by Terry 17 Replies latest jw friends
Vietnam was horrible all around....given the mental and emotional status on return of way too many that served there, the incarceration experience may have not been much more hideous a circumstance. Those guys came back with ptsd.....drug and/or alcohol addictions and I know several suicides.
However, the religions stance and subsequent lack of concern for their faithful young men is incomprehensible. You are a survivor, Terry.
TERRY:
I am sorry for what you went through in prison 😞 - all for an ungrateful and uncaring religion!..They want people to risk their lives and I hate them very much!
You also can never know what may have happened if you decided to enlist and did go to Vietnam.. Would you be here today to tell us your story? Nobody can know this. I remember you sharing you have been married and have children (grandchildren?)
I hope that you have been able to achieve some happiness in life. As others have said:..you are a survivor!
LongHairGal,
"You also can never know what may have happened if you decided to enlist and did go to Vietnam.."
____
Actually that was NOT the alternative!
Going to Vietnam was never the "other"part of the decision to refuse induction.
Hardly any Jehovah's Witnesses have been exposed to the details of the decision, the actual choice before draft age young men.
Here are the true facts of the matter.
ANY person drafted into Military Service was required to do 3 things.
1. Register for the draft immediately upon reaching the age of 18.
2. When notice arrived in the mail, the draftee had to report locally for an Armed Forces Military physical examination.
3. A meeting with a local Draft Board must be scheduled, but only IF A REQUEST of deferment from duty for cause was tendered.
I did all three.
My draft card which must be carried in public at all times, classified me as :
1-A-O - Conscientious Objector - Conscientiously opposed to training and military service requiring the use of arms - fulfills his service obligation in a noncombatant position within the military. Those classified 1-A-O are conscientious objectors available for noncombatant military service.
You see, LongHairGal?
Legally, all I was required to do was report for non-combat community service!
Ready for the big twist-ending?
My congregations elders (overseers) privately took me aside. I was counseled to NOT ACCEPT
assigned alternate service in a hospital!
I was told it was a "compromise" of my faith.
I was to REFUSE my lawfully assigned alternate service and - instead - go to prison to demonstrate
Jehovah's Witnesses were not like other false religious organizations.
I would never have gone to Vietnam. I would have helped sick people.
This is the "dirty little secret" hidden from most JW's all this time.
I was sternly admonished to never tell any officer of the court or law I HAD BEEN DIRECTED by my religion to do this, saying only "It is a matter of conscientious ; a Bible-based conscience."
Are you surprised?
One more surprise.
There was only ONE EXCEPTION allowed.
IF your Judge "SENTENCED YOU" to hospital work - you COULD accept.
Why?
You were under compulsion - NOT by the Military - but by the Law itself.
Crazy enough for you?
The moral of the story is dont let half witted corrupt religious leaders make personal decisions for yourself, particularly from lying and devious religoius charlatans.
some kids went to war and died fighting for someone elses agenda.
some kids went to war and killed other kids for someone else's agenda and came back with ptsd
some kids went to war and killed innocent kids and survive but had to live with that for the rest of their life
some kids didnt go to war and went to prision instead because someone's else agenda and survived
some kids didnt go to war because they didnt think it was right and went to prison and survived
war is terrible for all
TERRY:
I’m sorry the Witnesses twisted things behind the scenes and compelled you when you were under duress..to do something to hurt yourself..all so that you can be a poster boy for the religion!!
I suppose if you complained against the religion it would have been your word against theirs as to what was said to you. I’m sure the brothers responsible are long dead by now.
Again, I’m sorry for your suffering and wish you all the best.
CYBERJESUS:
I agree with your whole post as it sums up how terrible war is..no matter what a person chose!
from hundreds of years ago.Terry ,i think you should try getting some other Christian Religion interested in publishing your song and dont be fussy who might take it up .
That could be an up yours JW if somebody did take it up .
It`s a lie that JW`s make that christendom hide the name Jehovah because many years ago I went to a funeral of a work colleague who died in an accident at a Uniting Church service and one of the songs was a prayer to Jehovah.
Plus many churches all around the world have the name Jehovah inscribed in stone from hundreds of years ago.
The song was a symptom.
It was the real world nudging me.
Well, I don't have regrets about the song not being used per se because it wasn't authentic or that
the effort was wasted. I'm annoyed by the memory of the nasty little man in a position of power
who used his position to bully me and hang a lie on the reason for it.
Those of the Ex-JW community who have dealt with double-dealing Elders are at first shocked
and saddened by being treated unfairly. It eventually fests, of course.
You can't win against Elders whether they're straight OR crooked.
The system is rigged merely to CONTROL you.
Seeing all my illusions of the "only true religion" crumble was like watching a home burn to the ground.
You don't just lose the house - it's everything inside as well as the emotional connection of "home."
Being an Ex-JW is becoming a non-entity with a soiled reputation.
People who were supposed to be friends for life suddenly turn on you without a conversation.
Group think.
