First let me assert, I open this topic with respect. I have a negative opinion on beliefs and practices such as I am aware of them, but I am open minded. I’m certainly not out to engage in any JW bashing.
Where I’m coming from: I have a co-worker who is very young (early 20s), very bright, funny, shares many of my interests and values. He also happens to be a devout JW. I’ll call him “Whitney” (huh huh, get it?)
In our office we celebrate birthdays enmasse every month. Today we celebrated the February birthdays as usual, gathering everyone in the common area, limply singing “Happy Birthday” passing out the cake, getting back to work. The common area is 7 steps away from Whitney’s desk. Today, as he does every month, he made it a point to be nowhere near his desk during the festivities. So he doesn’t celebrate birthdays. Fine, to each their own - but why not?
As any other office, we usually have a Christmas party. A few months ago, though, we made it a point to strip all trappings of Christmas, calling it a “year end” party, celebrating our accomplishments for the year. This was done to accommodate Whitney’s aversion to celebrating Christmas. He is a key contributor to our successes. He’s been part of the grind and deserves to be a part of the fun. He attends our summer party with no qualms, and the activities are identical. He doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Fine, to each their own - but why not? And why not even after our accommodations?
Whitney’s curiosity is insatiable. We’ve had cool discussions after he’d read all about relativity and quantum mechanics (the physics side, not the meta-physical). His powers of logic and reasoning are impressive as he digests and accepts these theories. But when discussions turn to evolution, the logic and reasoning facilities go into hibernation. Say what you will about the “debate” surrounding evolution, it is frustrating to see the contortions he goes through to avoid logic and reason in an apparent effort to maintain the party line. I can’t help but wonder what would happen if a line in the Bible was ever interpreted to gainsay relativity.
So as far as Whitney is concerned: he’s got some social quirks that we’ve all grown to accept. He has a frustrating ability to turn off his formidable brain - but we all have areas of our lives where emotion trumps reason. If that’s all there was to JWs I’d probably not be writing this (even in light of the famous door-to-door campaign).
But after the Year End party, today’s birthday departure, and the recent headlines about the sextuplets born in B.C., I want to understand more. Conversations with Whitney along these lines inevitably face the wall of “I don’t expect you unwashed outsiders to understand” (my words, not his - but the point seems clear).
“I’ll attend any party except birthdays and Christmas.” “I’ll accept any medical treatment except blood transfusions.” “I am mandated to spread the word.” I don’t know what verses of the Bible give such specific directives, but I have a hunch they’re tucked away into obscure corners of seldom read chapters - amongst a number of other decrees and assertions which are, in practice, ignored by JWs. e.g. the Bible says to spread the word, but it also says women should keep their heads covered.
Further: I thought JWs believe in everything any other Christian believes (Christ died as payment for the wages of sin and all that) except for the deity of Christ (he was just another prophet). So why not celebrate Christmas - or is it part of the “thou shalt notcelebrate anyone’s birthday?” (again, why not?)
In addition to an explanation for these seemingly random directives (and why they’re so fiercely practiced) - I’m curious about the apparent power the congregation/leadership has over its members. No one likes to be ostracized from any close knit society - but there seems to be more to it in the case of JWs.
Out of all JW beliefs, the one that most troubled me was the idea that nobody but the chosen few could talk directly to God in Paradise – everyone else had to go through Jesus. Didn’t sound very egalitarian to me.