Jehovah's Witnesses and Rudolf Hoess

by Masterji 8 Replies latest jw friends

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  Masterji

  COMMANDANT OF AUSCHWITZ
  The Autobiography of Rudolf Hoess

  "There were many Jehovah’s Witnesses in Sachsenhausen. A great number of them refused to undertake military service and because of this the Reichsfuhrer SS condemned them to death. They were shot in the presence of all the inmates of the camp duly
  assembled. The other Jehovah’s Witnesses were placed in the front rank so that they must watch the proceedings.

  I have met many religious fanatics in my time; on pilgrimages, in monasteries, in Palestine, on the Hejaz road in Iraq, and in Armenia. They were Catholics, both Roman and Orthodox, Moslems, Shiites, and Semites. But the Witnesses in Sachsenhausen, and particularly two of them, surpassed anything that I had previously seen. These two
  especially fanatical Witnesses refused to do any work that had any connection whatever with military matters. They would not stand at attention, or drill in time with the rest, or lay their
  hands along the seams of their trousers, or remove their caps. They said that such marks of respect were due only to Jehovah and not to man. They recognized only one lord and master, Jehovah. Both of them had to be taken from the block set aside for Jehovah’s
  Witnesses and put in the cells, since they constantly urged on the other Witnesses to behave in a similar manner.

  Eicke had frequently sentenced them to be flogged because of their antidisciplinarian behavior . They underwent this punishment with a joyous fervor that amounted almost to a perversion. They begged the commandant to increase their punishment, so that they might the better be able to testify to Jehovah. After they had been ordered to report for military service, which, needless to say, they flatly refused, indeed they refused even to put their signature to a military document, they too were condemned to death by the Reichsfuhrer SS. When told of this in their cells, they went almost mad for joy and ecstasy, and could hardly wait for the day of execution. They wrung their hands, gazed enraptured up at the
  sky, and constantly cried: "Soon we shall be with Jehovah! How happy we are to have been chosen!" A few days earlier they had witnessed the execution of some of their fellow believers and they could hardly be kept under control, so great was their desire to be shot
  with them. Their frenzy was painful to watch. They had to be taken back to their cells by force. When their time came, they almost ran to the place of execution. They wished on no account to be bound, for they desired to be able to raise their hands to Jehovah.
  Transformed by ecstasy, they stood in front of the wooden wall of the rifle range, seemingly no longer of this world. Thus do I imagine that the first Christian martyrs must have appeared as they waited in the circus for the wild beasts to tear them in pieces. They faces
  completely transformed; their eyes raised to heaven, and their hands clasped and lifted in prayer, they went to their death.

  All who saw them die were deeply moved, and even the execution squad itself was affected.

  These Jehovah’s Witnesses became even more fanatical in their faith as a result of the martydom of their comrades. Several of them who had already signed a declaration that they would cease to proselytize, a declaration which helped them to obtain their
  freedom, now withdrew it, since they were anxious to suffer even more for Jehovah."

  M
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  Dutchie

  Poor sick, demented bastards!

  When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion. Abraham Lincoln
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  dungbeetle

  Two comments here, things that have been bothering me for a long time.

  >These Jehovah’s Witnesses became even more fanatical in their faith as a result of the martydom of their comrades<.

  Well, not all of them. In the next breath it indicates that not all were fanatical in expressions of their faith!! Also, in at least a couple of the Watchtower publications,plus one other book written by a Jw and two books written by non-jw's and another book written by a former JW, it is indicated that toward the end of the war some JW's were apponted poistions over other inmates; helping build parts of the death camps;assigned to duties that helped keep the death camps running, and actually doing PERSONAL work for the SS commanders, and usually in exchange for better living conditions within the camps.

  >Several of them who had already signed a declaration that they would cease to proselytize, a declaration which helped them to obtain their
  freedom, now withdrew it, since they were anxious to suffer even more for Jehovah."< Now, if they signed papers that supposedly would secure their release...HOW COULD THEY STILL BE THERE TO SIGN THEM BACK AGAIN? JW's have always bragged that at any time they could have walked away from persecution, or at least obtained better treatment for themselves---but how many recorded cases are there of this? We only have Erich Frost as being treated better.

  Methinks it didn't take long for JW's to realize that the promises were false...so then they stopped signing these things. And so, if the promise if false, then the offers never had validity, which means that once they were 'nailed' by the Hitler regime, there was no turning back for them. So they really never 'could have had a choice' in the matter, could they have?

  ohhhh..the paper trail...

  In 1975 a crack team of publishers was sentenced to death by a judicial commiteee. They promptly escaped from the cult and now live life on the run. If you have a problem ... and if you can find them ... maybe you can contact the A--postate Team"
• 

  Masterji

  COMMANDNT OF AUSCHWITZ CONTINUED

  "As people, Jehovah’s Witnesses were quiet, industrious, and sociable men and women, who were always ready to help their fellow creatures. Most of them were craftsmen, though many were peasants from East Prussia. In peacetime, so long as they confined their activities to prayer and the service of God and their fraternal gatherings, they were of no danger to the state and indeed quite harmless generally. From 1937 onward, however, the increased proselytizing by the sect attracted the attention of the authorities, and investigations were made. These investigations showed that our enemies were zealously fostering the propagation of the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses in order to undermine by religious means the military morale of our people. So proselytizing by Jehovah’s Witnesses was forbidden. It became only too evident, at the outbreak of the war, what a danger would have arisen if the more energetic and fanitical of the Witnesses had not been taken into custody during the previous couple years, and a stop put to their active proselytizing. In the camp the Witnesses were industrious and reliable workers, who could well have been sent out to work without guards. It was indeed their wish to suffer imprisonment for Jehovah’s sake. They stubbornly refused to do work that had any connection whatever with the war. The women Witnesses in Ravensbruck, for example, refused to roll bandages for military field dressings. Some of the fanatical women refused to line up for roll call and would only parade as a disorderly crowd.

  They willingly submitted to all hardships. It was touching to observe the brotherly care they bestowed on each other, giving help and comfort whenever this was in any way possible."

  On many occasions, Himmler, as well as Eicke, used the fanatical faith of Jehovah’s Witnesses as an example.

  How diverse were the ways in which men went to their death!
  Jehovah’s Witnesses were filled with a strangely contented one might almost say a radiant, exaltation, firm in the knowledge that they were about to be permitted to enter Jehovah’s kingdom.

  A welcome contrast were the female Jehovah’s Witnesses, who were nicknamed "Bible bees" or "Bible worms."
  Unfortunately there were too few of them. Despite their more or less fanatical attitude they were much in demand. They were employed as servants in the homes of SS men with large families, the Waffen SS clubhouse, and even in the SS officers’ mess. But they worked above all on the land.

  They worked on the poultry farm at Harmense, and on various other farms. They needed no supervision or guards. They were diligent and willing workers, for such was the will of Jehovah. Most of them were middle-aged German women but there were also a number of younger Dutch girls. I had two of the older women working for more than three years in my own household. My wife often said that she herself could not have seen to everything better than did these two women. The care that they bestowed on the children, both big and small, was particularly touching. The children loved them as though they were members of the family. At first we were afraid that they might try to save the children for Jehovah. But we were wrong. They never talked to the children about religion. This was really remarkable, considering their fanatical attitude. There were other wonderful beings among them. One of them worked for an SS officer, doing everything that had to be done without needing to be told, but she absolutely refused to clean his uniform, cap, or boots, or indeed even to touch anything that had any connection with the military life.
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  dungbeetle

  <One of them worked for an SS officer, doing everything that had to be done without needing to be told, but she absolutely refused to clean his uniform, cap, or boots, or indeed even to touch anything that had any connection with the military life.>

  Oh yeah, RIGHT...and the existance of the concentration camp ITSELF had nothing to do with th military?

  >From 1937 onward, however, the increased proselytizing by the sect attracted the attention of the authorities, and investigations were made. These investigations showed that our enemies were zealously fostering the propagation of the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses in order to undermine by religious means the military morale of our people. So proselytizing by Jehovah’s Witnesses was forbidden. It became only too evident, at the outbreak of the war, what a danger would have arisen if the more energetic and fanitical of the Witnesses had not been taken into custody during the previous couple years, and a stop put to their active proselytizing.<

  I think Hoess is being a little disengenuous here, since JW's had been under ban, arrest, and property confiscation for quite some time before that...in 1933 or 1934 I think. But however, by 1937 can you think of anything that might have stimulated the attacks on JW's and The Watchtower?

  How About the publishing of a book called 'Enemies'....

  UADNA-US (Unseen Apostate Directorate of North America-United States)
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  Tallyman

  JaK of All Kults, Master of None,

  As you quote Hoess,

  "When their (jW Fanatix) time came,
  they almost ran to the place of execution.
  They wished on no account to be bound, for they desired
  to be able to raise their hands to Jehovah.
  Transformed by ecstasy,
  they stood in front of the wooden wall of the rifle range,
  seemingly no longer of this world."
  [...]
  "They faces completely transformed;
  their eyes raised to heaven, and their hands clasped
  and lifted in prayer, they went to their death"

  Huh!
  I wonder if the glowing countenances of the jehovah Witness faces
  being executed were at all similar to the ecstatic thrills
  seen on these faces: ?

  * http://www.intrex.net/tallyman/Weep_30.html

  Ohhh, that's right, THESE Kult Fanatix are joyously transformed
  at the EXECUTION of OTHERS - worldlies - infidels . . .

  But to be fair, Osama's Boys probably did have grins on their faces
  before those jetliners plowed into those skyscrapers,
  thinking of the awaiting "Garden of jehovah"... wHoOpS!...
  I meant "Garden of allah with the 72 Virgins"...

  Sorry,
  I get my Kults mixed up at times.

  Hoess thought Hitler and his Evil Charisma was so effective,
  but he'd never encountered REEL Kult Mind Control Before,
  and had stood there, transfixed, trying to plumb its depths,
  the Depths of Watchtowercult Mind Control...
  but was unable.

  LOve, Tallyman
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  happy man

  Well freinds i think you are out on deep water here, this proof that JW say no to killing even died for it, think one step furher, if evry cristin done that we have no second word war, these peopel was heros, like this who was putt before lions inn first centuris, and you are complianig on this men have you forget what bibel said, dont bee like kain who killd his brother, and you comper them to usamin men who realy was killer, i am very dissapointed on you talliman, you must bee blind.
  Pllease brother and sisters here, wake upp donr be a part of this crazy wird word who tell you to go out kill you fellow men.
  If german military say we where crayzy man not taking part in there wars, i think the most peopel now have a diffrent wiue of who was crayzy, it is depressing that it is not this terribel things as the naziz done as you komplainig on it ia that some say no to this madness, unbelevebel .
• 

  GermanXJW

  >Several of them who had already signed a declaration that they would cease to proselytize, a declaration which helped them to obtain their
  freedom, now withdrew it, since they were anxious to suffer even more for Jehovah."< Now, if they signed papers that supposedly would secure their release...HOW COULD THEY STILL BE THERE TO SIGN THEM BACK AGAIN?

  Because they were not released at once. Those who signed had to wait until all bureaucratical things had been managed. And the SS loved to present the 'traitors' to the other JW before they were released. I think Paul Balzereit had to wait a very long time before he was set free - and sent to war against Russia.
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  Sargon

  I find it interesting that someone else actually brought this subject up, since i too have just finished hoess's autobiography. The pages you are quoting from refer to a book by Eugon Kogon 'The theory and practice of hell'. I was wondering if anyone else has read this one and where it may be obtained. The footnote also referred to Nuremburg Document NG-190, does anyone know where to gain access to these documents; my local librarians appear to be clueless on this matter.

  
  Imagination is more important than Knowledge. Albert Einstein