The argument that JWs are the only religion that doesn't go in military service is one I hear frequently. But is this really so does anyone know any other religion that doesn't go to war? Perhaps the mormons?
Are there other religions that don't go to millitary service?
by GBSJG 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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slimboyfat
Quakers and Mennonites spring to mind. I know Jim Penton has done a lot of research into this, attended conferences and so on. He has discussed it over on Channel C, and he was even talking of setting up a website on the subject.
Those other groups concur rather than agree with JWs on the military though, since they seem to arrive at their similar positions on a different basis.
JWs insist they are conscientious objectors and not pacifists, as you probably know.
Slim
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slimboyfat
And I agree the anti-war stance is one of the best things about the Witnesses btw.
The Mormons are militaristic and nationalistic. See for instance the comparison between the conduct of Mormons and JWs outlined in Christine King's study The Nazi State and the New Religions.
Slim
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GBSJG
A quick search with google on mormons and military service revealed to me that they don't object to it and have even fought each other during WW2.
I'm an atheist so the argument that JWs are the only religion that doesn't go to military service doesn't mean much to me, but it's definately a big one for JWs.
However I think that the whole we don't go to military service / we don't vote / we don't like science, is a bit hypocrit. JWs in there everyday lives use all kind of services/products that the millitary/politcal/science have provided. When they get ill they go to an educated doctor, etc. It's the whole us against the rest of the world feeling that they try to achieve.
I look at it all from a different perspective. JWs have done nothing to make things better in this current world. They postpone everything for later in paradise and do no effort to make things better for all people that are living now. While a lot of other people are at least trying to make the world a better place through military protection/politics/sciene. But the only thing that JW's like to point out is that the attempts of those wordly people haven't solved the entire problem yet.
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Gill
There are also people of no religion who object to war and are conscientious objectors.
Do Buddhists refuse to fight in wars?
SBF - As much as I agree that the JW anti war stance is a good thing, we have to be glad the everyone in the UK was not a Jehovah's Witness when Hitler embarked on his 'grand scheme' and so the UK stood up against him with their allies, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, all the underground movements in europe, the United States (finally) etc. We have much to be thankful for or a lot of us would be speaking German now.
Whether there would be no 'bad things' happening on the Earth if everyone was a Jehovah's Witness is also total nonsense. All we have to do is read the newspaper and understand how much the bOrg covers up ie pedophiles etc to realise that Jehovah's Witnesses are really no different to anyone else and if we were to really look deeply into all the so called pacifist religions, we would again find that we should perhaps take off our rose tinted spectacles.
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TopHat
The Watch Tower is directly reponsible for the killing, torture, rape and suffering of their Malawi JWs by their policies. AND who knows how many other Jws are now suffering because of WTS policies and doctrines.
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carla
Where specifically does the bible say one, under no circumstances, should you not be in the military?
In the following script wouldn't that have been the perfect time for John to tell the soldiers to quit their jobs? Lay down their weapons and no longer serve in the military?
"And some soldiers were questioning him, saying, "And what about us, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages," (Luke 3:14).
Matt 8:5-13, in that account Jesus not only was willing to go to the Centurions home and heal the servant but was then 'astonished' by his faith. Did he tell him, 'first you must quit the military then I will heal the servant'?
Acts 10, who was the first gentile converted? a soldier? did he have to change career to qualify? did he quit after?
Research 'do not kill' , my research has shown it really says not to murder. There is a difference between the two. I notice jw's do not have difficulties calling the police when needed. In a dangerous situation they more than fine with allowing someone else to do their dirty work for them. As they are when whinning about their 'rights' yet they would never lift a finger to defend their 'rights'. Then what are they really worth?
Who is your neighbor? Here is view written by a military person for the son-- (you need not apply it to Iraq it could be Nazi Germany as well, there are just and right wars, my point is not if Iraq is just to you in this thread, but what would you personally do if your neighbor needed help? where does the border for neighbor end for you? would all the pacifist do what Jesus did? Lay down your life for a friend? define friend or neighbor then)-------
The other day, my nine year old son wanted to know why we were at war. My husband looked at our son and then looked at me. My husband and I were in the Army during the Gulf War and we would be honored to serve and defend our Country again today. I knew that my husband would give him a good explanation.
My husband thought for a few minutes and then told my son to go stand in front of our living room window. He said "Son, stand there and tell me what you see?"
"I see trees and cars and our neighbor's houses." He replied.
"OK, now I want you to pretend that our house and our yard is the United States of America and you are President Bush."
Our son giggled and said, "OK."
Now son, I want you to look out the window and pretend that every house and yard on this block is a different country" my husband said.
"OK Dad, I'm pretending."
"Now I want you to stand there and look out the window and pretend you see Saddam come out of his house with his wife, he has her by the hair and is hitting her. You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her in the face, he throws her on the ground and then he starts to kick her to death. Their children run out and are afraid to stop him, they are screaming and crying, they are watching this but do nothing because they are kids and they are afraid of their father. You see all of this son....what do you do?"
"Dad?"
"What do you do son?"
"I'd call the police, Dad."
"OK. Pretend that the police are the United Nations and they take your call, listen to what you know and saw but they refuse to help. What do you do the son?"
"Dad.....but the police are supposed to help!" My son starts to whine.
"They don't want to son, because they say that it is not their place or your place to get involved and that you should stay out of it," my husband says.
"But Dad...he killed her!!" my son exclaims.
"I know he did...but the police tell you to stay out of it. Now I want you to look out that window and pretend you see our neighbor who you're pretending is Saddam turn and do the same thing to his children."
"Daddy...he kills them?"
"Yes son, he does. What do you do?"
"Well, if the police don't want to help. I will go and ask my next door neighbor to help me stop him." Our son says.
"Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening and refuses to get involved as well. He refuses to open the door and help you stop him," my husband says.
"But Dad, I NEED help!!! I can't stop him by myself!!"
"WHAT DO YOU DO SON?" Our son starts to cry.
"OK, no one wants to help you, the man across the street saw you ask for help and saw that no one would help you stop him. He stands taller and puffs out his chest. Guess what he does next son?"
"What Daddy?"
"He walks across the street to the old ladies house and breaks down her door and drags her out, steals all her stuff and sets her house on fire and then...he kills her. He turns around and sees you standing in the window and laughs at you. WHAT DO YOU DO?"
Our son is crying and he looks down and he whispers, "I'd close the blinds, Daddy."
My husband looks at our son with tears in his eyes and asks him..."Why?"
"Because Daddy...the police are supposed to help people who need them...and they won't help...You always say that neighbors are supposed to HELP neighbors, but they won't help either...they won't help me stop him...I'm afraid...I can't do it by myself Daddy...I can't look out my window and just watch him do all these terrible things and...and...do nothing...so...I'm just going to close the blinds...so I can't see what he's doing.....and I'm going to pretend that it is not happening."
I start to cry.
My husband looks at our nine year old son standing in the window. Looking pitiful and ashamed at his answers to my husbands questions and he says..."Son"
"Yes, Daddy."
"Open the blinds because that man...he's at your front door...."WHAT DO YOU DO?"
My son looks at his father, anger and defiance in his eyes. He balls up his tiny fists and looks his father square in the eyes, without hesitation he says: "I DEFEND MY FAMILY DAD!! I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM HURT MOMMY OR MY SISTER, DAD!!! I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM, DAD, I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM!!!!!"
I see a tear roll down my husband's cheek and he grabs our son to his chest and hugs him tight, and says..."It's too late to fight him, he's too strong and he's already at YOUR front door son...you should have stopped him BEFORE he killed his wife, and his children and the old lady across the way. You have to do what's right, even if you have to do it alone. Before it's too late." My husband whispers.
THAT scenario I just gave you is WHY we are at war with Iraq. When good men stand by and let evil happen, THAT is the greatest EVIL of all. Our President is doing what is right. We, as a free nation, must understand that this war is a war of humanity. WE must remove evil men from power so that we can continue to live in a free world where we are not afraid to look out our window so that my nine year old son won't grow up in a world where he feels that if he just "closes" the blinds the atrocities in the world won't affect him.
YOU MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT! EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALONE! BE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN! BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS!! SUPPORT THEM!!! SUPPORT AMERICA!! SO THAT IN THE FUTURE OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR BLINDS...
This should be printed in every newspaper and posted in every school in America.
Note: "There's never a wrong time to do something right, and there's never a right time to do something wrong" -
GBSJG
slimboyfat Mennonite is a good example indeed in the wikipedia article about them it is also mentioned that they don't go to military service.
Thanks for pointing that out.
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Who are you?
At the time of the American Civivl War, church affiliation was required to register for conscientious objector status and in 1865 Thomas chose for registration purposes the name Christadelphian.
If you research the Christadelphians and their beliefs, you will see a remarkable similarity in beliefs. They are one of many religions of the 19th century that came years before Russell. The Russelites and JW's core beliefs are just a mish mash of "old light" pulled from other 19th century religions, then repackaged as "new light".
The JW's are so incredibly unoriginal it is truly pathetic that they have current believers that feel they are unique. The only unique thing about them is that they actively promote the concept that Jehovah will murder 99.9% of the word's population at Armeggedon. They are the most blood thirsty cult in existence. They have murdered thousands with their unscriptural advice about blood and shunning and they pose as pacifists while promoting the largest mass slaughter known to mankind. They are truly the most despicable cult in existence.