Splane's Anti Catholic Rant

by Listener 23 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Listener

  A talk was given by GB member David Splane in the February 2015 JW Broadcasting Video. He talks about unity and sings the praises of JWs. He points his finger at the Catholics and says this about them (39.32)-

  <<Who have applied Paul’s counsel today? The Catholic Church? During WW2 in the City of Rome there were Jews and there were Romans. How did the Romans treat the Jews? The Vatican and pious Italian Catholics looked silently by whilst 7,500 Jews were hauled off to the concentration camps in Ulswitch and few returned alive. What a contrast with Jehovah’s people who have risked their lives on behalf of fellow believers in many countries, no matter what their race, no matter what their nationalities Doesn’t it make you feel good to belong to an organization where there truelly are no foreigners?. They never said a word>>

  http://tv.jw.org/#video/VODStudio/pub-jwb_E_201502_1_VIDEO

  I know that most of the time their choice of examples are so poor in proving their point but this example is crazy, if not untruthful. I always thought that the Catholic Church did a lot to help hide and look after Jews.

  He forgot to mention that there were also JWs in Rome at this time. Could he say how the JWs stood up for the Jews? Were the leaders encouraging JWs to hide and feed Jews? They would never even consider doing such a thing.

  He contrasts the idea that JWs look after their own whereas nothing he said explained how the Catholics weren’t also looking after their own.
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  steve2

  It's a bit desperate of the GB to refer the Catholic Church in WW2 as an example of that church today.
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  kairos

  Especially since very little of what JW's taught and believed during WWII is relevant to anyone alive today. Funny, huh?
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  jhine

  It seems to be generally accepted that Pius X11 did do a lot to help Jews

  during the war ,saving hundreds of thousands from the death camps .He also made some speeches condemning racism but stopped short of attacking the Nazis in particular .Some Jewish groups asked him to keep the Catholic church neutral so that it could play a diplomatic role in helping them .

  Jan
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  prologos

  David also expressed pride in Bible students risking their lives for fellow believers, Jewish people were hadly fellow believers of Catholics, unless in wt tradition he considered them part of babylon the great the Empire of false religion. Actually what wt is most proud of that the JWs risked their lives to smuggle and hide wt literature, so called "spiritual food" , useless content which has now been totally repudiated.
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  bemused

  Rather dodgy territory for Splane to get into I'd have thought. Some modern day Witnesses might wonder why, if the Axis powers were so evil, JWs refused to fight against them.
  
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  opusdei1972

  Splane should tell to the Witnesses the truth about The Society's position. Let us read a portion of the letter that the Society wrote to Hitler:
  
  The Brooklyn headquarter of the Watchtower Society is pro German in an exemplary way and has been so for many years. For that reason, in 1918, the president of the Society and seven members of the board of directors were sentenced to 80 years in prison, because the president refused to use two of the magazines published in America under his direction for war propaganda against Germany. These two magazines, "The Watchtower" and "Bible Student" were the only magazines in America which refused to engage in anti-German propaganda and for that reason were prohibited and suppressed in America during the war. (Rutherford's letter to Hitler)
  
  This was a big lie, because in 1918, under Rutherford, The Watchtower endorsed to buy war bonds (Liberty Bonds) to support the United States against Germany. Let's read what the Watchtower said:
  
  The International Bible Student's Association is not against the Liberty Loan. Many of its members have bought and hold Liberty Bonds[...]Every Christian 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 promises to pay in the nature of a bond, if he can do so he should buy the bond. (15 May 1918 Watch Tower, p. 152)
  
  Also, the Watchtower was joined in a prayer in favor to the allies against Germany, as the Proclaimers book admits on page 191:
  
  “Although they endeavored to do what they felt was pleasing to God, their position was not always one of strict neutrality … Thus, in accord with a proclamation of the President of the United States, The Watch Tower urged the Bible Students to join in observing May 30, 1918, as a day of prayer and supplication in connection with the outcome of the world war. [The Watch Tower, June 1, 1918, p. 174]”
  
  So, Rutherford was not neutral during the First World War, and he was not pro German. Interestingly, these things were published during the time of Jesus' inspection (1914-1919, according to the new light).
  
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  sowhatnow

  these old men remind me of an older relative of mine who hates what he calls 'jap scrap', lol [what a moron] and actually wont talk to you much id you buy any car not a ford chevy or dodge , who is still harping over his view of how 'the Japanese car companies ruining our country', lol idiot.
  

  they are soooo stuck in the past.
  
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  johnamos

  Quote- What a contrast with Jehovah’s people who have risked their lives on behalf of fellow believers in many countries, no matter what their race, no matter what their nationalities Doesn’t it make you feel good to belong to an organization where there truelly are no foreigners?. – End quote

  [12-15-112 WT- In a selfish and nationalistic world, it is refreshing to find individuals who can and do look beyond national borders. Granted, overcoming prejudices can be difficult. The founder of the television network CNN, Ted Turner, comments about his work with a number of talented individuals from various nations: “Meeting with these people was an incredible experience. I came to see those from other countries not as ‘foreigners,’ but as fellow citizens of the planet. I began to view the word ‘foreign’ as pejorative and created a rule within CNN that the word could not be used either on air or in conversation around the office. Instead, the word ‘international’ was to be used.”]

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20tFqyrIwxw
  

  
  

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN0qx-mKGAk
  

  
  
  
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  EdenOne

  One can ask just the same:

  What have the Roman Jehovah's Witnesses did for the Jews in Rome during WW2? Anything worth mentioning or that went on record?

  And what is he comparing? Catholics who did nothing to help Jews, whilst Jehovah's Witnesses "risked their lives on behalf of fellow believers..." Apples and oranges. Jehovah's Witnesses did NOTHING to help the Jews either.

  Brother Splane, you utter ignorant and hypocrite, consider, for example, Mr. Aristides de Sousa Mendes: "A Portuguese diplomat and devout Catholic, Aristides de Sousa Mendes (1885-1954) was one of the greatest heroes of World War II who disobeyed his superiors' orders to save 30,000 refugees, including over 10,000 Jews, during June 1940 while Consul General of Portugal in Bordeaux, France." So, there - here's an example of a "devout catholic" who saved the lives of 10.000 Jews who weren't even his "fellow believers". Because of his disobedience, the authorities of the Portuguese dictatorship of Oliveira Salazar made sure that he lost his job and diplomatic career, and he died in absolute poverty. Only decades after his death were his humanitarian heroic acts rediscovered and his memory rehabilitated.

  Hypocrites!

  Eden