Not celebrating birthdays or Christmas?

The Mormons approach people directly to try to recruit them although they don't knock at doors,

Nope! The Mormons go door to door as well - always in same sex pairs, usually in suits. The Witnesses don't mind mix sex pairs when on ministry and aren't as formal of attire, which is how you can tell from the Ring doorbell before getting out of the bath opening the door as to which type of evangelicals they will be.

I used to live within a mile of both a Kingdom Hall and Mormon Church. We had a LOT of people at the door over the years.

But they don't forbid eating black pudding or rare beef, they just focus on blood transfusions? That's why I find it confusing?

Your post will probably be deleted now.

But you do know the answer. Christian religions don't take offence.

I will probably be deleted for saying this

You know that the King James Bible isn't the original text too, right?

Interesting that this thread and some of the posts have been allowed to stand. If we were discussing other religions in the same way, post after post would be being removed. If we were questioning the dress code forced onto little girls, or the split in the place of worship (including at funerals) , the posts would be removed. As for the post about the man dying from Aids being shunned in the JW family, there are a lot of religions which would do the same. In some religions his Mother or sister can't attend the funeral anyway. There's religions that will let women die, rather than be properly examined by a male doctor. There's communities that will stay silent when women (and girls) are beaten and murdered. Really interesting the difference in how MN has allowed this thread.
@Green777

But there are examples of that in every religion. And of abuse. And of misogyny. That doesn't make them all cults. It doesn't make everyone in them abusive or bad. You can disagree with religion (I'm not religious) but the OP saying about how awful it is not to celebrate Christmas- that's true of most religions!

Well it sort of is when they're trailing over to your property and even barging into your garden because they can hear people that aren't answering the door..

And when it's wasting courts time trying to get a negligent set of parents to overrule a lifesaving blood transfusion for their sick child.

Or when children are forced to live with these cruel conditions or they faced being shunned at 18. Or when someone commits suicide because they can't come out as gay to their community.

Nah, let's stand back and turn away ay.

Please do tell so the likes of @Green777 and the other culty advocates can listen!

It's always been the same. And it's not your business.

There's a difference between 'not bothering' with something, and purposely alienating and depriving children of cultural celebrations. The Muslim family that live next door to my parents always pop round sorry a card, a beautiful curry and box of chocolates, they always get a gift returned to them too.

Saying 'nah, can't be arsed as it's an inconvenience' is just lazy, and so sad for those children wondering why they don't get the Christmas magic and everybody else seems to.

All this rubbish about JW following the Bible. Its heavily editted.

My JW gran used to quote Bible passages from her JW Bible, my RC dad used to point out that the King James Bible passage was different. My JW gran would check and compare (she had a King James Bible for various reasons) and had to admit the passages were different.

It was difficult as a child explaining to people that I never got birthdays and Christmases acknowledged by my JW grandparents, it must be so much harder to explain when its your own parents.

I did exactly the same with my DC and my DPs (spontaneous gifting), but the difference is, I ALSO celebrated their birthdays and Christmas with gifts and special meals. I feel sorry for JW children.

Sounds exhilarating.

@PassingStranger

Do you stop your children from joining in with their class mates when making xmas cards or singing carols or watching the school nativity and berate them if they were to receive a Christmas card. Do you put up decorations or ake your kids feel guilty if they look at Christmas lights.
That's what JW kids have to put up with.

It's all very well with your flippant remarks about not giving your children presents at Christmas. But there is a lot more to the celebrations than presents that JW children feel so left out over and get bullied for at school.

I was listening to Peter Andre talk about growing up as a Jehovah's Witness on the Parenting Hell podcast and it was really touching and lovely. He isn't practicing any more but it definitely dispelled lots of my prior thoughts about it.

I once asked my long-standing JW friend what alternative gift-giving practices she had. She told me there's much more opportunity to be spontaneous when you're not tied to celebrating two particular days - if she saw something that she thought her DH or her mum would like and enjoy, she could buy it and give it to them straight away "just because", rather than stashing it away for months to hand over on a birthday or at Christmas

I can’t disagree with this as a concept as that’s exactly how our household operates. We see the organised dates/days as being so very Hallmark. We’d rather be spontaneous with our gifts and celebrations.

However, we sucked up the Hallmark crap and joined in when our kids were children. So we celebrated their birthdays, with gifts and party and Xmas with gifts and the seasonal celebratory stuff. Once they got to high school and understood how fake that was they were quite happy to stop with it all and do spontaneous instead. As adults who can do as they will, they haven’t reverted to days for the sake of it, all seem happy with giving those a swerve.

Perhaps why they home school to hire the abuse?
They are a nuisance. I met a woman on holiday once and she kept trying to give me one of their books to read.
I believe in scientifically proven fact, not ancient hearsay.

Nothing to do with it.

Why do kids needs christmas presents?
It's not their birthday.

The Mormons approach people directly to try to recruit them although they don't knock at doors, they approach people in the street . They are regularly seen in two's walking along a main road close to us. I know the Mormons have a year or two at around age 18/19 when they are assigned to another country to spread the word and it's a huge, exciting honour for them. A rite of passage. The Mormons I've seen locally are invariably young, good looking, clean cut, smartly dressed and impeccably polite "all American" boys. I imagine they are chosen for that reason. They are certainly not intrusive or as persistent as some JW's can be. Occasionally they have said Hi on passing and I've said Hi in return. On the occasions they've stopped me they have been very pleasant and I've been polite and just said, "No thanks, not interested, I'm a Catholic". They are very accepting of that and move on. JW's not so much

Tend to agree with that, same as mothers day, buy your mum something any day.

I can't speak for other people's experiences with Jehovah's Witnesses but I can tell you mine and that of my husband who grew up as one. Anyone saying they don't cause harm, shun or shun non believers and don't shun for spurious reasons well pull up a chair because I have all damn day.

Do you have young children or ever had them or grandchildren?

No christmas here. Don't see why people need presents just because supposedly it's a babys birthday that was born years ago in a Stable.
What's it got to do with us.
We have our own special day our birthday, not somebody else's birthday.
So I believe in making a birthday.
Life would be easier and less stressful if other people knocked Xmas present buying on the head.

Green777 is utterly delusional.
They're a misogynistic cult, with one rule for the elders families and other for the rest of the congregation. Domestic violence and child abuse are rife but swept inder the carpet. It's a joyless existence for the children, and those who finally get out are disfellowshipped and loose contact with their families.

If you know any JW children, among your neighbours or you children's classmates, please think of them. Give them a chocolate bar at Easter when everyone else is getting eggs. If you do class celebrations for your DC's birthday, send in a little gift or cake the day before so they're allowed to keep it. It will mean a lot. Many come from low income families too so don't get treats at other times throughout the year. There's no sparkle, no pretty lights, no magic, just bullying from other kids (and teachers) for being different. Always watching others having fun and never allowed to join in.

I will never, ever forgive my mother for raising us like that, nor my father (who wasn't a convert) for letting her.

There's lots of examples of Muslim families (as an example) shunning children who leave the religion or marry outside the religion. Does that make Islam a cult? I know ex JW people that are still very much part of their JW family. I have 2 separate examples (as in unconnected to each other) where the family wasn't broken up. One where wife remained JW but husband and son left, all lived together for at least 25 years since (until husband died and woman moved into care). Other my ex boyfriend and his brother decided in late teens to leave JW, parents still very active but happily lived with my ex boyfriend. They were welcoming to me and didn't ever try to convert me.