"Why Birthdays Are Unscriptural"

IRTHDAYS actually happen only twice in relation to any one person, once when you were born, and again when someone is reborn in the first or second resurrection.   Birth anniversaries, on the other hand, often conflict with the commanded yeartly and regular sabbaths, feasts, and even the fast of Atonement, for those born on these dates.

    For this reason alone, birthdays are unscriptural, because they tend to focus on purely selfish, personal interests and what seems more important to us -- doing and saying your own words, and as you please -- rather than striving to please your Creator first, foremost and always.

    His commandments concerning keeping His sabbaths, feasts and the fast of Atonement, for instance, are clearly more important in the overall scheme of things that any person's birth anniversary could ever be.

    When you obey Him in regard to these more important spiritual commands, it leaves no room for honoring those days in a way that shifts the focus of attention onto one person to the exclusion of all others.

    For children, especially, to leave out those who -- like this author's father, who was born on the Feast of Reva -- are unable to celebrate their supposed birthdays on the dates of their birth anniversaries, would be unfair and leave them feeling slighted.

    Therefore it is best not to observe birthdays at all.   In addition, there are the carnal issues to consider, such as the lack of humility in thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought (Romans 12:3), and unwisely comparing ourselves with others (II Corinthians 10:12).

    The only birthdays mentioned in scripture were observed by wicked, pagan kings or autocratic rulers, such as pharoah the king of ancient Egypt (Genesis 40:20) and King Herod (Matthew 14:6-7; Mark 6:21), and both instances are notable in that someone was hanged or beheaded in each case (Genesis 40:21-22; Matthew 14:8-10; Mark 6:22-28).

   This clearly puts the practice of birthday observances into the scriptural category of something you should avoid rather than imitate or emulate, if you truly wish to please your Creator.

    Finally, there are no examples cited and no instance anywhere in scripture that commands or lends support to the idea of observing birth anniversaries, or so-called birthdays.

    This should guide you in understanding our Creator's will, for if these were truly something important and desireable for us to observe, then there would have been examples of righteous men and women mentioned who engaged in this practice.

    Clearly, as we can conclude from the two scriptural examples of birthdays cited above, this practice is ancient and was known to the inspired authors of scripture.   However, it also was clearly not considered by Moses or the Apostles something for you or me to do or encourage others in practicing.

    If you truly want to be one of those who are counted among the Savior's and Creator's followers, then you should obey their word ("John" 17:6).   And nowhere in scripture is there any support for us to follow the world in the practice of observing birthdays.