As I was tucking in my daughter last night she asked me why we have to be so different. Her exact words were:

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There’s these boys at school always bugging me about birthdays, saying ‘Why don’t you celebrate your birthday? Isn’t that the most important day of the year for you? It is for me…’
And sometimes I get it because I know we don’t celebrate birthdays because the only two people that did it in the Bible got their heads cut off. And I know that when we are born we haven’t really done anything yet either. But… I still don’t really get it!

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She doesn’t get it- how interesting; how perfect! My beautiful, intelligent, innocent daughter doesn’t get it… It made me love her all the more as I listened to her speak and allowed her mind to wrestle with the ideas. Her explanation of why we don’t celebrate birthdays is a little off, but mostly correct. And this post is not even about birthdays, BWT…

So what was my whispered response to my daughter’s very legitimate question, spontaneously asked of me?

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I don’t get it either hon. Sometimes we do things that don’t make sense don’t we?

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That was enough to satisfy her, and she flitted off onto another topic. This answer was adequate because it simply acknowledges that things don’t always make sense. A child can accept a paradox easier than most adults ever could. After all, their world is filled with them. It made me think about what Jesus said to the woman at the well: “You worship what you do not know.” (John 4:22, NWT)

We don’t know why we can’t remarry our mate on our 25th wedding anniversary. We just can’t. (Watchtower 10/15/2006 page 19 par 8 ) We don’t know why we aren’t allowed to wear beards and be “exemplary”. We just can’t. Why can’t we have a toast at a wedding? We just can’t. It’s not done. Nobody really knows why we can accept fractional transfusions of all four blood components now (platelets, plasma, red cells, white cells) but we couldn’t just a few years ago. We just can. And some medical treatments actually use liters and liters of fractions. Literally gallons of them, transfusing into the body of a Witness in good standing. But if we try and donate our own blood, forget it! We will be automatically disassociated. Why?

Ask the Samaritan woman…or a young child. They’ll both tell you the answer.

What does your conscience tell you?

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11 Comments on Some Things Make Sense, Some Don’t

  1. greybeard says:

    That was the best thing you could have said to your daughter JJ for now. Maybe latter on in life you can explain the real reason we don’t do these things. According to the Bible “all things are lawful” but according to the GB/JWorg, “all things are not lawful”. They have spent the last 100 years deciding how to impose their conscience law code on all of us. It really is sickening. Good article.

    Your brother,
    Greybeard

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    • Dennis says:

      greybeard:
      That was the best thing you could have said to your daughter JJ for now.Maybe latter on in life you can explain the real reason we don’t do these things.According to the Bible “all things are lawful” but according to the GB/JWorg, “all things are not lawful”.They have spent the last 100 years deciding how to impose their conscience law code on all of us.It really is sickening.Good article.

      Your brother,
      Greybeard

      The Oral Law is alive and well isn’t it?

      Dennis

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  2. Dennis says:

    If only we were allowed to follow our Bible trained conscience without repercussions! It’s as if we, as Witnesses, are never allowed to grow to spiritual adulthood but must remain a babe with our “Mother” still making decisions for us. If it were different I’d probably still be a JW.

    Dennis

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    • greybeard says:

      Ditto

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      • DanielB says:

        The “FDS” has written mainly for their conceptual “other sheep” since 1935. So, when reference is made to “Mother”, it is meant that she is the spiritual heavenly “organization”, as represented by the spiritual/physical “earthly organization”.

        And since the “earthly” hasn’t had enough oil in it’s lamps by it’s sleepy lawlessness, it cannot know how to direct it’s own steps.

        I would enjoy knowing from you posting here at this site that you realize I am not just here to expose the organization for it’s errors, and that I am adding things here that are worthwhile to you. Feel free to comment back.

        As a side point:

        The thing that we are agreeing on here is something that my friend Mark has helped us with, so I will reference an article that I know you will like. Some things make sense and some don’t. He came to a realization that doctrines, (such as the “Mother Organization Doctrine” of “Jehovah’s Witnesses”), hold christians back from going beyond their doctrinal screens. Tell me what you think of the title, if you will.

        http://www.nazarene-friends.or.....0Today.htm

        I enjoy all of the research and dedication of Mark Miller. I am not a “disciple” of him, but I like sharing his labors with others. Catchy title.

        This article is about how scripture directs us to no longer be a “babe”, after having drank spiritual milk.

        My thought here on this is that if “mom” has worn out and is drunk, then it’s time to draw closer to Papa, “Abba”, and the Firstborn Son, and the lowly men’s group.

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        • greybeard says:

          We enjoy your comments here Daniel. I read the article you posted. It is true, all Christians need to be familiar with the scriptures. Jesus might say, “why didn’t you love others more” as the article points out. It is one thing to talk the talk, it is another thing to walk the walk. It is a lot easier to talk it than walk it. A christian must walk in Jesus steps, not talk of them.

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  3. DanielB says:

    The accusation that “Jehovah’s Witnesses will just brain wash you” has been met in rebuttal within the organization with “Yes. And we all need to have our brains washed clean sometimes, don’t we.”

    “Let the peace of the Christ control in your hearts, for you were, in fact, called to it in one body.”

    (er, um, that would be “Christ”, and not anyone attempting to stand in his place without him)

    Our children can understand such things too.

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  4. DanielB says:

    Thank you greyBeardedGuy. :)

    You picked me up. I can’t tell sometimes if I am getting through, and I have had unusual hardships to live through lately.

    Yes, within that article there is food for thought for my planned home study, for those who come from what we called “mainstream religion”. Though the simple things Jesus taught are some of the best to examine, as we do here. Such people are usually willing to study these things over, and appreciative. The upbuilding thoughts are the nice highlights.

    A daughter of mine turned 36 yesterday. She is a Witness, and I emailed her anyway. I know she appreciates it, and I don’t have to do any more than reassure any of my own as I can.

    Sometimes in weeks leading up to Christmas, when I was with them and they were school-age, I would gift them a little, for the same reason, and simply because I love them. I know it was OK.

    If these things come naturally, then our conscience moves us correctly, and Jehovah loves us, I know.

    Philia,
    Dan

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  5. Jayme says:

    Thanks for sharing that JJ. :)

    Matt. 18:1-6
    18 In that hour the disciples came near to Jesus and said: “Who really is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?” 2 So, calling a young child to him, he set it in their midst 3 and said: “Truly I say to YOU, Unless YOU turn around and become as young children, YOU will by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens. 4 Therefore, whoever will humble himself like this young child is the one that is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens; 5 and whoever receives one such young child on the basis of my name receives me [also]. 6 But whoever stumbles one of these little ones who put faith in me, it is more beneficial for him to have hung around his neck a millstone such as is turned by an ass and to be sunk in the wide, open sea.

    You said: “What does your conscience tell you?”

    1 Cor 10:23-33
    23 All things are lawful; but not all things are advantageous. All things are lawful; but not all things build up. 24 Let each one keep seeking, not his own [advantage], but that of the other person.
    25 Everything that is sold in a meat market keep eating, making no inquiry on account of YOUR conscience; 26 for “to Jehovah belong the earth and that which fills it.” 27 If anyone of the unbelievers invites YOU and YOU wish to go, proceed to eat everything that is set before YOU, making no inquiry on account of YOUR conscience. 28 But if anyone should say to YOU: “This is something offered in sacrifice,” do not eat on account of the one that disclosed it and on account of conscience. 29 “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other person. For why should it be that my freedom is judged by another person’s conscience? 30 If I am partaking with thanks, why am I to be spoken of abusively over that for which I give thanks?
    31 Therefore, whether YOU are eating or drinking or doing anything else, do all things for God’s glory. 32 Keep from becoming causes for stumbling to Jews as well as Greeks and to the congregation of God, 33 even as I am pleasing all people in all things, not seeking my own advantage but that of the many, in order that they might get saved.

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