Looking for answers from those more schooled than I

by sassafrass 5 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  sassafrass

  OK, although though I was raised in the JW belief system the entirety of my childhood my parents were Jack-Jehovahs witnesses if you will and I was never fully immersed in the whole system. We went when felt like it, I was allowed to fall asleep during meetings, we never went door to door, I was never baptised and so on. Sooo I never had a real solid understanding of the reasons behind why we believed certain things. Recently these 3 things came up in conversation and I found I could not accurately recall the basis behind them:

  1. Why we don't celebrate X-mas

  2. Why we don't celebrate birthdays

  3. The biblical reasons we were against blood transfusions

  Would anyone care to give me a refresher course?
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  Valis

  http://quotes.watchtower.ca/blood.htm
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  AlmostAtheist

  http://www.thebentinel.com/jw-birthdays.html
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  GetBusyLiving

  1. Why we don't celebrate X-mas

  A. You were in a cult.

  2. Why we don't celebrate birthdays

  A. You were in a cult.

  3. The Biblical reasons why we don't accept blood transfusions

  A. You were in a cult.
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  Brummie

  1. Why we don't celebrate X-mas

  Because Jesus was born in October (between 1st-4th of Oct), Shepards where out in the fields so It couldnt have been the very cold December it musta been earlier! December 25th originated with the Sun God and is therefore pagan. The Bible does not give us command to celebrate his birthday, there is no date for his birth. (all of these could be refuted, but this is the JW reasons)

  2. Why we don't celebrate birthdays

  Because it is wrong to worship a person on a particular day of the year (roll eyes)! Eccles says better is the end than the beginning of a thing! Also The only birthdays celebrated in the bible were celebrated by pagans and peoples heads were chopped off! Hence, birthdays are like totally wrong! way uncool! Again, no christians celebrated birthdays in olden times. (All this is according to the WTower, and can be refuted).

  3. The biblical reasons we were against blood transfusions

  Because blood is sacred and the only action to take when blood leaves the body is to pour it on the ground. Levit, 11-17, forbids the taking of blood of any sort! Acts 15:28-29 Paul and the Holy Spirit forbid the use of blood. Other reasons: You could get the personality of the murderer who has given blood. Aids, STDS ect
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  peacefulpete

  The real reason is simply because these involve sacrificing for the religious cause and this results in personal investment in the group. Also being different reinforces the psycological isolation from the rest of society. There are many many things they could have focused upon (and they do forbid much more than these three) but there is a tradition behind each of these doctrines. Early Russelites being attracted to fringe concepts like pyramids and demonology also tended to distrust science and convention. They had strange ideas about medicine and doctors. This easily led to the blood transfusion and immunization doctrine. and the interpretation of Acts 15 without understanding it's cultural context. Holidays and Birthdays are similar in that as the group became more intolerant of other faiths they adopted new doctrine and behavior that further isolated them from these other faiths. They once celebrated both birthdays and Christmas. The Bible itself says Job celebrated his childrens 'days'. Christmas is full of tradition that was adopted from surrounding religious cult it is true, yet why draw a line and stop there? Many of the NT traditions themselves were drawn from the religious environment of the time. Modern Christians believe in a loving and selfless way of living not a ridgid body of doctrine, rules and ritual.