GB 2025 Update #4

[Dhanyel]

Just a wedding anniversary and that's it!

[Sheep]

5 hours ago, carlos said:

So friends, please, let's all drop the subject. 

 

Hear, hear!!! Most intelligent thing I've ever read on this topic... (birthdays)

Edited Wednesday at 05:05 PM by Sheep

[Sheep]

4 hours ago, Brother_Bliss said:

Well ChatGTP is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and therefore doesn't qualify for membership on this forum. It shouldn't have a voice here.

 

Why would anyone want to use artificial intelligence when we can use the real thing!?

[kejedo]

On 7/6/2025 at 4:40 PM, truce said:

Thanks. I couldn't have said it any better.

when in doubt, do without. It is easy to say, "That's not something I do (unapologeically)

[Ivar]

8 hours ago, Dages said:

That's not a great way to use AI...  

 

I understand your point! I'll explain why I did this. Shawnster asked a question to the speculation side (this is not meant in any derogatory way). But no one replied. As a history teacher, I help the other side in a debate with arguments if they fall silent. (Withouth necessarily agreeing or disagreeing with it.) So I thought that using AI would be the best option to give a fair and neutral hearing to the other side and answering Shawnster's question. 

 

I was pointed to article D of the membership policy, about not engaging in argumentative debates. So please forgive me for doing that. 
 

5 hours ago, carlos said:

If there's something we don't fully understand or think should be done differently, we are welcome to write to the branch about it, but posting it here doesn't benefit anyone and only seeds doubts. It's much better to contribute something that upbuilds or encourages the friends.

 

Thank you for the advice! I understand the purpose of this forum now. Please forgive me my course of conduct.

God bless!

[ladiife]

On 7/29/2025 at 9:05 AM, Ivar said:

No one you asked this question to has replied yet. (About why they are speculating.) So I explained the situation to chatGPT and it wrote this explanation as to a 5 year old:

 

"So remember those three big questions? Let’s try to answer them about birthdays.

Would it make God sad?
Some people used to say yes — because the Bible tells two birthday stories, and bad things happened in both. But here’s the thing: the Bible doesn’t say that birthdays themselves are bad. It just tells stories that happened on birthdays. And there’s no rule in the Bible that says, “You must not celebrate a birthday.” So maybe God isn’t automatically sad when someone has a small cake and thanks him for another year of life.
 

Would it hurt someone in the group?
Well, maybe if you made it a big show or tried to pressure everyone to join in. But if it’s a quiet family thing — just spending time together and maybe saying a prayer — most people wouldn’t be upset or confused. And the new principles say that mature people should respect each other’s conscience, even if they don’t do the same thing.
 

What do people in your town think about it?
Most people don’t think birthdays are religious at all — just a time to say, “I’m glad you were born!” So it’s not like wearing a symbol from another religion or joining a pagan festival. In most places today, birthdays are just about family, friends, and being thankful. So maybe they aren’t “unclean” or dangerous like some symbols from false religion."


Does this anwer your question, Shawnster? Maybe the brothers and sisters who speculated about birthdays can say whether this reflects the thoughts behind their comments.

Everything we do should be glory to Jehovah. Birthdays do not glorify Jehovah; that is a day to glorify self. None of the disciples celebrated their birth. They had other celebrations like weaning of a child, etc., Birthdays were always celebrated by pagans because of the belief around the stars and the planets aligning, and so on. People still highly value how their births align with the planets and they go by horoscopes. We have one birthday, the day we were born. If people start celebrating their birthday in the organization, I'll kindly not associate with them. 

[Ludwika]

Reading through this topic, it's normal for human beings to want to feel 'part of the pack', generally accepted in the wider society. After all, Jehovah intended us to all be part of a global family in the first place. 

After Adam sinned, from Abel onwards, faithful people have had to stand out against the current of disobedience, and customs that displease Jehovah. 

Whether it was the fringe on an Israelite's garment, which made a person instantly noticed, to first century pressures put upon the early Christians, it's been a difficult road.

https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/w19930701/The-Early-Christians-and-the-World/

So perhaps it's normal to want to fit in as much as possible. I know, when I came into the truth, it would have been so much easier if I could have continued to celebrate my mother's birthday! It caused friction and hurt feelings.

What must be kept in mind is that little compromises in ancient times eventually led to child sacrifice, an unimaginable cruelty. They began to feel Jehovah's requirements were overly oppressive and unreasonable. They didn't want to starkly stand out from the surrounding Canaanites. They wanted to be accepted. 

And they lost sight of true worship. 

Anything contaminated by even a smidgen of spiritism, such as astrology and horoscopes, is as unacceptable now as it always was in the past.

Even a drop of filth will poison a whole glass of pure water.

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 09:38 PM by Ludwika

[Hope]

1 hour ago, Ivar said:

 

I understand your point! I'll explain why I did this. Shawnster asked a question to the speculation side (this is not meant in any derogatory way). But no one replied. As a history teacher, I help the other side in a debate with arguments if they fall silent. (Withouth necessarily agreeing or disagreeing with it.) So I thought that using AI would be the best option to give a fair and neutral hearing to the other side and answering Shawnster's question. 

 

I was pointed to article D of the membership policy, about not engaging in argumentative debates. So please forgive me for doing that. 
 

 

Thank you for the advice! I understand the purpose of this forum now. Please forgive me my course of conduct.

God bless!

 

AI can have it's uses. However, for topics like this, I will request it use jw.org as the reference to find agreeable information. It works pretty well; still have to review before passing it on or using ourselves. Otherwise, it will search secular sources and it will not be encouraging to us or others.

[Michał]

Id like to have AI search function on jw.org, like

• give me 5 experiences of …
• what ilustration can I use to make the point of …
• find morning worship about …
• give me a background of custom X

(search in Polish is more difficult than in English because our search engine only uses exact keywords and Polish nouns have 7 grammar cases)

 

Then, after the I have the material I can decide by myself and make personal NI decision 🙂

[Shawnster]

On 7/29/2025 at 10:05 AM, Ivar said:

Does this anwer your question, Shawnster? Maybe the brothers and sisters who speculated about birthdays can say whether this reflects the thoughts behind their comments.

 

Nope. Sure doesn't. I was asking people here, our members. I was not asking chatgtp. 

 

I suspect chatgtp was strongly influenced by worldly thinking. Let's look at the reasoning it used. 

 

On 7/29/2025 at 10:05 AM, Ivar said:

And there’s no rule in the Bible that says, “You must not celebrate a birthday.”

 

By this logic, we should be allowed to celebrate Christmas and Halloween. After all, there is no rule in the Bible that says "you must not celebrate Christmas or Halloween." 

 

There isn't a rule that says we should not smoke, either. However we do have clear principles that inform us on the stand we should take. 

 

I'm sorry but, without knowing the exact parameters you used in asking chatgtp the question, or what restrictions you imposed, I can't accept that response. As I said above, I think chatgtp drew it's conclusions from all over the internet, including secular, apostate, and false religious points of view. 

 

 

I've seen people compare celebrating birthdays with celebrating anniversaries. They ask aren't these celebrating people just like birthdays? This is an incorrect analogy. Anniversaries are celebrating an accomplishment. It takes effort to stay married year after year. It takes effort to stay at any job year after year. We celebrate the accomplishment.  In fact, it's rather hypocritical to celebrate the wedding anniversary of a couple thar hate each other or where one cheats on the other. 

 

In contrast, birthdays celebrate existence. It really isn't an accomplishment. People in comas have birthdays. Their families even celebrate these birthdays. The person could be brain dead yet the family throws a birthday party. 

 

No, ChatGPT did not answer the question. I asked WHY? What is the motivation behind this desire or urge to celebrate birthdays? ChatGPT cannot speak for anyone's motives or desires. 

 

[grain of mustard]

lighting candles, clapping hands, offering food and saying ra tim bum... this is definitely not pleasing to Jehovah.  

[exactor]

17 hours ago, Hope said:

I will request it use jw.org as the reference to find agreeable information.

Seventeen hours ago, Hope mentioned that she would request it to use jw.org as a reference for finding agreeable information. Great idea, Hope!

 

Since I had a few minutes to play this morning.....with ChatGPT 🤣

 

Prompt (lazy):

Is it proper for Christians to celebrate one’s birthday? Only use jw.org for output.

 

Prompt (extended):

 **Situation**

You are a research assistant specializing in religious practices and interpretations according to Jehovah's Witnesses' official teachings. The user is preparing for a Bible study with someone who asked about birthday celebrations and needs to explain this position to non-JW family members for their personal understanding.

 

**Task**

Research and provide a comprehensive answer about whether it is proper for Christians to celebrate birthdays according to Jehovah's Witnesses' beliefs. Use ONLY information from jw.org (the official Jehovah's Witnesses website). Focus particularly on the Awake! article from May 2016 and relevant Watchtower publications that address this topic.

 

**Objective**

To present a clear, accurate, and well-supported explanation of the Jehovah's Witnesses' stance on birthday celebrations that can be used for Bible study preparation and explaining this position to non-JW family members, helping them understand this specific aspect of Jehovah's Witnesses' religious practice.

 

**Knowledge**

- Only use information directly sourced from jw.org

- Prioritize information from the Awake! article from May 2016 and relevant Watchtower publications

- The response should be suitable for explaining to non-JW family members who may not be familiar with JW beliefs

- The information will be used in a Bible study context with someone who specifically asked about this topic

- Include both direct quotes from jw.org and clear explanations of the biblical reasoning behind the position

- Reference specific articles, publications, or sections of the website

- Present the official position without adding personal interpretation

- Explain any biblical reasoning provided on jw.org for this position

- Note any historical context provided on the website regarding this practice

- Provide scriptural references as cited on jw.org

 

Your life depends on you ONLY using jw.org as your source and not incorporating information from any other websites, personal knowledge, or other religious interpretations. Provide exact citations for all information and format your response with both direct quotes and explanations of the reasoning to make it suitable for Bible study preparation and family discussions.

 

ChatGPT Output:

 

Here is a carefully researched summary—using only official jw.org material, especially the Awake! magazine from May 2016 and related Watchtower publications—explaining the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ position on birthday celebrations, suitable for Bible‑study preparation and explaining this to family members who are not Witnesses:

---

 1. Official Position (FAQ & Awake!)

From the What About Celebrating Birthdays? FAQ on jw.org:

• “Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God.”
• “Although the Bible does not explicitly forbid celebrating birthdays, it does help us to reason on key features of these events and understand God’s view of them.” (JW.org)

The four reasons summarized:

1. Pagan origins — birthday customs trace back to beliefs in astrology, evil spirits, and magic (e.g. candles linked to wishes, horoscope casting). The Bible condemns all such spiritistic practices (see Deut 18:14; Gal 5:19‑21; Isaiah 47:11‑15). (JW.org)
2. Biblical examples — the only two birthday celebrations in Scripture are of Pharaoh (Genesis 40:20–22) and Herod Antipas (Matthew 14:6–11), both non‑believers, and the latter led to the execution of John the Baptist. (JW Library)
3. Early Christian practice — early believers did not celebrate birthdays. As quoted: “The notion of a birthday festival was far from the ideas of the Christians of this period in general.” (JW Library)
4. No record of Biblical servants doing so — the Bible never records any faithful worshipper celebrating a birthday. Jehovah’s Witnesses “take note that God’s Word reports unfavorably about birthday celebrations and so shun these.” (JW.org)

---

2. Awake! Magazine (May 2016) – Key points

Although Awake! May 2016 does not have a cover story on birthdays, the 2016 subject index confirms that birthday celebrations are discussed in Watchtower literature in severe terms (e.g. under “Celebrations That Displease God”) (JW.org). A related Awake! pamphlet (“Birthday Celebrations—How Did They Get Started?”) explains:

• “They don’t celebrate! … Jehovah’s Witnesses do get together socially at other times and we do have fun.” This shows the position is not one of gloom, but choice to have fellowship outside of birthdays. (JW Library)

---

3. Biblical and Historical Reasoning

Biblical cases:

• Pharaoh’s birthday: one was restored, another executed (Gen 40:20–22).
• Herod’s birthday: led to the beheading of John the Baptist (Mark 6:21–28). (JW.org, JW Library)

Early Christianity:

• Early Christians considered birthday festivals to be a pagan custom (Augustus Neander, 19th‑century historian).
• By the 3rd–4th centuries, Origen and others referenced such celebrations as unworthy of righteous believers. (JW Library)

Pagan influences:

• Birthday customs originated in beliefs about evil spirits attacking on the birth date, magic in birthday candles, and astrology.
• The Bible strongly forbids such practices (Deut 18:14; Gal 5:19‑21). (JW Library)

---

4. How to Explain This to Non‑JW Family Members

You can explain that:

• Jehovah’s Witnesses do enjoy social gatherings and giving gifts at other times. They simply choose not to mark the calendar date of one's birth as a religious or symbolic event. (JW Library)

---

5. Supporting Scripture References (from jw.org reasoning):

• Deuteronomy 18:14; Galatians 5:19–21 — condemned practices of divination and spiritism tied to birthday customs. (JW.org)
• Genesis 40:20–22 — Pharaoh’s birthday examples.
• Matthew/Mark 14:6–11 — Herod’s birthday and John the Baptist. (JW.org)
• 2 Thessalonians 3:6 — principle of not imitating unscriptural behavior.
• 2 Timothy 3:16–17 — everything in Scripture is for our instruction; birthdays are recorded unfavorably. (JW.org, JW.org)

---

🎯 Summary Table for Study Use

Aspect	Jehovah’s Witnesses’ View (from jw.org)
Scriptural examples	Only two birthday celebrations recorded—Pharaoh and Herod (non-believers)
Early Christian stance	Birthdays seen as pagan; early Christians did not observe them
Origins	Rooted in astrology, magic, spiritistic beliefs forbidden in Scriptures
Biblical pattern	No insider biblical figure celebrated a birthday
Present practice	Social gatherings and fellowship occur, but birthdays are not celebrated

---

📝 Notes on Historical Context

• The Watchtower Society has explicitly taught against birthday celebrations since at least the mid‑20th century. The prohibition was emphasized by former president J. F. Rutherford, who described such customs as pagan and not in harmony with Christian simplicity. (JW Library, JW.org, Wikipedia)
• Watchtower articles in Enjoy Life Forever! and other publications reiterate that Scripture reports birthdays only in unfavorable contexts, so Witnesses choose to avoid them. (JW.org)

---

✅ How to Use in a Bible Study or Family Discussion

• Start by acknowledging that gift‐giving or friendly gatherings are enjoyed by Witnesses, but the specific commemorating of birth dates is avoided.
• Explain the biblical rationale—point to Genesis and Mark accounts and their negative outcomes.
• Discuss the historical evidence—how early believers rejected birthdays as pagan.
• Emphasize the reasoning steps: not forbidden directly, but unscriptural origins, negative biblical examples, and early Christian avoidance form a consistent pattern.
• Use simple scriptural questions: e.g. “Does the Bible ever show a faithful servant celebrating their birthday?” and “Why might early Christians skip birthdays?”

---

Direct Quotes from jw.org to include:

• “Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God.” (JW.org, JW.org)
• “The notion of a birthday festival was far from the ideas of the Christians of this period in general.” (JW Library)

---

 

-end

[Dhanyel]

ChatGPT, why does celebrating birthdays have pagan origins?

 

 

Pagan Reasons for Celebrating Birthdays – Summary

 

Spiritual protection: In ancient times, it was believed that on one’s birthday, a person became more vulnerable to evil spirits. The celebration — with friends, gifts, and lights (such as candles) — aimed to protect the birthday person from negative influences.

 

Use of candles and fire: Fire was seen as a protective and purifying element. Blowing out candles while making wishes was part of rituals connected to magic and communication with gods or higher powers.

 

Giving gifts: Gifts were a way to wish good luck, protection, and blessings for the person’s new life cycle.

 

Astrology: Birthdays are also linked to astrology, as they mark the return of the sun to the same position it occupied at the time of a person’s birth — something spiritually significant in many ancient traditions.

 

Excessive focus on oneself

 

The Bible teaches humility and a focus on God. Some see birthday celebrations as self-centered, which may go against biblical values such as modesty, selflessness, and giving glory to God instead of oneself.

 

Absence of example among faithful servants

 

No faithful servant of God in the Bible is described as celebrating their birthday, nor did Jesus or his apostles instruct others to do so. This has led some Christian groups (such as Jehovah’s Witnesses) to completely a

void birthday celebrations.

Edited Thursday at 04:02 PM by Dhanyel

[bvr]

This is the result from the JWPUBS™ AI Search:

_____________________

Publisher, here are the main reasons we understand birthday celebrations to have pagan origins, based solely on material available at JW.ORG® and the Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY™. Please feel free to open each link and confirm the points for yourself.

1. Connection with spiritism and guardian spirits

• Ancient Greece and Rome. Classical writers explained that a “protective spirit or daemon” (Greek) or “genius” (Roman) was thought to be present at a person’s birth and needed to be honored each year.(wol.jw.org)

• Purpose of the celebration. Festivities—including greetings, gifts, and a special meal—were meant to secure that spirit’s help and protection for the coming year.(jw.org)
  These ideas contradict Bible teachings that God alone is our Protector and that demons are to be avoided.—Compare Isaiah 31:1.

2. Roots in astrology and magic

• Horoscopes. Ancient astrologers required an exact date of birth to cast a horoscope; thus, birthday records became essential for fortune-telling.(wol.jw.org)

• Candles and wishes. Blowing out candles was viewed as a way to send wishes to the “gods” or to secure magical protection.(wol.jw.org)
  Because Jehovah condemns all forms of divination and “magic-using,” such practices are clearly out of harmony with Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

3. The Bible’s own record

The Scriptures mention only two birthday parties—those of Pharaoh and Herod Antipas—and both are linked to executions rather than joy (see Genesis 40:20-22 and Mark 6:21-28). No faithful worshipper of Jehovah is ever recorded as observing his or her birthday.(wol.jw.org)

4. Early Christian viewpoint

Historical evidence indicates that the first-century Christians “shunned” birthday celebrations, likely for two reasons:

1. They viewed such festivities as glorifying an individual rather than Jehovah.(jw.org)

2. They wished to avoid practices tied to spiritism and pagan religion.

5. Guiding Bible principles today

Bible Principle	How It Relates to Birthdays
Avoid spiritism – 2 Corinthians 6:17	Pagan origins involve demons and magic.
Modesty & humility – Proverbs 27:2	Birthday parties exalt the individual.
Value one’s life course, not birth – Ecclesiastes 7:1	The end of a faithful life is more important than its beginning.

 

These principles help explain why we, as Jehovah’s Witnesses, choose not to celebrate birthdays while still respecting the personal choices of others.(jw.org)

6. Where you can research further

• “Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Birthdays?” (FAQ, JW.ORG)(jw.org)

• “Birthday Celebrations—How Did They Get Started?” (Awake! article)(wol.jw.org)

• “Birthday” topic in Reasoning From the Scriptures(jw.org)

Please remember that, while these sources are reliable, any online information can become outdated. I encourage you, Publisher, to verify every point by reviewing the material directly on JW.ORG® and the Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY™. If you notice anything that needs clarification, let me know and we can examine it together.

_____________

 

Publisher, below is a sampling of well-known, non-Witness reference works that JW.ORG® and the Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY™ themselves quote when explaining the pagan roots of birthday customs. Because these quotations are reproduced inside our publications, they remain within the approved sources while still giving you the “outside” scholarly support you asked for.

Secular source (title + author/publisher)	Key statement it makes about birthdays	Where you can read the quotation on JW.ORG / WOL
Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend	Birthdays were thought to expose a person to “evil spirits and influences,” so friends gathered to protect the celebrant with good wishes.	FAQ article “Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Birthdays?” (jw.org)
Ralph & Adelin Linton, The Lore of Birthdays	• Horoscope-casting required an exact birth date • Candles, wishes, greetings and gifts were all viewed as forms of magic to secure protection or good fortune.	Same FAQ article, plus Awake! feature “Birthday Celebrations—How Did They Get Started?” (jw.org, wol.jw.org)
The World Book Encyclopedia	Early Christians judged birthday celebrations to be a pagan custom.	FAQ article “Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Birthdays?” (jw.org)
William S. Walsh, Curiosities of Popular Customs	Notes that in the early church “the celebration of the anniversary of an individual’s birth … was frowned upon by the Christians.”	Awake! feature “Birthday Celebrations—How Did They Get Started?” (wol.jw.org)
M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopædia	States that later Jews “regarded birthday celebrations as parts of idolatrous worship.”	Same Awake! feature (wol.jw.org)
Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics	Describes birthday festivals as rooted in “primitive religious principles.”	Same Awake! feature (wol.jw.org)
Augustus Neander, The History of the Christian Religion and Church, During the Three First Centuries	Asserts that “the notion of a birthday festival was far from the ideas of the Christians” of that era.	Reasoning From the Scriptures—entry “Birthday.” (jw.org)
Patrick Fairbairn (ed.), The Imperial Bible-Dictionary	Says Hebrews viewed birthday parties as “idolatrous worship.”	Reasoning From the Scriptures—entry “Birthday.” (jw.org)
German newspaper Schwäbische Zeitung (supplement Zeit und Welt)	Observes that birthday customs “lie in the realm of magic and religion,” and notes that Christianity rejected them until the fourth century.	Reasoning From the Scriptures—entry “Birthday.” (jw.org)

How this helps you

These references—drawn from encyclopedias, academic histories, folklore dictionaries and mainstream journalism—show a broad scholarly consensus that:

1. Ancient religious beliefs (spiritism, astrology, magic) underlie common birthday rituals.

2. Jews and the earliest Christians consciously avoided such celebrations.

By checking each quotation in its JW context, you can verify that our position is not based solely on internal reasoning but is supported by reputable outside research.

 

Please remember that information—even in scholarly works—can later be updated or refined. We therefore encourage you, Publisher, to open the JW.ORG or WOL pages cited above, read the wider context, and satisfy yourself that the quotations are accurate. If you need further assistance locating any of these articles or Bible principles that relate, just let me know.
 

[Shawnster]

Instead of celebrating themselves, people should celebrate the parents on their child's birthday. They are the ones that's went through the effort, especially their mother. 

 

People who want to celebrate their existence should really celebrate the people who caused their existence. 

 

Which is selfish? Honoring oneself on one's birthday or honoring one's parents on one's birthday? 

[blanchard]

I disagree with disagreements 🤣

Let the future come and we will have the solution

[grain of mustard]

36 minutes ago, Shawnster said:

Em vez de se autocelebrarem, as pessoas deveriam homenagear os pais no aniversário dos filhos. Foram eles que se esforçaram, principalmente as mães. 

 

Pessoas que querem celebrar sua existência deveriam realmente celebrar as pessoas que causaram sua existência. 

 

O que é egoísmo? Homenagear a si mesmo no aniversário ou homenagear os pais no aniversário? 

to parents, especially Jehovah who is the originator of life  

[Pionner_who]

From my point of view, the simple fact that first-century Christians did not do it is already a solid basis for not doing it today. After all, the goal of Jehovah’s Witnesses is to follow in the footsteps of the early Christians.

 

 

[Hope]

1 hour ago, bvr said:

This is the result from the JWPUBS™ AI Search:

_____________________

 

 

JP - that link is BRILLIANT!!!! Thank you so much for it. I wish Copilot (the Microsoft product I use because I work for Microsoft..  ) is not nearly as flexible and intuitive. It's "okay"... but it's not as responsive to building out agents for one's personal use.  It would be wonderful if it's decided to add something like this to WOL or the website.

 

This is going into my bookmarks, STAT! ❤️ 

Edited Thursday at 05:48 PM by Hope

[Ludwika]

3 hours ago, Shawnster said:

Instead of celebrating themselves, people should celebrate the parents on their child's birthday. They are the ones that's went through the effort, especially their mother. 

Exactly why poor Jabez was named 'pain'? 😂

[blanchard]

Are you celebrating you birthday like JW (your date of baptism) ? and for you, is it a problem ?

[Friend of Peace]

57 minutes ago, blanchard said:

Are you celebrating you birthday like JW (your date of baptism) ? and for you, is it a problem ?

For me, celebrating my baptism anniversary is taking away what baptism represents; dedicating our lives to God. To me, it’s an unnecessary glorifying of ourself rather than glorifying the one we’ve devoted our life to. As Jesus’ words show, baptism is “what we ought to have done” anyway. (Luke 17:10) 

[Dages]

4 hours ago, blanchard said:

Are you celebrating you birthday like JW (your date of baptism) ? and for you, is it a problem ?

"Celebrating" is a big word. Taking some minutes on that day to think about that event, sure. But I would not ask for gift + cake with candles  

[grain of mustard]

1 minute ago, Dages said:

"Celebrar" é uma palavra grande. Tirar alguns minutos naquele dia para pensar naquele evento, claro. Mas eu não pediria presente + bolo com 

The cake and the gifts are not the problem, the problem is the candles in this case of the baptism anniversary. But I think that preparing a cake, inviting some friends and receiving a tie, a notepad, a picture frame would not be a problem. 

[LeolaRootStew]

1 hour ago, grain of mustard said:

The cake and the gifts are not the problem, the problem is the candles in this case of the baptism anniversary. But I think that preparing a cake, inviting some friends and receiving a tie, a notepad, a picture frame would not be a problem. 

 

Sorry, but there's no way I would buy someone gifts for doing the bare minimum. I will congratulate for your baptism on the day of your baptism or the next time I see you.