I seem to remember reading more than a few times how Christmas was celebrated in the "old days" along with wearing the lapel pin with the cross & crown insignia. Seems Christmas got the boot from Rutherford but was celebrated for a while in Brooklyn and even had some pictures from one of the parties.
Problem is, I can't seem to find anything. I checked the "Quotes" site and a couple others I use for reference but nothing there. I did find a picture of an old WT with the cross & crown emblem on the cover but it's hard to see in detail. Still nothing about Christmas.
What I did last night while visiting my JW girlfriend was let my mouth overload my brain to one of her congregation who was there reading the "Daily Text." It was about jehovah's righteous punishment of David (or some such nonsense). I said (I just had to pipe in...) that it seemed that David got to have his woman's husband killed, commit adultery and be a general sleaze while the baby got killed for it. Not justice in my book.
The JW lady shrieked "jehovah didn't kill the baby ... he only allowed it to die!" WTF? What's the big difference? Not killing a baby but allowing it to die seems pretty similar to me. And still it was the baby getting dead for his philandering father's deeds.
We went back & forth a bit her taking jehovah's side and telling me how truly, heartfelt sorry David was so that made it OK. I said heartfelt sorry or not the baby was still killed (I just had to use that word again to rile her up) and David was alive.
Then we sort of tapered off and she was preparing to leave telling my G/F to keep witnessing to me so that she might remove Satan's blinders from me. (!!!) Satan?! I said "no way, Satan was a myth" (I know, bad tactics again...) and told her I could show her things she would never believe. She really stressed at my query about 1914 in the bible itself.
I don't know how she arrived at christmas celebrations but my mouth was already used to overloading my brain by this time so I blurted out that the JWs used to celebrate christmas themselves in the old days. She said "No way!" this time and I told her I had seen articles AND pictures in a WT somewhere. She said she'd have to see that so that is why I am trying to find the articles/pictures of christmas at bethel to give her.
Can anyone out there help my brain to overload my mouth this time? Any help, sites or links appreciated. Thanks a bunch! (That's my brain talking.)
Robert
Christmas celebration in old days
by robhic 4 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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robhic
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love2Bworldly
I remember seeing some info on a website "Watch the Tower" by Paul Blizzard.
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mrsjones5
way back when jws did celebrate jws, it's just that most who are in it now dont know that historic fact and refuse to believe that jws ever did celebrate christmas. here's what I have found and there is tons more info out there:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2919/ for a picture of jws celebrating christmas
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peacefulpete
Pictures do exist of Russel at Chrstmas at Bethel but it is not likely to be reproduced for obvious reasons. However thye have a number of times admitted it in modern literature, perhaps the Proclaimers book . They use it as an excuse for their leaders having been arrested for treason, ie Jehovah was punishing them. Intersting that they feel admitting to Christmas (a supposed sin against god) was less damning then admit to having engaged in teasonous activity (a sin against the State). However they also use the use of the cross for this excuse concealing that they continued to use it for years after the release from prison.
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robhic
Thanks to all for the replies. I went to the site Mrs. Jones (I keep hearing Billy Paul's "Me & Mrs. Jones" in my head) posted and ended up somewhere where there were pictures from 1926 Christmas celebration at Bethel with 4 members of the GB (Knorr, Franz, Henschel and da Judge) in the picture. I suppose the "true believers" will say the picture is either fake or doctored but it's cool to have anyway.
I also have a WT quote from 1906 that I doubt will get much attention because it's so old and obviously printed under old, inferior light. New light against Christmas would obviously prevail. But, again, it's cool to have it is needed.
Thanks for the tips,
Robert