JW Children: Feeling alone and sad

Gopher

Friday many American schools recited the pledge of allegiance to the nation's flag simultaneously, at 2pm Eastern Time (8am in Hawaii).

To be sure, the pressure on children of JW's was great because of the nationalistic feelings that have swept America in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Should JW parents simply have removed their children for that afternoon? Or perhaps armed them with a better explanation (about why they won't say the pledge) then "it's because of my religion"???

Notice this newspaper article which was linked to by our website, from San Jose, California, USA. http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/local/docs/pledge13f.htm

Here is the key quote from the article:

Not all Bishop students participated in the pledge, however. One student, a Jehovah's Witness, did not recite the Pledge of Allegiance because it is contrary to his religious beliefs.
Teacher Jessica Berry consoled the boy, whom she said was crying because he felt left out.

How many of us, raised as JW's, can empathize with this boy? Good thing his teacher was empathetic.

GopherWhy shouldn't truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense.
Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Prisca

*raises hand*

What is the Pledge of Alligiance? Is it similar to the Nicene Creed?

Australians aren't as blindly patriotic as Americans, but we still had to sing national songs as school assemblies. I would stand there, trying not to look too conspicious whilst the rest of the classes sang. Some of my classmates noticed that I wasn't singing, and I would have to explain why. Fortunately the teachers understood, because my mother would always make a point of explaining things to my teachers at the start of each year.

Stash Daytripper

/raises his hand...
I remember this well growing up and actually would face punishment at home rather than the ridicule at school...

but all that aside..

The ACLU is right in this situation...A little education to the rest of the students would of helped tremendously but somehow this writer opts to take the easy "go with the flow" mentality that has worked for so many years ;)
America would become the "Borg" if we forced all children to recite a pledge they know nothing about...

Peace,
Stash

Stash Daytripper

"Good thing his teacher was empathetic"

LOL.. his teacher made it worse...

Peace,
Stash

Room 215

Hi all,
Through it all, I'm touched by the nobility of spirit in the teachers and the educational system, even the ACLU-- with whom I often disagree-- in their commitment to protecting the rights of those with unpopular beliefs. Sadly in the case of JWs, these tolerant folks believe they're supporting the free excerize of conscience, when in fact most of these hapless tots are motivated by love/fear of their parents.

barry

When I was at school the JW kids got the best deal they didnt have to go to scripture classes and had a free period doing what they wanted to.

blondie

Of course, it is not only JWs that wish to refrain from saying the pledge. There are also students who are not citizens of the US who owe their allegiance to their home country...quite a few around my area...and those who are atheists who object to the "under God" phrase which was added I think in 1954, 12 years after the pledge was first instituted in schools.

I don't think everyone rising and reciting the Lord's Prayer will make everyone better Christians any more than rising and saying the Pledge of Allegiance will mean people are patriots.

A retired military man who lives in my neighborhood said to me last week if a person is a spy or a terrorist, he/she is already living a lie. It's only one more lie to them by saying the Pledge and not meaning one word.

Prisca

Could someone please explain what the Pledge of Allegiance is?

Not all of the posters here (including me) are Americans, you know!

blondie

Ethnocentric aren't we,Prisca.

http://www.usflag.org/the.pledge.of.allegiance.html

Thirdson

Prisca,

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
and to the republic for which it stands: one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

When I attended school in South Australia we had a Monday morning asembly in the quadrangle where anong other things the national pledge was said to the beat of a drum. I can't remember all of it but it started:

"I am an Australian, I love my country, I honour her Queen, I salute her flag..."

I stood there silent being the JW kid I was. This was the early 70's with much dissent and opposition to Australia's involvement in Vietnam. My one older brother attended high school and said that on ANZAC day in 1972 not a single student said the pledge and during the national anthem only the principal sang the words!

As a JW I remember being left out of religious school assemblies and being missed out of quite a few other things that went on there. In the last few years of high school I went to all assemblies. Hardly anyone sang the hymns so I wasn't alone.

By the time my son was at school I decided not to exclude him from activities on religious grounds. Not that there is much religion in US schools. I let him sing in the choir. No carrols are sung and "Jingle Bell" is a song about a sleigh ride. Within a short while I had given up on all the weird "no-nos" of the WTS. I hope he has a better time at school than me. He already has to cope with being different for ethnic, nationality reasons I don't religion to cause further issues.

Thirdson

'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'

JW Children: Feeling alone and sad

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