Jehovah's Witness bogus NEUTRALITY claims during war examined

by Terry 21 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  Band on the Run

  I've read many accounts of the first century. Christians both avoided service and served in the Roman army.

  Jesus acknolwedged Matthew, a tax collector. I think collecting taxes certainly makes you a government bureaucrat. A very dislike govt. official.

  I studied the Ten Commandment provisons for whether it is const'l to have a public display of the Commandments. A lot depends on whether the text is present or shown by symbols. One of the problems with showing the text is that Jews, Catholics, and Protestants have different texts of the commandments. I confuse the groups but one has "Thou shalt not kill" and another "Thou shall not murder." There are strong theological differences based on the wording. So if the government lists text, the govt. is choosing a specific religion.
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  castthefirststone

  Thanks for highlighting this fallacy Terry.

  I read the whole blog and the argument of the poster is basically that the Mexican JW's had two choices:

  1. To pay a bribe to avoid military duty.

  2. To not turn up for military duty.

  He argues that both were "illegal" at the time, in human terms, and that one can choose which illegal action to take. That's what the "WTS" advised according to him.

  The issue at hand is not which choice was against human law as it's obvious both choices involve breaking the law of the land. The issue is: which choice goes against God's law. Not turning up for military duty and the sanctions that goes with that action doesn't transgress against any of God's laws. However payment of a bribe transgresses God's law as stated explicitly in Deut. 10:17 and Prov. 17:23. That is the issue and the argument that both choices are against the law of the land is a red herring. The fact that the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses advised to transgress God's law in certain cases and not in others, proves that they make partial distinctions and that they do not represent the God that the Bible describes.
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  williamhconley
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  arko_n9ne

  Neutrality is a joke. I live with my fiance and her two JW brothers live with us. They both have an opinion that the US is better than an Islamic nation. They both support the President and will make comments about the GOP. They both vocalize their opinions on the pointlessness of the war. All of their friends in the Society have vocalized opinions in war. It just seems that the only time neutrality is recognized is when it comes time to pay your dues or to serve.

  To say "we are in the world, but we are not of it," it's a matter of picking and choosing. How much property does the Watchtower own, again? They will buy up the land in this world, which can be defended as "we're taking it from the world." But after they use Congregation donations, and free labor to flip the property, they sell the property for 3 to 40 times it's worth. How does making a profit in Satan's world remove you from it?
  How does buying a quarter of the available land in a town and refuse to pay taxes under a farsical religious exemption remove you from the world?

  Again, it seems they are only neutral and removed from the world when it comes to military or paying taxes.
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  Terry

  I must also say that I am curious as to whether J.W. brothers sentenced during Viet Nam had any association with other secular draft resisters.

  My experience at Seagoville F.C.I. taught me that "other" religious Conscientious Objectors took alternate non-combat civilian hospital work.

  Jw's were offere that too. But, the dopey advice (in secret!) of the Governing Body interfered with their LEGAL alternative.

  I think it is clear public martyrs were wanted ALTHOUGH the G.B. was hiding from culpability in making their illicit advise PUBLIC too.

  You ever wonder how these brothers just magically "knew" what the Society expected? You didn't read any articles detailing what to do, did you?
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  redvip2000

  I too, read the piece contained in the link. The explanation provided by the Watchtower apologist who wrote it, is out of touch with the issue brought up by Ray Franz.

  The apologist goes on and on about the details of how military registration works in Mexico and the different ways someone could become exempt including health, distance from recruiting centers, etc etc.

  Clearly this has nothing to do with the issue raised by Franz. What Ray explained is that young JWs in Mexico, upon reaching the registration age, would pay bribes to officials in order to make sure they would be exempt, and thus avoiding the natural selection process that usually takes place.

  Becoming exempt from military service legally is one thing. Bribing someone in order to become exempt is another and the latter is what was happening in Mexico at that time. I have personally seen correspondence from Bethel to the Mexico branch, where the Bethel service dept. aknowledged this practice by local brothers and said that the brothers could continue doing what they needed to do, and that Bethel would take no responsability in that matter.
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  Terry

  If the people who represent the Truth can't publicly stand for the same things they counsel others (privately) to stand for---what are they?

  Rutherford was outraged at his own imprisonment. He blamed clergy in cahoots with Government for his "persecution". After that, his vitriol

  became a laser like focus on letting the rank and file suffer the slings and arrows of his agenda. The only fighting he would do would be by Proxy using Hayden Covington.
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  Band on the Run

  My parents both noted that there were two sets of rules. One for the older, powerful brothers at Bethel. Another for younger, KH brothers.

  My mom attended several WWII trials. Her friends could not afford lawyers or perhaps Bethel made them feel that lawyers were superluous. Her quiet friend was talked to by an older brother during intermission of his trial. His quiet demeanor and personal reserve were well-known. Goaded by the older brother, he stood up and called the judge a dunce. He will choose Jehovah over men. Those few words added years to this sentence. Funny, the brother did not serve the time with him.

  I noticed that the hours necessary for ministerial exemption equaled the number of hours for a regular pioneer. What a coincidence. They matched exactly.

  So minus other draft-resisters, it must have been very isolating. All those street wise convicts living by a code of violence and then the ultra sincere JW brothers--without bodyguards.
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  Terry

  It was Win-Win for the GB. If a local brother Pioneered they got the stats they wanted. If, instead, he went to jail--the martyrdom card was played.

  The actual prisoner-for-conscience got nothing but a raw deal.

  My congregation did absolutely nothing for me in any way for the 2 years I was in Federal Prison. No cards, letters, well-wishes or such. No visits by

  servants either. When I returned I was practically met at the front door of the Kingdom Hall with Pioneer sign-up papers!

  Sigh....
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  truth_b_known

  Neutrality is a mythical concept used in an attempt to avoid conflict. Those who stay out of a conflict are basically saying,"I support whomever wins."