Expert: Brandon Harper - 8/10/2006

Question
Thanks Brandon. Do you mind if I ask if you are still a Jehovah Witness? Doesn't sound like it.
Question -
Thanks for your response, but I did not understand any of it. Could you simplify ?--------------------

Followup To

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.

I hope you find this helpful.

Respectfully,
Brandon Harper

Answer -
Julie,

Sure, Julie. I apologize for making it difficult to understand. I can try to simplify.

The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses is a group of men from among the Jehovah's Witnesses who claim to be anointed. They have all doctrinal authority in the organization. They claim this authority comes from Jesus, but also claim they are not inspired.

When it comes to celebrations, this tiny group of men (currently 10 people) 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.

The Pharisees used to make endless rules about how to apply every little bit of the Mosaic Law. This practice was referred to as building a "fence around the Law" which meant creating a barrier that would keep anyone from even coming close to breaking a law.

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. They are making up dozens of little rules about what is and is not appropriate. They do this with celebrations and holidays, as well.

They officially denounce holidays because of pagan origins, but officially accept other practices and customs that have pagan origins. This is, as you said, hypocritical.

I hope you understood the point from Romans 14:5-9. As it relates to this question of yours, it basically says don't bother anyone about what they choose to celebrate. Yet, Jehovah's Witnesses can be disfellowshipped for unrepentantly celebrating birthdays or Christmas.

I hope that clarified sufficiently. If not, please direct my attention to the portions that were difficult to understand.

Respectfully,
Brandon Harper

Answer
Julie,

I disassociated myself in December 2005. My profile will tell you quite a lot about my background. I answered your questions from the perspective of my current status. I can answer your questions from the perspective of a JW if you would prefer. That one is much simpler.

The Watchtower Society says which things would be inappropriate for Christians and which are left to conscience. As long as your JW relatives are willing to pay the potential penalty, they may choose to do whatever they wish.

But when they say they "can't" do something due to being one of Jehovah's Witness, they are referring to something considered so grossly unchristian that they would lose favor with Jehovah and the congregation could disfellowship them for doing it.

Even in these cases, a JW technically CAN do whatever is being discussed, but they are reminding themselves that the penalty is too great to risk. When a JW says "I can't" because of their religion, they actually are announcing a decision to avoid the possible aftermath.

In each of the examples of hypocrisy you shared, if they thought there would be a congregational penalty for the behavior they would stop doing it. If the elders counseled them, they would likely be very repentant for having done those things.

That is it. That is the entire answer, from a JW's perspective, without having been asked about a specific holiday. I hope this further perspective was helpful.

Respectfully,
Brandon Harper