Hello,
Once I have read that the WTS made advertisings in the WT to buy war bonds. That must have taken place about 1918.
Does anybody have more information about it?
Thank you for research and scans.
Klaus
War Bonds WWI - does anybody have info
by Klaus Vollmer 13 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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rebel8
Yeah I knew right where to find it because I have a link up on my web site. http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/11/71805/1.ashx
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Hellrider
That`s pretty funny. "Neutrality" my butt. And Jesus came down to inspect the religions of the world, and chose the WTS, cause they were the only ones with the correct doctrines, they used Jehobas name, and they were politically "neutral". And then it turns out they weren`t so "neutral" after all. Didn`t JWs also serve in the army during that war? Anyone got any info on that?
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DocBob
Here it is, straight from the horses ... um ... er ... mouth. ;-)
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May 15, 1918 WT p. 152 (=reprint p.6257);
"THE DUST OF HIS FEET"
In beautifully poetic language the Prophet Nahum describes Jehovah's part in the present distress of nations: "The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet."--Nahum 1:3.
Certainly clouds, which have long since ceased to be the size of a man's hand, hang thick over human affairs. To the worldly these clouds are sources of uncertainty, apprehension, dread; but to the watchful child of God these "clouds and darkness" are sure harbingers of the establishment of Messiah's reign. Like children at evening who watch for their father's return from the fields and know him from afar by the cloud of dust raised by his equipage, so the Lord's people now have keenest interest in all the happenings in the world, even though some of the dust is blowing into their eyes, ears, noses and throats. They recognize the Lord even through the clouds, first, because the time has come and, secondly, because of the character of the work which is being performed.
Our Master warned us and told us we need not expect to be spoken well of by all men, because the majority of men, being dominated by self interest and selfish institutions, lavish their approval upon "the false prophets." (Luke 6:26) Whatever the Lord's people do, they will not be understood by the world, because they have different standards of judgment, as well as different aims in life. But while the world is losing more and more even that measure of good judgment which was formerly possessed by it, the Lord's people should strive more and more to keep steady heads and to order their conduct with sobriety--giving no reasonable occasion for offense.
Our attitude on the war, Red Cross, Liberty Bonds, etc., has been misunderstood by many people. Few persons do much thinking in war time and what little they do is mostly in line with their natural emotions. We cannot therefore expect much calm and dispassionate thinking now from the worldly. Therefore in our honest effort to render our proper dues to the Government under which we are privileged to live we should be doubly careful not to "speak evil of dignitaries" nor to do anything which would avoidably embarrass them in the solution of their weighty problems. See Matthew 17:25-27; Luke 20:22-25; Romans 13:7; 1 Peter 2:13-17.
OUR STATEMENT TO THE PRESS
Statements have been recently made to several newspapers which requested an expression from us. But the statements, if printed at all, have been so garbled as to be well nigh incoherent. We therefore print below in full a statement prepared by the President of our Association for the _Brooklyn Eagle_ at its request:
"On my return to Brooklyn I learned of the unpleasant occurrence at the Brooklyn Tabernacle last Sunday, April 28th. Mr. W. T. Baker was in the pulpit and at the conclusion of his discourse a request was broguht to the platform that the congregation hear a speech by some one on the Liberty Bonds. Mr. Baker put the matter to a vote and the majority voted in the negative.
"I am sure this action was not intended as any reflection on the Government, nor to be taken as against the Liberty Loan. Those who worship at the Tabernacle believe in worshipping the Lord in spirit and in truth. To them a religious service is the most sacred; and while at religious service they always refrain from discussing temporal matters. This congregation at no time ever held a social tea, a grab-bag party, a bazaar, or anything of that kind in the church. The Tabernacle auditorium is used exclusively for religious matters, especially on Sunday. No previous request had been made to use the Tabernacle by any one in the interest of the Libery Loan campaign. The worshippers had just listened to a helpful spiritual lesson on the Bible. They desired to withdraw from the building with these sacred thoughts in mind and therefore deemed it inappropriate to discuss any temporal matters whatsoever, or to hear them discussed by any one else. We are pleased to grant the use of the Tabernacle for a meeting in the interest of the public when the same does not interfere with our religious services.
"The people of our Association are not against the Government, nor against the Liberty Loan. Our thought is that the Liberty Loan is not a religious question, but purely one pertaining to the affairs of the Government; and that each person should be left to the free exercise of his individual conscience as to whether he will or will not purchase Liberty Bonds. Our views are very well expressed in a statement given to the public press some weeks ago, as follows:
"`The International Bible Students' Association is not against the Liberty Loan. Many of its members have bought and hold Liberty Bonds. Some have not money with which to buy.
"`The Liberty Loan is not a religious question. It has solely to do with the Government. Every person who mails a letter supports the Government to that extent by paying the additional postage on account of the war.
"`The International Bible Students' Association is composed of Christians. Every Christian gladly obeys the law. The United States has always stood for religious liberty and freedom of speech. Every Christian appreciates the privilege of living in such a country and gladly meets his obligations in the payment of taxes. When the Government asks to borrow his money and gives its promise to pay in the nature of a bond, if he can do so he should buy the bond.
"`The Association has no power to direct members thereof with reference to buying Liberty Bonds. It certainly will not and has not advised any one to refuse to buy bonds. That is an individual matter which each person must determine for himself according to his ability. The Association believes in supporting the Government in every way it can and each one should do so according to his ability and his conscience.'
"Some members of the Brooklyn Tabernacle congregation had previously purchased Liberty Bonds. Doubtless all had been personally solicited before that time. They are surrounded on all hands by opportunities to purchase, and to them it seemed inappropriate to transact business in the church on Sunday. There are six days in the week for the transaction of business and Sunday is regarded by them as a day for sacred worship of the Lord.
"It is to be regretted that one representing the public press should so disgrace himself as publicly to encourage mob violence against inoffensive people. It seems that any one wearing the uniform of the United States Army would have more respect for that uniform and for law and order than to disturb the peace by loud and uncouth language and in encouraging mob violence. We cannot believe that any responsible person in the Government would approve of such action.
"As to the members of the Bethel Home, it is well known that those who labor there receive merely their food and lodging and a small allowance for incidental expenses. This was thoroughly aired in the _Brooklyn Eagle_ libel case, as the record shows. At that time the amount received was only $10.00 per month, which since, on account of increased cost of necessities, is now $15.00 per month. At the opening of the Third Liberty Loan cmapaign, a very elegant gentleman of the Borough of Brooklyn called on me with reference to soliciting the members of the Bethel Home to buy bonds. I invited him to see each one of them personally. He questioned me as to their ability to buy; and when I told him of the amount they received monthly he said, `Then they cannot buy on that amount and it is useless for me to see them. I am sure you must be doing much good here in your own way when men and women sacrifice their time for such a small allowance.' It is a well known fact that there are other institutions that are not asked or even expected to buy Liberty Bonds because of their financial inability.
"Members of our Association who have some personal means have bought Liberty Bonds, including Tabernacle workers who are paying 25 per cent. of their monthly allowance to purchase a bond. We do not believe the Government would expect any one to purchase bonds who receives barely enough for his daily expenses.
"The picketing of the Bethel Home on last Sunday morning and accosting every one who passed out and demanding that they buy Liberty Bonds seems to be a very uncalled-for and unusual thing, when any one authorized to solicit for bonds can have free access to the Bethel Home to interview any person there at any reasonable hour during the day or evening. As above stated, a gentleman had called for that purpose some days ago. The action of the men on Sunday morning seemed not only wholly uncalled for, but was taken designedly for the purpose of placing the members of the Bethel Home at a disadvantage. We cannot believe that order-loving, law-abiding people of Brooklyn at all approve such action or conduct."
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Leolaia
DobBob....Also post p. 168 and p. 174 if you can.
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DocBob
DobBob....Also post p. 168 and p. 174 if you can.
Did you mean p 168 from the May 15 or June 1, 1918? The June 1 has some on the same subject.
June 1, 1918 WT p. 168 (= WT reprint page 6268).
ESSENTIALS, UNITY -- NON-ESSENTIALS, CHARITY
There are certain principles, such as the "ransom for all," which are forever vital, but certain subordinate principles may from time to time, with changed conditions, new information, or a new viewpoint be clearly seen to be not necessarily vital. It was vital for a Hebrew to keep himself Levitically undefiled, but after Pentecost this was no longer a vital principle; it was vital that no one but a priest eat the "shewbread"; but "David when he was an hungered, entered into the house of the Lord and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, but only for the priests." (Matthew 12:3, 4) It is vital, according to Paul, for brothers in Christ to "avoid contentions" (Titus 3:9); but "Paul thought not good to take him [John Mark] with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they [Barnabas and Paul, who had `lived in all good conscience before God'--Acts 23:1] departed asunder one from the other."--Acts 15:38, 39.
In apostolic times some Christians made it a matter of principle to "observe the days, months, times and years" (Galatians 4:10) of the Hebrew ritual; others did not. "One believed that he might eat all things; another who was weak [in the faith] eateth herbs." (Romans 14:2) "And," says Paul, "he that doubteth is damned [judged] if he eat, because he eateth not of faith [with confidence that it is proper]; for whatsoever is not of faith, is sin." (Romans 14:23) In modern times one Christian can eat pork, another can not; one can observe Sunday, another Saturday, and still another can keep all days holy to God; one can engage in temperance work, another cannot; one can own an automobile, another cannot. At one time a Christian feels unable to do certain things; later, with additional knowledge or thought, he can do them with a good conscience.
A Christian might not have been able conscientiously to engage in the military activities of a country offering only combatant service; later, when the opportunity is enlarged so that he may choose some good work such as the hospital or ambulance service, he may with a free conscience take such service. A Christian to whom may have been presented the perverted viewpoint that the Red Cross work is only the aiding of that killing which is against his conscience, cannot help the Red Cross; then he gains the broader viewpoint that the Red Cross is the embodiment of helping the helpless, and he finds himself able and willing to help the Red Cross according to ability and opportunity. A Christian, unwilling to kill, may have been conscientiously unable to buy government bonds; later he considers what great blessings he has received under his government, and realizes that the nation is in trouble and facing dangers to its liberty, and he feels himself conscientiously able to lend some money to the country, just as he would lend to a friend in distress.
The Christian with the broadest mind is the one who is best informed Scripturally. That Christian who is able to see from but one viewpoint is in danger of being what St. Paul calls "weak," in the sense that his inability to see all around a question limits his sphere of action. Narrow-mindedness invites troubles and persecutions for causes not even indirectly connected with true Christianity. Such trouble may usually well be avoided, and should be avoided in order that such trials or persecutions which are our portion may come upon the clear-cut issue of faithfulness in the consecrated life and not for other causes. The true footstep follower of Christ will have enough to suffer as a Christian. He will do his best to study all sides of every question and remove from himself causes for offense, other than his truly Christian and religious beliefs and principles which are vital.
"If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you; on their part he [Christ in you] is evil spoken of, but on your part [in you as a new creature] he is glorified; but let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busybody in other men's affairs. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf."-- 1 Peter 4:14-16.
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DocBob
Ah, there's page 174 - and guess who posted it? ;-)
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Elsewhere
The Christian with the broadest mind is the one who is best informed Scripturally. That Christian who is able to see from but one viewpoint is in danger of being what St. Paul calls "weak," in the sense that his inability to see all around a question limits his sphere of action. Narrow-mindedness invites troubles and persecutions for causes not even indirectly connected with true Christianity. Such trouble may usually well be avoided, and should be avoided in order that such trials or persecutions which are our portion may come upon the clear-cut issue of faithfulness in the consecrated life and not for other causes. The true footstep follower of Christ will have enough to suffer as a Christian. He will do his best to study all sides of every question and remove from himself causes for offense, other than his truly Christian and religious beliefs and principles which are vital.
Wow! Now they teach that one is "weak" if one does not agree with the only an only "truth" that the WTS teaches.
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Klaus Vollmer
thank you very much for the information. With it I can help some people to find a new position.
Elsewhere, yes it is shocking what they teach. They have lost the soil under the feet. The personla conscience has no value. they want roboters who feed "the Truth" like fuel for a machine.
but jehovah has made us in his kind and we must be enabled to ask questions and to question their point of view.
It is unbelievable that a"slave" that kind of character - praising the worldly government and encouraging to support the war - surely because there was the trial against the managers from the INN. got the privlege to be set over the heritage of the Lord.
That will take place when the final stage has arrived.
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Atlantis
From the Zion's Watchtower mentioned above. I scanned small sections to be able to have larger resolution.