As a JW, did you ever stand for the national anthem ...

by Frequent_Fader_Miles 37 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Frequent_Fader_Miles

  I always did. My conscience wouldn't allow me to do otherwise. After all, this is the country that schooled me and fed me. I use all the infrastructure here, and am entitled to all rights and benefits that any other citizen was entitled to. If I'm free to reap benefits, then why not stand for the anthem and show a little respect?

  The "sister" who studied with me was such a zealot, that if she was standing when the anthem began, she would go out of her way to sit down even if there were no seats around! I never agreed with that sentiment.
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  Quentin

  Always stood up...never bothered me...now that sister you knew...yeah, knew some jw's like that too...
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  nvrgnbk

  Always stood up...never bothered me...now that sister you knew...yeah, knew some jw's like that too...

  Ditto.
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  thepackage

  Always stood up.
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  keyser soze

  I never equated standing out of respect with idolatry. Whenever I went to sporting events with other witnesses who I knew wouldn't stand, that's the time I picked to go to the restroom or the concession stand. Being seen sitting while the national anthem was playing was mortifying to say the least.
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  zeroday

  One day brother Elder and his wife invite me to a ringside pro hocky game his rich boss gave him tickets for. They also invite his unbelieveing fatherinlaw to come. So brother elder and his father in law are standing right before the game and is wife is no where to be found and I am sitting in my chair. How lame could I be when just before the game and the national anthem begins brother elder is conviently standing along with his father in law and sees no reason to sit at that moment and I am the only one in the stadium sitting I guess according to my principal...
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  choosing life

  I was taught that if you were already standing, it was ok to stay standing. If you were seated, you were not to stand up at their suggestion. I just made sure I was always standing.

  The first baseball game I attended with dubs, They all one by one left to use the restroom. Then they had the national anthem and i was caught seated. That's when I figured out why they all had to use the restroom all of a sudden. Wimps. Either stand up for what you believe in (or sit down) or don't say you believe it.
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  monophonic

  my over the top witness dad took me to a motorcycle event....all these bikers and hells angels were there. they did the national anthem and he made me and him sit through the whole thing while people were yelling at us to stand up.

  wonder why i have panic attacks now? hrmm. too many idiotic situations like that in a family that bought 100% into the society and clung to every word spoken from the platform.

  when i was young and went with witnesses to baseball games, i'd just make sure to buy a soda and hot dog during the anthem.
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  Threestars

  Ah God, this brings back so many mortifying memories. I now see no reason not to stand out of respect for my country, however back in the day, I was bound by those "rules"
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  emptywords

  No I never did....I was never one on nationalism anyway, I can remember when I was a the pictures with my mother aged around 8, they played God Save the Queen, I refused to stand and my mother was very embarrassed, I told her that she wouldn't stand up for me. Strange but true.