Posted by Polly [polly] on November 01, 1999 at 07:15:14 {2gTL9dbN6kPFKPeDxyCky5tAMziUMM}:
In Reply to: Apostates violate rules posted by Alan on November 01, 1999 at 06:49:51:
You make me laugh, you are so ridiculous. You continulally miss the point. In "the world" we are not told that we must do or must not do something for fear of shunning or hearings, or disfellowshipping. We are free to do as we please in that we do not break any laws or violate another person's freedom. My daughter didn't celebrate halloween yesterday. She didn't feel like it, so what? She will not get shunned for it. I haven't celebrated my birthday in....well, a long time, so what? no one tells me I have to! I forget birthdays and anniversaries all the time, I forgot easter one year. NO ONE CARES!!!!!!
One thing I did notice about JWs, was that they were careful not to celebrate holidays, birthdays, worldly celebrations, but they were gung ho for celebrations that were allowed by conscience. I knew several JW woemn who had "anniversary" books, with all their friends anniversaries neatly recorded and they dutifully sent cards every year. These same women encouraged me to make my own "family traditions" to replace holiday celebrations. They admitted that such traditions (those forbidden by watchtower law), though pagan, did serve a vital function of enhancing community and family cohesiveness. I'm sure, in your twisted little mind that it is OK for a JW to remember a freind on a special day, ot to have a tradition that they follow, but it isn't OK for a worldly person to remember a friend on a given day.
Alan, I know JWs who are now telling me that they plan to vote! Are they rushing to mix in with the world because suddenly they don't want to be rebellious against satans? Or are they doing so because the restrictions have been lightened? It's the same way with us worldly scum. Alan, we mix in with the world because we are no longer restricted from doing so. We do have freedom though, no one will disfellowship us or shun us is we skip a birthday or two or three.
~polly~ who can't even remember when her anniversary is.