In Australia, you don't have to do this "stand for the national anthem" stuff, only on rare occasions, you had to.
But really, why do you have to sing the national anthem? Why won't people respect your beliefs? Why do people always have to draw the worst conclusion? Why can't they consider and be more philosophical (and think to themselves...
"maybe he doesn't like singing..."
" '' he doesn't like to go on about his national pride, and likes to keep in his heart -- he doesn't need to to sing to the whole world about it..."
" '' he is upset with what his country has done to his family lately..."
" '' he is sick of singing it..."
" '' the background music is not up to standard..."
" '' "maybe he is disgusted with how the kids sing the national anthem -- they all have horrible voices." " '' "he has a right -- because of his religion!!!"
What horrible, disrespectful people in this world! I mean, when you were younger you didn't say them all "stop singing, you are a Satanic! Satan's songs!" DID YOU? No.
I am sure if it was some other group of people who don't believe in the national anthem, people would fall over backwards for them. I won't say who. But some people in our community are very uncooperative! I am sure it's like that back in Canada!!!
With all this globalization and so forth, unfortunately, people aren't so nationalistic about their countries... a lot of people are very indifferent about their countries. I am not particularly nationalistic myself, but "when in Rome -- do what the Romans do." About whether I would sing the national anthem... well, I was lucky because in Australia, we didn't do it hardly at all... But again, am I stopping other people from singing the national anthem?
(Pssst, I actually like my country's national anthem: Advance Australia Fair... I just had it when they say "advarns" instead of "advance." :))
JW kids and the national anthem humiliation......
by kid-A 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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inquirer
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Ingenuous
I stayed seated for the anthem (usually only played during school assemblies), stood silently for the pledge. Once, a JW classmate "gave in" and stood during the anthem. I felt so abandoned.
It wasn't even feeling awkward around classmates that really got to me. (I never like most kids my age anyway.) What really did me in was that I wasn't supposed to feel bad, left out, anxious, strange. I was supposed to be proud to be a JW, proud to be different, vindicated by other's disapproval. And I felt very little of that, and seldom. We aren't allowed to feel anything other than blessed and special under such circumstances and I wasn't very skilled at denial when I was very young (I got better at it in high school, since I got baptized right before I started.)
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damselfly
For some years we were allowed to leave the room during O Canada, later we were allowed to remain seated in the room as everyone else sang. This wasn't too bad for me. What I hated was being elected out of the 5 JW kids in my grade to be the one to "present" that blue brochure and explain our religion to the teacher. What was that called? Something about JW childs and school? I would just drop it on the teachers desk and blurt "werejehovahswitnessthisiswhatwecantdo" and then run back to my seat embarrased. I always tried to time it so the majority of the kids were out for recess.
I got elected every year be my fellow JW students to do this.
Dams
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damselfly
We didn't mind having to leave the room during the anthem because we could all look down and across the hall to each other and smile and make faces and wave. There were a lot of JW kids in my elementary school a couple for each grade it seemed like. It was worse to have to remain seated in the class because I felt as if everyone where staring at me. They probably were ha ha ha
Dams
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inquirer
Ingenuous,
I was supposed to be proud to be a JW, proud to be different, vindicated by other's disapproval. And I felt very little of that, and seldom. We aren't allowed to feel anything other than blessed and special under such circumstances and I wasn't very skilled at denial when I was very young (I got better at it in high school, since I got baptized right before I started.)
inquirer -- sorry to get into the symantec jungle, but Jehovah says being proud is something destable to him.
Proverbs 16:5 "Everyone that is proud in heart is something detestable to Jehovah. Hand [may join] to hand, [yet] one will not be free from punishment."
Not judging, but something that I forget from time to time. -
Shining One
Kid,
I was one of the lucky ones who did not have JW parents, my maternal grandparents were. I knew it was 'wrong' to say the pledge but I mouthed the words silently, LOL. That way I did not have to stand out as odd and I relieved my conscience! When I was growing up we were allowed to stand and be respectful for that and the national anthem. It was a few years later that the Society saw we were not feeling persecuted enough and changed that one.
Rex -
Big Dog
Don't even get me started on this crap. God I hate the WBTS and the GB for warping my childhood. Where is 144001, he comes up with the coolest things to do to the GB, like giving them a 1000 paper cuts then dipping them in a vat of lemon juice, or drowning them in a tub of vomit. Nothing would be too loathesome for what those freaks did to my childhood.
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mrsjones5
And how do you really feel Big Dog?
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just fine
Where I grew up as long as they asked us to stand and sing the national anthem we could stand and just not sing - no one could tell whether you were or weren't singing. The pledge was the same thing - we stood - faced the flag- but didn't recite the pledge. My parents said that we still had to respect the flag and our fellow students who believed they should salute the flag. My teachers were all fine with it - so were my classmates. For birthdays and such our parents would allow us to eat whatever goody was brought in - just out in the hall - didn't seem so bad. But in elementary school they also allowed me to go over to worldly kids houses after school occaisionally. For holidays we could make whatever craft was being made as long as it was real - so instead of an easter bunny we made bunnies etc. Maybe where I grew up was just more liberal.
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young hearts, be free..
I remember at primary school and intermediate school that "God Defend New Zealand" was played at the beginning of important assemblies, and also for ANZAC Day.....we always entered the school hall after the anthem had finished, and feeling proud because I was a soldier of Jehovah it was never a problem to me!!
Occasionaly I did feel embarrassed though, especially as I got older...I got on well with the "cool" girls at school, and had the hots for a few of them so being different in that way was hard, oh the struggles of being young
But now, well it's all changed-I'm a very proud Kiwi, always stand tall and place my hand on my heart for the anthem....not because we're better than anyone else, but because I'm proud of my heritage.