2007-09-04 00:49:05 · 20 answers · asked by Lover of God 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
i live in korea and got busted for smoking weed once or twice, and here is the thing. there were bunch of Jehovah's witnesses locked up in the county jail serving their mandatory draft of 2yrs to the army this country (korea) requires since the division of the country north and south. the country is legally at a state of war, so once again it's a mandatory to serve a 2yr draft for any male over the age of 18yrs. well, anyways this kids who were born to parents with this religion r all locked up because they refuse to serve the country or the army and take up arms.
oh, and if ur wondering why i was put in jail for smoking some weed. in korea u get busted just for taking a hit.
2007-09-04 01:07:54 · answer #1 · answered by Bobby P 3 · 11⤊ 1⤋
I used to study with the JW's for over 18 months. In the very beginning I thought that I finally found happiness among people and the real truth about God. I stopped, because I became unhappy from the way I was talked to from the conductors and elders. Unhappy, because my many friends stopped paying attention to me. To answer this question, it is because the Jehovah Witnesses treat all other Christians as idol worshipers, telling the rest of the world they are in a false religion. They have their own interpretation of the Bible and the propaganda Watchtower. The two of these brainwashes the reader that God doesn't hear you unless you say his name Jehovah in prayer. Without getting on a soap box about them, since their conception, think that they are finally the world's only true religion. So all of the priests, congregations, altar boys and the like were not worshiping God according to them. That is impossible to swallow. After my disassociation with the JW's life is happy again. Do I condemn them? No. In the USA people can practice any non-violent religion they choose. But there is something called a cult of which they appear to be. Certain cults should be outlawed.
2016-05-21 00:35:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My Step Father was a Marine and so I grew up and was raised to be very respectful to the United States of America. I used to be a Boy Scout. Once I started studying with Jehovah's Witnesses and learned the truth from the Bible I stopped saluting the Flag and had a change of heart about going into the military. I love God and want to obey his commandments. I respect the Flag and I respect the laws of the land. But I will always obey God as ruler rather than man. I will never kill another human being. The two greatest commandments are to love God with your whole heart mind soul and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. Are you really showing love to your neighbor by going to war and fighting against them? Jesus told Peter to put the sword away.
2007-09-04 12:33:45 · answer #3 · answered by Jason W 4 · 9⤊ 0⤋
Jehovah's Witnesses do not fight in any man's war. They go to jail rather then fight.
When you think this is so bad not to fight for their country.
Remember there are less than 100,000 Witnesses in the USA. But earthwide who also refuse to fight American soldiers are well over 6 or 7 million.
So when the German brothers were put in concertration camps for refusing to shoot an American Soldier no man or women was ever killed by one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
They are in jails all over the world for refusing to join the military or fight against the USA also.
We love our brothers and we do not wish to kill them.
Exodus 20:4 You must not make for yourselves a carved image or a form LIKE ANYTHING THAT IS IN THE HEAVENS ABOVE or that is on the earth, underneath or that is in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them or be induced to serve them because I am a God exacting exclusive devotion.
It just couldn't be clearer that the flag represents the earth, the sky over this country and although we are loyal Americans we cannot pledge our alliegance to a flag representing all those things.
We do know however that people who are not loyal Americans pledge their alligance to this flag without a second thought.
We believe it is a sin not to pay our taxes, and never cheat on our taxes or revolt against the government.
We stand to show our deep respect but our alliangance goes to God.
2007-09-04 06:43:51 · answer #4 · answered by Ruth 6 · 14⤊ 0⤋
It is true that we do not join the military, we do not go to war to kill other humans, and of course, we do not salute (or pledge our allegiance to) the flag. Our allegiance is to Jehovah, the only true God, and no mere idol.
(Psalm 83:18) "That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.”
(John 17:3) “3 This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”
(Isaiah 2:4) “And he will certainly render judgment among the nations and set matters straight respecting many peoples. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.”
~wannaknow~
2007-09-07 12:45:14 · answer #5 · answered by wannaknow 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is not that we can't; as in, we are not allowed.
It that by following the example of Jesus Christ,
we do not kill our brother.
After an earnest study, we recognize truth and decide for ourselves to serve Jehovah.
We do not pledge our allegiance to anything/ one
for our loyalties lie with Jehovah and His purposes for mankind, His Son, and the Kingdom of God.
We 'choose' not to.
Nor will we disrespect the country we live in
or the ruling authorities, or the flag their of.
We will not burn, spit or otherwise
inflame the sensibilities of our neighbors.
we all make our own choices,
if you choose to give a pledge of allegiance
to an inanimate object(s) that's your business.
Why should you care that some1 else chooses not to.
2007-09-07 12:18:16 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's Not That Jehovah's CHRISTIAN Witnesses CANNOT join the military or salute the flag; It's that they CHOOSE Not To; Because they in Imitation of Jesus Christ do not involve themselves in Childish NATIONALISTIC Wars or Speak to a LIFELESS Idol(the Flag of some Country ) ! ! !
2007-09-04 12:50:51 · answer #7 · answered by . 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Yes, that is true and for good reason. Jesus nor his followers would ever have pledged their allegience to the flag of any nation. Their allegience would have been directed to Jehovah God alone and since we want to show our loyalty to our God as they did, we do likewise and refuse to salute the flag of any country. If any government demands that we go to war and chance taking someone's life, then we must refuse. We obey God rather than men, and we show love for our enemies as Jesus instructed us to do. We do this by not warring against them. If all people felt as we do, there would be no more war.
LOBT
2007-09-04 08:33:18 · answer #8 · answered by Micah 6 · 11⤊ 0⤋
SirWilliam
James 2:20
But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Matthew 7:21
21"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Scriptures obviously say those who enter into the Kingdom of God will be the ones that do the will of the Father, and doing his will requires work. So you cannot say you are saved by believing Jesus, you also have to show it by actions.
The Coptic Translation of the Greek scriptures was translated 200-300 years after the BIble was completed, and they both translated verses similar to the New World Translation. More importantly, they translated John 1:1 to "a god".
Prior to the New World Translation
and the word was a god. 1808 - The New Testament in an Improved Version
and a god was the word. 1864 -The Emphatic Diaglott
Coptic Translation John 1:1-3
John 1:1-3:
1 In the beginning there existed the Word. And the Word existed in the presence of God, and the Word was a god. 2 This one existed in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and apart from him nothing that exists came into being.
2007-09-04 01:39:16 · answer #9 · answered by VMO 4 · 17⤊ 1⤋
We do not salute the flag because it is an act of worship, but we do respect the flag we would not spit upon it nor burn it as some people of other religion have done. We do not join the military because we do not get involved in any type of war related activity.
2007-09-04 02:53:44 · answer #10 · answered by DEBBO 5 · 18⤊ 1⤋