Does Jehovah’s Witnesses Birthday Prohibition Really Make Sense?
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- Today is my birthday! So I decided to take a few minutes before we celebrate to talk about why the JW prohibition on birthday’s doesn’t hold water.
PLEASE check out the JWfacts.com article about JW’s & Birthdays. Big shoutout to Paul Grundy. www.jwfacts.co...
Fair Use Note: All statements made in this video are only my personal opinion as a former member of the Jehovah's Witness religion. The Watchtower documents referenced in this video are being used legally for criticism, education, public awareness, transparency and commentary and is protected by the Fair Use Law Act: Section 107 of the USC: www.copyright.....
Happy birthday! I've never been JW, but it seems to me that the ban on birthdays is just one more way for the Watchtower to make their people feel isolated
and a way to set themselves "apart" from other religions. They did the same thing with smoking cigs. It was ok in the beginning but took it away because it appeared to "WORLDLY"
Agreed! It feels like they were so random in their choices. I seems to me that they needed their beliefs to be different from the rest of Christianity, not too much just enough to justify why they were there at all.
Looking back I HATED having to explain why we didn’t celebrate birthdays. As a child you’re taught that it’s because someone got their head sliced and diced. Now can anyone tell me another occasion in REAL LIFE where someone got beheaded on their birthday? Then they wanna talk about “paganism” which I’m SO glad you mentioned. Wedding cakes, rings, doing that “bridge” thing during the reception dance etc., are all of “pagan” origin. They pick and choose when they wanna be “spiritual” and it always sickened me. I remember going to a kids party that a sister in my old hall used to give and she had a piñata twice a year. I remember because she ALWAYS had it against a wall, instead of hanging freely from the ceiling and the candy got smashed up when it came down. Anyway one year we went and she didn’t have it any more and we were so upset. She never explained why but I bet someone snitched to the elders about it! In the following years; instead of the piñata she would have us dress up as bible characters and reenact scenes from Exodus🤦🏽♂️. Sheesh, it’s really something to be an adult and be a rookie at celebrating birthdays. I celebrated my first birthday last month and didn’t know what to do. And I’m 30! 😂
They pick and choose, the rules are according to what they say. Yes, birthdays not viewed the same today. The ORG wants to stand from other religions because it makes them feel like they could say they are in the truth, which is distorted logic.
Hahaha I love what you say about distorted logic. You nailed it!
@@dantoinettetaylor1663 Thanx
No it’s just that almost all holidays are literally based on pagan backgrounds lol do your research because I know people who aren’t witnesses that know that.
@@tierracharnea Birthdays are harmless, there is no where in the Bible where it says Birthdays are not to be celebrated. Witnesses engage in the following: they wear wedding rings, the veil, partake in eating the wedding cake, having bride's maids, baby showers, pinata engagement, putting flowers on the casket, wearing a tie and even shaving all come from pagan backgrounds and witnesses do all these.
You need to your research. How about that!!!
@@dantoinettetaylor1663 Yes, you might think I nailed, but not the trolls who come on the site.
Happy Birthday! This year I will celebrate mine also after 35 years not not celebrating.
Happy Birthday!!!! And you are spot on with all the pagan celebrations lol. I tried to tell my mom about the weddings, rings, etc that were actually deemed satanic or pagan and she just shrugged it off; she even said "well if it bothers you don't do it." and I said "it doesn't bother me, what bothers me is picking and choosing which is prevalent in the JW community." and it shut her up real quick.
The Watchtower is consistently inconsistent when it comes to rules and regulations
Happy Birthday! 🎉🎂🎁 I’m a July baby too. Even as a JW I celebrated my birthday in my own way. There was no logic for not celebrating my life.
Dose that make u aCancer??
You've done your homework Brother! Awesome job! I am also an Exjw! Thank you for your post!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
...and yet the wedding rings are okay, even when the JW admitted in their publications that wedding rings originates in paganism.🤦🏾♂️
Mthokozisi Langa really? Is that true I didn’t know that...what is pegan anyway?
Friendy Wendy that’s the million dollar question, many JWs hear that saying... but don’t actually know what pagans are.
MAZDA is the pagan name for the Persian God of light!! Does this mean JWS can't drive Mazda's?😜
I remember when I was in one of the last costume drama’s in 2013, the one about Esther. And i heard in the audio the character Haman mention a God named Ahura Mazda. And i was like hmmmm is that where the car got that name? Of course it was, and of course there was someone in the cast who drove a Mazda 😂
Great thought. You cracked my up! 😉
Now at least I know why I loved to drive one...
I actually drove a Mazda when I was a JW lmao oops! 💀😂
C.T lol you’re funny
I left in 2017 please pray for my wonderfully wife Jane I do every day
Matt, Happy Birthday! I really appreciate your thorough coverage and explanation of why JWs don’t celebrate Birthdays. I was born in the JW religion and my Dad has been an Elder for many years; however, as a young teenager I personally began to question many of the beliefs. Fast forward to now, and happily I am no longer a JW. There’s so much I want to say, there isn’t enough time. I can relate to EVERYTHING you are sharing. Keep up the great work of exposing the mis-guided teachings because JWs have ruined many lives and turned many people from GOD. I understand from one of your earlier posts that now you are an atheist. I respect how you feel, because once I woke up from their brainwashing tactics I felt weird and somewhat confused. My mind is clear now but I feel very angry about all of the years of living that I missed-no college, alienation from our non-JW family members, no birthdays, etc.
What do JWs do when I baby is Born ?...This is the baby's Birth-Day!...Yes Gifts ..Gifts Galore and the center of Attraction is the new born....Also this applys with baby showers .. Gifts snacks Drinks cake ..Everything at a birthday Party!...No Damn Difference !
Yo... you just blew my mind! LOL
A babys day of birth can appropriately be celebrated, it is a tie of rejoicing... but witnesses take issue with the commemorating annually of it.
Interestingly, early Christians were condemned by the Roman s as kill joys and haters of life , because their lifestyle stood in contrast to the extremes the Roman's went to for entertainment and pleasure seeking of which they were notorious .
Witnesses receive identical reactions from people now and identify with Christ's first century followers.
Is that a good thing ?
@@compositioncompilation what is being condemned is the celebration in general. Early Christians didn't participate in the "pagan / immoral" customs which is what drew criticism. There is nothing immoral about holidays.
Witness don't follow first century Christians. They cherry pick scriptures to control the rank and file. Equivalent to a cult.
@@benjaminfernandez2281
Holy days
That says it all.
Religious origins that are not from the True Gods thinking.
@@benjaminfernandez2281 wow vernell pretty much destroyed your argument.
We wanna thank Bro (redacted) for giving us that stirring discourse this afternoon. All those in the audience I’m sure greatly appreciated how you used those scriptures to make points we can all apply. We would like to remind the congregation that there is no smoking in the KH however and that Bro (redacted) cigar is not an invitation to smoke in the main auditorium. We hope you can all stay over for your discuss of this weeks WT. 🤣😂😂🤣😂 Happy birthday🥳🥳🥳
Hilliarious! I see what you did there :-)
I tried cigars when I was 24, I got sick. Happy birthday, no it doesn't make sense because they partake in other things that are pagan. They wear wedding rings, wedding veils, partake of wedding cakes, wear ties, have cats, use the days of the week, use the months of the year and the list goes on. So, if someone was beheaded on a wedding celebration, that means we should not celebrate weddings, really!! I know I'm going to say more
Happy birthday, health, love and happiness. I have started on the 3.7.2019 to celebrate the birthday of my grandchildren. I had a nice garden party for my granddaughter Maleah who turned 5.It was wonderful. I told my husband, who is still in, that only because 2 people acted weaked on their birthday party doesn't mean that the birthday party is bad. It is the weaked people who did weaked things on their birthday.
What happened at those birthdays could have happened at any other celebration. Conniving persons took advantage of the rulers vanity to get what they wanted
Also, what about all of the other positive birthday celebration s that took place during that time that were not mentioned in the Bible? They only mention the negative two. The reason why they don't want you to celebrate your b-day is because, it gives you individual importance and they don't want you to have an individual mindset for yourself and don't want you to realize your individual spirituality because that leaves no room for them to control you and add you to a group / sheep mindset
HAPPY 60TH BD!!! You don't look ANYWHERE NEAR 60 IP!! (smile)
Another great video! Happy very belated Birthday, Matt! I remember telling one of my ex boyfriends about the whole “No celebrating birthday” thing. It made no sense to him. He said “people are born every single day and bad things happen every single day”. I never even thought about that until he said.
Look up Colossians 2:16
The bible says do not let anyone judge for what you observe.
Weddings, anniversaries. Been to big parties for both. Just never seemed right in my then young mind. I have come to realize that my eyes were open wider than I knew, I just knew I couldn’t tell anyone.
Could you do a video regarding Christmas? I grew up being taught JW... I was never baptized but have recently started celebrating Christmas with my husband and family.
Happy Birthday Matt!!! This is your special day to celebrate 🎉 your Birthday 🎂 I wish you many more to come. So, enjoy and eat lots of ice cream 🍨 and cake 🎂 Big hugs 🤗
Georgina Gaskin thanks! Im getting a strawberry cheesecake as we speak!
Another thing I was taught was that it’s a day to be selfish and think only of yourself. So it’s a way Satan can influence you into thinking more of yourself than you should. Smh control control control! Can’t even for a day take away Jehovah’s shine.
Happy belated birthday brother!!! Hope you enjoyed it to the fullest!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY !! Enjoy every second of this special day !!! :)
🤣🤣🤣👌🏽great research.. u look soo happy.. Happy Belated Bday🥳🥳🥳 liv ur life.. im certainly enjoyin mine.. my Bday is coming up on Sept 9th n im livin it up all the way... As a EXJW myself.. i never understood the JW teaching on Birthdays.. there were just too many contradictions.. now im free as a bird.. that dominicana looked great by the way.. Enjoy!!💯💯💯💯
Happy belated birthday. I hope you've had a great day
Happy Birthday! Anything that makes you happy that does not involve the Watchtower is labeled as bad.
Happy birthday brother and may you be blessed with many more I was told anything that happens yearly was considered an anniversary because it happens annually or yearly again HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!
Aww maaan you’re killing it. Sooo true “insight book is the encyclopedia for Jehovah’s Witnesses “ . Lol
Also the 2 lame excuses we heard as the reason why we couldn’t celebrate birthdays.
Even angels came to worship in song at the birth of our Savior, and 3 men came a couple years later to give this king gifts. I always feel sorry for kids growing up in this group who I can tell have little joy a lot of the time because those things that bring joy are not allowed. I can sense many times in my own community when there is a family of these around. Quieter and I've seen a couple people with a blank look on their face, and almost a permanent look of anger, some came over to my apt. looking for people who wanted to come over and be part of their group for a barbeque and I promise you, this man looked like he just took a hatched and went after someone. The countenance of a person is a big indicator about how someone lives.
GREETINGS, HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!!!!!!!YOU DESERVE A.....WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY......!!!!!!!.....I am glad you are.....”FREE”.....and you can enjoy....every BIRTHDAY FROM NOW ON AND FREE TO ENJOY THEM......Sincerely, P.A.E.T-P
Happy Birthday 😊🎂
A know lots of JWs who secretly celebrate birthdays.
Just over a month ago one of my JW friend who doesn’t shun me, had a birthday party for her daughter.
There were three other active witnesses that were there.
To show how hypocritical they are, when the mother gathered everyone to sing happy birthday and her child to blow out the candles the other sisters stayed in another room.
Also I use to work with a JW who partake of donuts bought for someones birthday but won’t eat the cake even if it’s a cake without the happy birthday.
I'm so glad I never convinced anyone to join my former cult 😂
lydia michael saaaaaaame
Me tooooooo!!!!
mee too!! I left at 18 and NEVER came back Im 42 now I would feel bad if I ruined someones life smh
Lydia michael I left maybe 15yrs ago and never look back my parents are still are but I wasn't feeling it anymore too much double standard and politics but yet jw supposedly don't do politics right smh
@@theirregularpioneerchannel1804 hey man I was hoping I can get in contact with you so we can talk it's cool to talk to a person that's woke up
I don't know how this birthday ban started (probably Rutherford, he seems to have seriously not wanted anyone except him to have fun), but I'm pretty sure the Society is holding on to it for a number of reasons. 1) It keeps people from ever feeling special. Think about what birthdays mean to children. You get to be the centre of attention, you receive presents, a party is being thrown for you - you might think you are special in some way! The Society does not want people to feel special. They want everyone to feel like a little worker bee in the worldwide work, nothing more. 2) It sets JWs apart from the "world". So they get to feel so special and elitist and like they know something that no one else has figured out. 3) It drives a wedge between JWs and any non-JW relatives they might have. If JWs went to their relatives' birthday parties (and celebreated Xmas, Easter and so on with them), they might get close to them and realize they can have meaningful relationships with "worldly" people. That's a big no-no. Think of it, these family celebrations are the occasions when everyone gets together and where family bonds are strengthened. The Society absolutely wants to keep their members away from such family bonds.
In English, the names of the days of the week (most of them, anyways) have indisputable pagan roots.
Tuesday-->Tyr, the Norse god of war
Wednesday--> Odin, the Old Norse god of knowledge and wisdom
Thursday--> Thor, the Norse god of thunder
Friday--> Frigg, the Norse goddess of foresight and knowledge
Saturday--> Saturn, the Roman god of wealth and plenty
Happy birthday man! Enjoy it since it's your first one in a long time
Happy birthday friend. From Norway 🇳🇴🇳🇴🇳🇴🇳🇴🇳🇴
You Are a Nice person and its interesting to learn from your wisdom.
Thanks.
Happy Birthday!🎁🎊🎂
My family never fails to send a mass text on birthdays that are clearly birthday messages without saying the words, Happy Birthday." 🥴
Go for it! Don't care if it's pagan or not. We are celebrating you. Glad you were born and we are celebrating your special day.
I hope you really enjoyed your birthday, we are celebrating my son and husband this weekend, I celebrated mine a few months ago, it was a great day and I gave thanks to Jesus my Lord and my God for creating life.... creating me. I am so honored that he has the love for us, what a beautiful gift of real love he and his Father has for all of us that they created in their image.
It’s August but happy belated birthday! I hope you enjoy your day!!!! Eats lots of cakes nothing wrong with celebrating yourself!
Earthday Bigups Bro , ENJOY enjoy Enjoy . . . 🙌🏽 🎂👏🏽 🍾 BOSH 👊🏾
Also Rutherford didn't like anybody else receiving attention because he was such a narcissist. That's the real reason JWs don't celebrate birthdays. Great video Matt. Happy belated birthday, Haha.
OMG, I just realized that it's my husband's first (celebrated )birthday. We woke up only a couple weeks ago. It kind of took me by surprise and as I was watching this and thinking about birthdays, I realized that I'm going to use this day to celebrate! Looks like I'll be baking a cake today and making some fancy cocktails 🎂🍾
It’s all about control with the Watchtower. I have never been to a birthday party or any party where someone was beheaded. Enjoy your day and celebrate you with your family. Happy birthday. 🎁🎊🎉
Party like it's 1984.
Great Dayn 1999
That's my birth year!! @great dane
I questioned the JW stance on birthdays way before I left with a simple scenario. Which birthday would end up end up in the national newspaper news? 100,000 perfectly peaceful birthdays of normal citizens where everyone had a happy day,or one in which a prominent national dignitary holds a big birthday party and someone ends up getting murdered.If the peaceful birthdays didn't get into the paper but the bloody one did should it be presumed that only wicked people celebrated birthdays? So similar to what you say. The arbitrary acceptance of accepting pagan things like wedding and engagement rings and happily accepting Roman calendars all named after pagan deities, surely if reminders of pagan deities upset Jehovah that much they should get rid of it all
Happy Birthday to youuuuu 🎉🎊🎷🎺📯🎶🎵All the best for the new year to come!
Happy Birthday..
The wine taster was reinstated, so something good also happened! So we should then celebrate birthdays!
I love love love your channel..I was "born in" and deeply believed. Then I was raped by an elder when I was 8yo. I told my parents and they never believed me. I was raped again at 14 and choose not to tell my family because I remembered the initial reaction. I finally left the religion when I got married at 18. I got married to escape my family... But I had entered another bad situation. He use to beat me all the time. My family was not my security. . I like you am a total atheist. My questions about the religion were simpler than yours.... Like, if we will live forever on earth and we will be taking to the animals will we all have to be vegan? I mean who eats their friend? Another question, what about the dinosaurs... Why is there no mention of them in the bible? Another one.. what about electricity, will we have it in the new world....I mean the new world is described as a new garden of Eden.... There was no electricity, no television, no RUclips. So do we go back to the Stone age? Anyway,, my mother died in 2007 as a member that had been disfellowshiped.. Her death allowed me to finally leave my abusive marriage. My father and sister are still very devout witnesses. I've been told by both of them that unless they can talk to me about Jehovah they have nothing to talk to me about. Currently, I am happily 46 and will be celebrating my 47th birthday this year. I'm finally free... And I'm finally ok. Happy birthday hun, enjoy it, embrace it.
That's very sad!
also one other mention of birthdays was in Job. His children would celebrate their birthdays with large feasts.
It's almost your birthday so I hope you have a good time on your day!
BTW I am an exJW as well. was raised in it from around 3-4 years old. I never knew what it felt like to celebrate bdays or anything really outside of the memorial or a wedding anniversary. I left the bOrg around 2009-2010 when i was in my late 30's and never looked back. I didn't get DF'd, I just flat out left. I had been DF'd earlier in my life but was re-instated so I could have a relationship with my father. Like you, I question a lot of the stuff they did, but now as I go through youtube channels of people leaving I understand more what type of organization it really is.
Job celebrated his children's birthday (Job1:4)...And you know they love to talk about the struggles and patience of Job, but never about the celebrations he did for his children. #FACTS
Celebrate your awesome B'day my Brotha!! 🎁🎊🎂🍹🍸🍷🎉🎉
Southern Bawse Lady
So true. JWs never acknowledge Job account since it is inconvenient.
It's funny, I never actually liked birthday party or any party for that matter. That's always been one of the beliefs that most intrigued me, most because of the pagan aspect. Just last month I was talking to my causing (she's regular pioneer) and she was asking me to go the meetings, asking me why I don't go back to Jehovah bla bla bla. So I asked her about the birthday celebration thing. And my argument is very simple. Over here in my country the government pay you a 13th salary at the end of the year. This practice has roots in pagan rituals. So I haven't met one single brother/sister who has turned down their payment. According to their logic, the same they use to say we shouldn't celebrate birthdays, they shouldn't accept any payment of that sort or anything that has its roots embedded in the pagan rituals . It shows to me how the Watchtower has failed in cobble together a logic system to all their beliefs it's totally a double standard.
the names of the days Sunday through Saturday is pagan, gotta call it something else.
Happy birthday
Hey my broder a Puro of Cuba too the Tabaco they grow in DR is from Cuban seed.
Happy Birthday!
Great video.......I know a lot of friends brought up a grrat point of how not celebrating bdays, helps with the brainwashing of not have self-esteem/feeling that your special and worth something.
Happy Birthday 🎂🎈🎁🎊🎉 to you
Happy Bday!
I was thinking about this today. What if you celebrated your baby’s baby shower and then just decided you like it so much you had a second baby shower the next year. Cake. Presents. No song. No candles. Then when the child turns 2 you continue this new tradition. You continually call it a baby shower and then start calling it a child shower. What could anyone do? (Also, it would be interesting that it would be JW going to these)
Happy Birthday 🎂🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉!
Happy birthday
LOL Happy Birthday!
Felicidades! It was my birthday on 07/20! So much fun!
Happy, happy birthday to youuuuuu. July babies are awesome! 🎂🎂🎂😁
Happy Birthday, Matt!!!! The JW reason for not celebrating birthdays is a superstition, at best. They claim to not follow superstition. I always wanted to celebrate my birthday - even above Christmas and other holidays. I hope your family did something really special for you!!
HBD!!
Hey Matt when I did a tour of Brooklyn New York they had a statue of a dog on display and I wondered what was the reason or purpose of the dog and what it represented and happy belated BIRTHDAY may you be BLESS with MANY more your sister
Bible doesn’t mention “child abuse”. But about 5 times in proverbs it says you “should” beat your son with a rod. He won’t die.
And yet many children have died. Today physical beatings with rods would be considered abuse. Beatings were just common back then. Even stoning a rebellious son to death. They wouldn’t have flinched at beatings. But today we would call it abuse.
Very happy birthday, 🍾🥂🎁🎂
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!🎁🎂🎉
Using common-sense will help a person live a good life! Celebrating a birthday should be a happy time.
Ever notice the cake of someone that can finally celebrate their birthday? It's usually the size of the whole table. 😂
Happy Birthday!!!🍦🎂🥂
Another great video. Don't care about birthdays but that's prob because of my lifelong JW programming
Happy birthday bro👍
Happy birthday!!!! Enjoy your day! Great video!
Happy belated birthday!!!!
The Witnesses always go beyond the Bible, what a paradox.
Happy Birthday Matt! 🥳🎊🎂🎁🎈
MamaCindyBoo thanks!
Happy birthday bro.
Exactly!! Wedding cakes and wedding bands are certainly of pagan origin!! They pick and choose which pagan articles and symbols they want to keep!! I've also had JW inlaws that had their Christmas tree in the back of the house where the other JW's wouldn't see it. And Christmas gifts? They had more than my entire immediate family combined - no joke!!! LOL
Hope that Birthday was fun af!!!
Happy birthday bro! Enjoy!
May you HAVE MANY HAPPY, HEALTHY, SAFE and BLESSED BIRTHDAYS. Enjoy your DAY!!!
Haaaaappy bdaaay my bro!
Happy B Day. If you like flavored cigars, try some of the Acid - Kuba Kuba or Blondie.
When did u start smoking??! You getting worldly at BREAK NECK SPEED!! LOL!!! I bet u look real funny holding that cigar to the people that know you well ! Your videos are HILARIOUS! I spent hours reading the comments!!
Happy birthday mat
Ríght on point! Happy Birthday, Matt!! Mine was on the 12th, celebrated mine for the first time at 60.
Good for you, honey! Happy belated birthday!!
BY THE WAY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Happy Birthday! 🍺
I hope you had a nice birthday 👍
The less one spends on gifts, decorations, and cake, there's more money for the contribution box.
On the birthdays spoken of in the bible, people were eating, drinking, dancing, and unfortunately someone got killed. So why not also ban, eating, dancing, drinking, killing, along with birthdays. How did Matusala, who lived for 969 years, keep track of his years. We would imagine that after 500 years he would have gotten fed up counting. Maybe he had birthdays? What if it had been the day of the memorial, or their wedding day.? Would watchtower also ban these events?
Great video.