Page 5 | Not celebrating birthdays or Christmas?

Doglover321 · 2024-11-27T08:31:31+00:00

I was working an agency shift yesterday when one of my colleagues confessed that she doesn’t celebrate her children’s birthdays or Christmas. They are only 8 and 4, and will be hearing from school friends all about Christmas and how many presents they’re going to get, etc. She said it’s because she’s a Jehovah’s Witness and wants to raise her girls as Witnesses also, but I can’t help but feel sad for them.

ginasevern · 27/11/2024 10:22

Yes, I feel sorry for the children, not because they don't follow pagan traditions but because they are being raised in a cult. Anyone defending the JW belief system should read up on its history.

JustinThyme · 27/11/2024 10:20

Green777 · 27/11/2024 10:09

@JustinThyme

Sorry but that’s another lie. Shunned witnesses aren’t dead to anyone and they are welcome back into the fold of practicing the religion whenever they choose as long as they’ve stopped regularly practicing any major sins like adultery.

Absolute rubbish. “Welcome back into the fold” - yes, capitulation is welcomed. Dissent results in expulsion and being cut dead.

As a Witness you can be friends with atheists and people of faith. But you cannot be friends with an ex Witness.

Horrace · 27/11/2024 10:18

@Green777

I would like you to explain the 2 witness rule to everyone please

JudgeJ · 27/11/2024 10:14

JurassicPark4Eva · 27/11/2024 09:02

I have two friends who are ex JW. One has HUGE celebrations of absolutely everything because they didn't get to do it as a kid. The other celebrates nothing and seems to find little joy in life outside of red wine and communism (yes really).

Both were badly damaged by being raised in what amounts to a cult irrespective of whether they had birthday parties or gifts on Xmas day. Plenty of religions have celebrations through the year but JW seems to be especially dour and joyless.

With communism what other wine could you enjoy but red??

Green777 · 27/11/2024 10:14

I’m off to peruse Style and Beauty, much nicer to read 😊

ThatsNotMyTeen · 27/11/2024 10:14

Green777 · 27/11/2024 10:11

Such faux concern for the kids just an excuse to bash a religion. I can understand the concern about blood but come on.

Thankfully there’s some balanced minded people that know many religions reject pagan traditions and celebrations

Yes but they have other celebrations

JW seem particularly miserable

Green777 · 27/11/2024 10:13

@ErrolTheDragon

it makes sense that you’re looking at it from an academic stance, it is really hard to understand people’s personal religious beliefs in the Bible etc from that standpoint but I understand and respect that too

hazelnutvanillalatte · 27/11/2024 10:11

One of my best friends grew up JW but her mother left the religion when she was a child. She did feel that she missed out on birthdays and holidays - and not just that but anything involving 'magic' ie Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings

Green777 · 27/11/2024 10:11

Such faux concern for the kids just an excuse to bash a religion. I can understand the concern about blood but come on.

Thankfully there’s some balanced minded people that know many religions reject pagan traditions and celebrations

Green777 · 27/11/2024 10:09

@JustinThyme

Sorry but that’s another lie. Shunned witnesses aren’t dead to anyone and they are welcome back into the fold of practicing the religion whenever they choose as long as they’ve stopped regularly practicing any major sins like adultery.

ErrolTheDragon · 27/11/2024 10:08

pimplebum · 27/11/2024 10:08

Why not tell her? Be sure to tell all the Muslims you feel sorry for their children and the Hindus, sikhs and Jews too

Are they being excluded from the school Xmas celebrations?

Sparrow7 · 27/11/2024 10:08

Horrible cult, and not because of the lack of celebrations. I feel sorry for all children raised like that

pimplebum · 27/11/2024 10:08

Why not tell her? Be sure to tell all the Muslims you feel sorry for their children and the Hindus, sikhs and Jews too

ErrolTheDragon · 27/11/2024 10:07

Green777 · 27/11/2024 10:03

@ErrolTheDragon

Please scroll back and read the reasons you’ve given for cults and whether they match up. I think you should do a bit more research than listen to disgruntled melters etc. Ir helps to be a bit open minded as you probably are with other religions you wouldn’t dare to diss with who’s beliefs you don’t agree with

I'll diss all sorts of religions, you obviously don't know me😂

And I do 'research' in the meaning it's deployed here - listen to serious academic lectures and podcasts.

You seem to have problems comprehending what other people are saying, and completely misrepresenting them.

thepariscrimefiles · 27/11/2024 10:07

Rebekah Vardy made a documentary about growing up in a Jehovah Witness family. It sounded pretty traumatic, as it is a very 'high-control' religion. It's pretty hard to leave the religion as people who do this are cut off and shunned by the community.

Georgyporky · 27/11/2024 10:06

FlaskOfRevenge · 27/11/2024 09:38

It is the birthday thing that gets me the most for the children and the recruitment drive that sees them door knocking.

@Georgyporky you want a no cold caller sign which includes religious groups. I got mine off ebay £2.49 for a 2 pack so you can share with a friend

Sorry about the stupidly long link

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186252740352?_skw=no+cold+caller+sign+religion&itmmeta=01JDPFG0BYF0GG1Q467KC1386W&hash=item2b5d874700:g:fz0AAOSwAsZlpANU&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJKmPH47y%2FTC6JUHbvk7LkD%2FTvslZgncOAD2mZdn3AgVUamYsi2E5xfmiile%2FprqoyUbAgPdjZF%2Bcakyp0tIUDoMnsoLR7ZMo9eSwFevA5DlualleKX6bEk3DezlTjYQ3UPW0U0Y57Jo0kb1XzP12vNJqUJ7H3O1ADoIUvKHLC38KHoa2%2Bv4fRZdLjhvVdmGC0a%2FqB06ZteVhPFVCER6i16Vwhhj1mLHNrT2ikLnktWcE9OmGuuAJAVrKnVryJjthZVxqgETYyyb2q8YYoo473B8DQQPO%2BDl2%2FaKDqeVvvi7WGQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBMiIbAz-1k

Our whole village is a "No Cold Calling Zone", but it doesn't stop them !

Green777 · 27/11/2024 10:06

@ErrolTheDragon

To one religion that’s ‘misogynistic’ there’s another that believes it somehow protects women and Honors them. Down to perspective too and down to whether the person believes the Quran or Bible is truly from God, and they want to obey it and follow it.

Yes you really should respect peoples beliefs regardless. Respecting doesn’t mean agreeing.

You seem very closed minded and decided so let’s leave it there 💐

JustinThyme · 27/11/2024 10:04

Having seen what happened to friends who were Disfellowshipped, Yes, it’s a cult and yes, it’s bloody dangerous.

If Green wasn’t baptised as a Witness, they will be as welcoming as anything. But to reject the Witnesses after baptism, you’re dead to them. Family, friends, entire community cast you out, won’t speak, won’t even look at them.

Catza · 27/11/2024 10:04

Green777 · 27/11/2024 10:00

@Doglover321

Alas as I’ve said, I’m one of the few that has worked closely with them, studied with them, and not been shunned for not practicing it. On the contrary

Well, of course. It's because you are a potential convert. Had you been brought up in the faith and then decided to leave, your experiences would have been very different.
I am also saying it as someone who used to work closely with them and was always treated very well. This wasn't the case for my friends who left in adulthood.

Green777 · 27/11/2024 10:03

@ErrolTheDragon

Please scroll back and read the reasons you’ve given for cults and whether they match up. I think you should do a bit more research than listen to disgruntled melters etc. Ir helps to be a bit open minded as you probably are with other religions you wouldn’t dare to diss with who’s beliefs you don’t agree with

ErrolTheDragon · 27/11/2024 10:03

it’s nice to respect others beliefs I think.

Respect needs to be earned.
I don't respect religious beliefs which are misogynistic for instance.

Original poster

Doglover321 · 27/11/2024 10:01

Green777 · 27/11/2024 10:00

@Doglover321

Alas as I’ve said, I’m one of the few that has worked closely with them, studied with them, and not been shunned for not practicing it. On the contrary

Would you refuse a blood transfusion if you needed it to stay alive?

OP posts:

Original poster

Doglover321 · 27/11/2024 10:00

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 27/11/2024 09:59

Going against the grain, I also think this is cruel.
Poor kids.
But then there’s lots about the JW religion that upsets me tbh - may not be nice of me to say that but letting loved ones die for lack of a blood transfusion is so sad.

Especially young children. The fact that they will let their children die instead of accepting the blood transfusion!

OP posts:

Green777 · 27/11/2024 10:00

@Doglover321

Alas as I’ve said, I’m one of the few that has worked closely with them, studied with them, and not been shunned for not practicing it. On the contrary

ErrolTheDragon · 27/11/2024 10:00

Green777 · 27/11/2024 09:57

@ErrolTheDragon

Youre basically saying they’re a cult for believing in the Bible. You’re also saying Jesus was sus because he preached and told his followers to. He was hated and put to death for being different and actually following gods word and said in the Bible his followers would be different and gated too because actually being a true Christian and loving others, preaching and using the Bible as a guide to living is very unusual now.

You obviously don’t believe the Bible but it’s nice to respect others beliefs I think.

I'm not saying any such thing.
I'm saying that the jehovahs witnesses have an organisation and certain behaviours which are cultish traits.

Maybe you need to learn more about how to recognise them. It's got pretty much nothing to do with their theology.