by Jerohobobonadad 13 Replies latest jw friends
Hello all I hope you are well.
Forgive my ignorance again, but what happened in Mexico/ Malawi? When did it happen?
I keep seeing references to these places in various topics.
Anyone got a good link that explains it clearly. I have tried looking around, but have only found out that Malawi involved Government ID Cards or something - I'm not jus being lazy!
Thanks
Jerohobo
Here is a website that as information on the topic.
What went on in Mexico and Malawi is undeniable proof that the Society care more about buildings and money than they do people. In Malawi it was required by law that each person buy a 25c Party Card. The Witnesses in Malawi were told by the Society they could not buy these under any circumstances. By following the Society, individuals in Malawi were beaten and raped because of their refusal. The Society constantly went on about this in the publications and Witnesses were asked to send protest letters to the Malawi president about the persecution. However, the Witnesses weren't told about what was going on in Mexico. In Mexico, you were allowed to preach and do all religious activity, but there was one law, that no religious community could not own a building. Therefore, any Kingdom Hall would be owned by the Government. Other religions found no problem with this, many churches continued to be used for preaching, but they were not owned by the religious authorities. The Society couldn't accept this, so they did not allow Mexican members to sing songs or pray at meetings, or used the bible in Field Service. This therefore convinced the Mexican authorities that the organisation was a cultural organisation, and the Society were allowed to keep their buildings. There was a problem though, Mexico had compulsory military service. Something the Society does not allow under any circumstances. However, the Society couldn't have their cultural Organisation members refusing to do this Service in the name of religion. Then they might lose their buildings. So, they allowed the members to bribe authorities to gain a certificate that said they had completed the Military Service. This is something that they refused to allow many other members in other countries to do, and at the same time refused to let Malawi Members to buy party cards, because in these cases, it didn't benefit them to allow it, so they didn't care.
"For the most part they were able to return to their villages and rebuild their homes and Kingdom Halls. Many of those who had once mistreated Jehovah’s witnesses now came and asked forgiveness, and a number of them are now Witnesses themselves. During this time the Witnesses in Malawi might be said to have “entered into a period of peace, being built up,” much as did the early Christians under similar circumstances."
They returned to rebuild their Kingdom Halls. Lucky them. They are like the early Christians - How nice.
This is awful.
I read the links on voting also, I am shocked.
The jfiles.com site is excellent.
Another interesting point about Malawi at that time. Since it was a one party state and no opposition parties were allowed having to buy the party card was really like having to pay a small tax. Since the card cannot really be "political" , since no real politicing was allowed in this dictatorship, the Society could have easily given this a special approval much like they did for themselves with the NGO status or with blood fractions and saved a lot of people from suffering and death. I would equate it with having to buy postage stamps from the Government Post Office or tags for your car, are these "political" activities which violate "Christian Neutrality"?
Exactly Liberty! It was just a way for the Evil Society to get the members worked up!
They are such hypocrites I remember how they used to urge JWs to write letters of complaint to the Malawi government about the persecution of the dubs there. What they really wanted is to be able to present martyrs to make their cult more attractive: "look our people are dying for their faith like the early Christians we are the true religion" yet in Mexico....property was more important than people.
What they really wanted is to be able to present martyrs to make their cult more attractive
They also used the brutal persecution as leverage with witnesses around the world. "Just think what our brothers and sisters are enduring in Malawi. Here in America we only have to endure a little snicker at school while we sit during the flag salute."
-AudeSapere (meaning Dare to Know; Dare to Think for Yourself.)
