Jehovah's witnesses - Did we support Hitler?

Question

According to a person named Rusti Hill, Bro. Rutherford supported hitler in a written statement. Do you think she has a case or is it typical baseless slander? Do you think she can produce evidence? Here is the question where she made the statement.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnHRixbiH7PCBg.zY0CbjDHsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20110110215855AAFS6cU

Answer 1

Greetings,



Supporters of those religions who were blatantly guilty of supporting Hitler desperately attempt to twist the facts regarding Witnesses actions. Especially do they do this with Rutherford's letter and the Declaration of 1934 by ripping what it really says out of context and misrepresenting what it says. In order to do this they also have to use a German translation of the English document and then "clawed back into" English, as Mark Twain said.



But you don't have to take the Witnesses' word that these people are twisting the facts. Here's a quote from a Holocaust scholar who examined all the facts regarding the 1933/34 resolution and letter:



"When the entire text of the Declaration of 25 June 1933 and the letter to Hitler are seen today in the context of the history of Jehovah's Witnesses during the period of National Socialism in Germany and the history of their religious resistance and their stand during the Holocaust, then the text does not present itself as an "antisemitic statement" or an attempt at "currying the favor" of Hitler. THESE ACCUSATIONS, STEMMING FROM PRESENT-DAY CHURCH CIRCLES, ARE DELIBERATE MANIPULATIONS AND FALSIFICATIONS OF HISTORY, SEEMINGLY MOTIVATED BY GUILT OVER THE CHURCHES' OWN INVOLVEMENT or lack or involvement in the persecutions."--Spiritual Resistance of Christian Conviction in Nazi Germany: The Case of the Jehovah's Witnesses, By Gabriele Yonan, Journal of Church and State, Spring 1999



Further, just look at what the opening statement of Rutherford's letter contained:



"This letter is both a friendly notification and a warning about things that will be of the utmost importance for your well-being...The warning goes out that all those who stand up against God and his Kingdom will be destroyed by the Lord in Armageddon. Your government has disregarded this warning."



As noted by Gabriele Yonan, upon reading the Declaration Hitler exclaimed: "This brood must be exterminated from Germany."



In her book Dr. Christine King concludes: "Only against the Witnesses was the government unsuccessful...The work [of preaching] went on and in 1945 the Jehovah's Witness movement was still alive, whilst National Socialism was not." She also points out: "NO COMPROMISES HAD BEEN MADE." (The Nazi State and the New Religions: Five Case Studies in Non-Conformity)



Any claims that Witnesses supported Hitler's racism toward Jews is disproved by the facts. Notice some comments published in Judaism Today, Winter 1999-2000: "The tenets of the Witness faith represent a sharp departure from traditional 'Christian' antisemitism. Witness belief is characterized by a resolute belief in the brotherhood of man reminiscent of first-century Christianity. Notes historian John Weiss, 'The Witnesses were free of German racial nationalism.'...Their principled aversion to racism in general motivated their specific rejection of Nazi and church- inspired antisemitism."



Now, does that sound like Rutherford and the resolution were supporting Hitler? So those who misrepresent what the resolution and letter actually stated are the ones deliberately misrepresenting history and their motivation is the discomfort of a moral inferiority. The following links will take you to an HONEST evaluation by non-Witness scholars"



http://jehovah.to/gen/holocaust/yonanart.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Facts

http://www.baycrest.org/Spring%202001/article12.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_in_Nazi_Germany





If you want to read a great book citing the actions of all religions under Hitler you should find "The German Churches under Hitler" by Ernst Christian Helmreich, Wayne State University Press, 1979



I found my copy in a used book store years ago and love it since it chronicles in detail EVERY religion in Germany at the time.





It is obvious from the various answers here that most religions do not inform their followers of their history or try to rewrite and excuse their actions. At the same time these religions ignore the clear statements by non-Witnesses scholars that the Witnesses were the ONLY ones who officially as a group refused to support Hitler.



It is also obvious that some try to purposely twist and misrepresent the facts in order to find some fault with the Witnesses. But, this doesn't come as a surprise; these same individuals twist and misrepresent the very Word of God in order to justify their false beliefs.



Yours,



BAR-ANERGES

Answer 2

Then why Hitler killed enormous quantities of JWs ?? The red triangle used to be a awareness camp badge utilized by the Nazis to spot Bibelforscher (the German title for Jehovah's Witnesses and different Bible Students companies) in Nazi Germany. A small quantity of Adventists, Baptists and pacifists (lower than one percentage) have been additionally recognized by way of the badge.[a million] Nazism adverse unorthodox-Christian devout minorities (together with Jews), however made the Bible Students the item of specifically excessive persecution, adding such large incarceration that a particular badge used to be assigned to them.[two][three] Why the Nazis killed the JWs...if JWs have been assisting them?

Answer 3

1934 Year Book of Jehovah's Witnesses:



Page 134: "The greatest and the most oppressive empire on earth is the Anglo-American empire. By that is meant the British Empire, of which the United States of America forms a part. It has been the commercial Jews of the British-American empire that have built up and carried on Big Business as a means of exploiting and oppressing the peoples of many nations. This fact particularly applies to the cities of London and New York, the stronghold of Big Business. This fact is so manifest in America that there is a proverb concerning the city of New York which says: The Jews own it, the Irish Catholics rule it, and the Americans pay the bills."



Page 135: "The present government of Germany has declared emphatically against Big Business oppressors and in opposition to the wrongful religious influence in the political affairs of the nations. Such is exactly our position:"



Page 136: "Instead of being against the principles advocated by the government of Germany, we stand squarely for such principles, and point out that Jehovah God through Christ Jesus will bring about the full realization of these principles and will give to the people peace and prosperity and the greatest desire of every honest heart."



Page 137: "A careful examination of our books and literature will disclose the fact that the very high ideals held and promulgated by the present national government are set forth in and endorsed and strongly emphasized in our publications and show that Jehovah God will see to it that these high ideals in due time will be attained by all persons who love righteousness . . . .



Page 138: "Let us remind the government and the people of Germany, that it was the League of Nations compact that laid upon the shoulders of the German people the great unjust and unbearable burdens. That the League of Nations compact was not brought forth by the friends of Germany."



Sounds like it to me!

Answer 4

@jimspace



I read the explanation of the WT before. What is explained is very nice, but what value does it have, if the original letter is not compatible with explanation?



The wording in the letter is at best disturbing. Statements like:



"The Brooklyn headquarters of the Watchtower Society is pro German" and



"the Bible Researchers of Germany are fighting for the very same high ethical goals and ideals which also the national government of the German Reich '

and

"The conference came to the conclusion that there are no contradictions when it comes to the relationship between the Bible Researchers of Germany to the national government of the German Reich"



These along with the Anti-semitic remarks in the letter, don't paint a nice picture of JF Rutherford (as if the picture of him was good anyway).



You know what this reminds of? The consession that the WT society made to the government of Bulgaria, that all JWs in bulgaria could choose to receive blood if they wanted and that the WT society will bring no punishment to those JWs. (unlike all other JWs in the world)



So they received recognition as an approved religious organization in Bulgaria in exchange of this. That's called selling out ur standards in exchange of government favour.



@STEVE T.

You asked me to provide the document, so here it is.

http://jwfacts.com/images/bulgaria-echr-app-28626-95.pdf

By the way, if you ever think that my comments are baseless slander, then simply ask for proof like you did this time, and i will provide.



@Steve T.

I"m sorry. The text is in French, i didn't think that you wouldnt be able to understand. Page 7 of the document is the one that explains the compromise between the government of Bulgaria and the Watchtower. I'll try to find an English version.

Answer 5

In Hitler the Catholic church had a willing ally in helping to persecute Jehovah's Witnesses, being called Bible Students at this time. During 1933, the very year that the concordant between the Vatican & Nazi Germany was signed, Hitler launched a campain to annihilate Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany. A Catholic priest on may 29, 1938 in a news paper called Der Deutshe Weg(a german language paper published in poland)wrote: There is now 1 country on earth where the so-called Bible Students(Jehovahs Witnesses) are forbidden. That is Germany! When Hitler came into power, he said: these so-calledEarnest Bible Students are trouble makers...I consider them quacks;I do not tolorate that the German Catholics shall be bismirshed in such manner by this American Judge Rutherford; I disolve them in Germany. No such thing ever took place, Hitler although hating Jehovah's Witnesses; admired their unwavering devotion to their faith & their God that he was heard saying he wished his SS had the same devotion to him as did the Bible Students. The documents that are being presented here are still in no way saying that Rutherford was siding with Hitler, he was saying that the InternationalBbible Students are in no way a threat to the German government, by no means are supporters of any national or ethnical movement, that they(Jehovah's Witnesses) are totally neutral to ALL governments & therefore poses no threat to the German structure. Read your info closely & you will see that the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society was not siding with Hitler in any way, only telling him that they posed no nationalistic threat. Acts 20:30, 2 pet 3:16

Answer 6

Jehovah's Witnesses NEVER - in any way, shape, or form - gave any kind of support to Hitler or Nazi Germany.



Anyone claiming that we did is a complete and total liar.



Rusti's comments in that regard were pure, baseless slander.......without a hint of fact.



*** LOL @ redvip. "An actual copy of the letter"? Sure.....you mean YOUR fabrication and distortion of the letter so that it sounds like what you only wish it sounded like.

Answer 7

Are you expecting to get an answer to this on Yahoo? You need to look in your own literature. Try the 1934 yearbook. There's also a book out by M. James Penton, Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich. You might want to find a copy.

Answer 8

I do not deny that JWs were a persecuted minority during the reign of Nazis. However, the Society wasn't completely innocent and didn't always practice the now much vaunted neutrality. None of the documents I reference are disputed by the Society...they just don't like them.



Initially the JWs did try to curry favor with Hitler and expressed sympathy with some of his plans...and showed a very ugly anti-semitism that to my knowledge they've never acknowledge or apologized for. I've linked the 1934 "Declaration of Facts"...a document the German JWs sent to Hitler...YOU DECIDE if this shows support.



Here's a particularly fun quote:



"The greatest and most oppressive empire on earth is the Anglo-American

empire. By that is meant the British Empire, of which the United States of

America forms a part. It has been the commercial Jews of the

British-American empire that have built up and carried on Big Business as a

means of exploiting and oppressing the peoples of many nations. This fact

particularly applies to the cities of London and New York, the stronghold

of Big Business. This fact is so manifest in America that there is a

proverb concerning the city of New York which says: 'The Jews own it, the

Irish Catholics rule it, and the Americans pay the bills.'



Also attached is a letter Rutherford directed the German "brothers" send to Hitler, i've attached the German version...below is the English translation.



"Dear Reichskanzler,



…The Brooklyn headquarter of the Watchtower Society is pro German in an exemplary way and has been so for many years. For that reason, in 1918, the president of the Society and seven members of the board of directors were sentenced to 80 years in prison, because the president refused to use two of the magazines published in America under his direction for war propaganda against Germany. These two magazines, "The Watchtower" and "Bible Student" were the only magazines in America which refused to engage in anti-German propaganda and for that reason were prohibited and suppressed in America during the war.



In the very same manner, in course of the recent months the board of directors of our Society not only refused to engage in propaganda against Germany, but has even taken a position against it. The enclosed declaration underlines this fact and emphasizes that the people leading in such propaganda (Jewish businessmen and Catholics) also are the most rigorous persecutors of the work of our Society and its board of directors. This and other statements of the declaration are meant to repudiate the slanderous accusation, that Bible Researchers are supported by the Jews.



… The conference of five thousand delegates also noted - as is expressed in the declaration - that the Bible Researchers of Germany are fighting for the very same high ethical goals and ideals which also the national government of the German Reich proclaimed respecting the relationship of humans to God, namely: honesty of the created being towards its creator.



The conference came to the conclusion that there are no contradictions when it comes to the relationship between the Bible Researchers of Germany to the national government of the German Reich. To the contrary, referring to the purely religious and unpolitical goals and efforts of the Bible Researchers, it can be said that these are in full agreement with the identical goals of the national government of the German Reich.



… We are looking forward to your kind approval, which we hope to receive soon, and want to assure our highest respect to you, honorable Mr. Reichskanzler.



Yours faithfully,

Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society Magdeburg"

Answer 9

Rusti Hill is drawing ancient material without the context or intent of the material. Rutherford made the case that the International Bible Students did not support the abuse that the winning powers had afflicted on Germany, and were not supporters of any power group that tried to subject other peoples.



Since Mr. Hitler rejected the information and continued the abuse of the JWs, we were the only ones that continue through our magazines and press releases to speak of the horrors that was being done, not only to us, but to the thousands of others by the Nazi.



It is the same today. It is the selective choice of words and then ascribing evil intent to them. That is what is going on in Russia right now, where the Hate groups choose the words of our publications to say that we are "offending" other "Christians" and inciting to hatred for others. And one of the publications that is banned "My Book of Bible Stories!!!"

Answer 10

Ok, lets state some facts here.....



This is not really even up for debate, this is documented. Why don't you read the letter that Rutherford wrote to Hitler and then decide.



Let me give you some background on this. Hitler started persecuting JWs in germany even before WW2, but at first it was light persecution. In view of this, Rutheford wrote a letter in 1935 to Hitler, where is stated that the WT organization was 1) Not associated or financed by Jews. 2) That the Wt society is friendly to hitler and will not pose a threat to his government.

This was done to persuade Hitler to go easy on JWs in germany. This, as we know now, did not work.



There is a lot of non-specific innuendo in the letter.After reading it, i got the feeling that Rutherford had something against Jews in general, and that he want to portray a nazi-friendly position towards hitler from the WT organization.



btw, the letter was called "Declaration of facts" and its available to read pretty much anywhere.



@Henry Jones.



I love how you call a copy of the actual letter, baseless slander. A document is NOT a comment. A document is a fact. Wouldn't occur to you to take 5 minutes to research this..



@Steve T.

Thanks, but there is no need to defend my comment from Henry Jones's silly answer. We've come to understand how little value his answers have, as it is equivalent to a little child's answer. Hands on the ears, refusing to even consider facts or logic.

Answer 11

@Mike supplied the documentation for me. Thanks.



Not baseless slander at all but, pure fact. I like the ancient history comment as well, tell that to surviving holocaust members. They probably beg to differ on the ancient. Rutherford's words are right there documented. I am not guilty of libel (slander is badmouthing in person/not the written word) on this. I think the words themselves stand alone on intent. My issue with the Watchtower is the ability to change their own history instead of owning it and saying wow we totally goofed on that one. History can be ugly and if we do not learn from it we are doomed to repeat it.



Following is an English translation of the Letter to Hitler from 1933



"Dear Reichskanzler,



…The Brooklyn headquarter of the Watchtower Society is pro German in an exemplary way and has been so for many years. For that reason, in 1918, the president of the Society and seven members of the board of directors were sentenced to 80 years in prison, because the president refused to use two of the magazines published in America under his direction for war propaganda against Germany. These two magazines, "The Watchtower" and "Bible Student" were the only magazines in America which refused to engage in anti-German propaganda and for that reason were prohibited and suppressed in America during the war.



In the very same manner, in course of the recent months the board of directors of our Society not only refused to engage in propaganda against Germany, but has even taken a position against it. The enclosed declaration underlines this fact and emphasizes that the people leading in such propaganda (Jewish businessmen and Catholics) also are the most rigorous persecutors of the work of our Society and its board of directors. This and other statements of the declaration are meant to repudiate the slanderous accusation, that Bible Researchers are supported by the Jews.



… The conference of five thousand delegates also noted - as is expressed in the declaration - that the Bible Researchers of Germany are fighting for the very same high ethical goals and ideals which also the national government of the German Reich proclaimed respecting the relationship of humans to God, namely: honesty of the created being towards its creator.



The conference came to the conclusion that there are no contradictions when it comes to the relationship between the Bible Researchers of Germany to the national government of the German Reich. To the contrary, referring to the purely religious and unpolitical goals and efforts of the Bible Researchers, it can be said that these are in full agreement with the identical goals of the national government of the German Reich.



… We are looking forward to your kind approval, which we hope to receive soon, and want to assure our highest respect to you, honorable Mr. Reichskanzler.



Yours faithfully,

Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society Magdeburg"

Answer 12

The JW's as a whole suffered under Hitler as did many homosexuals, Jews, Poles, Christians and many others, but the hierarchy of the JW's were sending letters to Hitler trying to be on his side and condemning the rest of the world.



Yes the JW's supported Hitler, but it was not the "other sheep" but the GB.

Answer 13

Short answer: No.



See: Jehovah's Witnesses Courageous in the Face of Nazi Peril. [1]

Also, for comparison, see this article on propaganda. [2]

Answer 14

The Jehovah's Witnesses are one of the few, if not the only Christian denomination which did not compromise it's beliefs due to pressure from the Nazi's. And they suffered accordingly. In spite of their wacky beliefs and their complete, unquestioning acceptance of the Bible, the Witnesses have an integrity and commitment that is an example to everybody. Don't sell them short. Fundamentally, their beliefs are no more or less deluded than any other religion or denomination.

Answer 15

Well, sorry to inform you, but Rutherford did support Hitler, at the beginning. He wrote many letters to Hitler and here is a portion..."We demand the freedom of all religious denominations within the state, as far as they do not endanger the state itself or violate the moral values of the German race. The party as such represents the viewpoint of positive Christianity without being attached to any particular denomination. It fights against the Jewish-materialistic spirit inside and outside of us and is convinced that any recovery of the German people can only take place from the inside out".



It wasn't until later, that he retracted his statements and shared his disappoint & hatred of the Third Reich with Hitler. That was when Hitler retaliated against the JW's and started rounding them up too. And the proof is in the correspondence letters between the two.

Answer 16

I am a born-again, but I cannot allow a lie to stand no matter who it affects.



I went to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. last August. In the gift shop there were several notebooks, pencils, bags, etc. that are usually found in a gift shop. But these were imprinted with "Jehovah's Witness". I went to the cashier and asked why these items were in the Holocaust Museum. The reply amazed me. One of the groups that Hitler was murdering was the Jehovah's Witnesses. They were rounded up and put on cattle cars and sent to concentration camps along with the Jews.

Answer 17

I'm not a Jehovah's Witness myself, but I do not believe that it is true.



What Rutherford did was attempt to convince the Nazi government that Jehovah's Witnesses posed no threat to the German people and the State.



This was after they had been persecuted for years by the Nazis for refusing to to bear arms or swear loyalty to the state.

Answer 18

Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted by Hitler just like the Jews, would you say the Jews Supported Hitler.

Answer 19

obviously not, it is pretty much a historical fact that he persecuted us, they even have a section for JW casualties from WW2 in that museum in DC and I forgot its name. There is two sides to each story, don't believe what that guy comes up with, he is just making up random stuff for no good reason at all.



and I recognize your picture from my book of bible stories.

Answer 20

We have never supported any man made government. Why would we? We are completely neutral on world affairs and politics