Nice one again, Gary. It's a strange paradox when the bible says thou shalt not kill. Yet then it later states. No greater love hath any man than he that would die for his brother. Isn't that what a soldeir does when defending his country so his fellow man can live in freedom. I say scrap the whole book. Here is Rutherford forcing his veiws of military objection on everyone and then arming his followers with clubs. I don't recall Jesus and his followers with weapons in any of their affairs in the ministry. Those canes sure look innocent for those poor disabled folks, don't they. Anyone approaching might think, " are these folks disabled or am I going to get that cane imbedded in my skull. That physcopath was real clever and had no shortage of suckers to carry out his insanity.
Military Service Objection: What was the motive of the Watchtower Society?
by james_woods 23 Replies latest jw experiences
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Lady Lee
Gary
I think that description of Rutherford is one of the best I have read. From everything I have read you have him bang on
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XBEHERE
(Acts 10:1-8) 10
Now in Caes·a·re´a there was a certain man named Cornelius, an army officer of the Italian band, as it was called, 2 a devout man and one fearing God together with all his household, and he made many gifts of mercy to the people and made supplication to God continually. 3 Just about the ninth hour of the day he saw plainly in a vision an angel of God come in to him and say to him: "Cornelius!" 4 The man gazed at him and, becoming frightened, said: "What is it, Lord?" He said to him: "Your prayers and gifts of mercy have ascended as a remembrance before God. 5 So now send men to Jop´pa and summon a certain Simon who is surnamed Peter. 6 This man is being entertained by a certain Simon, a tanner, who has a house by the sea." 7 As soon as the angel that spoke to him had left, he called two of his house servants and a devout soldier from among those who were in constant attendance upon him, 8 and he related everything to them and dispatched them to Jop´pa.
Of course if you continue reading we learn that Cornelius was one of the first gentiles to accept the faith. Nowhere do you see Peter telling him that he needed to get a discharge from the army... in fact it was god himself who called him while he was a soldier. So why does the WTS make people leave the military before allowing them to get baptized or consider you disassociated if you join the military?
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james_woods
Gary, my sincere thanks. As commented, you have put the sorry little origins of this WTS [anti-government anti-military anti-flag anti-anything normal] right at it's delusional source.
There is really not much more to add, but I would like to put down a few of my own thoughts...
a} - at least in my time (Vietnam Era) the society got a lot of benefit from many of the young brothers "pioneering" in the hope that they could be declared a "minister of religion" and be given a deferment from the draft on that basis. This very seldom worked, the draft boards of the time being able to see through phony "preachers" pretty easily. I think this was not the cause of the WTS policy, but just a lucky result - sort of like all the "field service frenzy" that went on prior to 1975.
b} - on a personal (about my friend Sam) note: This guy is one of those that I mentioned who did a solid 5 years in jail over this - I want to give a little more detail. This guy was Lebanese descent American. He was the only one of his family who got into the Watchtower religion. He was just a gullible young guy who took everything he was told for granted. His family (Lebanese, not Witnesses themselves) actually supported his "conscious decision" - maybe, I guess, because nobody wanted their son to go to Viet Nam at the time. They (non-witnesses that they were) actually followed our idiotic congregation servant's advice and retained (and paid for) the famous Hayden Covington to come and defend him on the charges.
Covington (the WTS blowhard attorney) showed up for the trial drunk as usual. Hell, he was even drunk when he came to one or two of the meetings at the Kingdom Hall while the trial was going on. He ranted and raved the Rutherford way, pissed off the judge, and got Sam the maximum sentence. Then he ran away to "defend" Muhammed Ali on the same issues. I kid you not. Covington got disfellowhipped himself not long after - the rumor was that it was for the Ali defense. The fact was that it was probably more over the booze. Anyway -
Our family attorney, also Lebanese American (friend of Sam's family and not a Witness), told me all about the mess Covington made of the trial later. This guy had the honor of convincing my folks not to use Covington but let a competent civil rights atty handle my case. He was able to delay my induction ceremony until after the Nixon lottery, which kept me out of either jail or joining up or running away. We had enough money to do this. My five convicted JW friends, except for Sam, did not. And Sam's family wasted their money on a lost cause and a drunk. Sam died in his late fifties of a massive coronary a couple years back, while BBQing a steak in his back yard. He was still a witness, and I do not think he ever put together the horror that this religion laid at his front door.
This (Felony charge and prison time) could have all been avoided if Sam had been afforded the opportunity to accept alternative service. Which was grudgingly done about 20 years later, after it didn't matter.
c} - I view this whole thing as a scary parallel to the "blood" issue. If the US government had been hanging the young draft resistors by the head, I do not think it would have changed the attitude of the WTS leadership in the slightest. And, in an incredible case of CYA, they later changed the deadly policy and said that all the victims of it were acting on their own, as Blondie has carefully documented. Wonder if they will do the same someday on "blood", and just say it was all the fault of the victims own conscience?
I think that is enough from me on this for now, but I swear that as long as I exist - I will never let this issue die without a strong reminder from time to time.
Sincerely, James.