Jehovah's Witnesses stance on serving in the military...

by garyneal 12 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  garyneal

  Thanks for the responses, everyone. I've been out of town and unable to connect to the Internet so that is why my responses were delayed.

  I find trying search first on JWN is helpful.

  I suppose I should've tried it first but I also wanted to share this story with you all too.

  It's a worldwide organization and many people are still affected by their rules.

  Yes, silly me for being the typical American who cannot see past our own borders.

  Even though I stay for a short period ,not collecting a pension, I reaped the rewards of buying my home with a VA loan and my education,paid for by Uncle Sam!

  Good for you, now at least you will not find yourself later in life wishing you hadn't listen to the Society. Bettering oneself is always a plus in my opinion.

  Compared to Malawian brother's horrible, cruel and degrading ill treatment I think, it was the mother of all hypocrisy on the part of the WTS to make exemption in this regard.

  I thought about this too. Hypcritical indeed.

  highdose: I have family members who are military and I have respect for the sacrifices they make.
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  J. Hofer

  in my country we still have obligatory military service (might change soon though), or optional civil service (working in an elderly home, the red cross, a kindergarden, concentration camp memorial service or similar). JWs were not allowed to join either some 15 years ago.

  2 of my friends went to jail because they had to refuse civil service, although they didn't really understand the reasoning behind it. they served their time in jail and right after it the stance was changed and suddenly it was allowed to do civil service. i served one year in an elderly home.
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  PublishingCult

  "My whole pet peeve with them is that they are quick to tell others not to join the military and yet they themselves aren't giving up their military benefits, especially that pension."

  I know exactly what you mean. My aunt was married to Navy cook when she came into the org back in the mid 60's. She was a ranting fanatical old witch who was always in your business, proclaiming this pop song demonized, and that shirt satanic. She once nearly got violent with my grandmother, a devout JW herself, over having some plastic roses tacked to her livingroom wall that vaguely resembled a crucifix if you really tried hard to see it. She always criticized my mother for being married to a worldly man, yet here she was, married to a military man, worldly also, but it was better, it was OK since he would hit up a meeting with her from time to time just to get her to shut her damn mouth, and finally succumbed to the pressure to study and get baptized in the 70's. But I do not recall that man ever having a share in the field service activity or answering at meetings, or studying a single paragraph from the Watchtower with his kids. The crazy old bat gladly made the weekly trip to the commissary to buy groceries with him. Today, she is still living on the dead man's money . . . military benefits and health care.