Posts by bats in the belfry

47

Can anyone prove that birthday celebrations are forbidden by God?

by FaithfulBrother in

i know that there is no mention of any birthday celebrations in the bible besides the two which were celebrated by non-believers.

and it just so happened that on each of these events, someone died (one non-believer and one believer).

but does it mean that just because the bible mentions these two events, that all birthday celebrations are forbidden?

bats in the belfry

Amelia Ashton >> Job 1:1-4 (...) This sounds to me like a Birthday Party!

When they have no explanation / clue in justifying it biblically, then the festivity supposedly was just a happening. Evidently and unquestionably the week-long birthday celebration is a type of partying the geriatrics of the GB would never understand. Nor would they ever fathom each son having a birthday party, inviting each other over to celebrate. Remember: They are doomsday oriented! No fun.

Persons who think so sometimes point to Job 1:4 and Hosea 7:5. The first of these texts mentions Job’s seven sons holding “a banquet at the house of each one on his own day.” The second tells of Israelite princes ‘sickening themselves because of wine’ at a festival “on the day of our king.” Were these festive occasions birthday parties? Evidently not. Professor G. Margoliouth writes in Hastings’ Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics: “The occasion of the feasting referred to in Job 14f. is not clear. As the seven days appear to have been consecutive, they could hardly have been birthdays.” “The mention of the ‘day of our king’ in Hos 7:5 may quite naturally be taken to refer to the anniversary of the king’s accession to the throne.”

g76 7/8 p. 27 - What About Celebrating Birthdays?

When Job’s sons “held a banquet at the house of each one on his own day” it should not be supposed that they were celebrating their birthdays. (Job 1:4) “Day” in this verse translates the Hebrew word yohm and refers to a period of time from sunrise to sunset. On the other hand, “birthday” is a compound of the two Hebrew words yohm (day) and hul·le′dheth. The distinction between “day” and one’s birthday may be noted in Genesis 40:20, where both expressions appear: “Now on the third day [yohm] it turned out to be Pharaoh’s birthday [literally, “the day (yohm) of the birth (hul·le′dheth) of Pharaoh”].” So it is certain that Job 1:4 does not refer to a birthday, as is unquestionably the case at Genesis 40:20. It would seem that Job’s seven sons held a family gathering (possibly a spring or harvest festival) and as the feasting made the week-long circuit, each son hosted the banquet in his own house “on his own day.”

it-1 p. 319 - Birthday

47

Can anyone prove that birthday celebrations are forbidden by God?

by FaithfulBrother in

i know that there is no mention of any birthday celebrations in the bible besides the two which were celebrated by non-believers.

and it just so happened that on each of these events, someone died (one non-believer and one believer).

but does it mean that just because the bible mentions these two events, that all birthday celebrations are forbidden?

bats in the belfry

stillstuckcruz >> "glorify an individual instead of God"

...well, so is taking pictures with GB members. Now what?

47

Can anyone prove that birthday celebrations are forbidden by God?

by FaithfulBrother in

i know that there is no mention of any birthday celebrations in the bible besides the two which were celebrated by non-believers.

and it just so happened that on each of these events, someone died (one non-believer and one believer).

but does it mean that just because the bible mentions these two events, that all birthday celebrations are forbidden?

bats in the belfry

... to answer your question: NO.

Only by insinuation you will get a warped idea about God either favors or disfavors it.

47

Can anyone prove that birthday celebrations are forbidden by God?

by FaithfulBrother in

i know that there is no mention of any birthday celebrations in the bible besides the two which were celebrated by non-believers.

and it just so happened that on each of these events, someone died (one non-believer and one believer).

but does it mean that just because the bible mentions these two events, that all birthday celebrations are forbidden?

bats in the belfry

Does your conscience need prodding? ... or do you feel strong enough to decide for yourself?

When a Christian must decide whether or not to follow a certain custom, his main concern should be, What is God’s viewpoint as expressed in the Bible? In the past God condemned certain practices that may have been tolerated in some communities. These included child sacrifice, the misuse of blood, and various sexual practices. (Leviticus 17:13, 14; 18:1-30; Deuteronomy 18:10) Likewise, certain customs that are common today are clearly not in harmony with Bible principles. Among these are non-Biblical traditions connected with religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter or with superstitious practices related to spiritism.

But what about customs that may once have been linked to questionable practices but that today are primarily viewed as social etiquette? For example, many popular wedding customs—including the exchanging of rings and the eating of cake—may have pagan origins. Does this mean that Christians are forbidden to observe such customs? Are Christians required to scrutinize meticulously each custom of the community to see whether somewhere or at some time it had negative connotations?

Paul points out that “where the spirit of Jehovah is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17; James 1:25) God wants us to use this freedom, not as an inducement for selfish cravings, but to train our perceptive powers to distinguish right from wrong. (Galatians 5:13; Hebrews 5:14; 1 Peter 2:16) Hence, in a matter where there is no clear violation of Bible principles, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not create a hard-and-fast rule. Instead, each Christian must weigh the circumstances at hand and make a personal decision.

g00 1/8 p. 27 - A Balanced View of Popular Customs

23

How many of you worked for "Trim-line" or "Auto-Trim-Design"?

by drewcoul in

i remember a lot of witnesses working throughout the country for trim-line when i was younger.

i think it was started by a jw at the time.

i worked for the trim-line in indiana when i was younger.

bats in the belfry

Seconding what blondie said:

Never ever go into business with JWs. It will run you into deep shit, with the added difficulty to sue them (1. Corinthians 6:7,8). In the end they will slander you by telling everyone you were stealing materials off them.

66

Latest May 2012 Watchtower: "JW wives must be more lovable"

by cedars in

yes, the latest watchtower is upon us.

it opens with a typically outlandish article on marriage.

here are a few of the headlines:.

bats in the belfry

A Christian who marries an unbeliever is not exemplary and lacks real appreciation for God’s gift of marriage.

was given independent of any religious affiliations (Genesis 2:22) and had nothing to do with a real or imagined appreciation. A gift is defined as something that is bestowed voluntarily and without compensation.

"This gift and blessing of marriage is also an evidence of God’s impartiality and of his justice. How so? In that these joys of marriage, when God is in it, do not depend upon such mundane things as material wealth, a higher education, great physical strength or beauty of form and feature. Neither are marital blessings limited to any race or nationality, nor are they dependent upon any climate. Whether couples live in the polar regions or in the tropics makes no difference."

w81 7/1 pp. 12-13 par. 4 / Let God Be in Your Marriage

Also, their belief system is that successful marriages and united families are only achieved by pecking order:

“Family comes from L[atin] familia, orig[inally] the servants and slaves of a great house, then the house itself with master, mistress, children—and the staff.” — Origins — A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English, by Eric Partridge.

w93 9/1 p. 15 / The Christian Family Does Things Together

30

2012 Memorial Invitation PDF!!!!

by yknot in

an evening of wine and crackers along with a presentation of the importance of these two symbols will be given at your local kh or congregation rented facility april 5, 2012!.

as last year a "30 hour march madness" is being offered by the slave..... i encourage all of you 'still ins' to sign up with gusto and spend that hour each day doing something enriching to yourself or family!

here is the actual invite in pdf http://www.sendspace.com/file/7ir3mp .

bats in the belfry

leavingwt > Why would Jesus have grey hair?

If you had to wait close to a hundred years as reigning King before you start ruling, wouldn't the worries whether or not you ever going to get the 'go ahead' to start ruling over the earth, also make you turn gray-headed?

37

Did field service ever scare any one.

by life is to short in

i was always scared somewhat by who i might meet at the door.. where i live we just had a mom murdered with her two young sons.

it is really sad, from what i just read in the paper the husband and wife took in this young man he was 22 years old and needed a place to stay.

he had been with them for months and had celebrated christmas and thanksgiving with all the family, etc.

bats in the belfry

... It scares the hell out of the members of the GB - it has been eternity since any one of them has been out in field service.

(Touched up images in their magazines don't qualify).

27

When you read this sundays "Holy Spirit" Watchtower:

by Lore in

jw
friends

mentally replace the word 'spirit' with 'magic'.

14 jehovah has equipped us to resist the spirit.

of the world.

bats in the belfry

Vanderhoven7 > take that for clueless:

... After this series of experiences and tests Jehovah poured out upon this organized “slave” class a double portion of his spirit. He enlightened them to see that their former idea of preparing themselves for heaven by so-called “character developing” was entirely wrong. That they might now be rejuvenated and enlightened for his holy service, step by step Jehovah led them along the way, illuminating their pathway as they became able to absorb the brilliance. In 1919 and 1922 he led them to the Cedar Point, Ohio, conventions, there giving them an understanding of fearless preaching, continuous preaching. (Isa. 6:11, 12, AS; Luke 12:32) There Jehovah also revealed to them that he is in his holy temple with heavenly hosts praising him, but that the remnant of his people, despite all the work that he had done for and in them,still were comparatively dumb, silent. Yes, silent when they should already have been declaring the glory of Jehovah and announcing his King and kingdom.

w54 6/1 pp. 342-343 par. 26 / 1926 Ushers In a Time of Great Happiness

17

Head of Dominican Republic WT branch murdered

by aligot ripounsous in

i wonder if this has been mentioned : a few days ago, david moreau, the head of the wts dominican branch, was assassinated on the street.

at the end of the day, he was going outside for a walk with his wife marylene.

they came across two guys who asked them for money.

bats in the belfry

... and yet while it is sad, it is an indication God has no longer any use for that person in the outworking of his purpose - thus, he/she becomes expendable.

The Bible’s Viewpoint - Can True Christians Expect Divine Protection?

TO DELIVER relief items to fellow worshipers, Christians, after prayer, traveled in a convoy over a war-torn area where they were likely to be killed. They made it through safely, much to the amazement of the warring armies. Did God’s angel protect them?

A Christian couple who had served as ministers for many years were killed when an airplane crashed to the ground where they were evangelizing from house to house. Why didn’t God’s angel direct them or the airplane somewhere else at that particular moment? — Compare Acts 8:26.

Comparing these events, we might ask: Why do some Christians die while doing God’s will, whereas others, often in very dangerous circumstances, live? Can Christians expect divine protection, especially in these critical “last days”? — 2 Timothy 3:1.

Used in the Outworking of God’s Purpose
To understand why divine protection is given, we must understand that it is given not simply to enable individuals to live longer but to protect something far more important, the outworking of God’s purpose. For example, the survival of the Christian congregation as a whole is guaranteed because it is closely linked with the fulfilling of that purpose. However, Christ plainly told his disciples that they as individuals could face death because of their faith. After stating this, Jesus stressed, not miraculous deliverance, but ‘endurance to the end.’ (Matthew 24:9, 13) The fact that some individuals were protected, while others were not, does not indicate that God is partial. God simply used the person who was in the best position to accomplish his purpose, which ultimately will benefit all mankind.

Since untimely death in God’s service is a real possibility, Christians should have the same balanced attitude as the three faithful Hebrews who were sentenced to death for worshiping God. They told the king of Babylon: “If it is to be, our God whom we are serving is able to rescue us. Out of the burning fiery furnace and out of your hand, O king, he will rescue us. But if not, let it become known to you, O king, that your gods are not the ones we are serving, and the image of gold that you have set up we will not worship.” — Daniel 3:17, 18.

Jehovah preserved the lives of Peter and John because of their key role in the outworking of his purpose. Peter was used to “strengthen” the congregation by doing a shepherding work, which included the writing of two inspired Bible books. (Luke 22:32) John wrote five Bible books and was a ‘pillar’ in the early congregation. — Galatians 2:9; John 21:15-23.

How Jehovah determines just when and in what manner he will intervene in the lives of his servants is impossible to foretell. All that can be stated with certainty is that Christ promised to be with his followers “all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.” (Matthew 28:20) In particular, he will be ‘with us’ through the angelic direction of the preaching work. (Matthew 13:36-43; Revelation 14:6) Other than these broad indications, we cannot anticipate exactly how divine help will be manifested or who may receive divine protection. What if a Christian feels that he has had God’s protection and guidance? Since this cannot be conclusively proved or disproved, no one should judge the sincere claims of such a one.

Awake! 1996, April 8, pp. 26-27 / Can True Christians Expect Divine Protection?