As seen on Nairaland. Read Below:
Common misconceptions
Myth: The reason why Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas is that they do not believe in Jesus.
Fact: We are Christians. We believe that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ.—Acts 4:12.
Myth: You divide families by teaching members not to celebrate Christmas.
Myth: You miss out on the “Christmas spirit” of generosity, peace on earth, and goodwill toward men.
Fact: We strive to be generous and peaceable every day. (Proverbs 11:25; Romans 12:18) For example, the way we conduct our meetings and preach is in harmony with Jesus’ instruction: “You received free, give free.” (Matthew 10:cool In addition, we direct attention to God’s Kingdom as the true hope for peace on earth.—Matthew 10:7.
Why don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses celebrate Christmas?
Jesus commanded that we commemorate his death, not his birth.—Luke 22:19, 20.
The New Catholic Encyclopedia says that “the Nativity feast was instituted no earlier than 243 [C.E.],” more than a century after the last of the apostles died.
We believe that Christmas is not approved by God because it is rooted in pagan customs and rites.—2 Corinthians 6:17.
Why make Christmas an issue?
Many still celebrate Christmas despite knowing about its pagan roots and lack of support from the Bible. Such persons could ask: Why should Christians take such an unpopular stance? Why make it an issue?
The Bible encourages us to think for ourselves, to use our “power of reason.” (Romans 12:1, 2) It teaches us to value the truth. (John 4:23, 24) So while we are interested in how others view us, we adhere to Bible principles even if it means that we become unpopular.
