Why Do Jehovah's Witnesses Not Celebrate Christmas? ?

[Bible Speaks]

 

[Michel Vromen]

So, the date of so-called invisible enthronement of Jesus is also not mentioned in the bible by JW's still think it is October 1914.

For most people who in same form participate in the Christmas celebrations do this not because of the date but because of the meaning of the event itself.

If the birthdate would be in the bible, would JW's be allowed to celebrate?

[David Normand]

Michel Vromen, from what I have read there are no actual birth dates of anybody recorded in the Bible. However, we do have two accounts where birthdays were celebrated and in both instances it was only non Israelite who celebrated them and in both instances people were murdered. Granted, today most people do not include human deaths as part of the festivities, but that birthday celebrations were never mentioned in a positive manner could cause one to wonder if is something to get involved with. Also, there is no mention of birthday celebrations among the ancient Hebrews or even the first century Christians. In fact, in the first century the Christians of that era considered birthday celebrations as pagan. 

[Ann O'Maly]

The video gives very flimsy reasons for JWs avoiding Christmas celebrations. 

A more scholarly analysis of the historical and biblical reasoning used to support December 25th as a possible date for Christ's birth can be found here:

http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/58/58-2/JETS_58-2_299-324_Simmons.pdf

The author concludes:

"Neither the History of Religions Theory nor the Calculation Theory can adequately account for the origin of the Christmas date. Therefore, transmission of the date of Christ’s birth by tradition from the apostles and holy family cannot logically be ruled out. Moreover, since the traditional date of the nativity is fully consistent with various chronological indicators left for us in history and the Gospels, we have every reason to accept it as the true source and origin of the Christmas date."

22 hours ago, David Normand said:

However, we do have two accounts where birthdays were celebrated and in both instances it was only non Israelite who celebrated them and in both instances people were murdered.

Both celebrations were for wealthy rulers who saw themselves as divine so people would be celebrating the birthday of a god. 99.9% of those today who celebrate a birthday do not think they are a god. (OTOH, the Bible teaches that Jesus is divine.)

Pharaoh's birthday was recorded because it was integral to the outworking of Jehovah's purpose regarding Joseph. Herod's birthday was recorded because it tells us how an innocent man was unjustly executed because a woman held a bitter grudge, and it just so happened to be on that day that she took the opportunity to do away with him.

Jehovah does not make any comment or instruction against birthdays. The recorded accounts are separated by hundreds of years and were incidental to the bigger stories.

22 hours ago, David Normand said:

but that birthday celebrations were never mentioned in a positive manner could cause one to wonder if is something to get involved with.

Dogs are never mentioned in the Bible in a positive manner either. Do JWs avoid dogs?

22 hours ago, David Normand said:

Also, there is no mention of birthday celebrations among the ancient Hebrews or even the first century Christians.

There is no mention of ancient Hebrews and early Christians celebrating wedding anniversaries either. Moreover, the Bible never commanded that wedding anniversaries should be celebrated, although there are instances in the Bible where weddings themselves are celebrated. Logically, then, we are not meant to observe wedding anniversaries. Therefore, do JWs avoid celebrating wedding anniversaries?

22 hours ago, David Normand said:

In fact, in the first century the Christians of that era considered birthday celebrations as pagan. 

Wedding rings, the days of the week and many months of the year are of pagan or 'false religious' origin. And piñatas.

*** g03 9/22 p. 23-4 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. ...

"... A main concern is, not what the practice meant hundreds of years ago, but how it is viewed today in your area. Understandably, opinions may vary from one place to another. Hence, it is wise to avoid turning such matters into big issues." 

 

 

[JW Insider]

On 12/9/2016 at 9:04 AM, David Normand said:

In fact, in the first century the Christians of that era considered birthday celebrations as pagan. 

Don't take this in the wrong way, because I also think that Christmas is corrupt and has almost nothing to do with bringing people any closer to thinking about Christ. But we can't necessarily take the practices of Christians in the early centuries as an indication of what the Bible itself intended for us to think about holidays and celebrations.

Just because Christians of the first centuries also avoided pork doesn't mean that this is right for all Christians. Some "Christians" of the first century also began believing in hell-fire, the immortal soul, and within a couple centuries had developed the Trinity doctrine to the point of being ready to agree with the majority on a pro-Trinitarian creed. "Christians" developed gnostic ideas, too. Evidently it had become a common enough practice for "circuit overseers" of the second century to take advantage of lonely widows, so that one of the first popular "Christian" novellas of the time commented upon it. There were several fairly well-defined "factions" of Christians within the first two centuries, just as there had been of Jews and some other religions of the time.

What I am saying is, is that just because we read, outside the Bible, that "Christians" practiced a certain thing, or avoided practicing a certain thing, it doesn't mean we should accept it as authoritative just because it agrees with our own beliefs. We might merely be seeing a reflection of their prejudices and narrow-minded attitudes that would be corrected over time.

In the social context of the first century, only the very rich had the ability to throw extravagant parties every year, whereas poorer folks, who made up much of early Christianity could only save only for parties for weddings, and celebrations during harvest-times and some of the happy holidays. There was a well-deserved prejudice against the rich in these times.

(Matthew 19:24) 24 Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”

(Luke 16:25, 26) 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you had your fill of good things in your lifetime, . . .  26 And besides all these things, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to go over from here to you cannot, neither may people cross over from there to us.’

(1 Corinthians 4:8) 8 Are you already satisfied? Are you already rich? Have you begun ruling as kings without us? . . .

(James 2:6, 7) . . .Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you before law courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme the fine name by which you were called?

But this didn't mean that the prejudice against those with wealth would last forever. Second-century Clement of Alexandria spent a good portion of his writing trying to hash out what the attitude should be toward the many wealthy Alexandrian Christians who made up a good portion of the congregations he presided over. Over time, the rich and the poor got along better, with less distrust:

(1 Timothy 6:17, 18) 17 Instruct those who are rich in the present system of things not to be arrogant, and to place their hope, not on uncertain riches, but on God, who richly provides us with all the things we enjoy. 18 Tell them to work at good, to be rich in fine works, to be generous, ready to share,

Job himself was a wealthy man, and yet he countenanced a party for each of his children. The parties were of the type that he was concerned that they might over-eat or over-drink, yet he did not say they should not have them.

(Job 1:4, 5) 4 Each of his sons would hold a banquet at his house on his own set day. They would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 After a series of banquet days was complete, Job would send for them in order to sanctify them. Then he would get up early in the morning and offer up burnt sacrifices for each of them.. . .

 

 

[JW Insider]

On 12/9/2016 at 9:04 AM, David Normand said:

Also, there is no mention of birthday celebrations among the ancient Hebrews or even the first century Christians.

My previous comments, above, focused on the idea that celebrations were expensive and therefore considered extravagant for those without means. But there are a couple other examples to think about -- not just the example of Job's children.

A baby shower would also have been considered an extravagance by most first-century Jews and Christians. Yet, nothing is condemned about rich persons showering Joseph and Mary with gifts over the birth of Jesus:

(Matthew 2:10-12) On seeing the star, they rejoiced with great joy. And when they went into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and falling down, they did obeisance to him. They also opened their treasures and presented him with gifts—gold and frankincense and myrrh. However, because they were given divine warning in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

In that last verse you can see that Jehovah directed the actions of the astrologers who celebrated Jesus' birth with a shower of gifts. Later this dream is shown to have helped the gift-givers "outwit" Herod. And of course, Luke's account focuses on the celebration of the actual birth day of Jesus by angels in heaven and the sharing of that joy with shepherds who would spread the joyful word of this particular birth.

So although we have no accounts of baby showers celebrated by Christians, we can see that it too was likely based on a general lack of wealth. Where such wealth existed, there was nothing noted as wrong with giving and accepting such gifts.

Also, some Jewish holidays were somber memorials and some were more festive celebrations. There is one that was particularly festive, and probably had more influence on Christmas than many in Christendom ever wanted to admit. Christendom's prejudice against Jews throughout the centuries has probably made this particular source of Christmas more embarrassing than the "pagan" influences.

Of course, I am speaking about a holiday that Jesus once participated in. It was a holiday held on the 25th day of the mid-winter month of the Jewish calendar. The 25th of Kislev. It was a festival of lights. And it wasn't held as a more common new moon celebration, or full moon celebration, as the full moon of Nisan celebrated their freedom from bondage in Egypt:

(Leviticus 23:5, 6) In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the two evenings is the passover to Jehovah. “‘And on the fifteenth day of this month is the festival of unfermented cakes to Jehovah.. . .

(Leviticus 23:34-39) “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the festival of booths. . . However, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when YOU have gathered the produce of the land, YOU should celebrate the festival of Jehovah . . .

(Esther 9:21, 22) . . .to be regularly holding the fourteenth day of the month Aʹdar and the fifteenth day of it in each and every year, according to the days on which the Jews had rested from their enemies and the month that was changed for them . . .to rejoicing and . . . to a good day, to hold them as days of banqueting and rejoicing and sending of portions to one another and of gifts to the poor people.

The last one was a celebration that was not part of the original set of festivals that Jehovah had given Moses, but which became another day of gift-giving and banqueting under a full moon. [Purim]

And another day of this type had developed a couple hundred years after Esther, and a couple hundred years before Jesus. And for some reason this new "festival of lights" always started on the 25th of the winter month, not more typically, during a full moon as most other happy celebrations would have been. This meant a little more expenditure on burning lights (oil) rather than the free extra light that always was available on the 14th and 15th of the month.

And this one is mentioned by name in the NWT, too. Although only in the footnote:

*** Rbi8 John 10:22 ***
“The festival of dedication (Hanukkah).” J22(Heb.), chagh ha·chanuk·kahʹ.

*** Rbi8 p. 1555 Footnote Words Indexed ***
HANUKKAH, Joh 10:22.

(John 10:22, 23) 22 At that time the festival of dedication [footnote: Hanukkah, NWT] took place in Jerusalem. It was wintertime, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple in the colonnade of Solʹo·mon.

So Jesus himself did not condemn or even avoid going to Jerusalem during the winter festival of lights held on the 25th of the month.

Here's a quick review of the Jewish festival of Chahukkah, found online:

Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights and it remembers the rededication of the second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. This happened in the 160s BCE/BC (before Jesus was born). (Hanukkah is the Jewish word for 'dedication'.) Hanukkah last for eight days and starts on the 25th of Kislev, the month in the Jewish calendar that occurs at about the same time as December. Because the Jewish calendar is lunar (it uses the moon for its dates), Kislev can happen from late November to late December.

In 2016, Hanukkah is from in the evening of Saturday, 24 December until the evening of Sunday, 1st January.

During Hanukkah, on each of the eight nights, a candle is lit in a special menorah (candelabra) called a 'hanukkiyah'. 

 

 

[JW Insider]

(Colossians 2:16) 16 Therefore, do not let anyone judge you about what you eat and drink or about the observance of a festival or of the new moon or of a sabbath.

I think that this would mean that even a Christian, at least in the first century, should not feel too badly about celebrating Chanukkah with their family, assuming their family is steeped in Jewish tradition and they do not wish to offend them, or actually believe themselves that there was still some value to the Jewish tradition that should be respected.

I don't apply this to Christmas in any way, but at least I don't think it means we need to harshly judge those persons who believe Christmas is wonderful time to enjoy family, food and gifts, etc.

 

[Evacuated]

4 hours ago, Ann O'Maly said:

Dogs are never mentioned in the Bible in a positive manner either

Come on....Matt.15:26-27

[JW Insider]

5 hours ago, Ann O'Maly said:

Dogs are never mentioned in the Bible in a positive manner either. Do JWs avoid dogs?

There are a couple of at least neutral examples of dogs, although the vast majority are very negative. Pigs fare a little worse.

Another example is the fact that an indoor bathroom is only mentioned as being used by a pagan, and the one time it was mentioned, someone was murdered there.

(Judges 3:20-25) 20 And Eʹhud came to him as he was sitting in his cool roof chamber that he had to himself. And Eʹhud went on to say: “A word of God I have for you.” At that he rose up from his throne. 21 Then Eʹhud thrust in his left hand and took the sword off his right thigh and plunged it into his belly. 22 And the handle kept going in also after the blade so that the fat closed in over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly, and the fecal matter began to come out. 23 And Eʹhud proceeded to go out through the air hole, but he closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them. 24 And he himself went out. And his servants came and began looking, and there the doors of the roof chamber were locked. So they said: “He is just easing nature in the cool interior room.” 25 And they kept waiting until they were ashamed, and, look! there was no one opening the doors of the roof chamber. At this they took the key and opened them, and, look! their lord was fallen to the earth dead!

Christians should therefore avoid indoor bathrooms.