Did you suffer from not saluting the flag in school as a kid?

by Sea Breeze 37 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Beth Sarim
    Beth Sarim

    Sea breeze

    "Kids have rights too"".

    In the Borganization,, you have no rights. Those are stripped from you along with freedom of choice.

    No rights. No free will.


  • titch
    titch

    Well, no, I didn't. Back in elementary school, I talked to the School Principal, and explained to him the stand that my religion had, towards reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem. And, he told me, basically, don't worry about it, you don't have to say the Pledge or stand for the National Anthem. When I got into junior high school, I had a Science class teacher for my First Period class; he questioned me about it when he observed me not saying the Pledge, and I told him about the religious belief that I had at that time. After that, it was not a problem.

    Now, fast forward to high school. In my Junior Year, I had a U.S. History class, as most students had when they were in their Junior Year. One day, it was quite surprising, that my teacher showed a movie, called "And Justice For the Majority ." That movie was about the legal battles that Jehovah's Witnesses fought, during and after World War II, concerning the Pledge and the National Anthem. He said that the purpose of showing that movie to all of us kids in the class was to show that our country, the United States, had people in it who had different opinions regarding the Pledge and the National Anthem. And, that we should respect the different opinions of people. Now, he also explained that he, as a teacher, preferred to NOT have the ritual of the Pledge every morning, and the only reason he recited it was to avoid having any "problems" or issues with any parents of his students. Best Regards, Everyone.-----Titch.

  • Beth Sarim
    Beth Sarim

    Free Will.

    Is an Oxymoron. In the JWS.

    There is none.


  • Sea Breeze
    Sea Breeze
    Now, he also explained that he, as a teacher, preferred to NOT have the ritual of the Pledge every morning, and the only reason he recited it was to avoid having any "problems" or issues with any parents of his students.

    Sounds like you had a commie teacher if you ask me. Not much different than the JW's in my opinion.

  • blondie
    blondie

    SeaBreeze, "But, I doubt he would agree that he fought in 3 wars to allow JW parents kick their questioning teenagers out the house on the street and shun them." No, he would not feel that was the way to go either. He didn't know any jws that had done that so he didn't have an opportunity to tell them how hypocritical they were. At times there were young men in the military that wanted to get out legally and he would help them get through the red tape necessary. My father though did not let my mother impose her beliefs on us. I do think fighting in 3 wars to protect people's religious beliefs is a bad thing.

  • StephaneLaliberte
    StephaneLaliberte

    When I was young, I was often late for classes and often ended up in the principals office. In one of those occasions, while the principal was lecturing me about getting to school on time, the national anthem started playing on the intercom of the school. So, he looked at me and was shocked that I didn't stand up. I don't remember word for word what he yelled, but it was along the line of : " I don't care what you believed, you better stand up for the anthem when your in the office in front of me." I responded that the JWs fought this in courts already and if he wanted to keep his job, he better turn around and listen to his own anthem. I was insolant, and he was furious. He turned red and turned around. While he listened to his anthem, I prayed, asking Jehovah to rescue me. When the anthem was over, he was no longer red, gave me a paper slip to get in class and calmly told me to get out of his office.

    Back than, I was sure it was Jehovah that intervened for me. I told some elders about it, but none of them wanted to use this as an example in the congregation due to the fact I was "often" in the principal office for being late!

    Now, all those years later, as an adult, I believe that when he turned around, he probably came to his senses, realizing that his career was indeed on the line and the better path was to simply let it go.

  • StephaneLaliberte
    StephaneLaliberte

    Another instance was in science class, the teacher singled me out at the beginning of the class.

    Back than, the teachers used to let the JW stand in the hallway outside of the classroom and walk into class once the national anthem was over. This way, we didn't have to stay seated in front of everyone in the class. At the beginning of the year, we'd tell them about it and the teachers would usually follow that arrangement.

    But not with that science teacher. She insisted that I stay seated in class. She actually went a step further, every now and than, when the national anthem was about to play, she'd say: "Everyone stand up for the national anthem. Except for Stephane. Stephane is a JW and JWs don't stand up for the national anthem."

    Now, come to think of it, that's the class where one of the kids threatened to beat me up and that I wrote about earlier in this tread.

  • StephaneLaliberte
    StephaneLaliberte
    Sounds like you had a commie teacher if you ask me.

    Believing in freedom of religion even when some believes appear to go against patriotism is not being a commie. In fact, that's exactly the opposite of how communism is implemented in other countries, to name a few: China, Russia and Cuba.

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