The Surprising Faith Of 8 American Presidents... # 6 is interesting!

by koolaid-man 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  koolaid-man

  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/darrin-grinder/the-presidents-and-their-_b_1283210.html

  6. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower may have been instrumental in bringing "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance and making "In God We Trust" the national motto, but he was reared in a religious tradition that does not allow its adherents to take oaths of office or to recite the Pledge of Allegiance--the Jehovah's Witnesses (a religion/denomination born in the United States, as was Mormonism). His home was the meeting place for fifteen Bible Students (an earlier name for Jehovah's Witnesses), where they had lessons and held services, until he left for college. However, Eisenhower became the only president to be baptized and join a church during his presidency--the Presbyterian church in this instanc
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  ScenicViewer

  Eisenhower became the only president to be baptized and join a church during his presidency--the Presbyterian church in this instance.

  Was he previously baptised as a Bible Student? If so, he would be an apostate in Watchtower's eyes because of joining the Presbyterian church, at least by today's Watchtower standards. However the Bible Students were much more lenient in their view of other religious groups. But perhaps he was never baptised into Watchtower to begin with.
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  yknot

  Yep mom a pioneer, daddy an elder with big wall size plan of the ages in their house....

  All the menfolk left in 1915, mom remained until she died.....

  Huge rift between Eisenhower boys and the WTS, Rutherford did his best to ride coattails.
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  GLTirebiter

  First, doctrines of the Bible Students of Russell's time differ greatly from the Watchtower Society doctrines of Rutherford (and Fred Franz, etc.). So you cannot claim that Eisenhower ever held beliefs associated with the present-day Watchtower Society merely because he was "born into" a significantly different religion, which he abandoned long before he became president.

  Second, going to West Point and fighting in the American army in two world wars marks him as an apostate, not a Witness.

  Eisenhower was a Witness about as much as Nixon was a Quaker. (I'm surprised that Nixon didn't earn a spot on this list.)
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  sizemik

  His home was the meeting place for fifteen Bible Students (an earlier name for Jehovah's Witnesses), where they had lessons and held services, until he left for college.

  Ha ha this cracks me up. Bloody college huh . . . it's always been a problem for them . . . an education.
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  snare&racket

  Oh lordy....
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  Razziel

  He was never baptized. I read about this several years ago, as I have a habit of picking a subject or person in history and then reading all the wikipedia links about it, and read his bio while reading about WWII. At the time, I had just left the organization, and as a born-in, I found a lot of respect for Eisenhower. His upbringing obviously influenced his life, but he seemed like a logical man and found a balance between principles and reality. He took the good stuff, left the rest behind, and followed his own path in life.
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  Joliette

  @ Razziel

  That excatly what people dont get, especially Jehovah's Witnesses. Its fine if you want to believe in god and have a religion, thats fine, just dont allow it to make you lose all common sense. Have some logic and balance, thats all I'm saying.