Posted by JefferyMSchwehm [JefferyMSchwehm] on November 17, 1999 at 18:29:07 {xx2d.1sWpQ7mGcjg8rgIMdud7girzQ}:
Hi-
Is the following in the Knowledge book misleading? I am not saying that the person who wrote is purposely trying to mislead someone but it does not seem to be an accurate assessment of the situation among the Bible Students during WWI to me.
Notice the following quote:
*** kl 161 17 Find Security Among God's People ***
Likewise today, Jehovah deals with his people through an organized body. How do we know this?
4 Jesus said that at the time of his presence in Kingdom power, "the faithful and discreet slave" would be found providing "food at the proper time" for His followers. (Matthew 24:45-47) When Jesus was installed as heavenly King in 1914, who did this "slave" prove to be? Certainly not the clergy of Christendom. For the most part, they were feeding their flocks propaganda that backed up their own national governments in World War I. But proper and timely spiritual food was being dispensed by the group of true Christians who were anointed by God's holy spirit and were a part of what Jesus called the "little flock." (Luke 12:32) These anointed Christians preached God's Kingdom rather than man's governments. As a result, over the years millions of righteously disposed "other sheep" have joined the anointed "slave" in practicing true religion. (John 10:16) Using the 'faithful slave' and its present-day Governing Body, God directs his organized people to make spiritual food, clothing, and shelter available to all who wish to have these provisions.
This quote says that those whom God would choose as his Faithful and Discreet Slave would be preaching God's Kingdom over man's governments during WWI. So, I guess this means that those whom Jesus chose as his FDS would be neutral during WWI. So, the question that I have is if I were to read articles that were published in the Watchtower during that time will I discover that the Watchtower Society was completely neutral during WWI? In fact, I asked this question to a JW that visited my door and he said yes that reading literature during WWI would show that the Bible Students were neutral.
Notice the following quotation:
"A Christian, unwilling to kill, may have been conscientiously unable to buy government bonds; later he considers what great blessings he has received under his government, and realizes that the nation is in trouble and facing dangers to its liberty, and he feels himself conscientiously able to lend some money to the country, just as he would lend to a friend in distress".-6/1/18 Watchtower page 168
"Members of our Association who have some personal means have bought Liberty Bonds, including Tabernacle workers who are paying 25% of their monthly allowance to purchase a bond." May 15, 1918 Watchtower page 152 (Liberty bonds were sold by the US Gov't to help finance WWI see The Encyclopedia Americana International Edition 1995 Vol 17 page 305
In fact Karl Klein says the following in his life story about how the Bible Students' view of the war was mixed, that is that some wanted to be neutral while others, particularly those taking the lead, were definitely not and it appears as those the neutral ones were in the minority:
*** w84 10/1 22 'Jehovah Has Dealt Rewardingly With Me' ***
Shortly after my baptism in 1918, my loyalty to fellow Bible Students was put to the test. World War I was raging, and even though the most prominent brothers had been unjustly imprisoned over the war issue, the need for Christian neutrality was not fully appreciated by those then taking the lead. A few who saw the issue clearly took offense and separated themselves from the Bible Students, calling themselves Standfasters. They warned me that if I stayed with the Bible Students I would lose out on being of the "little flock" of Jesus' anointed followers. (Luke 12:32) Mother, though not yet dedicated, helped me to make the right decision. I could not see myself leaving those from whom I had learned so much, and I therefore decided to take my chances with my Bible Student brothers. It really was a test of loyalty. Since then, I have observed many similar tests of loyalty. When mistakes are made, those not wholly loyal at heart seem to pounce upon them as an excuse for quitting.-Compare Psalm 119:165.
In fact the following quote from the 1987 Watchtower shows that the Society actually prayed for the victory of the democratic powers during WWI and encouraged others to do so by publishing it in the Watchtower.
*** w87 6/15 15 Testing and Sifting in Modern Times ***
A Time of Fiery Trials
3 When Jehovah accompanied his "messenger of the covenant" to the spiritual temple, He found the remnant in need of refining and cleansing. For example, The Watch Tower had encouraged its readers to set aside May 30, 1918, as a day of prayer for victory for the democratic powers, as requested by the U.S. congress and by President Wilson. This amounted to a violation of Christian neutrality.-John 17:14, 16.
So, my question is why would the author of the Knowledge book say that the Bible Students were neutral and that God chose them as his faithful and discreet slave because of this when the Society has on other occasions said that they were not neutral? This is all very confusing.
Jeff S.