About Brandon Harper Expertise I was raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and was baptized for 21 years. I was a 4th generation Jehovah's Witness both paternally and maternally and am qualified to answer many questions regarding doctrine, doctrinal changes, historical basis for various doctrines, as well as offer rebuttal responses from the perspective of a former Jehovah's Witness. I can also answer questions from the perspective of an ardent Jehovah's Witness.
Experience I am 33 years old, became a publisher and gave my first public talk at age 4, was baptized at age 12, became an inactive publisher at age 32, and disassociated myself at age 33. My father has served as a congregation servant/elder continuously from the age of 17 on. Of my 9 uncles, 6 are elders. Of my 9 aunts, four are regular pioneers. My father is the presiding overseer of a congregation. When I began seriously investigating this religion I had to prepare for conversations with a very large extended family steeped in the history and doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. I have thoroughly studied many Watchtower Society publications that most Jehovah's Witnesses have never even read, if they have heard of them at all, seeking the origins of various doctrinal points. I knew I would need to have this knowledge to discuss the issues in detail with my family when I decided to disassociate myself.
Education/Credentials I read every Watchtower and Awake! magazine from at least age 8 through age 32. According to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society I have the equivalent of several four-year degrees (Reference available on request). I would hope that education would qualify me as an expert.
Question Hi Brandon, I am not a Jehovah Witness, but do have family members (by marriage) that are witnesses. I ask questions of my relative pertaining to participation in "pagan" rituals and get weak answers that she cannot defend. I usually stay off the subject to avoid tension. She explained to me that her family could not visit our family during the xmas season because even though our get together is not on the actual holiday (December 25th) it is still during the holidays! I could almost understand that, except that she buys a turkey and has a family get together (all witnesses) at Thanksgiving. Not on the actual Thursday, but that weekend. How is this ok? She also allows her children to participate in the school "Holiday Shop" (intended for Xmas shopping)which obviously is held mid December for the kids. How is this acceptable? There seems to be a very fine line. It appears extremely hypocritical. Could you shed some light? I am just trying to understand. Thank you.
Answer Julie,
"It appears extremely hypocritical."
That is because it is.
The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses picks and chooses which traditions must be avoided because of pagan ties, which are up to an individual's conscience (i.e. traditions that are okay as long as no one else gets offended), and which are acceptable. This positions the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses in the exact same position as that of the Pharisees, who built a "fence around the Law" of Moses.
By definitively deciding on minutiae that the Bible STATES should be conscience decisions, the Governing Body builds a "fence around the law" of Christ.
On the one hand, Jehovah's Witnesses go to great lengths to demonstrate the pagan origins of customs to people who previously DID NOT attach pagan connotations to the celebrations/traditions, and on the hand they go to equally great lengths to minimize the pagan origins of things such as the fleur-de-lis, a symbol which represented the union of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and the wearing of a wedding band on the third finger, which represents a union in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost and which band itself has direct pagan origins.
By the same arguments used to support that the latter are conscience matters, the former can be excused as conscience matters with equal ease. To refuse allowance of such discussion is hypocrisy. What does the Bible say about traditions, celebration, and observing special days?
(New World Translation)
Romans 14:5-9
5 One [man] judges one day as above another; another [man] judges one day as all others; let each [man] be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day observes it to Jehovah. Also, he who eats, eats to Jehovah, for he gives thanks to God; and he who does not eat does not eat to Jehovah, and yet gives thanks to God. 7 None of us, in fact, lives with regard to himself only, and no one dies with regard to himself only; 8 for both if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. Therefore both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah. 9 For to this end Christ died and came to life again, that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.
Apart from inserting the name "Jehovah" in place of the contextually and technically correct "the Lord" (gr. kurios, see verse 9), this verse makes clear that no one should judge the annual observances of another. This means, Paul, an apostle of Christ who was personally appointed by Christ as an apostle to the nations, INSTRUCTED that this matter was a conscience issue that Christians need not be concerned over in any way.
But, as you have noted, even allowing that the edicts from the Governing Body the application of these edicts by Jehovah's Witnesses are very frequently hypocritical. If there is something wrong with the celebration of these days (including birthdays) then ritualization of them should be non-existent among JWs.
My mother, for many years, has used my birthday to recount the story of my birth, the days leading up to it and the cirumstances of the event itself. This is an annual celebration of my birth. But she does not see it as such. It never bothered me because I believed what Paul said. If she counts that day as special (and what mother doesn't count the births of children as special days?) Paul says she should be able to recognize it.
