by Hecklerboy 9 Replies latest jw friends
Witnesses love to use the word "Pagan", but I think few really even know what the word means. I think most think of the word Pagan as referring to some Satan worshiping cult or other strange religion. They alway say they don't celebrate the holidays because of it Pagan origins. Yet they wear wedding bands and use the modern calendar, both of which are based on "Pagan" beliefs.
So what does "Pagan" really mean. Here's a quote from the dictionary:
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Yes I noticed that as well. I also noticed that even though they don't believe in the holidays, they will certainly take the day off with pay as they rest of us do!
To put it in simple terms:
Pagan = anything not written and approved by the WTB&TS
Mary--you beat me to it!
Yeah, and they will even take a Christmas bonus and take full advantage of Christmas and other holiday sales.
Seems a little hypacritical to me
In my experience, they hold hypocrasy in high regard!
Pagan = Anything that has a religious origin external to one's own religion.
This applies to any religion.
This comparrison can be done with any two or more religions in existance.
It is circular reasoning. "I am right and you are wrong. I know this because you are pagan and I am not. I know you are pagan because I am right."
I was lucky/unlucky enough to not have any other JWs in my school until 7th grade. One activity I saw nothing wrong with was coloring the flags of different countries around the world. He, however, told the teacher that WE couldn't do it. When she asked why he said "Because it's pagan." She blinked twice.
"Pagan...Okay."
I felt like slapping that kid across the face.
The negative and all-embracing concept of "paganism" is really the shadow each kind of monotheism, or "revealed religion", casts on everything else, including its own past.
When Josiah decided that only Yhwh could be worshipped only in the Jerusalem temple, all the old sanctuaries of Canaan-Israel instantaneously and retrospectively became "pagan".
When the monotheistic exilees came back from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, all the "people of the land" who had not been exiled and who went on worshipping in the old Israelite fashion became "pagan".
When Christianity became the state religion of the Roman empire, all the traditional religions and rituals everywhere became "pagan".
When Islam came up, Christianity became "pagan" to the Moslems.
When Protestantism came up, most of the Catholic religion became "pagan" to the Protestants.
When the JWs came up, all Christendom became "pagan" to them.
See how it works?
Narkissos.... That was awesome!
