The title of this blog is probably not the best, but it was the first phrase that popped into my head. Because of the topic I am going to write about, this phrase that I have heard uttered by children playing popped into my head, so I went with it.
Yesterday I had a brief conversation with a co-worker. She asked me if I had a lot of trick-o-treaters come to my house Halloween night and I told her no, that my dad owned the house and that we had grown up Jehovah's Witnesses so most people know not to come to our door. This co-worker told me that she "got it" because her sister is a JW. She continued by telling me that her sister usually will "celebrate" a day or two before by doing something with the kids like a party or other event.
This reminded me of times that JW parents did the same thing when I was growing up. I remember a family in one of the congregations that I attended that would have a gift giving party every December about a week before the world would celebrate Christmas. Now being the staunch, no room for compromise Witness that I was, I found this to be very odd.
Let me explain what I mean. I remember a lesson with one of my former bible studies that led to a discussion about the holidays. The student said to me that even if the holidays originated from pagan customs, they have evolved from their origins into something else entirely. My comeback to her was that although we as imperfect and finite creatures may not know the origins of a custom or celebration, Jehovah still remembers it like it happened a second ago. Therefore when he sees people engaging in holiday celebrations, to him is the same as engaging in the worship of pagan gods.
So if a Witness has a "dress up" party a few days before Halloween or a "gift giving" party a week before Christmas, are they not essentially doing the same thing? Are they not celebrating the pagan holiday but deceiving themselves that they are doing something different? All they have done was changed the date, the sentiment is still the same.
So I will close with a question that is reflective of one used from the platform at meetings many time: If you are a practicing JW, would you invite Jesus to your pre-Halloween dress up party or your pre-Christmas gift giving party? Find yourself hesitant to say 'yes'?
Perhaps this is one of those times to check the rafter in your own eye first. (Luke 6:42)
Stepford Escapee
My Free Thinking Zone
It's funny, i've been thinking about this and origins of holidays which brought me to the origin of the Jw's. The first founder of the WT was into pyramidology and all kinds of pagan practices. So shouldn't that hold true too. Why would you follow a religion with pagan origins even though it has evolved from there. Those are still the roots. Just some thoughts going through my head the las two days. I may blog about it myself.
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