Copyright © 2021 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. However, it was not the birthday, but the death of the baker that is key to the story, as it was in fulfillment of a prediction by Joseph, showing the prophetic ability of this follower of God. They do not celebrate their own or anyone else’s birthdays nor national holidays. … “Do you think that ten minutes, a few cupcakes, and a song make a party? PRIVACY POLICY. Nor does he forbid celebrating ones birth anymore than he forbids accumulating good oil. Cross or Stake This is quite different that the Watchtower’s suggestion we be ashamed of the day of our birth. Mediator for only the 144,000 Solomon does not forbid being happy, or attending a banquet. 1. Watchtower 1940 Jan 1 p.16 In 1951, that the Watchtower stated the Witnesses were no longer to celebrate birthdays. Paul tells us, “… where the spirit of Jehovah is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor 3:17) He does not criticise Christians that celebrate a particular day as special, but does condemn those that are judgmental. It is inconclusive that early Christians avoided birthdays as a universal stance, as there were many sects of Christianity by the end of the first century. A birthday is an anniversary of when you were born. No, they do not even celebrate Christmas or Easter because Jesus is not placed at or above the level of importance of Jehovah God. Jesus commanded that we commemorate his death, not his birth.— Luke 22:19, 20. 144,000 - a literal number? The story was included in the Bible to bring glory to the prophetic ability of God, with the birthday as incidental. If the moral of these stories was against birthday celebrations, than the stories should end with the warning that birthdays are not for followers of God. However, neither were standard birthday parties, but that of kings. TERMS OF USE Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate holidays that they believe do not fit true Christianity. Nor would it be appropriate for a Christian to attach special significance to the fact that a ring had a “birthstone,” since the Christian witnesses of Jehovah do not celebrate birthdays, pagans being the only ones mentioned in the Bible as celebrating birthdays. These contained a Bible text for each day, and many Christians put a tiny photograph on the pages corresponding to the birthdays of fellow Bible Students. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not stand … Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God. (Luke 22:17-​20) This should not be surprising, for the Bible says that “the day of death is better than the day of birth.” (Ecclesiastes 7:1) By the end of his life on earth, Jesus had made a good name with God, making the day of his death more important than the day of his birth.​—Hebrews 1:4. 2 … Jews did not make a practice of celebrating birthdays, which is why the Bible does not promote them. Audio download options There is no proof that Jesus was born on December 25; his birth date is not recorded in the Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe it is a sin to celebrate birthdays, which they dismiss as heathen superstition or rooted in “ancient false religion.” The prohibition can be found in the Watchtower Society’s Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1 What Does God Require of Us? However, both of those events are presented in a bad light.​—Genesis 40:20-​22; Mark 6:​21-​29. ... and even birthdays. Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Birthdays? There is nothing wrong with giving an individual special attention. The first Watchtower mention against birthdays was in 1951. Although the Bible does not explicitly forbid celebrating birthdays, it does help us to reason on key features of these events and understand God’s view of them. Celebrations of a nation’s flag. A Kingdom Hall announcement that an individual is pioneering gives importance to that individual prior to achieving their goal, but this is not considered wrong. David was required to supply the foreskins of 200 slain Philistines as a dowry to King Saul (1 Sam 18:27). If this truly is a reason to avoid a birthday party or celebrations, then it should also apply to graduation parties, retirement parties, wedding anniversaries, or celebrating a good school report. “Are Cats for Christians” (see jwfiles.com/wt_ex_jw_corner/cats.htm 20th Jul 2012) is a great satire on how the Watchtower approach to rule making can be used to forbid anything, such as cats being unchristian, if so desired. https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/m/502015120/univ/art/502015120_univ_sqr_xl.jpg. Why don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses celebrate Christmas? Neither story makes such a statement, as this was not to purpose of these accounts. Are we expected to believe Jehovah was tardy in removing an offensive practice from his people; or was the ruling against birthdays a man made rule introduced late in Watchtower history, as an attempt to segregate Witnesses from the general population? Should not consistency force the Watchtower to forbid these wedding traditions? Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter, nor do they observe birthdays, national holidays, or other celebrations they consider to honor people other than Jesus. Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate Christmas or Easter, which makes sense when you remember that they don't believe Jesus is equal to God. Murder has never been a common accomplice of the traditional birthday party. The World Book Encyclopedia says that “they considered the celebration of anyone’s birth to be a pagan custom.” The Bible shows that the apostles and others who were taught directly by Jesus established a pattern that all Christians should follow.​—2 Thessalonians 3:6. Solomon continues by saying; vexation is better than laughter, a funeral better than a banquet, and mourning better than rejoicing. Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Christmas. Weddings are laden in paganism, including the ceremony, cake, dress, burning of candles and the wedding ring. These include Christmas, Easter, and even birthdays. Nowhere in the Bible is it stated that observing birthdays is wrong, so the Watchtower uses four predominant lines of reasoning to prevent Witnesses celebrating birthdays: When presented together, these may appear to provide solid defense against birthdays. For example, the following Watchtower quote is from 1940. (Isaiah 47:11-​15) Jehovah’s Witnesses are not preoccupied with the roots of every custom; yet when the Scriptures give such pointed indications, we do not ignore them. Disfellowshipping & Shunning Pharaoh killed the inhabitants of Gezer and gave the city as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon's wife. 6:14-17) Like the early Christians,* they do not even celebrate birthdays. “Even though I don’t get presents on my birthday, my parents still buy me gifts on other occasions. Cats: When the Bible does not forbid a practice, an Eisegesis approach to rule-making allows even the most shallow of reasoning to claim the practice as wrong, which is what the Watchtower has done with birthdays. You should come to my house and see what a real party is like!”​—Eric, age 6. The Watchtower here misrepresents Solomon’s intent, as is readily apparent when continuing to read this Bible passage. “Is it just coincidental” that the Bible has an account showing the danger of a noonday siesta, or would most people feel that to be reading too much into the passage? They don't believe in military service, national anthems or voting. Blood Transfusions (All my friends are Witnesses) No gifts. Preaching - only Witnesses? The penalty for celebrating my birthday would be the following: Nobody at my party. Well, early in this century, Bible Students, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then known, did take note of birthdays. The Watchtower continues the reasoning, referring to Ecclesiastes 7 to suggest that birthdays attach excessive honour or importance to an individual. A lot of Jehovah’s Witnesses do celebrate with their children the birthdays of their children. Jesus’ apostles and early disciples did not celebrate Christmas. If you observed someone deliberately run over by a car and killed, would you stop driving cars? Although the Bible does not explicitly forbid celebrating birthdays, it does help us to reason on key features of these events and understand God’s view of them. Those that avoided birthday celebrations did so because the practice at the time was commonly an idolatrous one, associated with lavish feasts dedicated to pagan gods. … A baby shower, which is a birthday celebration, puts a mother and child in the spotlight. The site gives the following as reasons for the refusal of Jehovah’s Witnesses to join other Christians in 25 December celebration of birthday of Jesus Christ. Having to fill out field service reports. Job, an “upright and blameless man” celebrated with his children, in what was possibly their birthday celebration. The modern view of birthdays is what counts, and people do not associate birthdays with paganism, idolatry, or murder. As this not the case now, the reasoning is no longer relevant. Such a concept does nothing more then reinforce the conditional nature of a Jehovah’s Witness parents love towards their children. This extends beyond necessary daily activities, such as bathing, eating, drinking, and working. Paradise Earth Forever? The Bible presents life as a gift to be celebrated and for which to be thankful. Do Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate holidays? It does not state to build kingdom halls; in fact early Christians met in homes, but that does not make kingdom halls unchristian. But they do not participate in holidays and celebrations that are linked with pagan gods (as is true of such holidays as Easter, New Year’s Day, May Day, and Mother’s Day). Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Birthdays? Since “birthday celebrations tend to give excessive importance to an individual,” 17. this is why Jehovah’s Witnesses do not to celebrate their birthdays, but choose rather to “give gifts and have good times together at other times during the year.” 18. The denomination was founded in the … However, when deconstructed each point shows poor logic, and the Watchtower condemnation of birthdays contradicts Bible principles. I like it that way because I get surprised.”​—Gregory, age 11. The Jewish non-practice of birthdays(1) does not make birthdays wrong, as the Bible neither specifically promotes nor condemns them. We do not need the Bible to sanction birthdays for them to be acceptable, anymore than a range of matters not covered in the Bible. As many people know, Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, or any national holiday (Independence Day, Thanksgiving), and they don’t celebrate birthdays. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate Flag Day. Consider four aspects of birthday celebrations that show why God is not pleased with them. A wedding reception, such as the one attended by Jesus, elevates a newly married couple with as much importance as a birthday party. Jehovah's Witnesses are members of a Christian-based religious movement. Forbiddance of beliefs and behaviour on the basis of paganism is one of the most illogical, misused, and contradictory lines of reasoning within the Watchtower. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God. With arguments from paganism being an illogical stance, the Watchtower is plagued with a contradictory stance on pagan practices, at times admitting the meaning of a practice to pagans in the past is not of importance today. I didn't know this! 607 / 1914 / Seven Times Birthday celebrations have pagan roots. I would have to buy; My own cake. Trinity. For example, when discussing piñatas, Watchtower advises to contemplate how they are currently regarded: The preponderance of paganism makes it irrelevant whether a “pagan” celebrated a birthday or why. Earthquakes 40:20; Matt. Although the Bible does not explicitly forbid celebrating birthdays, it does help us to reason on key features of these events and understand God’s view of them. Almost everything is pagan. "—w98 10/15 pp. Not only does this doctrine cause undue anxiety to young Witness followers, it also alerts one to the power Watchtower leaders have, being able to convince its follower’s en masse to believe whatever it writes, regardless of how little Biblical support there is. You will be indoctrinated into thinking secular society is evil. The greatest day of my life was the birth of my son; the greatest wonderment, and happiness. 2. The first Watchtower mention against birthdays was in 1951. Later, the Magi presented the infant Jesus with gifts that were accepted by Joseph and Mary. So why celebrate wedding anniversaries and not birthday anniversaries? The tennis champion is a Jehovah's Witness, and recently explained that members of the religion don't do the whole presents and cake thing. The early Christians did not celebrate birthdays. Many of Jehovah’s Witnesses observe wedding anniversaries. I have heard of many Witnesses that celebrate birthdays in secret. 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