What does the Bible allow?
Job did not have a problem with his son’s celebrating ‘their day.’ (Job 1:4,5; 3:1-3). And Abraham had no problem giving a ‘great feast’ for Isaac when he was weaned (Gen 21:8).
What does the WT allow?
The WT allows two people to celebrate their wedding anniversary, i.e. the birth of a marriage. The WT had no problem with celebrating their own 100th anniversary—the birth of their organization. Yet at the same time they disfellowship and condemn to eternal death those who celebrate the anniversary of someone’s birth.
How can one celebrate the birth of an organization but not celebrate the birth of one's spouse or child? Surely if the Watchtower is right, the same God who destroys people forever for celebrating the anniversary of their birth would not think lightly of people who celebrate the anniversary of their wedding or the anniversary of an organization's birth.
What does the WT neglect to mention!
The inconsistency in the Watchtower's rules is highlighted in the marriage celebration. The Watchtower allows wedding rings to be given even though secular sources show that they have a pagan origin. Should they be allowed for Jehovah's Witnesses? Honeymoons are allowed for Jehovah's Witnesses even though they have their origin 4,000 years ago in Babylon with what was then called the "honey month" after the wedding. Perhaps an article will be printed in the future in the Watchtower banning the honeymoon.
Jehovah's Witnesses are allowed to use the names of the days and months of the year that are clearly from pagan sources yet celebrating the anniversary of the first coming of the Savior is a definite no-no. Perhaps the Watchtower is waiting until someone reinvents the calendar before they institute a ban on the present Roman calendar.
Although the Bible says to honor your father and your mother, the Watchtower says you can't honor them on one particular day - Mother's day or Father's day. If you brought them a card wishing them a happy day on that day or brought them a bouquet of flowers on that particular day, you would be subject to being kicked out of the Watchtower Society and subsequently face eternal death for your actions.
Is the Watchtower going beyond what is written in the Bible
First, if having any pagan roots at all means that one must abstain, we wonder how the Watchtower can use the Julian calendar whose months and days are named after pagan gods? How can they exchange wedding rings at weddings, for this has pagan origins? The Watchtower allows use of many objects that have pagan origins as well as allowing their followers to celebrate wedding anniversaries, which has pagan roots. Yet at the same time they condemn Christmas which has long lost any pagan connections.Romans 14:5 says, "One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind." The Bible wants us to think and to be convinced in our own minds about issues that are debatable (Rom. 14:1-12).
Second, if true Christians give gifts at other times during the year what is wrong with giving gifts on the day of their birth? Their argument is illogical.
Third, they say that there are only two references to such celebrations but they seem to have overlooked the greatest birthday celebration of all - that of the Lord Jesus Christ. As such, then, if men doing evil things make it wrong to celebrate surely we can argue that the angels rejoicing and the Magi bringing gifts make it right to celebrate. The Bible does not say one thing or another and wholesome celebration is obviously not condemned by the Scriptures.
Job did not have a problem with his son’s celebrating ‘their day.’ (Job 1:4,5; 3:1-3). And Abraham had no problem giving a ‘great feast’ for Isaac when he was weaned (Gen 21:8).
What does the WT allow?
The WT allows two people to celebrate their wedding anniversary, i.e. the birth of a marriage. The WT had no problem with celebrating their own 100th anniversary—the birth of their organization. Yet at the same time they disfellowship and condemn to eternal death those who celebrate the anniversary of someone’s birth.
How can one celebrate the birth of an organization but not celebrate the birth of one's spouse or child? Surely if the Watchtower is right, the same God who destroys people forever for celebrating the anniversary of their birth would not think lightly of people who celebrate the anniversary of their wedding or the anniversary of an organization's birth.
What does the WT neglect to mention!
The inconsistency in the Watchtower's rules is highlighted in the marriage celebration. The Watchtower allows wedding rings to be given even though secular sources show that they have a pagan origin. Should they be allowed for Jehovah's Witnesses? Honeymoons are allowed for Jehovah's Witnesses even though they have their origin 4,000 years ago in Babylon with what was then called the "honey month" after the wedding. Perhaps an article will be printed in the future in the Watchtower banning the honeymoon.
Jehovah's Witnesses are allowed to use the names of the days and months of the year that are clearly from pagan sources yet celebrating the anniversary of the first coming of the Savior is a definite no-no. Perhaps the Watchtower is waiting until someone reinvents the calendar before they institute a ban on the present Roman calendar.
Although the Bible says to honor your father and your mother, the Watchtower says you can't honor them on one particular day - Mother's day or Father's day. If you brought them a card wishing them a happy day on that day or brought them a bouquet of flowers on that particular day, you would be subject to being kicked out of the Watchtower Society and subsequently face eternal death for your actions.
Is the Watchtower going beyond what is written in the Bible
First, if having any pagan roots at all means that one must abstain, we wonder how the Watchtower can use the Julian calendar whose months and days are named after pagan gods? How can they exchange wedding rings at weddings, for this has pagan origins? The Watchtower allows use of many objects that have pagan origins as well as allowing their followers to celebrate wedding anniversaries, which has pagan roots. Yet at the same time they condemn Christmas which has long lost any pagan connections.Romans 14:5 says, "One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind." The Bible wants us to think and to be convinced in our own minds about issues that are debatable (Rom. 14:1-12).
Second, if true Christians give gifts at other times during the year what is wrong with giving gifts on the day of their birth? Their argument is illogical.
Third, they say that there are only two references to such celebrations but they seem to have overlooked the greatest birthday celebration of all - that of the Lord Jesus Christ. As such, then, if men doing evil things make it wrong to celebrate surely we can argue that the angels rejoicing and the Magi bringing gifts make it right to celebrate. The Bible does not say one thing or another and wholesome celebration is obviously not condemned by the Scriptures.
No comments:
Post a Comment