Many JWs believe they are the only religion that doesn't go to war and hence the only true religion. I am working on an article at http://jwfacts.com/index_files/war.htm to show that this is not valid reasoning, and would love any comments.
War
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not participate in war and I have heard many indicate this is a key reason they believe the Watchtower Society represents the only true religion. Jehovah's Witnesses deserve high commendation for their stance, and if every person followed this ideology the world would be a better place for it.
What most Jehovah's Witnesses do not seem to be aware of is;
- There are a number of religions that do not participate in war
- Witnesses are neutral but not pacifists
- There is Biblical support for engaging in war
The Watchtower is quick to point the finger at other religions for their involvement in war, labelling their followers as “children of the Devil … slaughtering their spiritual brothers (Awake 1985 December 22 p.10). Witnesses are proclaimed as unique, the only loving religion on earth.
Watchtower 1990 February 1 p.22 “In our century, which religion has obeyed this law of love? Surely not the religions of Christendom, for they have slaughtered one another by the tens of millions in two world wars and other conflicts. …
Jehovah’s servants are unique in obeying the rule spoken by Peter and other apostles to a high court: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)”
Religions not engaging in War
The Watchtower’s self proclaimed uniqueness is far from correct as there are numerous religious organizations that do not participate in warfare. This includes that historical Peace Churches, as well as others that share a similar background to the Watchtower Society. These include:
Moravians (one of the very first Protestant religions)
Brethern (Dunkards) groups, including Church of the Brethren
Anabaptist groups, including, Mennonites (16th century group numbering 1.5 million), Hutterites, Schwenkfelders, Bruderhof Communities
Amish (numbering approximately 200,000)
Society of Friends (Quakers)
Doukhobors - 17th century breakaway from Russian Orthodox
Molokans – 17th century breakaway from Russian Orthodox
Groups within the Pentecostal movement
Seven Day Adventists
Christadelphians
Worldwide Church of God
In addition to this list have been other historical Peace Churches such as the Shakers that are now almost extinct.
There is variance amongst the listed groups as to whether physical force can ever be justified in self-defense as well as differing opinions regarding non-combatant military roles, such holding medical positions, or performing non-battlefield services that assist in war.
Stances against war also may change over time. For instance, whilst the Church of Christ had a large pacifist faction this faction is now limited predominantly to those followers of the teachings of David Lipscomb. Likewise, changes have occurred within the Watchtower Society. Originally Bible Students participated in non combatant duty and even went to the trenches.
Zion’s Watch Tower 1898 August 1 p.231 "There is no command in the Scriptures against military service. … It would be quite right to shoot, not to kill." (see also jv p.191)
Zion’s Watch Tower 1903 April 15 p.120 "There could be nothing against our conscience in going into the army. Wherever we would go we could take the Lord with us, the Captain of our salvation, and wherever we would go we could find opportunities to serve him and his cause."
Under Rutherford strict neutrality and non participation in war and civilian service was enforced. This resulted in the jailing and even murder of many Jehovah’s Witnesses. In 1996 the Watchtower softened the strictness of this stance, and now allows military service and civilian duty as a matter of conscience, presumably only in non combatant roles.
Watchtower 1996 May 1 pp.19,20“What, though, if the Christian lives in a land where exemption [from military service] is not granted to ministers of religion? Then he will have to make a personal decision following his Bible-trained conscience. … What, though, if the State requires a Christian for a period of time to perform civilian service that is a part of national service under a civilian administration? … That is his decision before Jehovah.”
It is sad to think of the many Jehovah’s Witnesses that languished in prison during their youth, were persecuted and even killed at Watchtower direction, only to find that now civilian service is an acceptable option.
Pacifists
Quite significantly, the Watchtower Society is not considered a peace church as it does not promote pacifism. Pacifism is “opposition to war or violence as a means of resolving disputes.” (American Heritage Dictionary) Some large Christian groups contain at least a faction of pacifism. Historic peace churches, dating as far back as the 1500’s include Quakers, Amish, Mennonites and Church of the Brethren. There is variance on whether physical force can ever be justified in self-defense and true peace churches adhere strictly to nonresistance even when confronted by violence. Furthermore, pacifist churches such as Quakers are against the death penalty.
The best known Pacifist writing is the Friends Peace Testimony from 1651. Some Friends extend the Peace testimony to even refusing to pay the "War Tax" component of income tax in the United States. Quakers were instrumental in establishing the option to avoid conscription as conscientious objectors during the United States Civil war.
Despite being neutral in war, Jehovah's Witnesses are not pacifists. A Witness is allowed to draw arms in self defence.The Watchtower Society “recognize the right of governments to do as they wish” in regards to the death penalty, noting that the Mosaic Law advocated the death penalty. (g96 3/8 p. 23)
Awake 1975 September 8 p.28 Should You Defend Yourself? “The situation may be such that the only thing a person can do is to use whatever is at hand to protect himself or others. As a result, the attacker may receive a fatal blow. From the Scriptural standpoint, the one acting in self-defense would not thereby incur bloodguilt.”
Awake 1997 May 8 p.23 “True Christians love peace. They stay completely neutral in the world’s military, political, and ethnic conflicts. But, strictly speaking, they are not pacifists. Why? Because they welcome God’s war that will finally enforce his will on earth—a war that will settle the great issue of universal sovereignty and rid the earth of all enemies of peace once and for all.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses are only forced to stay neutral until they are in the situation where they are required to defend themselves. Neutrality can only work for smaller religions. When a religion grows to the point of becoming the state religion it is required to defend itself militarily. For this reason Witnesses should be grateful for the protection afforded them by national armies and police forces.
Justifiable for Christians
Ecclesiastes 3:8 “[There is] a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.”
Christian engagement in warfare is an in depth issue beyond the scope of this book. However it is worth noting several points regarding the reasoning of Christian religions that believe war is necessary.
Both the Old and New Testaments show that war can be acceptable. The Bible is steeped in war with the entire Israelite history being one of warfare. Over 250 times the Bible refers to God as “Jehovah of Armies” and he regularly commanded that his followers execute all (including children) that did not worship him.
Joshua 6:21“And they went devoting all that was in the city, from man to woman, from young man to old man and to bull and sheep and ass, to destruction by the edge of the sword.”
Numbers 31:15-18“So Moses said to them: “Have YOU preserved alive every female? 16 Look! They are the ones who, by Ba´laam’s word, served to induce the sons of Israel to commit unfaithfulness toward Jehovah over the affair of Pe´or, so that the scourge came upon the assembly of Jehovah. 17 And now kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has had intercourse with man by lying with a male. 18 And preserve alive for yourselves all the little ones among the women who have not known the act of lying with a male.”
In the same way that the Watchtower reasons Jewish war was justifiable because Jehovah used it to cleanse the world of infidels, Christian Churches engaged in war continue to see this as a role ordained by God to this day. The very existence of Jehovah’s Witnesses is a result of the global expansion of Christianity at the end of the sword.
The New Testament never specifically discusses Christian engagement in war. One would imagine that such a significant part of history would be specifically forbidden if this was unacceptable practice. Several passages indicate actually indicate acceptance of war.
When military officers came to John for baptism John did not direct them to leave the service. Luke 3:14 “Also, those in military service would ask him: “What shall we also do?” And he said to them: “Do not harass anybody or accuse anybody falsely, but be satisfied with YOUR provisions.”
At Matthew 8 5-13 Jesus did not turn the soldier away when asking to heal his manservant, rather commending him saying “I have not found anyone In Israel with such great faith” In the account at Acts 10 Cornelius was not required to step down as commander of Roman soldiers before being baptised.
Paul shows that governments have a right to use the sword to prevent bad, and that we should be in subjection to what they demand of us. This rightly includes going to war when called for.
Romans 13:1-4 “Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God. 2 Therefore he who opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will receive judgment to themselves. 3 For those ruling are an object of fear, not to the good deed, but to the bad. Do you, then, want to have no fear of the authority? Keep doing good, and you will have praise from it; 4 for it is God’s minister to you for your good. But if you are doing what is bad, be in fear: for it is not without purpose that it bears the sword; for it is God’s minister, an avenger to express wrath upon the one practicing what is bad.”
Russell recognised that this scripture required early Witnesses to engage in civilian service and even attend the front line.
Watchtower 1995 May 15 pp.21-22 “The early Bible Students understood that “the higher powers” mentioned there referred to worldly authorities. They took this scripture to mean that if a Christian was drafted in wartime, he would be obligated to put on a uniform, shoulder a gun, and go to the front, to the trenches. It was felt that since a Christian could not kill a fellow human, he would be compelled to fire his gun into the air if worst came to worst.”
The reasoning used by Peace Churches against war strongly centres on the Law of Love. The other line of reasoning is that “The sixth of the Ten Commandments also declared, “You must not murder.”” (w86 9/1 p.18) However, Jehovah’s support of war and the death penalty shows killing under these circumstances do not fall within the Biblical definition of murder.
The account of Peter is enlightening. Peter was carrying a sword, which indicates that Jesus found it acceptable to be armed. Ironically this passage is used by the Watchtower Society as one of the principle arguments against war, quoting Jesus warning at Matthew 26:52 “Return your sword to its place, for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword.” However John shows the reason Jesus spoke up was that Peter should not be preventing his arrest, saying at John 18:11 “Put the sword into [its] sheath. The cup that the Father has given me, should I not by all means drink it?”
Armageddon
Though claiming to be the only religion to show true neutrality and love, the Watchtower message of Armageddon makes war atrocities pale in comparison, with the claim that “billions” (Watchtower 1993 October 1 p.19) will be slaughtered at the hand of Jehovah, never to receive a resurrection. Witnesses take scriptures such as Isaiah 13 as applying literally to anyone not associated with their Organization.
Isaiah 13:9-16 “Look! The day of Jehovah itself is coming, cruel both with fury and with burning anger, in order to make the land an object of astonishment, and that it may annihilate [the land’s] sinners out of it. … Every one that is found will be pierced through, and every one that is caught in the sweep will fall by the sword; 16 and their very children will be dashed to pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be pillaged, and their own wives will be raped.”
If the Watchtower interpretation of Armageddon is correct then Witnesses would be engaged in an act of love by killing “worldly” people in warfare prior to this gruesome event. At least those who die in warfare will be in line for a resurrection and perfect eternal life in paradise, a far better option to die at war than be destroyed by God at Armageddon, the most horrifying event of human history.
Though I can not help but admire the strength of individual Witnesses that suffered refusing to go to war, it must be recognised that Witnesses are neither Pacifists nor the only ones that take a stance against war. Additionally, the Watchtower message can hardly be considered neutral or one of love.