All social groups have a history. They also have every family, sometimes its history is glorious, and sometimes – contemptible or even hideous. The sects will also not escape their history. However, they constantly reread past events and interpret history according to their own key.
Some gums turn their status as an internee in a psychiatric hospital into that of a doctor. In others, a criminal act becomes a heroic act again, defending religious freedom, a way of expression or a political choice.
Jehovah's Witnesses, masters in this matter, as time passes, they re-interpret ancient apocalyptic prophecies, the coming of Christ to Earth and the like. At the same time, they sometimes try to ignore the infamous pages of their history, forced to remain faithful to their ancestors, even if their legacy is hard to accept.
World War II left its traces difficult to cover. it is true, that Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted by the Nazis, deported to concentration camps and paid a heavy tribute to the Third Reich. However, the reasons for their persecution are less obvious, than they would like to convince everyone of it.
Six thousand witnesses were deported (they were marked with a lilac triangle), and two thousand of the three died in the camps. Probably the main reason was the refusal of members of this community to bear arms.
In June 1933 In the year, Joseph Rutherford spoke to the 5,000 Yhowowite delegates gathered at the stadium in Berlin. He chanted a song no 64 from the collection of religious songs, The glorious hope of Zion, inspired by a concert by Imperator Haydn. Then everyone discussed the situation in their movement.
The polemic between witnesses and their slanderers has been going on for fifty years. Among the latter, there are many such, who claim, that their religious song no 64 is very similar to Deutschland iiber alles, the German national anthem introduced in 1922 year, which had opened the assembly of the Nazi party not long before. It may indeed surprise us a bit. But we have no doubts, when we read the text of the declaration (Explanation), which the witnesses sent the day after the meeting to the Chancellor of the Reich, Adolf Hitler.
Dear Chancellor of the Reich,,
25 June 1933 r. a conference was held at the Sporthalle Wilmersdorf in Berlin, which gathered approx 5000 serious students of the Bible (Jehovah's witnesses), representatives of many millions of Germans, who have been friends and supporters of this movement for many years. The purpose of this conference, attended by representatives of all German Bible student communities, was to find ways and means, to inform the Reich Chancellor, as well as other high officials of the German Reich and the authorities of various federal states, about that, what follows:
Action has been taken against the society of serious Christian men and women in many parts of the country, who are faithful to the foundations of positive Christianity. Such actions can only be described as persecution of Christians by other Christians, because the accusation – which led to these actions against us – they are mainly of a clerical origin, especially Catholic, and are wrong.
[…] We think, that the content of our literature is largely misinterpreted, which is caused by the accusations made against us by our religious opponents.
For this reason, we present the topics discussed at the Bibie And Tract Sociely conference in the form of a document, to convey to you, Mr. Chancellor of the Reich, as well as the official superiors of the German Reich and the Länder a testimony to this, that diligent Bible students in Germany have only one goal in their work, that is, be able to bring people to God and be a Witness of Jehovah's name, the highest, the father of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ.
We are convinced, that Lord, Mr. Chancellor of the Reich, will not be disturbed by such activity […]. Watchtower Bibie and Tract Society (operating in Magdeburg, Germany) is the center for the mission of urgent Bible students.
Brooklyn's social capital of the Watchtower community has been exemplary pro-German, and has been for many years. W 1918 In the year, our community president and seven members of our board of directors were sentenced to eighty years in prison, because they refused to make available the lamas of two of their American magazines to promote war against Germany. These two magazines, The Watchtower and the Bible Student, they were the only magazines in America, who did not engage in anti-German propaganda and for this reason their publishing was banned in America during the war.
Likewise, in recent months our community's administrative board has not only refused to engage in propaganda against Germany, but he is also against it. The included declaration emphasizes this event and emphasizes the fact, that the people carrying out such propaganda (people representing Jewish and Catholic interests) they are also bitter persecutors of the work of our community and its governing council.
This and other points of the declaration are written for this, to counter slanderous accusations, that serious Bible students are supported by the Jews.
Conference, which was attended by five thousand delegates, it was with great satisfaction that she received the report from the governor of Magdeburg. He will declare! on, that he cannot prove, that there are connections between serious Bible students and communists or Marxists, what our religious opponents accused us of (which means, that such a report is nothing but slander). This is confirmed by a press report in the Magdeburger Tageszeitung, numer 104, from 5 May 1933 r.:
Government Declaration on Occupation of Diligent Bible Students Building: the government press service released the following information: Seizure of property belonging to the community of serious Bible students “in Magdeburg was abolished 29 April, because no material could be found supporting the accusation of carrying out communist activities ".
A conference attended by five thousand delegates stressed, as evidenced by the above information from the Government, that it is beneath the dignity of our community to defend itself against all accusations by Marxist or communist activists. Such rebutted slander by religious opponents undoubtedly bears the hallmarks of religious competition. Their purpose is to eclipse a competitor's uprightness with loathsome slander, and not the words of God.
A conference of five thousand delegates noted such – as expressed in the declaration – that serious German Bible students struggle to fulfill the same goals and higher moral ideals, what the national government of the German Reich, who proclaimed respect for the relationship of people to God, called honesty of created being towards its creator.
The conference is of the opinion, that there is no contradiction in the relationship between serious Bible students from Germany and the national government of the German Reich. On the contrary, considering purely religious purposes and efforts as expressed in the Bible, you can say, that they are fully in line with the goals of the German Reich National Government.
Due to the strong language of our writings, some of our books were banned.
To, what has been published in our literature, it is in no way an expression of a financial or political point of view. It is directed only against the oppressors of the Germans and their country, and does not refer to Germany itself as a country, who is struggling to fight against the imposed burdens.
Concluding, at a conference attended by five thousand delegates it was stated, that serious Bible students and the Watchtower work to maintain order and security in the country, as well as promoting the high ideals of the national government in the field of religion.
We demand freedom of all religious groups in the state, as long as they do not endanger it or violate the moral values of the Germanic race.
The party as such represents the point of view of positive Christianity, not being associated with any religious group, she fights against the Jewish-materialist spirit inside and outside the nation and is convinced of it, that the complete restoration of the Germanic people can only come about through the accomplishments of the opposite spirit.
We await your favorable approval with interest, which we hope to receive soon, and we want to assure you of our great respect towards you, venerable Mr. Chancellor of the Reich.
Please accept assurances of special consideration.
Watchtower Bibie and Tract Society, Magdeburg. Statement of Facts, Berlin 1933.
Perhaps Jehovah's witnesses could find justification for their behavior in the face of the Nazi threat, but reading this declaration does not cease to amaze. The terms used leave no doubt as to the willingness to cooperate against all "social parasites", which are against the Nazis: Catholics, communist, Marxists and Jews. Only freemasons are missing from this list, but after all in 1933 year, the freemasons had not yet been fought by the Nazis.
It was possible to hope, that when there will be peace, Jehovah's witnesses will at least appear to regret their attempted collaboration. However, they repeated everything without a trace of embarrassment. In the publication May God Be Recognized as Truth, they announced:
The kingdom of Jesus Christ has been established (on the ground) w 1914 r. On that day, Jesus Christ, who sat at the right hand of the Father, was taken into royal power and began to reign, even if natural Jews did not convert.
Most of their suffering is due to rebellion and greed. They will be screened by Satan and his servants, until Armageddon frees the Earth from all Messiah's enemies.
A beautiful example of Christian love…