A Greek JW serves 15? yrs in prison for his neutrality position.

by smiddy 17 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  smiddy

  I`m thinking back to the 1960`s/70s of a watchtower article who described a greek brother who was imprisoned for refusing military conscription service and was sentenced to 5 yrs imprionment by the govt.At the end of his confinement he was again ordered to serve in the military,which he declined and was sentenced to another 5 yrs in prison ,I think this occured one more time.( At that time their was no way you did alternative service ) Of course he was hailed as a faithful brother who wouldn`t compromise his beleifs.Of course their were probably many more people who went through an experience like this.Is their anybody on the board who can verify,or enlighten us to this experience? I would like to know what happened to the poor buggers who sacrificed their lives in this way.

  smiddy
• 

  smiddy

  I`m also sure amnesty international took up his case ,Though I don`t know what the outcome was.

  smiddy
• 

  jwfacts

  You are correct about JWs serving over a decade in Greece.

  "Before 1977 the [Greek] brothers would be called to serve prison sentences repeatedly; some spent over 12 years in prison!" Yearbook 1994 p.108

  Imagine how annoyed they must have been when the Watchtower made military service acceptable.

  "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. Appointed elders and others should fully respect the conscience of the brother and continue to regard him as a Christian in good standing. " Watchtower 1996 May 1 pp.20,21

  The best years of those Greek brothers lives gone for nothing.

  Amnesty used to write about these JW cases, but there was another organization that that led to the prison sentences being reduced. The same 1994 Yearbook discusses it in more detail, and how it became illegal for Greek to force conscientious objectors to serve multiple sentences for their refusal.
• 

  WTWizard

  Now, if only a few of them would serve jail terms for hiding pedophiles and silencing the victims and put that in the yearbook...
• 

  aligot ripounsous

  In France, we had, from 1993 to 1995, Edouard BALLADUR as Prime minister and it happens that his nephew was (maybe still is) a JW. I heard that (maybe before he was PM but nevertheless was in a position of authority) he just decided that conscientious objectors who were serving an alternative service within the National forestry department would no longer be managed by the Depatment of Defence but would be under the authority of the Department of agriculture. Therefore, young JWs were allowed by the french WTS branch, overnight, to serve this alternative service under the conscientious objector status, instead of rejecting this status and spending their army time in jail as draft dodgers. Thank you Edouard, Jehovah, for sure, will remember what you did for these small ones. As a side effect, he alleviated overcrowding in french prisons.
• 

  smiddy

  Thank you JWF, I guarantee the wtb&ts didn`t apologise to these poor bros.for their unnecessary incarceration for all those years nor would they compensate them in any way.{ It`s your fault you took us so litteral in your interpretation of what we said}It`s a pity they couldn`t sue the organization for damages,loss of freedom,loss of potential income,etc.etc.for the time of their incarceration,if not them, then their relatives ,who must have been traumatized / effected by their imprisonment themselves.Such an unnecessary waste of young lives.

  Thank you ar for your respnse,a good outcome

  smiddy
• 

  Scott77

  Thank you Edouard, Jehovah, for sure, will remember what you did for these small ones. As a side effect, he alleviated overcrowding in french prisons.aligot ripounsous

  No way, they should serve military services. No exception. JWs are parasitic in nature. They are not contributing much to the community like other general population. In the bible, a good war is glorified even by Jehovah himself.
• 

  darth frosty

  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nofog/2010/08/21/jehovahs-witnesses--alternative-service

  Great info on alternative service.
• 

  smiddy

  Bump
• 

  raymond frantz

  For about 25 years between the end of the WWII and late 1950's JWs who refused miitary service where rutinely executed or send to prison in Makronisos an island of the coast of Athens to serve long sentences and constant torturing along with members of the Communist Party .After the 1960's up to mid 80's brothers were send to prison for 4-8 years and then re-arested to put to prison again .Many served up to 16years .Greece didn't offer any alternative civic service up to the late 80's .When that happened many brothers accepted to work in prison under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence .Initially Bethel gave "the green light" for accepting these jobs ,then changed their mind and gave them an ultimatum ,resign or be disfellowshiped .From a total of 300 average JW prisoners one quarter was disfellowhiped .Can you imagine be shunned in prison ? Many never were reinstated and following their release left the truth .That carried on up to 1994 when the miitary prisons came under the jurisdictation of the Ministry of Affairs .The WT Society never apologised for any of this .Now , can you reminded how many presidents of the WT Society had their passports signed the OATH OF ALLIGIANCE TO THE STATE ?

  http://masonemerson.freeyellow.com/christianwitnessescom/id312.html

  Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. (Matthew 23:1-4)