Originally posted by robbie carrobieChristmas and Easter are cancelled and birthdays are not celebrated because of their pagan origins yet Panckae Tuesday, which also has pagan origins, is allowed. How does that work? Does the Governing Body like pancakes too much they can't bring themselves to ban it?
Wedding rings are also of pagan origin but we wear them! so now what have you to say for yourself?
02 Mar 15
Originally posted by Proper KnobWho says its allowed? you sir assume too much.
Christmas and Easter are cancelled and birthdays are not celebrated because of their pagan origins yet Panckae Tuesday, which also has pagan origins, is allowed. How does that work? Does the Governing Body like pancakes too much they can't bring themselves to ban it?
02 Mar 15
Originally posted by Proper KnobThankyou for employing my full title. Its a matter for the conscience.
Pancake Tuesday is not allowed, I am mistaken. Which raises the more interesting question, why is a fully ordained and duly appointed minister of God, that's you, eating pancakes on pancake day?
02 Mar 15
1 edit
Originally posted by Proper KnobI don't believe that the watchtower society has printed much on pancake Tuesday. My title is his most illustrious Holy eminence, Robbie, duly appointed and fully ordained, minister of God.
A matter of concscience? You mean you like pancakes too much and are ignoring what the Watchtower says.
Your full title is actually - 'O Great Spiritual Eneuch'.
02 Mar 15
Originally posted by robbie carrobieIf ProperKnob's statement about the JW's is right and witnesses refuse to celebrate Easter, Christmas and birthdays because such festivals have their origins in Pagan festivals then you cannot consistently claim an exception for Shrove Tuesday. Either the rules of your denomination forbid partaking in festivals of Pagan origin or they do not. If they forbid such things then Shrove Tuesday must logically be one of them and it is not a matter of personal conscience.
cornered? are you still believing naught but your own propaganda?
My observation is that whenever one of the posters here tries to press you, rajam, or galveston on one of these issues the words "matter of personal conscience" appear. Why is this?
02 Mar 15
3 edits
Originally posted by DeepThoughtMany festivals are not explicitly stated in scripture, for example the kite flying festival Besant, originally a pagan spring festival, but who thinks of it in those terms now. This is not the case with Christmas and Easter for clearly they are still infested with pagan symbolism.
If ProperKnob's statement about the JW's is right and witnesses refuse to celebrate Easter, Christmas and birthdays because such festivals have their origins in Pagan festivals then you cannot consistently claim an exception for Shrove Tuesday. Either the rules of your denomination forbid partaking in festivals of Pagan origin or they do not. If they f ...[text shortened]... galveston on one of these issues the words "matter of personal conscience" appear. Why is this?
As far as I am aware the Watchtower Bible and tract society has given no specific recommendations on the festival of Besant and will not do so unless its a matter of serious concern leaving it up to a persons individual conscience. Why you find this a difficult concept I cannot say. Where is your evidence that Jehovah witnesses have made an exception for pancake Tuesday? if you cannot produce it then your claims of inconsistency cannot be sustained and we are free to dismiss them as naught but nitpicking extraordinaire.
Furthermore eating pancakes on pancake Tuesday may be done without any religious significance at all. Is every one that just happens to eat pancakes on pancake Tuesday really marking the beginning of Lent and engaging in a festival which has Pagan origins? No, then your objection makes NO SENSE.
While we are on the matter of conscience, if the Bible is not explicit or there are principles which seem ambiguous then it comes down to a matter of personal conscience, why this should be troubling to you I have no idea.
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03 Mar 15
"Partakers of the divine nature" says Peter. Fascinating.
The Christians are not just spectators of the divine nature but partakers of the divine nature.
So many times I have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust by standing on this truth in faith and proclaiming it with my mouth.
"Lord Jesus, You have made me a partaker of the divine nature."
Grace sure flows into our being when we stand upon the word of God exercising our faith. The Holy Spirit is faithful.
These brothers were good to point out this matter in their truth lessons -
" ... He has granted to us precious and exceedingly great promises the through these you might become partakers of the divine nature. having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." ( 2 Pet. 1:4b)
This same truth, I think, is expressed in John's words about the divine SEED implanted in the believers that cannot sin.
"Everyone who has been begotten of God does not practice sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten by God." (1 John 3:9)
The divine nature = the divine SEED.
This is Whom we must receive and learn to abide in in the Christian life.
Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Many festivals are not explicitly stated in scripture, for example the kite flying festival Besant, originally a pagan spring festival, but who thinks of it in those terms now. This is not the case with Christmas and Easter for clearly they are still infested with pagan symbolism.
As far as I am aware the Watchtower Bible and tract society has ...[text shortened]... mes down to a matter of personal conscience, why this should be troubling to you I have no idea.
12 Maybe you feel that the origins of holidays have little to do with how they are celebrated today. Do origins really matter? Yes! To illustrate: Suppose you saw a piece of candy lying in the gutter. Would you pick up that candy and eat it? Of course not! That candy is unclean. Like that candy, holidays may seem sweet, but they have been picked up from unclean places. To take a stand for true worship, we need to have a viewpoint like that of the prophet Isaiah, who told true worshipers: “Touch nothing unclean.”—Isaiah 52:11.
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/bible-teach/take-your-stand-for-true-worship/
Seems pretty clear cut to me. No mention of concscience.