Are birthdays now a "conscience matter" for JWs?

by Elsewhere 49 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  damselfly

  Such a thoughtful uncle!

  Send the microscope to arrive on her Birthday, include a "Thinking of You on Your Special Day" card. You know the ones that are obviously about a birthday but don't say birthday on them? ( or maybe you don't and I just spend a lot of time in card shops! ). Write a lovely message about how 12 is wonderful age. Gush about everything without saying the word 'Birthday'

  Personally my JW mom calls on my birthday every year and says "Happy Birthday". She just says it in a very lighthearted manner, I guess that makes a difference?

  Dams
• 

  Leolaia

  That being said however, the articles on the pinata and on windchimes pretty much shoots down the reasoning behind why birthdays aren't allowed. But that still doesn't mean that it's a conscience matter either.

  In addition to the piñata and windchimes articles, don't forget also their articles on "luaus", in which they tried to downplay their "pagan origins":

  ***g03 4/8 p. 30 From Our Readers ***

  [W]hile the luau may at one time have had a connection with false religious practices, the word now has simply come to refer to a Hawaiian banquet. A specific gathering to which the word "luau" is applied may or may not be appropriate for a Christian to attend. As in all aspects of life, Christians should make decisions that will leave them with a clear conscience before Jehovah God.

  Compare with the statement on piñatas:

  ***g03 9/22 pp. 23-24 The Piñata—An Ancient Tradition***

  We found that for many people in Mexico, the piñata has lost its religious significance and is considered by most to be just harmless fun. In fact, piñatas are used in Mexico on many festive occasions, not just for the posadas or for birthdays.

  Of course, it can easily be said that birthday cakes and Christmas presents have also long since "lost its [pagan] religious significance" and no longer "have a connection" with "false religious practices". It looks like whoever was editing the Awake!, in trying to find interesting filler material for the magazine, gave coverage to seemingly innocent practices that would normally be condemned by the Tower....and screwed up twice. I wonder if the decision to reduce the amount of material in the Awake! (by making it monthly) and make it cover more biblical topics has anything to do with this?
• 

  BluesBrother

  "ORGANIZED TO DO JEHOVAH'S WILL" pre baptism questions p206 , revised 2005;

  Q) What birthday celebrations are mentioned in the Bible? How does this affect your view of birthday celebrations ?

  A) (summarized) described Herods birthday and the death of John the Baptist. & refs to Gen 40.20.22 & Eccl 7 1& 8"Better the day of death than than the day of ones being born"

  [NB I used to use that scripture in a public talk , it has nothing to do with birthdays .. ]

  Anyway , i think it is evident that birthdays are still out of bounds for dubs. But as to how any parent will react if a surprise present arrives in the post? I guess that is a personal decision
• 

  steve2

  I guess it's less difficult doing certain disapproved things if you just don't call them what they actually are. If you're a JW, do something special on your own or anyone else's birthday, but just don't call it a birthday. Simple. That way, you can have your (birthday) cake and eat it!
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  Cordelia

  i always thought the reasons why we cant celebrate birthdays was stupid! but wish id not read all this thread now coz im going to sironas 30th party on saturday, and am at the hall in the morning while they dicuss my reinstatement letter! mad or what!
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  kid-A

  Must be a regional ban! Jeez, celebrating birthdays was comparable to satan worship in my WTS locale!
• 

  upside/down

  Birthday celebrations are the spawn of Satan.....

  Cake and ice cream, decorations, gifts, songs of mirth, children laughing and having a good time....

  No one but Devil the Satan could come up with something so diabolical!

  u/d(of the if you do it, Big J will destroy you class)
• 

  steve2

  So, it's not okay to celebrate the birthday of your life, but it's okay to celebrate the birthday of your marriage (because it's called an anniversary rather than birthday)? I could never understand why the Watchtower disapproved of one but approved of the other.
• 

  rem

  >> The latest publication, "What the Bible Really Teaches" on page 159 subheading: DO ORIGINS REALLY MATTER?, paragraph 12 says: "Maybe you feel that the origins of holidays have little to do with how they are celebrated today. Do origins really matter? Yes! To illustrate: Suppose you saw a piece of candy lying in the gutter. Would you pick up that candy and eat it? Of course not! That candy is unclean. Like that candy, holidays may seem sweet, but they have been picked up from unclean places. To take a stand for true worship, we need to have a viewpoint like that of the prophet Isaiah, who told true worshippers: "Touch nothing unclean."-Isaiah 52:11"
  
  Wow, that has to be one of the most brain-dead arguments... ever. Comparing birthday celebrations to picking up candy from a gutter? Are we supposed to be six years old or something?
  
  And what the hell does Isaiah 52:11 have to do with celebrations that may have had religious or "bad" significance in the past but not today? Absolutely nothing.
  
  What an intellectually insulting religion. I guess they don't expect anyone to actually read the supporting scriptures and keep them honest.
  
  rem
• 

  Cygnus

  rem, good to see you old buddy. My thoughts exactly, how could anyone with half a brain regurgitate that braindeadedness as "truth" to other people. Some JWs have "appreciation days" on or near a person's (or even pet's!) b-day, complete with balloons and gifts. I know none of my JW family ever objected to a b-day being recognized. Guess I come from a liberal but tough family.... i.e. if the elders ever come after any of us we always stick up for each other. That also goes for me not getting shunned even though I'm DF'd, and the reaming out my Dad gave "the brothers" when they weren't doing their job helping my poor old grandmother a few years back. My exJW brother was there and said it was great; my dad nearly had those elders in tears he made them feel like such jerks, which they are.

  And they have to tell Mexicans and Hawaiians if pinatas and luaus are "OK." My god!