No Poppies For JW's?

by Englishman 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  Englishman

  Hey, did you wear your poppy today?* http://www.geocities.com/traditions_uk/poppyday.html

  Bang on 11am, everything came to a stop, even the shoppers in Tesco's stood silently and still for 2 minutes to recall the remembrance ritual of the armistice that occurred on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, 1918, and has since been a time when we remember all those who died under enemy fire.

  Its particularly poignant this year following the events at the WTC, even more so for UK residents who were informed today that their ground troops were now inside enemy territory in Afghanistan.

  Of course, no JW's would have dared to turn up at the KH sporting the red poppy. These one's will be too busy tut-tutting at current events whilst muttering about the imminence of Armageddon. That of course, will not stop them from enjoying the privilege of Freedom of worship, which is at present being fought for by the very governments that they so despise.

  So, as usual, Jehovahs witnesses milk all the fought for benefits, and then rubbish those who give it to them.

  What hypocrites!

  Englishman.

  Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....
• 

  individuals wife

  For the first time ever I was there this morning with all the Methodists, the Baptists, the Anglican, the Catholics and even the atheists for the Remembrance Sunday service in the town. I found it very moving and felt so proud of my girls as they marched with the dignitaries in their Girl Guide uniforms and poppies. I commented to my husband that we were guaranteed to see no JWs in the crowd and this reminded me of the years in the Kingdom Hall when we would sit and listen to the band march past on Remembrance Sunday, some of the 'inmates' would look at each other and raise their eyebrows, others would comment afterwards on the distraction that was caused. What an awful attitude.

  Our grandparents and greatgrandparents sacrificed so much, some even their lives, so that these JWs could have the freedoms that we take for granted today. And do the JWs appreciate that fact? Not at all. But then again, they dont like freedom in any form do they.
• 

  ISP

  Yes Eman...JWs do not wear poppies so as to stay separate from the world...funny how the WTS doesn't see the same need re. UN-NGO fiasco.

  ISP
• 

  TR

  I agree, Eman. Of course you word it very eloquently, whereas I get stomped for my patriotic posts. Keep up the good work, fighters for freedom!

  TR

  The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
  —Edmund Burke
• 

  Lionel_P_Hartley

  E-man,

  Excellent. Here's an article that I liked in the Observer by John Mortimer (of Rumpole fame???) that you may have seen already. http://www.observer.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,591345,00.html

  Lionel
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  OUTLAW

  Engishman ,good post.I buy a poppy for this special day every year.I am grateful to those who gave their lives so we could enjoy our freedom..Had it not been for these brave men&women jws would not be free to peddle their garbage,what an ungrateful bunch!...OUTLAW
• 

  Englishman

  LP Hartley (Chortle, yeah, right!)

  Sorry Matey, but the link doesn't work.

  Englishman.

  Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....
• 

  Naeblis

  I've bought quite a few this week. Remembrance Day is a sad but proud time for Canadians.
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  Thirdson

  I attended a Church service today and later returned with my family to work serving dinner for the homeless. Today is Veteran's day in the US and I learned this morning that a disproportionate amount of homeless men are veterans, mostly of the Vietnam War. I looked at the some of the men, men about 5-10 years older than me and wondered if some of them are veterans It is sad that in many ways our society has let them down and they have been reduced to living on the streets. I hoped we helped a little.

  As for Church. I was reminded today of Germany and the JWs. THe processional hymn was sung to the tune "Austria" which is also the German national anthem. It is quite a stirring hymn but whenever I have sung it I can't help being reminded that JWs once sang hymns to that tune too. The WTS once claimed that apostates were telling people that at the rise of Nazism in the 30 JW's sang the German national anthem at a convention. That was a lie but so was the WTS claim about apostates claims. What was true was the choice of "Kingdom Song" that was sung to the tune "Austria".

  Thirdson

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

  outnfree

  E-man,

  Thank you for this post.

  I did NOT wear a poppy today. Curiously enough, I was not approached by a veteran today for the first time in as long as I can remember.
  I DID wear a pin linking the flag of my country with the flag of the European Union, as I have since Sept. 14th (soonest I could get one).
  I DID remember the soldiers -- including my father -- who fought for our freedoms.

  I am amazed at my personal paradox, that this is the first time I did not BUY a poppy in as long as I can remember.

  You see, even as a JW I would BUY one, to support the veterans. I figured, even if I thought war was wrong that was no reason not to appreciate the ones who fought and came back home, or the ones who fought and never did return, all because they believed it important to guarantee freedoms that I was benefitting from daily. Of course I couldn't WEAR the poppy.

  Now that I'm gone and wouldn't care who saw me with the poppy, there wasn't a poppy to be found!

  I shoulda made my own!

  THANK YOU, VETERANS!!!

  outnfree

  Par dessus toutes choses, soyez bons. La bonte est ce qui ressemble le plus a Dieu et ce qui desarme le plus les hommes -- Lacordaire