Has anyone associated with JW's here? If so how was it?

[savagewind]

I think that a better argument could be made against birthdays, than Christmas.

You know that some people don't have all the european traditional stuff, right? And they still celebrate Xmas? And if the 'day' is arbitrary, then that's out as well. And who needs Santa?

So what exactly is ..the argument against Christmas...

What is the argument against birthdays?

 

[Revoltingest]

I do not believe they are right about Christmas for the reasons they teach. I am certain that Christmas is bad for the Earth. It is good for business but is business good?

Business is good.
But Xmas doesn't really help it.
It's just the focus of spending at that time of year.
Without Xmas, they'd still spend their money on something else.

 

[savagewind]

A few things

Not sure this thread is where to get into that, though. I'm sort of surprised you are asking me that/?/
since you are ex JW

I think their only argument against birthdays is that they used to be for kings and at two birthdays a man was killed.

 

[savagewind]

Business is good.
But Xmas doesn't really help it.
It's just the focus of spending at that time of year.
Without Xmas, they'd still spend their money on something else.

I do not agree with you. There is no other reason that I can think of where people would buy a lot of worthless stuff because they think they have to.

Black Friday? Does anyone know what black means? Jesus told me what it means.

 

[savagewind]

If there was no Christmas what would people spend their money on? I think VACATION, sometimes OUT of their own country.

 

[savagewind]

Ok

There seems to be a general theme anyway, 'no holidays'

That is right. Holidays are worldly affairs and Christians are to be "no part of the world". They are right about that, but they bring it to the extreme. I think it means we are not to love and to keep those things. Love is what nurtures. If bad things would please stop being nurtured they would die a natural death. People keep them alive, though. For what?

 

[Revoltingest]

I do not agree with you. There is no other reason that I can think of where people would buy a lot of worthless stuff because they think they have to.

Black Friday? Does anyone know what black means? Jesus told me what it means.

People buy worthless stuff all the time.
And some Xmas related stuff is useful.....
- Turkey
- Ham
- Disaronno Amaretto
- Socks
- Inflatable penguins

 

[shmogie]

I think that a better argument could be made against birthdays, than Christmas.

You know that some people don't have all the european traditional stuff, right? And they still celebrate Xmas? And if the 'day' is arbitrary, then that's out as well. And who needs Santa?

So what exactly is ..the argument against Christmas...

Symbols or objects have no inherent power and what they mean to a person, IS what they mean. My children clearly understood that Santa came from the service of Nicholas, a very dedicated Christian worker. The tree in Christian households is a decoration for a season, regardless of where the tradition came from, ditto for the Yule log. Christ wasn't born on Dec. 25, and the day may have been a pagan holiday, so what ? That day is the day Christians celebrate the birth of Christ, how they choose. This type of argument goes back to the Reformation. Two of the greatest Reformers Luther and Calvin , expressed the differences perfectly. Luther said that if the Bible does not forbid something, then it can be done. Calvin said that if the Bible did not authorize something, it cannot be done. Most of Protestant Christendom has adopted Luther's philosophy. The Gospel is about freedom, not being bound. Celebrating Christmas does not represent anything but celebrating Christ's birth. Denominations major in minors and they pick the minors that will become important to them.

 

[savagewind]

People buy worthless stuff all the time.
And some Xmas related stuff is useful.....
- Turkey
- Ham
- Disaronno Amaretto
- Socks
- Inflatable penguins

A Christmas list!
A 2017 calender
Smart Wool socks
A bottle of wine (just one, or two)
I tell my daughter, "please just a little box of fudge", because it is so good, the best!
I can't think of anything else.

 

[Kemosloby]

They don't stick around long when I start preaching to them. I find that sort of ironic.

 

[Parchment]

I voted "Yes" but without the boldness and exclamation point, let me explain:
I was sitting in my front room about eight beers in watching what used to be the "Hitler channel" now it's just Bigfoot and the Chupacabre but on this day, at that time, it was the Annunaki! The idea that ancient Aliens mass produced humans to be slaves to mine gold for them for no real specific reason seemed no more crazy than a whole lot of other globally accepted ideas and then came a knock on the door. A very well dressed family group of Asian people met me at the door, Mom, Dad, Son, And Daughter (they had all the bases covered) and I would have said no thanks and shut the door but the mom was smokin' hot, I could sense her femaleness underneath the stoddy confines of the uniform the church no doubt chose for her for maximum effect. So they came in, we talked for a while and when they realized time was short they left me a pamphlet, I put my hand on the wife's shoulder which caused her to pause and made her last in line (it was a ruse so I could get one last gander at her ***) after they left I returned to my recliner and wouldn't you know it but the Chupacabre was king again.

 

[Skwim]

It seems as if anyone raised by a mentally unbalanced parent must blame JW's for their PTSD. Put the blame where it lies, there is no more mental illness among JW's than there is the rest of the population. Mentally ill people mess up their children...it is a sad fact of life.

Schizophrenia is a whole other ball game. Mental illness is what it is and schizophrenia is usually accompanied by delusions and voices. No one knows what causes it but it is considered a brain disease.

As would be expected, they're an intractable, close minded bunch.

Good grief. I have been a Witness for 45 years and not once have I experience anything like what has been described here.

Good for you, but what does that have to do with the price of eggs?

 

[Parchment]

Good for you, but what does that have to do with the price of eggs?

The store bought eggs are see through, another example of why mass production does not produce the best taste.

 

[shmogie]

They don't stick around long when I start preaching to them. I find that sort of ironic.

Interesting. They visited me every week for 5 years. I told them I would discuss the Bible with anyone, at anytime. I learned much about what they believe, and had some great discussions. I guess I was kind of "the ultimate challenge" for them. I didn't change my beliefs, but I found them to be dedicated, concerned, kind people who truly believe what they believe and walk the walk they believe they should. I remain an Evangelical Christian, but I have solid respect for them.

 

[Kemosloby]

Interesting. They visited me every week for 5 years. I told them I would discuss the Bible with anyone, at anytime. I learned much about what they believe, and had some great discussions. I guess I was kind of "the ultimate challenge" for them. I didn't change my beliefs, but I found them to be dedicated, concerned, kind people who truly believe what they believe and walk the walk they believe they should. I remain an Evangelical Christian, but I have solid respect for them.

Yeah they're not that bad, at least they did listen to what I had to say. And didn't get all bent out of shape when I tell them I don't agree with everything they believe.

 

[David1967]

To be fair, the JW's are made up of people and like all people there are good ones and not so good ones. Sorry to hear of your experience. I am not a JW but have friends and acquaintances that are. From my experience some can be a bit overbearing (but that's not unique to JW's) but the vast majority have treated me with kindness. I would have to say that my experience with them on a personal level has been positive.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I am adopted, father is neo nazi mother was abused by him.
I was adopted at 2 to a JW couple.
Dad left the organization and us when I was 9. (Didn't hear from him for 5 years)
Mom told me horrible stories about people who leave the group probably to scare me from leaving. She'd say I'd become a prostitute or "women trafficking". And do terrible drugs and stuff.
She said some people went up north to go door to door and since they weren't allowed guns one of the girls was going to the washroom and a bear pulled her off by her feet and ate her feet up, the others could only through rocks. She tells me terrible stories like this all the time! She wants to Move to the Dominican Republic to live and go door to door..
So 16 years I spent as a JW (now 20) and I still feel disturbed. 3 of my friends also left the congregation.. They didn't turn out so well though, stripper, prostitute, and the others got a pimp..
I know of 4 ex JW's who committed suicide. And 1 JW I know died from the no blood transfusions.. My mom actually had a little white card with a blood drop on it that said "No Blood" in case she got in a accident. My experience with the elders handling sex abuse is also rediculious.. Not 1 authority was told.. Although I guess I should have done more then telling an old elder at the age of 5..

Charles Taze Russell - Wikipedia I left once I did some research on Charles (Founder) and found out who he really is.. Look at his marriage.. Look at his grave.. (Pyramid..) The "Allegations of immoral conduct" The miracle wheat. And of course read the use of Masonic symbolism..

I love my mom and my family. They are just so out of this world and it's not mentally healthy.. Atleast that's what my psychiatrist said..

I've only had three experiences with JW. They all were good ones. I have a neighbor whose JW I saw at the Hall my friends invited me to. The two friends I've known for a good two years invited me to the Hall and something they had once a year I never went to. They asked me about my faith and we discussed it. Interestingly, they said t hey did research on it. Mind you I don't know where and what information they thought was correct; but, the intent was genuine.

Another person I saw at the bus stop kept meeting me early morning. We'd talk and I told her I wasn't christian. She'd tell me her thing, I'd tell her mine. It was nice.

The only Christians I've had bad experiences with were Southern Baptist, some non-denominations, some Pentecostals, and one Catholic.

Mind you this was the people rather than the denominations they were from. Catholicism is a beautiful faith out of all of them. But JW were the only ones that were open.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

A group of JWs stood on the path leading to my university (but just a few feet beyond the university property line, so campus police couldn't tell them to leave) most days for years, trying to hand out Watchtower magazines to students.

About half the time, they had a little boy with him... about 10 years old if I had to guess. I always wondered why he was there and not in school in the middle of the day.

 

[savagewind]

A group of JWs stood on the path leading to my university (but just a few feet beyond the university property line, so campus police couldn't tell them to leave) most days for years, trying to hand out Watchtower magazines to students.

About half the time, they had a little boy with him... about 10 years old if I had to guess. I always wondered why he was there and not in school in the middle of the day.

Home schooled, probably. Everything but the society is considered Satan's domain by many Jehovah's Witnesses. It is taught that way.

 

[David1967]

About half the time, they had a little boy with him... about 10 years old if I had to guess. I always wondered why he was there and not in school in the middle of the day.

He may have been home schooled.