Birthdays are Religious?

Do you think Birthdays are religious events/celebrations?

Yes	7.9%	[ 3 ]
No	68.4%	[ 26 ]
Sometimes	23.7%	[ 9 ]
Total Votes:			[ 38 ]

[blackheartgirl2]

I have been talking with a muslim and Jehovah's Witness and they tell me that birthdays are religious(not their religion) so they can't celebrate them.

I don't believe birthdays are religious unless you make them that way. I can understand how some people think lighting candles on cakes is pagan and not ok because it would be religious. But to go out and eat and maybe give a gift does not sound religious to me at all.

So i don't think celebrating birthdays is something wrong if your religion says you can't celebrate other religions things or holidays. Because birthdays are not religious unless you make them religious.

So do you celebrate your birthday or other peoples birthday?
If you do, how do you celebrate it?
And do you consider birthdays a religious event/celebration? and why?

[The Catfish Blues]

they are cultural and just happen to be celebrated in christian countries. I'd like to see how they think they are religious.

[Lucky~9~Lives]

blackheartgirl2

So do you celebrate your birthday or other peoples birthday?

Yes.

blackheartgirl2

If you do, how do you celebrate it?

Exchanging presents/cards/meals/phone-calls.

blackheartgirl2

And do you consider birthdays a religious event/celebration? and why?

Only if they're celebrated as part of the teachings of a mystic.

[blackheartgirl2]

The Catfish Blues

they are cultural and just happen to be celebrated in christian countries. I'd like to see how they think they are religious.

I have been told that candles are a pagan thing, that they started that but i don't know.

My muslim friend said because christians do it muslims can't.
And my other friend said it has pagan origins so she can't celebrate it.

[The Catfish Blues]

blackheartgirl2

The Catfish Blues

they are cultural and just happen to be celebrated in christian countries. I'd like to see how they think they are religious.

I have been told that candles are a pagan thing, that they started that but i don't know.

they also started building houses first and wearing clothes.

Quote:

My muslim friend said because christians do it muslims can't.

that again makes no sense, christians wear clothes

Quote:

And my other friend said it has pagan origins so she can't celebrate it.

Only in as much as everything has pagan Origins.

[Haha Coffee]

Yea Ive heard that to....they are really not.

[vwytche]

Things are as religious or nonreligious as one makes them. It's not like there's a big book of cosmic answers. People forget that we're the ones that came up with all this stuff in the first place. Hell, the Discordians say that hot dogs are religious.

[Centuries Before]

Well, the Romans liked birthdays so, hey, cake time! heart

[We Are Organisms]

They are a ritual, in society there are rituals for coming of age and such, there are also birth days which are technically rituals. Different cultures have different rituals, even if they dont notice it.

But its not religious unless they somehow traced it back to some religious ancestry, but its not done for a God or involving a god so its not religious, but religion is full of ritual as well, such as eating jesus' 'blood' and 'flesh' is a ritual. Prayer also is sort of like a ritual, same with church events. Baptism even. Though rituals are usually more noticeable in the occult religions lol, because they think it has certian effects and such, though ritual does have psychological affects.

[Lucky~9~Lives]

Ryu Kei Shou Kawazu

...its not done for a God or involving a god so its not religious...

Not all religions involve gods - Buddhism, for example.

[We Are Organisms]

Lucky~9~Lives

Ryu Kei Shou Kawazu

...its not done for a God or involving a god so its not religious...

Not all religions involve gods - Buddhism, for example.

Hm. Good point. So I suppose religion is more like organized belief that forms ritualistic behavior perhaps? But then whats the belief behind birthdays? Self-significance, or maybe perhaps it started because infant death syndrome used to be much higher and it was like an offering almost so the child would be healthy, then it turned into a celebration as time went on rather than hoping for survival.

[Lucky~9~Lives]

Ryu Kei Shou Kawazu

Lucky~9~Lives

Ryu Kei Shou Kawazu

...its not done for a God or involving a god so its not religious...

Not all religions involve gods - Buddhism, for example.

Hm. Good point. So I suppose religion is more like organized belief that forms ritualistic behavior perhaps?

Beliefs/practices based on the teachings of a mystic.

[Wandertoal-Haqq]

blackheartgirl2

I have been talking with a muslim and Jehovah's Witness and they tell me that birthdays are religious(not their religion) so they can't celebrate them.

I don't believe birthdays are religious unless you make them that way. I can understand how some people think lighting candles on cakes is pagan and not ok because it would be religious. But to go out and eat and maybe give a gift does not sound religious to me at all.

So i don't think celebrating birthdays is something wrong if your religion says you can't celebrate other religions things or holidays. Because birthdays are not religious unless you make them religious.

So do you celebrate your birthday or other peoples birthday?
If you do, how do you celebrate it?
And do you consider birthdays a religious event/celebration? and why?

1) I don't celebrate birthdays anymore.
2) N/A
3) It could be considered religious as its origins are pagan. I disagree with the person who said that wearing clothes and living in houses is of pagan origin because I believe that most of the first people were Muslim (submitting to the will of God). But the real evidence against it is this: the Prophet, salAllahu alayhi wa sallam, didn't do it & birthdays were indeed celebrated back then. Instead of being celebrated, it should serve as a reminder that we will be soon taken back to Allah, subhannahu wa ta'ala, that we need to be striving to please Him because judgement is coming. It's mostly a non-Muslim custom that has no basis in Islam. We only celebrate 2 holidays, our Eids. I hope that I do not offend you at all; just trying to explain what I have learned from listening to scholars. wa Allahu 'Alim.

[Super 9-Volt]

I was once told by a JW that the few times birthdays were mentioned in the bible, bad stuff happened during that time, hence why they don't celebrate it. It sounded like the most ridiculous crap I've ever heard. cat_rolleyes

[Fireweed_honey]

Amor Sempiternus

Well, the Romans liked birthdays so, hey, cake time! heart

Cake for all!