GB's new understanding r.e. clinking glasses

[StillA_WorshiperOfJah]

Hi. I haven't been on this forum for a while, so I hope everyone is well.
I was wondering what thoughts people had about Bro Lett's talk about the GB concluding clinking glasses should be a matter of conscious, as most people who do it don't see any religious/superstitious relevance to it. (Paraphrasing)
Also, do you think this new understanding may lead to the GB making birthday celebrations a matter of conscious for the same reasons?
More importantly, those of you who are still "mentally in" and don't currently celebrate birthdays, if the GB does an about turn, will you then start celebrating birthdays?
Thanks

 

[Watchman]

There is already a thread on that topic

D

Thread 'Update #4'

Jul 5, 2025

BREAKING NEWS

CLINKING GLASSES - SAY WHAT

Well boys and girls, I had to come out of my LURKING FORUM BUSHES for this one.

As the world around us is crumbling by the second, the gb is now LETTING JW's
CLINK/TOAST THEIR DRINKING GLASSES AT A CELEBRATION. (DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION). What prophecy is that again.
Oh Yes, The CLINKING GLASS PROPHECY.

It just boggles my mind sometimes at the dumb things that seem to be important to them. I am still shaking my head. This really does strengthen our faith and helps us get closer to Jehovah right, CLINKING GLASSES. WELL CLINK ON...

• Deborah
• Replies: 37
• Forum: General Discussions

• 
• 
• 

 

[Proverbs 14 v 15]

Hi. I haven't been on this forum for a while, so I hope everyone is well.
I was wondering what thoughts people had about Bro Lett's talk about the GB concluding clinking glasses should be a matter of conscious, as most people who do it don't see any religious/superstitious relevance to it. (Paraphrasing)
Also, do you think this new understanding may lead to the GB making birthday celebrations a matter of conscious for the same reasons?
More importantly, those of you who are still "mentally in" and don't currently celebrate birthdays, if the GB does an about turn, will you then start celebrating birthdays?
Thanks

Just to say that I did my own research on cheersing and toasting 40yrs ago and decided never to cheers or toast again. Satan can give me all the "permission" he likes in order to make me start it up again but it's too late, I already know Jehovah's viewpoint on the matter. Same as birthdays.. if in God's New world I find out that cheersing, toasting and celebrating birthdays is actually a ok then that's all good news for those ones that love celebrating birthdays, but I don't, and I'm pretty sure there'll be room enough for 2 different ideas but me, I'll be enjoying more important things

 

[Joseph Stephan]

Hi. I haven't been on this forum for a while, so I hope everyone is well.
I was wondering what thoughts people had about Bro Lett's talk about the GB concluding clinking glasses should be a matter of conscious, as most people who do it don't see any religious/superstitious relevance to it. (Paraphrasing)
Also, do you think this new understanding may lead to the GB making birthday celebrations a matter of conscious for the same reasons?
More importantly, those of you who are still "mentally in" and don't currently celebrate birthdays, if the GB does an about turn, will you then start celebrating birthdays?
Thanks

My mom has been calling me for years wishing me happy birthday! I've been calling my kids for years wishing them happy birthday. When they were little we'd have some cupcakes and things.
This is something adults with no kids don't GET.

I don't make the rules, I break them!

I'll clink to that

 

[Proverbs 14 v 15]

My mom has been calling me for years wishing me happy birthday! I've been calling my kids for years wishing them happy birthday. When they were little we'd have some cupcakes and things.
This is something adults with no kids don't GET.

I don't make the rules, I break them!

I'll clink to that

I've got 4 kids and never wished them happy birthday even once! They're all in their 30's and 40's and it doesn't bother them in the slightest. When they were kids we had loadsa fun including parties, nice food, presents etc. Since they've been adults, we've continued to have to fun, and parties, nice food, presents etc. I'll never allow the system to dictate to me when or how to show love to other people. My hubby, not their dad, and not a JW says all these events, birthdays, xmas, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day and every other day on the " must do calender" is fake and forced and he doesn't allow anyone to force him to celebrate anything on any given day. And, he's the most kind and caring person I've ever met

 

[Joseph Stephan]

I've got 4 kids and never wished them happy birthday even once! They're all in their 30's and 40's and it doesn't bother them in the slightest. When they were kids we had loadsa fun including parties, nice food, presents etc. Since they've been adults, we've continued to have to fun, and parties, nice food, presents etc. I'll never allow the system to dictate to me when or how to show love to other people. My hubby, not their dad, and not a JW says all these events, birthdays, xmas, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day and every other day on the " must do calender" is fake and forced and he doesn't allow anyone to force him to celebrate anything on any given day. And, he's the most kind and caring person I've ever met

I'll never allow the system to dictate to me what to celibate, as a business owner I hate ALL the Holidays! Especially if you're in America, everytime you turn around it's some sort of Holiday.

But as a parent who witnessed the miracle of birth......... Happy Birthday Kids!

 

[BARNABY THE DOG.]

My mom has been calling me for years wishing me happy birthday! I've been calling my kids for years wishing them happy birthday. When they were little we'd have some cupcakes and things.
This is something adults with no kids don't GET.

I don't make the rules, I break them!

I'll clink to that

I am of a similar mind. I have never seen the act of giving good wishes to people as ‘worshipping’ them of giving undue attention to them upon the day of their birth. For many, it’s simply just an act of recognition. Many people greet each other with a kiss. If that cannot be seen as a loaded greeting, what is? I think a great deal of these imposed “laws” of conduct have more to do with the person demanding it than of those sharing goodwill and appreciation of others.

 

[a watcher]

I wish the GB would stop focusing on trivial things and start showing zero tolerance for faith destroying practices such as child/spousal abuse.

 

[Proverbs 14 v 15]

I'll never allow the system to dictate to me what to celibate, as a business owner I hate ALL the Holidays! Especially if you're in America, everytime you turn around it's some sort of Holiday.

But as a parent who witnessed the miracle of birth......... Happy Birthday Kids!

Definitely happy birthday, on the day they're born, that's their one and only real birthday day everything after that is "don't forget I was born (however many years ago) and I want this, that and the other for still being alive My motto is: "I slogged my guts out to KEEP you alive, so I want all the presents!" Only joshing I celebrate having my kids all the time, not just when society tells me to, especially when the commercial system tells me to. But sadly, many brainwashed sheeple seriously believe if you don't celebrate the anniversary day of when people are born, including Jesus's anniversary day of when he was born then either you couldn't possibly love them, or they love their kids etc more than YOU do!! Pffft. Poppycock. Self promoting drivel. Honestly, the horrible stuff I've seen from not just kids but adults too, that involve birthdays and xmas, literally me, me and more me Still, the way things are going, the GB will be getting a memo from Jehovah saying that they've decided we're "allowed" to celebrate birthdays. And I STILL won't be going along with them I tell you, I don't think I'm going to last very long in the world after the GT and the rule of the Wild Beast kicks in, because I refuse to go along with so much already

 

[Proverbs 14 v 15]

I am of a similar mind. I have never seen the act of giving good wishes to people as ‘worshipping’ them of giving undue attention to them upon the day of their birth. For many, it’s simply just an act of recognition. Many people greet each other with a kiss. If that cannot be seen as a loaded greeting, what is? I think a great deal of these imposed “laws” of conduct have more to do with the person demanding it than of those sharing goodwill and appreciation of others.

Definitely the demanding of it is excruciatingly painful to watch. It's now trendy to have a "pre" birthday celebration period, then the day itself, and then they're still in birthday mode days later. Adults! Grown adults. Nearly as embarrassing as the GB's shenanigans

 

[BARNABY THE DOG.]

Definitely happy birthday, on the day they're born, that's their one and only real birthday day everything after that is "don't forget I was born (however many years ago) and I want this, that and the other for still being alive My motto is: "I slogged my guts out to KEEP you alive, so I want all the presents!" Only joshing I celebrate having my kids all the time, not just when society tells me to, especially when the commercial system tells me too. But sadly, many brainwashed sheeple seriously believe it you don't celebrate the anniversary day of when people are born, including Jesus's anniversary day of when he was born then either you couldn't possibly love them, or they love their kids etc more than YOU do!! Pffft. Poppycock. Self promoting drivel. Honestly, the horrible stuff I've seen from not just kids but adults too, that involve birthdays and xmas, literally me, me and more me

Sometimes a birthday is the only time a child gets recognised - or a parent for that matter. This is the world we have come to find ourselves in. In the past centuries, birthdays were not the same commercial issue that they are today and neither was the extravagance. Neither was the day recorded as there were no general calendars and certainly not the correct calendar either before Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752. When we used the Julian Calendar Britain was always nine days behind Europe! So it is (and always was) that children were loved for what they were, rather than the day they were born, just as you say.

In these days though, we do not live in a normal society, but in one where even the clinking of glasses is suspect. What hope for love then and expressions of endearment?

 

[BARNABY THE DOG.]

Definitely the demanding of it is excruciatingly painful to watch. It's now trendy to have a "pre" birthday celebration period, then the day itself, and then they're still in birthday mode days later. Adults! Grown adults. Nearly as embarrassing as the GB's shenanigans

Ooooh! I didn’t know about pre-birthday celebrations!!! I shall inform my wife immediately to book a table, a two weeks pre-birthday cruise on a private yacht, and three weeks post-birthday celebrations on a private Caribbean island.

 

[Proverbs 14 v 15]

Sometimes a birthday is the only time a child gets recognised - or a parent for that matter. This is the world we have come to find ourselves in. In the past centuries, birthdays were not the same commercial issue that they are today and neither was the extravagance. Neither was the day recorded as there were no general calendars and certainly not the correct calendar either before Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752. When we used the Julian Calendar Britain was always nine days behind Europe! So it is (and always was) that children were loved for what they were, rather than the day they were born, just as you say.

In these days though, we do not live in a normal society, but in one where even the clinking of glasses is suspect. What hope for love then and expressions of endearment?

That is very true, but if someone only acknowledged me on the anniversary of the day I was born I'd be very wary of them I certainly wouldn't be convinced that they cared about me. I'd be thinking that they're only acknowledging my existence because the system dictates it. I'd be thinking that if the system did NOT dictate the celebrating of the anniversary of the day we were born, then these people would just ignore me 365 days a year as opposed to 364. But, if someone showed me attention on a regular basis, then I'd be more inclined to believe that they REALLY did care about me. Tis all man made stuff and nonsense and the very worst people for harping and hankering after birthdays are exjws who have thrown Jehovah out with the bath water. Honestly, all they do is cry and cry about not having birthday parties when they were growing up all because they were brought up in a JW family. Sometimes I feel like asking them how they would feel about being brought up in a non JW family like I was, hardly any food on a day to day basis, no parties, presents or cards on anyone's birthday whatsoever ever. Surrounded by wife beating, alcoholic, gambling obsessed men who literally didn't care one iota for their kids and the best time of our childhood was when dad was in prison for armed robbery. Honestly those "no-one celebrated my birthday oh woe is me" people just need to get a life, or a slap in the face. I can guarantee you that the last thing on people's minds when the GT starts is birthdays, xmas, or Barmitzers. Some exjws are even gutted because of all the "clinking" they "missed" out on. Jeez, give me strength. They'll all be wishing they'd listened to Jehovah instead of wingeing about how "woe is me" they were Sorry about my rant today but Stephen Letts talk has rattled my cage.. a lot

 

[Proverbs 14 v 15]

Ooooh! I didn’t know about pre-birthday celebrations!!! I shall inform my wife immediately to book a table, a two weeks pre-birthday cruise on a private yacht, and three weeks post-birthday celebrations on a private Caribbean island.

That's it Barney! You've got it!! With enough time and money, you could play your cards right and have one long birthday celebration starting from the day you're born until the day you die

 

[Deborah]

I don't let witnesses I am associated with know anything about my personal feelings when it comes to things like holidays. Don't ask and don't tell. Mind your own business and take care of your own household. Half of them spend more time in other peoples business than taking care of their own.

But it is interesting how folks will let the world shape their view on such man made traditions, etc. isn't it. I have relatives that celebrate everything. (eyes rolling)

James 4:4

........friendship with the world is enmity with God....................

 

[Proverbs 14 v 15]

I don't let witnesses I am associated with know anything about my personal feelings when it comes to things like holidays. Don't ask and don't tell. Mind your own business and take care of your own household. Half of them spend more time in other peoples business than taking care of their own.

But it is interesting how folks will let the world shape their view on such man made traditions, etc. isn't it. I have relatives that celebrate everything. (eyes rolling)

James 4:4

........friendship with the world is enmity with God....................

I know! There's a term for it FOMO!! Like you say Deborah, it's better to not say too much to other witnesses. On the other hand, the type I WOULD speak to about ANY thing, were few and far between but they were my besties, and I miss them a lot. I'd never have dreamed injections would have divided us, I would have said you were crazy if you told me that 6yrs ago..

 

[MickHewitt]

Half of them spend more time in other peoples business than taking care of their own.

Oh yes Deborah I totally agree and so does Hos4:8 "They feed on the sin of my people and are greedy for their error"

 

[StillA_WorshiperOfJah]

My mom has been calling me for years wishing me happy birthday! I've been calling my kids for years wishing them happy birthday. When they were little we'd have some cupcakes and things.
This is something adults with no kids don't GET.

I don't make the rules, I break them!

I'll clink to that

Thanks for your reply. I believe that is up to your conscience.
I am interested though if anyone who currently doesn't celebrate birthdays, would consider celebrating them if the GB decided it was a matter of conscience.

 

[StillA_WorshiperOfJah]

There is already a thread on that topic

D

Thread 'Update #4'

Jul 5, 2025

BREAKING NEWS

CLINKING GLASSES - SAY WHAT

Well boys and girls, I had to come out of my LURKING FORUM BUSHES for this one.

As the world around us is crumbling by the second, the gb is now LETTING JW's
CLINK/TOAST THEIR DRINKING GLASSES AT A CELEBRATION. (DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION). What prophecy is that again.
Oh Yes, The CLINKING GLASS PROPHECY.

It just boggles my mind sometimes at the dumb things that seem to be important to them. I am still shaking my head. This really does strengthen our faith and helps us get closer to Jehovah right, CLINKING GLASSES. WELL CLINK ON...

• Deborah
• Replies: 37
• Forum: General Discussions

• 
• 
• 

I didn't see it because I seem to put them on ignore. As I can no longer remember why muted them, I will take them off ignore for now.

 

[Deborah]

Hi Still a Worshipper,

Not sure what folks here would do if gb says:

gb HAS DECIDED it is now a conscience matter to celebrate this or that.

But for sure most witnesses would be so very excited that the gb loves them so much and thank them for their new understanding.

The brothers in my area went totally nuts with the beards and the sisters went wild with the casual dress changes. They are like little kids getting all the candy they can eat.

Some look really horrible. Brothers beards are unkempt and the slacks some sisters wear look like they are going to a picnic or something. But that is just my opinion.

Have a wonderful rest of your day.

 

[Proverbs 14 v 15]

Thanks for your reply. I believe that is up to your conscience.
I am interested though if anyone who currently doesn't celebrate birthdays, would consider celebrating them if the GB decided it was a matter of conscience.

Now if that happened that would just be sooooo weird?!?! It'll probably happen inside the congregations, many of the pimis would do a complete 180 but surely to goodness no-one in this forum would

 

[StillA_WorshiperOfJah]

I haven't associated with JWs for a while, and never agreed with the no beard or trousers when I was PIMI. Having said that, I saw a group of JWs doing cart/trolley witnessing recently in another town. If they didn't have the trolley, I wouldn't have known they were JWs by how they were dresse. So, IDK.

 

[StillA_WorshiperOfJah]

Now if that happened that would just be sooooo weird?!?! It'll probably happen inside the congregations, many of the pimis would do a complete 180 but surely to goodness no-one in this forum would

Although I no longer identify as a JW, my non witness family members, colleagues and other acquaintances know I do not celebrate birthdays etc. for my own personal religious convictions, and they generally accept and respect my stance. So I will not be doing a 180 on this, and the GBs decrees no longer have any bearing on my life anyway.

 

[StillA_WorshiperOfJah]

I personally have been clinking for years when with non witnesses, even when PIMI, as in my view the offence it causes if you dont clinking outweighs any ancient pagan connotations.
I still feel weird though, when eating with non witnesses, and they start eating before anyone's said a blessing.
Is that how they feel, when we don't clink?

 

[SusanB]

That is very true, but if someone only acknowledged me on the anniversary of the day I was born I'd be very wary of them I certainly wouldn't be convinced that they cared about me. I'd be thinking that they're only acknowledging my existence because the system dictates it. I'd be thinking that if the system did NOT dictate the celebrating of the anniversary of the day we were born, then these people would just ignore me 365 days a year as opposed to 364. But, if someone showed me attention on a regular basis, then I'd be more inclined to believe that they REALLY did care about me. Tis all man made stuff and nonsense and the very worst people for harping and hankering after birthdays are exjws who have thrown Jehovah out with the bath water. Honestly, all they do is cry and cry about not having birthday parties when they were growing up all because they were brought up in a JW family. Sometimes I feel like asking them how they would feel about being brought up in a non JW family like I was, hardly any food on a day to day basis, no parties, presents or cards on anyone's birthday whatsoever ever. Surrounded by wife beating, alcoholic, gambling obsessed men who literally didn't care one iota for their kids and the best time of our childhood was when dad was in prison for armed robbery. Honestly those "no-one celebrated my birthday oh woe is me" people just need to get a life, or a slap in the face. I can guarantee you that the last thing on people's minds when the GT starts is birthdays, xmas, or Barmitzers. Some exjws are even gutted because of all the "clinking" they "missed" out on. Jeez, give me strength. They'll all be wishing they'd listened to Jehovah instead of wingeing about how "woe is me" they were Sorry about my rant today but Stephen Letts talk has rattled my cage.. a lot

Just consider this. If you live forever and let’s say you are now around 997 years old. Will you still be celebrating an annual birthday? Definitely won’t have a candle for each year.