Another Case Of Different Rules For JWs In Different Countries????

by West70 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  West70

  Does this newspaper article indicate that the WatchTower Society allows (or allowed) JWs in India to stand for that country's National Anthem????
  
  
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  Half a century later, the Supreme Court made the same point about tolerance when giving a verdict on the refusal of two children belonging to the sect of the Jehovah's Witness, who refused to sing the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, in a Kerala school because their religion did not permit saluting a national flag or to sing a national anthem as it did not believe in the nation state.
  
  In its verdict, the court said that as long as the children stood respectfully when the anthem was being played, it was all right. 'Our tradition teaches tolerance,' the verdict said, 'our philosophy teaches tolerance, our constitution teaches tolerance.'
  
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  http://in.news.yahoo.com/060902/43/6779g.html
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  Inquisitor

  I think a discerning JW would ask you if you could prove that the students were not sitting down prior to the anthem. If they were not seated, then all the Witness children had to do was remain standing. And that gesture is known to be sanctioned by the GB.
  But you are right that in certain countries, the local Bethel gives "local instructions" to Witnesses, albeit through informal means.
  
  For example, in Malaysia, JW kids generally pretend to sing the anthem, i.e. they would move their lips as if they were singing, to avoid trouble from the authorities. They also raise their hands for the oath-making ceremony; the Msian equivalent of placing your hands across your chest and over your heart. While you will never be able to prove that this instruction came from the Malaysian Bethel, this dubious tactic is generally shared among Witness families. I find it hard to believe that the elder families are oblivious to this practice or that the BOE's have never heard of this habit. I also find it hard to believe that their Bethel is unaware of such a practice. IMO, they are all happy to close an eye over this matter, giving their silent consent. Don't wanna anger the Muslim authorities, you see.

  
  INQ
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  Fangorn

  I believe the official position is that if you are required to stand and sing, then standing without singing is OK. However, if you are only required to stand, then standing is not OK, unless you are already standing, in which case you are not obligated to sit but may remain standing. Next, we will discuss how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.
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  JWdaughter

  I grew up in the states and had no problem standing. I don't remember that we were counseled against it. NEVER said or spoke anything patriotic though.

  My favorite holidays are Thanksgiving and Independance day. And I can sing the NA as badly as anyone, thank you very much!
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  BluesBrother

  Growing up in the UK the basic rule was that if you were already standing, you stood quietly during the anthem, and that was what every body did anyway. If you were seated, you refused to stand. It used to marr evenings at theatre or cinema, the usual thing was to make a quick exit before they played it. The basic question is "What is actually required to join in" we would not have place hand on heart in salute like American did ...

  We did take it seriously, I cannot comment on how they view it now.

  It always seamed silly to me, since the Bible told us to "render honour " to he who calls for it. When I attended an International football match, (in those days mercifully standing) people respected both countries anthems - so I thought that we cannot be giving allegiance to the other side as well, so whats the problem with respecting an an anthem?
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  Gill

  I could never understand how they equated giving respect to a country's flag as 'false worship', in the first place!
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  zagor

  To my knowledge just standing up is OK as long as you don't sing, but I agree it is walking a fine line that is as always vaguely defined and hence open to interpretation. It is not surprising that people interpret it in different ways
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  carla

  My jw will not stand and if standing already will sit down. How embarassing for the rest of us! Making a religious or what looks like a political stand at a school function is pointless. Nobody knows they are jw's, it looks comletely political, a stand against the US and it's policies. My kids have taken the backlash of his silent protesting. That makes for fun evenings!
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  Fangorn

  Blues you are so right. Everyone stands for other nation's anthems, which blows the Organisation's reasoning on this matter completely out of the water.