Hello spencercat
Jehovah’s Witnesses have a very categorical opinion about the
celebrations you mention, as evidenced in this extract from their
official web site at
http://www.watchtower.org/library/rq/article_11.htm:
“Christmas and Easter: Jesus was not born on December 25. He was born
about October 1, a time of year when shepherds kept their flocks
out-of-doors at night. (Luke 2:8-12) Jesus never commanded Christians
to celebrate his birth. Rather, he told his disciples to memorialize,
or remember, his death. (Luke 22:19, 20) Christmas and its customs
come from ancient false religions. The same is true of Easter customs,
such as the use of eggs and rabbits. The early Christians did not
celebrate Christmas or Easter, nor do true Christians today.
Birthdays: The only two birthday celebrations spoken of in the Bible
were held by persons who did not worship Jehovah. (Genesis 40:20-22;
Mark 6:21, 22, 24-27) The early Christians did not celebrate
birthdays. The custom of celebrating birthdays comes from ancient
false religions. True Christians give gifts and have good times
together at other times during the year.”
What is more, the web site gives the following advice: “It may be very
hard to abandon some of these beliefs and customs. Relatives and
friends may try to convince you not to change your beliefs. But
pleasing God is more important than pleasing men.—Proverbs 29:25;
Matthew 10:36, 37.”
Another page on the same site explains the punishment that is meted
out to a Jehovah’s Witness, who is accused of going against their
dogma. This is excommunication or “disfellowship”, which means,
basically that the person is totally shunned by other Jehovah’s
Witnesses, even if they are family. “God's fatherly discipline, which
can affect our spiritual lives, can take many forms. One is his
arrangement to exclude from the Christian congregation a person who no
longer wants to live by God's standards, or who refuses to do so. A
person who is thus strongly chastised or disciplined may repent and
turn around. In the process, the congregation of loyal ones are also
disciplined in that they learn the importance of conforming to God's
high standards. —1 Timothy 1:20.” Here are the comments of one member
about the disfellowshipping of her sister: “"Cutting ourselves off
completely from all association with [my disfellowshipped sister]
Margaret tested our loyalty to Jehovah's arrangement. It gave our
family opportunity to show that we really believe that Jehovah's way
is best.”
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1988/4/15/article_01.htm
In the words of a former Jehovah’s Witness “All Jehovah's Witnesses
must accept the teachings of the Society without demur. Independent
thinking is not allowed and is liable to attract the attention of the
Judicial Committee, consisting of elders of the Kingdom Hall. These
committees have the power to disfellowship (ex-communicate) for a wide
variety of reasons ranging from immorality to displaying a Christmas
card. The Watchtower Society practices "shunning" of members and
former members of the organisation who have disagreed with any
doctrine. This involves severing all contact with friends and family
members, including parents and children. A Jehovah's Witness who does
not follow this practice is himself threatened with
disfellowshipping.”
“Testimony of Anne Hillsdon”
http://www.reachouttrust.org/regulars/articles/testimony/hillsdon.htm
The implications of disfellowship, to a believing Jehovah’s Witness,
are not just the loss of all social ties, and perhaps even family
ties, within the congregation, but also loss of the hope of salvation
and resurrection, the same hope which formed the original impetus for
becoming a member of this religion: “Wrongdoers are considered as
"leaven" that will ferment a lump of bread dough (if not removed) and
negatively viewed as a contaminating influence on the "clean
congregation." Those branded wrongdoers by the elders are "unclean"
and even consider ed unworthy of everlasting life in God's kingdom.
God is considered to have turned His back on them for their
wrongdoing, and their only future hope rests on the organization
reinstating them before Armageddon starts (Watchtower teaches this is
a worldwide destruction by God, basedon their interpretation of
Revelation)…. Based on this line of reasoning, some DFed individuals
believe it is best to terminate their lives now (commit suicide),
rather than risk being found in a "disapproved state" at Armageddon.”
http://home.powertech.no/festus/j/jwe/36571.shtml From Watchtower
Inquiry, by a “Recovering Jehovah's Witness”
So the intolerance that is being expressed by your relative is very
possibly a sign of fear as much as of his/her faith, because the
family’s insistence that s/he participates in birthdays and holidays
is, in his/her eyes, seen as an attempt to force him/her into
apostasy, by indulging in the practices of “false religions” and thus
into losing all hope for the future. A Jehovah’s Witness is expected
to obey the principles of this church unhesitatingly and without
compromise. Anything less is considered to be a betrayal.
One possible way forward might be to remove the moral pressure on your
relative to celebrate birthdays, Christmas and Easter with the family.
The very first citation provided above includes the sentence: “True
Christians give gifts and have good times together at other times
during the year.” If your family is able to accept such “other times”
and create special but non-controversial occasions when you can all
show your love and affection for each other in various ways, this will
go a long way to resolving the dispute between you.
More information about the Jehovah’s Witnesses:
http://www.watchtower.org/ The official web site of the Jehovah’s
Witnesses
http://www.beliefnet.com/boards/discussion_list.asp?boardID=28081 A
bulletin board run by Jehovah’s Witnesses: “Not a Jehovah’s Witness?
Want to learn about Jehovah’s Witnesses teaching and practice?
Respectful questions are welcome here, and Jehovah’s Witnesses members
of Beliefnet will help you answer them.”
http://www.beliefnet.com/boards/discussion_list.asp?boardID=28082
Another Belief Net bulletin board, with the same host, but a broader
remit: “This is a forum to debate issues concerning Jehovah’s
Witnesses. Provocative and controversial questions and comments are
invited, but you must stay within the limits of the Beliefnet Rules of
Conduct. Be courteous and respectful to others here even when beliefs
differ.”
http://www.freeminds.org/ “brought to you by Free Minds, Inc. a
non-profit organization keeping an eye on the Watchtower (Jehovah's
Witnesses) We are not affiliated with any religious organization”
http://www.watchtowerinformationservice.org/ Extensive site by ex
Jehovah’s Witness, with many articles and stories, a discussion board,
and a large listing of related sites.
Search strategy: 1. “Jehovah’s Witnesses” Easter birthdays 2.
“Jehovah’s Witnesses” disfellowship significance |
Clarification of Answer by
tehuti-ga
on
28 Apr 2003 18:00 PDT
Hi spencercat,
The official JW web site implies a softer attitude to those “outside”
than to defectors from “within”:
“Christians do not hold themselves aloof from people. We have normal
contacts with neighbors, workmates, schoolmates, and others, and
witness to them even if some are 'fornicators, greedy persons,
extortioners, or idolaters.' Paul wrote that we cannot avoid them
completely, 'otherwise we would have to get out of the world.'”
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1988/4/15/article_01.htm
NB This is the URL for the first citation in my answer. The change in
address has occurred in the last few hours!
It also says:
“CHRISTIANS are commanded to "make disciples of people of all the
nations," but this does not mean that they are to use pressure or
convert others by force… Jehovah's Witnesses try to recommend the good
news to others in this way also: by being exemplary in the Christian
conduct that they recommend to others. They try to 'do unto others as
they would have others do unto them.' (Matthew 7:12) They try to be
this way with all men, not just with fellow Witnesses, friends,
neighbors, or relatives. Being imperfect, they do not always succeed
100 percent. But it is the desire of their hearts to do good unto all
people not only in telling them the good news of the Kingdom but also
in extending a helping hand whenever possible.—James 2:14-17.”
http://www.watchtower.org/library/jt/article_05.htm
The Authorized Site of the Office of Public Information of Jehovah's
Witnesses has the following statement:
“Marriage mates with different religions are encouraged to treat each
other with tolerance and respect. Children should be given the
opportunity to learn about the religious views of both parents.—1
Corinthians 7:12-14.”, which would imply that the same tolerance
should be extended to other family members.
http://www.jw-media.org/beliefs/family.htm
On the other hand, a web site critical of the JWs provides the
following quotations from JW literature, which rather go against the
calls to tolerance cited above:
“Don't associate with outsiders (non-Jehovah's Witnesses). You are too
busy for that!” Watchtower, 2/1/74, p.93.
“Remember, you are to have "no association" with non-Jehovah's Witness
friends or relatives. If they are honest and moral, that still does
not make any difference.” Watchtower, 2/15/60, pp. 112-113
http://www.letusreason.org/JW24.htm
And an article entitled: “The Fear Indoctrination Placed Upon
Jehovah's Witnesses by the Watchtower Society” by Vincent McCann,
Spotlight Ministries, 2000, says
“The fear of the world, and those in it, is a prime concern of the
Witness. Those who have relationships with non-Witness friends outside
the congregation are frowned upon by the Society as being involved in
"bad association." The Watchtower reasons that because everything in
the world, that is outside the Organisation, is viewed as "evil",
non-Witness people are a potential spiritual threat and therefore
should be avoided. This tends to create an "us and them" mentality.”
http://www.spotlightministries.org.uk/jwfears.htm
It would be logical to assume that relatives, especially those who
express criticism, could come into the same category of "bad
association".
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