Were you ever a Conscientious Objector ?

by Nadsam 24 Replies latest jw experiences

  • Nadsam
    Nadsam

    Dear Jehovahs Witnesses and EX-JW's .

    Many of you may not be aware of what life is like in a Military State.

    I would like to share a part of the Shame that Jehovah's Witnesses Elders in Southa Africa have to bear.

    In South Africa white males during the 70's and 80's were conscripted into the army from age 16.

    During the 80's at the age of 16 I was conscripted. At age 17 I was sentenced as a minor and was told I would have serve to six years prison. I was released on parole and worked with six fellow witnesses all aged 17-18 in a Hospital Morgue.

    It was a state run facility and was a central Morgue for the then Apartheid police force in Central South Africa . Often I had to handle bodies of persons who had been brutally murdered/shot/stabbed/burn't alive etc. On weekends and nights I had to help in the hospital's trauma theatre which was affiliated with a squad of Riot Police/Soldiers.

    I also had to remove bags of amputations, fetus' and internal organs to be incinerated. The worst was seeing dead children . We had a huge furnace called lucifer. I once contemplated suicide and thought I should just jump in ! Besides this I was mocked , harrassed and mentally tortured by the Apartheid Loyal Non-JW Hospital staff ,day in day out for years on end.

    To this day I suffer from depression, nightmares and post traumatic stress disorder.

    What kept me sane during this period was the knowledge that at least I wasn't supporting a vile and evil regime..APARTHEID !

    Fortunately Today I still have a cheerful personality and good supportive NON JW friends and a loving EX-JW wife, who put up with my highs and my lows.

    I am also free from enslavement to the WT.

    None of the six of my group are still Witnesses. (Many of those from that ear aren't literally hundreds fell away) Why ????

    Most tried Pioneering and Bethel , but after our experiance we were at such a terrible disadvantge in the real world due to our age, lack of education and mental trauma. The reason most left was that just making a living was so difficult and this left little time for the "Truth" because Jobs are scarce and working hours long.

    Instead of the Jehovah's Witnesses Organization's Elders helping us or standing by us ....they turned on us calling us materialistic and disloyal. Even those that served as Elders and Ministerial Servants were treated like garbage !

    I am proud to have stood up to an Evil regime but am ashamed of the treatment we were given by the "wolves in sheeps clothing", the so called loving Elders of Jehovahs Witnesses who instead were nothing better than Judas' and Saul's.

    My reasons for leaving the WT were based on a culmination of all that I had experianced, the betrayal of the elders, betrayal of JW business partners, the harrasment (not encouragement) of fellow JW's who served with me as Elders and MS (of which I was one) and evetually seeing that all I had believed in was based on lies.

    My first meeting at age 26 with the District Overseer should have been enough!! While paging through my "Sheparding the flock - Elders Manual" his tone changed as he spoke of the "Inactive Sheep" in our congregation .He launched an attack on a you Elder who was studying for a University Degree correspondance.

    I clearly picked up the sentiment that in his eyes anyone who needed money (and education) that bad didn'nt need encouragement from him...this coming from a swine leech who lived off of handouts, always had freemeals and was the king of freebies !

    Have you ever been a conscientious/religious objector ..have you been awakened from enslavement to the WT Cult ?

    Please post and share your experiance.

    Yours Sincerely

    Nadsam ...PROUD APOSTATE

  • Elsewhere
    Elsewhere

    I think I got off easy... I was called to Jury Duty and told the judge that I could not "judge" others because of my biblical beliefs... I was excused and sent on my way.

  • franklin J
    franklin J

    yes,

    I graduated HS in 1974, one semester early and immediately began full time pioneering. The Viet Nam war was still going on and I had to register for the draft, a minister classification ( not sure if that constitutes conscientous objector). The war ended that summer ( or shortly thereafter).

  • Nadsam
  • Nadsam
    Nadsam

    Nadsam apologetic for typing errrirrs in poast and blank poast!! Nadsam drinking bottle of brandy left over from December 31,1999 celebrations..found half litre in back of cupboard an hour ago??!!..all finished now!

  • donkey
    donkey

    Nadsam,

    No one will ever understand what happened to you unless they experienced it for themselves. This is why I am for the removal of oppression in the form or regimes like Sadam and Mugabe - even by force. I have more in common with you than you will ever know. While I am angry with the lack of support from the JW's I am more angry at oppressors who commit these crimes in the first place. Message me if you like and we can exchange email addresses.

    Donkey

  • Nathan Natas
    Nathan Natas

    Yes, Nadsam.

    Like Franklin J (above) I am in the USA. I was eligible for the draft when I turned 18. Having been raised a JW, I claimed that I was a conscientious objector and a minister (I was pioneering - 100 hours/month selling WTS literature from door-to-door). I very honestly expected to have to go to jail, but my local draft board granted me my ministerial deferment - I had no punishment to bear, just keep up "the good work."

    When I read accounts such as yours - and there have been plenty of guys in the USA who were not as lucky as I was - I am saddened that you sufferred so much for what ultimately was nothing. I don't feel guilt for what happened to me, because at the time I was as sincere as anyone could be, and I know that my relatively easy course was not made easy at anone else's expense.

    Today, the question of "alternative military service" is left up to the individual conscience - no one is told that they must take a hard line stance and refuse alternative military service. Reading what your alternative military service was like, I can see that it is no cake-walk.

    I believe your point of view on various topics will be quite interesting and look forward to more posts from you in time.

    I wish you peace and brotherhood. .

  • nilfun
    nilfun

    A very moving, gut-wrenching post, Nasdam.

    As a JW woman, I never had to face what so many young men in JWs have had to face (regarding this subject).

    I can't begin to imagine the pain of such an experience. I'm so sorry for what you, and many others, have gone through.

  • Kenneson
    Kenneson

    Nadsam,

    Sorry you had to endear such maltreatment and unpleasant experiences..

    When I graduated from high school in 1962 I applied for ministerial deferment, but received a conscientious objector status instead., even though I was pioneering. I was investigated by the F.B.I. who went to school teachers, relatives and friends in order to evalutate me. I also had to appear before the local draft board which quizzed me. Thankfully I was never required to do alternate service.

  • Rabbit
    Rabbit

    Nadsam,

    My heart goes out to you...few people today could possibly imagine what you went thru for your your religion. I can understand tho' with the situation in your country at the time...you did fight against them...a very good thing, that you were not "with" them.

    I am appalled at the treatment you received at the hands of the WTS and Elders...after knowing what you went thru -- you should have been treated as a hero!

    I graduated in '72, registered as a C.O. I had to appear before the Draft Board (All Veteran's wearing their medals & VFW hats) I had a real bad feelin'...they threatened me, saying, "Do you realize you could spend up to 5 years in the Federal Pen. ?" I guess they thought I could not read...even tho' I had about 20 pages of questions and my written answers to all kinds of things. Like...have you ever publically expressed your religious views? When? Dates and times, to whom... Where? School, work, etc. What did you say? Exactly what...? I was a regular pioneer (100 hrs.) I don't know what they would have decided in my case, if my # had come up.

    What saved me from going to Vietnam or prison was my draft lottery #, that year they drafted to within 50 #'s of mine. I was willing to go to prison for my faith. Now, because of an unscriptural divorce...forced upon me and making me 'not-free-to remarry', they are willing to DF me, because I re-married anyway to a non-JW.

    Nathan:

    Today, the question of "alternative military service" is left up to the individual conscience - no one is told that they must take a hard line stance and refuse alternative military service.

    Thanks, Nathan. I did not know the WTS has again changed their mind (or just new light bulb, huh ? ) on something that would greatly affect someone's very life! It reminds me of the Organ Transplant fiasco, I believe it changed in 1985. One day you would have to die, because you weren't allowed to get that heart transplant, the next..."Well, new light folks!" I always figured one of the GB's needed a transplant... or a relative, maybe THAT'S how New Light really comes about...

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