JW's fight Vietnam war?

by Fatfreek 15 Replies latest watchtower scandals

• 

  Fatfreek

  At last count there were 58,193 American casualties from the Vietnam war. How many of them were Jehovah's Witnesses? For what it's worth, check out the following, downloaded from:

  http://www.archives.gov/research/vietnam-war/casualty-statistics.html

  CACCF Record Counts by Religion (as of 12/98)

  Religion / Number of Records
  Assemblies of God 117
  Baptist-American Baptist Church 4
  Baptist-Southern Baptist Church 121
  Baptist-Other Groups 9,478
  Brethren, Dunkers 63
  Buddhism 53
  Christian Science 63
  Church of Christ 528
  Church of God 238
  Congregational Christian 145
  Disciples of Christ 34
  Episcopal, Anglican 825
  Evangelical, United Brethren 39
  Evangelical, Reformed 11
  Friends, Quakers 12
  Jehovah's Witnesses 26
  Jewish 269
  Latter Day Saints, Mormon 589
  Lutheran & Missouri Synod 2,251
  Methodist 4,079
  Mission Covenant 1
  Moslem, Muslim 12
  Nazarene 132
  Orthodox, Greek 58
  Orthodox, Russian 22
  Pentecostal 182
  Presbyterian 1,303
  Protestant-Other Churches 559
  Protestant-No Preference 16,644
  Reformed 45
  Roman Catholic 16,815
  Seventh Day Adventist 116
  Unitarian Universalist 45
  United Church of Christ 11
  No Religious Preference 1,284
  Other Religions 210
  Unknown, Not Reported 1,809
  Total 58,193
  Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics

  Fats
• 

  blondie

  That could be several reasons.

  1. They were raised a JW but never were baptized but considered themselves one.

  2. They were a JW but were df'd for joining the military but still considered themselves one.

  3. They took an interest in the WTS while a soldier but were not baptized but still considered themselves one.

  4. They weren't one but their family identified them as one when picking up the body for funeral arrangements.

  The military doesn't ask to see your publisher card and they don't call the elder body to check into your WTS official status.

  Blondie
• 

  free2beme

  My uncle spent time in prison, rather then going to war. I know some might have gone, but also keep in mind that the organization was far smaller back then and comparing your thought to modern numbers would not make sense or equal the amount you might think.
• 

  kid-A

  What is the official policy, is a JW disfellowshipped for joining the military? I would guess yes.
• 

  blondie

  Technically, if you join the military you have disassociated yourself (no letter is necessary). My mistake.
• 

  jgnat

  Another question, how do we end up with JW doctors? My guess is that they are converts. I can't imagine how parents can justify the time and expense away from field service to support a child through a medical degree. Not to mention the regular ethical conflicts the adult child would encounter regarding blood transfusions.
• 

  Preston

  I'd ask Terry... I think he went to prison for refusing to enlist...

  - Preston
• 

  bikerchic

  Jehovah's Witnesses 26

  My brother was one of those 26. He never was babtized but listed Jehovah Witness as his religion when he inlisted after all he was raised in the B'org since he was 5 years old.

  He was killed in action 8/19/69.
• 

  Fatfreek

  So sorry about your brother, Bikerchic.

  With reference to the disfellowshipping vs. disassociating issue (yes, it is an issue). When I attended a two week school for elders in the early 70's that issue was a big negative for me. It, more than anything revealed the politics of the Society, their fear of the governments as they taught the peons, "Have no fear of man".

  I recall asking the question, "Why the two different announcements? I mean, when a person joins the military is he not flaunting the Society and its teachings?"

  I recall the uneasy squirming and hedging of the instructor. No, I can't quote exactly the words of some instructor from some 30 years ago but I recall this, "Brothers, we are engaged in Theocratic warfare. We've had to create tactics to put ourselves on equal footing with the enemy. This is a wartime strategy. If we were to explicitly announce the cutting away from our association a soldier of this country, we would make ourselves vulnerable to charges from this government's leaders. The Watchtower could be shut down. It may have to operate "underground". By announcing that a person has disassociated himself, in effect, we are telling outsiders that he has left the organization of his own volition. We are distancing ourselves by claiming the separating act was his and not ours. The bottom line -- we are keeping the organization clean and we are less vulnerable to a potentially calamitous charge of sedition."

  "Doesn't this send the message that we are cowards and actually have the fear of man that we teach against?", I countered. That question of mine fell on deaf ears.

  Fats
• 

  blondie

  I guess I slipped in my terminology, Fatfreak, sorry. You are right that those who were announced as having DA'd themselves were considered more dangerous spiritually.

  Some DA'ing offenses

  Joining the military

  Joining a religious organization (other than WTS)

  Accepting a blood transfusion

  But now the announcement "SoandSo is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses" sidesteps the DA'd or DF'd question. The rank and file have to depend on the gossip mill to find out the status of the person..

  Blondie