JW Children Lie in Custody Cases

by compound complex 290 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  compound complex

  Referring again to Lloyd Barry's memorandum, he also stated:

  In this, the issue is not taxation, employment, etc.,
  but COMPROMISE. We are agreed that we should not
  take up arms for the military. Then we should be agreed,
  too, that if the military or any other agency asks us to
  do something as a substitute therefore, we do not accept
  the alternative. That is our action. Then, if we are handed
  over to a court, and a judge sentences us, that is his
  action. We accept the sentence. We have not
  compromised. We are integrity keepers. It is as
  simple as that.---Job 27:5 [emphasis: LB.]
  
  
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  compound complex

  Yet, along with most other Witnesses, many of the Branch Committee members themselves did not find the stated position by any means "simple." They saw no logic in the position that it would be wrong to accept a work order from a draft board but all right to accept the identical order to do the identical work under identical circumstances if that order was given by a court. They could not see how this could be so inasmuch as these agencies are all simply BRANCHES OF THE SAME GOVERNMENT [emphasis: RF.], of the same "superior authority." Thus the Chilean Branch Committee pointed out some of the inconsistencies, saying:

  If the work itself does not contribute toward the military
  objective, does it matter what agency orders that [it] be
  accepted? Here in Chile it is not clear just how indepen-
  dent courts are. This is a military government and many
  of the civilians who serve in the Cabinet are just "show"
  pieces. The military run the show. ... It is all just one
  system.
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  From Communist Poland came this expression:

  As far as we know, the German brothers take up
  such work upon the basis that the administrative
  authorities direct them to the work and not the military.
  Would this mean that they would not take up the same
  work, under the same conditions, if the military
  authorities would direct them to do it? Is it not the same
  Caesar?
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  In a very lengthy letter, the Canadian Branch Committee focused especially on this point. Referring to the existing policy as a "confusing 'agency' approach," they said:

  ... we feel that officials would find it hard to see where
  we draw the line. We would complicate matters for them
  and for the brothers as well. If, for example, we tried to make
  a point of the draft board or induction center being a part
  of a political setup and that we are neutral in matters of
  politics, they would wonder why the courts are not also
  viewed as an arm of the same governmental political
  setup.
  On the other hand, if we try to make it a matter of the
  agency being a part of the military setup and argue our
  neutrality from that point of view, they might concede
  that they appreciate our desire to have nothing to do
  with the military, but if the actual work assigned is the
  same, regardless of the agency involved, then what's
  the difference? We would find that a problem to argue
  successfully.... Today, courts, councils, police, in-
  duction centers and the military are all manifestations
  of Caesar's authority. All are, in way or another, his
  agencies. [ibid., p. 263.]
  
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  The matter seemed summed up in this simple question from the Nigerian Branch Committee:

  If something is wrong Scripturally, then why should
  a court order make it all right to do it?

  The questions themselves illustrate how the organization's policies have led to technical complexities as well as to confusion on the part of men sincerely seeking to be guided by God's own Word.
  Illustrating to what extremes the organization's concept could and did lead, consider this remarkable situation and stand presented by the Branch Committee in Sweden:

  Even in such instances where our brothers have been
  offered to perform their National Service training at their
  ordinary place of work, for example, at a County Admin-
  istration or the State Railways, they refused, because
  they have held that they could not accept any sub-
  stitute whatsoever for the National Service training,
  not even if this was purely civil, or even meant that
  they could stay on in their ordinary daily occupations.

  Incredible as it may seem, that is actually the stand taken in that country on the basis of the organization's policy, namely, that even where the authorities, bending over backwards to accomodate the Witnesses religious position, in some cases offered to let their regular, customary job be counted as done in place of such training, they must refuse!
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  This is not due to convictions personally arrived by the Swedish Witnesses. It is due to being so sensitized by the organization's policy decreeing that substitute work was the EQUIVALENT of military service, that any offer of ANY KIND had to be refused. [The Swedish government finally solved the matter by exempting Jehovah's Witnesses from all service.] Following a "zone trip" to branch offices in Scandanavian countries, Robert Wallen, the secretary for the Service Committee of the Governing Body, expressed his concern to me on this matter. He related a conversation with one Scandanavian Witness who said, 'If I accept the government's assignment of alternative service they will assign me to work in a hospital here in my area and I will be able to live at home with my family. But the Society's policy is that I cannot do this and must refuse. I will then be arrested, tried and sentenced and the court will again assign me to work in a hospital. But this time I will be in another part of the country. I will be doing exactly the same work BUT I will be separated from my home and family. Does this really make sense?' [IN SEARCH OF CHRISTIAN FREEDOM, Ray Franz, p. 264; emphasis: RF.]
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  Branch Committee members did not only question the LOGIC of the organization's policy. They also presented SCRIPTURAL EVIDENCE in favor of a different approach. As just one example, the Branch Committee in Brazil expressed the view of the committee, saying:

  The point is that the young man has made clear his
  stand to the military authorities, showing Scripturally
  why he cannot participate in any war or even be trained
  for it. So, what Scriptures could be used to show that
  it would be improper to do civilian work ordered by the
  authorities, since he has made clear his Scriptural
  stand? This [that is, doing such assigned civilian work]
  seems to be supported by Matth. 5:41; Rom. 13: 7;
  Titus 3:1-3; 1 Peter 2:13, 14 and others. [ibid., p. 264.]
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  compound complex

  Re: post #1010, 09:20 - [emphasis: RF.]