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This
message will take the form of a simulated discussion between
a Jehovah's Witness named Joe and a Christian named
Chris.
Chris: Joe,
the Watchtower does not want their followers to honor the
birth of Christ. Can you tell me why?
Joe: Chris,
the Watchtower says in the Dec. 15, 1994 issue,
"If you are now an adult, have you
ever felt embarrassed when, in your presence, people showed
photographs of you as a baby? True, such pictures remind
your parents of their joy at your birth. But now that you
have an identity of your own, do you not usually prefer
others to see you as your are? In a similar vein, think how
disrespectful it is toward Christ Jesus when those who claim
to be his followers become so engrossed each year in the
pagan traditions of Christmas and in honoring an infant that
they fail to honor him as King."
Chris: That
is a serious charge! The Watchtower seems to imply that one
cannot honor the birth of Christ as well as honor Jesus as
King. Yet Christians around the world honor Jesus both for
his birth and for being King. Is it really a serious matter
for a Jehovah's Witnesses to choose to celebrate
Christmas?
Joe: The
Watchtower Dec. 15, 1984 says that the most serious danger
of celebrating Christmas is that it could lead to losing
God's favor and we as Jehovah's Witnesses realize that to
celebrate Christmas would mean being brought before a
judicial committee and then kicked out.
Chris: When
did celebrating Christmas become such a serious matter that
one could lose God's favor and thus lose eternal life?
Joe: Well
the Watchtower says that God never intended that Christians
should celebrate the birth of His Son. In their eyes it has
always been wrong.
Chris:
Didn't the Watchtower celebrate Christmas many years
ago?
Joe: Yes.
When the Watchtower was first formed, the founder Charles T.
Russell and the early Jehovah's Witnesses all celebrated
Christmas.
Chris: Was
the Watchtower required to stop celebrating Christmas
before Jehovah God approved of them?
Joe: No.
The Watchtower still celebrated Christmas for many years
after Jesus picked them in 1919 as the only organization on
earth that was worthy of being the faithful slave.
Chris:
Doesn't that sound hypocritical? The Watchtower condemns
others for celebrating Christ's birth yet they say that they
found God's favor at the time when they were still
celebrating Christmas. If Jehovah did not condemn them then,
why would his standards change now?
Joe: I
don't think Jehovah's standards changed.
Chris: Then
the Watchtower's standards changed. When the Watchtower
celebrated Christmas did they celebrate in a different way
then we do today?
Joe: No,
they celebrated Christmas in much the same way that
Christians celebrate today. They gave gifts, had Christmas
decorations, sang Christmas carols. The Watchtower even
agreed with Christendom that although Dec. 25 was not the
day that Jesus was born, it most likely was the date of
conception, and it was as good a day as any to join in with
the rest of the world to celebrate his birth.
Chris: What
changed their minds about Christmas?
Joe:
Sometime after Rutherford became president he decided that
too much emphasis was put on Jesus and not enough on Jehovah
and the kingdom. He outlawed Christmas saying that it was a
pagan celebration.
Chris: Did
he ban everything that had pagan roots like the Roman
calender, wedding anniversaries and wedding rings?
Joe: No he
allowed those things. They are no longer looked on as pagan
today so they are okay.
Chris: But
Joe, no one worships the sun in the sky on Dec. 25 anymore.
Why did Rutherford still ban Christmas?
Joe:
Rutherford felt that at Christmas time, people gave honor
and worship to Jesus and this took away from the worship of
Jehovah.
Chris: What
does the Bible say about how the Son is to be honored? Look
at John 5:23.
Joe: It
says "in order that all may honor the Son just as they honor
the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor
the Father who sent him."
Chris: So we are to honor the Son just as we honor the Father. Giving honor to Jesus at any time of year does not take away from honoring the Father. In fact John 5:23 says that giving honor to Jesus honors the Father.
Joe: I've
never seen that verse before.
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