (a) How should Galatians 5:9 influence our attitude toward Christmas? (b) For what sound reasons do true Christians shun the celebration?
23. What do true Christians have that is finer than the once-a-year "Christmas spirit"?
24. (a) When do real Christians give gifts and have good times together? (b) How is this better than what the world does?
25. Learning the truth about popular customs frees us from what, and with what goal in view?
*** Watchtower 00 1/1 p. 9 Serving With the Watchman ***
For example, in the 1920?s many Bible Students wore a pin featuring a cross-and-crown emblem, and they celebrated Christmas and other pagan holidays. However, for worship to be pure, all vestiges of idolatry must be discarded. God?s Word, the Holy Bible, must be the sole basis of the Christian?s faith and way of life. (Isaiah 8:19, 20; Romans 15:4) It is wrong to add to God?s Word or to take anything away from it.?Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18, 19.
I disfellowshipped somebody for having a christmas tree in their home
I know of 2 couples who were disassociated for celebrating Christmas. I don't think it's a df'ing issue. If you celebrate the holidays, you obviously don't consider yourself to be a JW, so they make the announcement. I believe it's in the elder book. I would look it up, but don't know where it is exactly.
I found it on page 95 of the 1991 version of the Elder's manual. It says "Celebrating a false religious holiday would be similar to performing any other act of false worship." Just before that it says that if a member joins another church and intend to remain, then a brief announcement is to be made stating the person has disassociated himself. I think you are to assume the same thing applies to those celebrating holidays.
My career JW father told me no one is shunned for their sin. They are shunned for non repentance. So, taking that view, a JW could say no one is shunned for any sin or anything except non repentance and would be technically correct if deceptive. It's another element of theocratic war strategy.
It's just like saying no one is shunned for taking blood medical treatment. They are shunned because they left the employment of the publishing corporation. The way they left the employment of the publishing corporation was by taking blood medical treatment which is against the rules if people want to continue to be not shunned. It's just weasel words by a weasel corporation.
Of course the shunning by corporation employees is up to their individual conscience. And alternative service was never a shunning offense, and organ transplants were always a conscience matter as were vaccinations and they never wrote anything at all about 1975, they never protect pedophiles and they really did need that United Nations library card.
I disfellowshipped somebody for having a christmas tree in their home
I've always wondered about this. Can a JW be disfellowshipped if he is the only one living in his home who is JW? For example, if a JW woman has a non-JW husband and the husband insists on having a Christmas tree, can the wife be disfellowshipped? If not, what other sanctions or penalties might she face? Would she be "encouraged" to either get her husband to convert or divorce him? Iz
