Doesn't that just show that the rulers were evil? They could have done either good or evil, and they both chose to do evil.
well this brings up an interesting point...
the argument is that birthdays were only celebrated by pagans but the first beheading was done by pharoah...
pharoah was not a pagan since there was no distinguishing in place...the jews did not exist since joseph was in egypt as prisoner at this time and his family was just large but not yet a nation.
this pharoah was the kind man that gave them refuge during the famine and then allowed them to become a nation..he was not the same pharoah who refused to let them leave and brought about the 10 plagues.
the man that was beheaded was in prison and we can presume was there because he had commited a crime..we are not told what but it could well have been one that carried a death penalty (even by jewish standards - wonder how many jews were 'legitimately' executed on someone's birthday) and yet on the same day this cruel evil pagan man pardoned another prisoner so maybe the message is good and bad celebrated birthdays and good and bad things happened so there is no answer as to whether someone should or shouldn't celebrate - just decide for yourself..you are an adult with thinking ability - use it.
jws use the argument that anyone who read the bible would not conclude that god was a trinity...but in all honesty how many would read it and conclude that birthdays were totally forbidden.
i think the only conclusion that could be made is that murder is wrong...not sure we really need the bible to tell us that
