Disfellowshiped for NOT Saluting the Flag

by [email protected] 10 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  [email protected]

  Did I not read somewhere that in the mid-1930s a growing number of JWs were resisting the flag salute? When the matter came to a head, Rutherford had the anti-saluters disfellowshiped. By the end of the 1930s "new light" reached Rutherford, and he started disfellowshiping those who did salute the flag. Naturally, those disfellowshiped for refusal were not invited back. After all, they were guilty of "running ahead of the Society!"

  Where did I read this? I can't seem to put my finger on it right now.

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  Nathan Natas

  That would be news to me.

  Remember that in 1918, Rutherford & Company went into the Federal Pen for sedition.
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  HappyDad

  This just hit me.....................

  The WT always refers to CTR as the founder of the religion. As I can now see...........the Bible Students can claim that......... but the JW's should claim Rutherford as the founder. Ohhhhhhhh so much knowledge to learn and so little time!

  HappyDad
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  blondie

  I can't find it off hand but I can remember some in Norway (Scandinavia) differing with headquarters about neutrality and "leaving" and the WTS saying that the ones who left turned out to be right but didn't wait for God to correct matters in his due time. I'll try and find a quote but things are busy this week.

  Blondie

  (amended to add that this was between 1918 and 1939)
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  badboy

  You learn something new every day!
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  blondie

  Here's an allusion to it; I still think there is something more specific.

  w96 3/15 pp. 16-17 Meeting the Challenge of Loyalty

  Suppose that something appears in Watch Tower publications that we do not understand or agree with at the moment. What will we do? Take offense and leave the organization? That is what some did when The Watch Tower, many years ago, applied the new covenant to the Millennium. Others took offense at what The Watchtower once said on the issue of neutrality. If those who stumbled over these matters had been loyal to the organization and to their brothers, they would have waited on Jehovah to clarify these matters, which he did in his due time. Thus, loyalty includes waiting patiently until further understanding is published by the faithful and discreet slave.
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  blondie

  Sidepoint:

  JWs were not the first to refuse to salute the flag.

  http://www.elca.org/jle/articles/contemporary_issues/article.failinger_marie.html

  In 1918, a Mennonite was convicted for his daughter's truancy after she was sent home by her school for refusing to pledge, and 38 Mennonite children in Delaware were expelled from school in 1928 for refusing to salute. Members of the Church of God and Elijah Voice Society churches were among those denominations punished for refusing to salute the flag, even before the words "under God" were added, and perhaps most prominently, they were joined by the Jehovah's Witnesses.

  A note too: I don't think DFing was practiced as the WTS does it know until the 1950's.
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  RubaDub

  A note too: I don't think DFing was practiced as the WTS does it know until the 1950's.

  Good point Blondie.

  As I recall, stoning was used up to that point.

  Rub a Dub
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  [email protected]

  Blondie quoted:

  Members of the Church of God and Elijah Voice Society churches were among those denominations punished for refusing to salute the flag

  [email protected] replied:

  Elijah Voice Society rings a bell. I think (not sure though) that some of those JWs expelled for refusing to salute the flag formed the Elijah Voice Society and published Elijah Voice Monthly. Only two to five years passed between the mass expulsion for refusal to salue the flag and the "new light" that JWs should (also) refuse to salute.

  Everyone probably knows that during WW1 Rutherford had tables set up in the lobby at Bethel in order to sell war bonds to factory workers. In part, it was to convince the U.S. government nothing unpatriotic was going on. Many at Bethel objected to this practice, and it was discontinued.

  I think plans were made to encourage purchase of war bonds in the "new" magazine (Golden Age -- late called Awake!). I do not know if it was actually done. Does anyone else?

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  Klaus Vollmer

  I think, disfellowshipping started end of the 50ies. But Rutherford dfd the German branch officer Balzereit in 1934(?) or about and resoning that with the utterance that he had falsified the Hitler letter which was written by the Judge.

  After WW 2 Balzereit came back to the German branch office in Magdeburg and was again sent away by Nathon Homer Knorr.

  So it seems that those above made their excommunications like the pope in Rome: without Viagra but with an own Wormwood