FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS | Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Certain Holidays?

[JOHN BUTLER]

1 minute ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

It's usually JTR, not JT, but they should be forgiven because they do it out of gross ignorance, not premeditated evil.

And I do not condemn ANYONE ... I just comment on stuff.

My apologies JTR 

Quote : "I hope Jehovah God, and the people whose lives we ruin because of our adamant cultural fantasies, will forgive us, for screwing up their lives, and condemning them to a lifetime of isolation,  of loneliness, and of unnecessary fear and paranoia."

Your words sir. 

•  

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

As a younger man, having dispensed evil, with the very best of intentions, a pure heart, and ignorant as home-made sin, I know how it goes ... to my everlasting shame.

[JOHN BUTLER]

6 minutes ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

As a younger man, having dispensed evil, with the very best of intentions, a pure heart, and ignorant as home-made sin, I know how it goes ... to my everlasting shame.

Saul did likewise until Jesus showed him how to serve properly. But as the Apostle Paul he did wonderful things. 

I think where there is life there is hope, although I have been permanently condemned by Rando.  

10.30 pm here in Devon England. The washing up in the kitchen sink is calling to me. When i've done that i will be allowed to go to bed.  Goodnight. May  your day be a pleasant one.  

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

 My mother started studying with Jehovah's Witnesses in the late 1950's, and we used to celebrate Christmas.

I think I was seven years old when I heard that Santa Clause had been shot down over North Korea, in late December 1952, by a Soviet pilot flying a MIG25 Fighter plane. I remember thinking about those machine gun bullets strafing the sled full of toys, and the exploding reindeer, and Santa falling over the side, spinning to Earth over ten thousand feet below, almost cut in half.

Later, I listened to the recording of what United Nations Intelligence had recorded from the MIG pilot, in Russian, and he shredded the hopes for Christmas that year  'Eat Lead, Capitalist Toymonger!".

As a toddler, after the end of World War II, I too had sung Christmas Caroles ...

"Oh little town of Hiroshima, how still we see thee lie ...

Beneath those cold and bombed out seas, the strontium clouds roll by.

And in the twilight's gleaming, the Bombs's unearthly light ...

The hopes and fears of all the years, were blown to hell, tonite. "

Happy New Year Billy!!

I still have a freezer full of those old guys from previous years passed, in the togas.

 

[JW Insider]

3 hours ago, BillyTheKid46 said:

 

This little book packs a hard punch at Thanksgiving. My wife (and John Gatto) used it as a textbook for a History/English/Playwriting collaboration in a middle-school academy. It is especially good at comparing old Thanksgiving pageants done in schools and the actual (or at least the more historical) version of what happened. It's an eyeopener.

[JOHN BUTLER]

Oh dear. Do Americans actually tell lies then ?  Oh yes of course, the Governing Body of JW Org do. 

As for Christmas, take a look in the 'God's Kingdom Rules' book. Pages 101 & 102

In 1883 the W/t knew Christmas was wrong, but they all, including the Brooklyn Bethel, kept celebrating Christmas until 1926.

Over 40 years of deliberate sin........... Yet how quick they are to disfellowship folks now.  Hypocrisy at its best. . 

[Evacuated]

1 hour ago, JW Insider said:

John Gatto

Sad news. Was he a colleague of your wife?

[JW Insider]

1 hour ago, Outta Here said:

Sad news. Was he a colleague of your wife?

Yes. I spoke about him in one of TTH's threads, too:

 

[Jack Ryan]

Since I've seen some JW's take exception with the world "Allowed"...

I would ask all you JW's if the elders would become involved if they did decide to celebrate a holiday and would they be punished?

If the answer is yes... then... the word "ALLOWED" is appropriate.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Or try this:

Colossians 2:16 says, "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by food, drink, a religious festival, New Moon celebration or Sabbath day."

THANKSGIVING: Began as the annual autumn harvest in Hebrew called "Festival of Booths" or "Festival of Ingathering" (of crops with thanks to Him) (Lev 23:33, Deu 16:13) now celebrated in numerous nations on many continents.

[Srecko Sostar]

Interesting and weird in same time. JW not celebrate "holidays", in fact all kind of holidays. JW have not any holidays, not participate in religious or worldly colored celebrations.  

 They "celebrate" only one thing. Death of Christ. How can people celebrate death? With One Hour (or less) of sitting and listening in KH.

On other side this same God likes celebrating very much. He made a special instruction how to celebrate. WT publications explaining, for example, this: 

  The distinguishing mark of the Festival of Booths, the primary nature of it, was joyful thanksgiving. Jehovah’s desire was that his people should rejoice in him. “You must rejoice before Jehovah your God.”

During this festival the number of sacrifices offered was greater than at any other festival of the year. The national sacrifice, starting with 13 bulls on the first day and diminishing one each day, totaled 70 bulls sacrificed, besides 119 lambs, rams, and goats, in addition to the grain and wine offerings. During the week, thousands of individual offerings would also be made by the attenders. (Nu 29:12-34, 39) On the eighth day, on which no laborious work could be done, a bull, a ram, and seven male lambs a year old were presented as a burnt offering, along with grain and drink offerings, as well as a goat as a sin offering.—Nu 29:35-38. - https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200001505#h=6

Past Holidays of "the only true religion" aka Old Israel Nation,  was including enormous amount of material things, slaughtering, blood, food to eat etc. And in all this things, every person "must rejoice" before God. I do not know how about you, but for me it will be very strange, uncomfortable to participate in all this commanded rejoicing, meat and maybe food overeating.

Today, "the only true religion" aka WT-JW, going to another extreme. They rejecting ALL holidays as official religious standard. JW religion even consider how Sunday's ice-cream after KH gathering is unnecessary joy, the questionable celebration for JW children. Why? Perhaps because it is kind of selfishness? Body weakness? Worldly custom?

Or, it is all about money!! If you spend your money for celebration in your home (or out side home) with your family and friends, then WT will receive less money, because you have spent your money on yourself not on them.  :))

 

[Srecko Sostar]

5 hours ago, BillyTheKid46 said:

Let’s ask the people of Yemen first if they received a turkey dinner last Thursday.

In one old manner of behavior (Job and God question answer, sort of "polemical" conversation) we can ask Almighty God also this;

Dear God you have all Love, Wisdom and Power and you also teaching people to do good and to love other people. In fact your inspirational words are: "Therefore, whoever knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin."

I do not understand and i am very disappointed and confused, when looking at You and see your passive attitude toward all pain, injustice, suffering of every creature on Earth. Your servant James told something about it, but I do not get why he told something like this? You announced person as guilty of sin if not doing right thing if he knows. Even knowledge is enough to be guilty. But many times people have no power and wisdom and they can not do it. Maybe because of fear too. But You, as God, You are not as earthly man.....?????