Jehovah's Witnesses Refuse to Serve in the Military

Jehovah's Witnesses Refuse to Serve in the Military

Spirituality

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The Near Genius

Fort Gordon

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Unlike the Jehovah's Witnesses who refuse to serve in the military Desmond
Doss, a seventh Day Adventist, served as a conscientious objecter in the U.S.
Army assigned to the Medical Detachment, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division.

He was the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor.

After a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar and machinegun fire crashed
into them, Pfc. Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept
area with the many stricken, carrying all 75 casualties one-by-one to the edge
of the escarpment.

On May 2, he exposed himself to heavy rifle and mortar fire in rescuing a
wounded man 200 yards (180 m) forward of the lines on the same
escarpment; and 2 days later he treated 4 men who had been cut down
while assaulting a strongly defended cave, advancing through a shower of
grenades to within 8 yards (7.3 m) of enemy forces in a cave's mouth,
where he dressed his comrades' wounds before making 4 separate trips
under fire to evacuate them to safety. On May 5, he unhesitatingly braved
applied bandages, moved his patient to a spot that offered protection from
small arms fire and, while artillery and mortar shells fell close by,
painstakingly administered plasma. Later that day, when an American was
severely wounded by fire from a cave, Pfc. Doss crawled to him where he
had fallen 25 feet (7.6 m) from the enemy position, rendered aid, and
carried him 100 yards (91 m) to safety while continually exposed to enemy
fire.

On May 21, in a night attack on high ground near Shuri, he remained in
exposed territory while the rest of his company took cover, fearlessly risking
his life to give aid to the injured until he was himself seriously wounded in
the legs by the explosion of a grenade. Rather than call another aid man
from cover, he cared for his own injuries and waited 5 hours before litter
bearers reached him and started carrying him to cover. The trio was caught
in an enemy tank attack and Pfc. Doss, seeing a more critically wounded
man nearby, crawled off the litter; and directed the bearers to give their
first attention to the other man. Awaiting the litter bearers' return, he was
again struck by a sniper bullet, this time suffering a compound fracture of
1 arm. With magnificent fortitude he bound a rifle stock to his shattered
arm as a splint and then crawled 300 yards (270 m) over rough terrain
to the aid station. Through his outstanding bravery and unflinching
determination in the face of desperately dangerous conditions Pfc. Doss
saved the lives of many soldiers.

His name became a symbol throughout the 77th Infantry Division for
outstanding gallantry far above and beyond the call of duty.

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

Quiz Master

RHP Arms

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Desmond Doss was a courageous man. I suspect that he would be a man who would respect the faith of others and not want his name associatted with this thread.

The Near Genius

Fort Gordon

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Originally posted by wolfgang59
Desmond Doss was a courageous man. I suspect that he would be a man who would respect the faith of others and not want his name associatted with this thread.
I was contrasting the attitude of the Seventh Day Adventist with
that of the Jehovah's Witnesses. PFC Desmond Doss showed his
commitment to his country while at the same time giving honor
to his God by his bravery. He appears to me to have the same
faith as the JW's against killing; but he handles it in a much better
way, in my opinion. Therefore, I do not understand your post.

F

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Originally posted by wolfgang59
Desmond Doss was a courageous man. I suspect that he would be a man who would respect the faith of others and not want his name associatted with this thread.
Well said. rec'd.

Cape Town

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Originally posted by RJHinds
He appears to me to have the same
faith as the JW's against killing; but he handles it in a much better
way, in my opinion. Therefore, I do not understand your post.
It is your opinion, and not that of the JWs. It is possible that Desmond Doss would respect the JWs stand and thus not want to be associated with your attempt to make them look bad.

You are also being unfair to the JWs as you are clearly wrong about what their beliefs are and thus misjudging them. You assume that they are simply against killing, but are OK with going to war or joining the army. This is clearly not the case. They do not have 'the same faith' as Desmond Doss.

rc

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My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est
Pro patria mori.

Wilfred Owen.

The Near Genius

Fort Gordon

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Originally posted by twhitehead
It is your opinion, and not that of the JWs. It is possible that Desmond Doss would respect the JWs stand and thus not want to be associated with your attempt to make them look bad.

You are also being unfair to the JWs as you are clearly wrong about what their beliefs are and thus misjudging them. You assume that they are simply against killing, but ar ...[text shortened]... ing the army. This is clearly not the case. They do not have 'the same faith' as Desmond Doss.
If Desmond Doss had been a JW none of those lives would have been saved.
He did not go into war to kill but to save lives. That is the point I tried to
make. The JWs are content to do nothing and rely on others to protect
them. They take advantage of the government benefits but refuse to
contribute anything to it except pay taxes which they can not get out of.
Here in the U.S. we at least have some JW's that will work in a government
Job to get better benefits. I don't believe Desmond Doss or any other
Seventh Day Adventist would respect any of the false teachings of the JWs.
I know they do not respect the false teachings of the Roman Catholic
Church for I have been in one of their meetings in which they spoke
against them. They believe the Sabbath is Saturday and that the Roman
Catholic Church have attempted to change it to Sunday. They meet on
Saturday instead of Sunday as most other Christian denominations do.
They believe they are keeping the commandment to honor the Sabbath
and keep it holy.

P.S. They might even please Dasa for many of their members believe they
should follow a strick vegetarian diet. Others believe it is okay to eat meat
sparingly. I, however, think they have too strick an interpretation on this.

F

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01 Nov 11

Originally posted by RJHinds
I don't believe Desmond Doss or any other Seventh Day Adventist would respect any of the false teachings of the JWs.
What you believe or don't believe about what Desmond Dos would think, has little traction, I think, seeing as it is framed almost entirely in a gratuitous, misanthropic attack on the faith of fellow Christians. If you weren't so nasty and spiteful to other posters day in day out, week in week out, on this Forum, your thoughts on doctrinal differences might carry more weight.

ka
The Axe man

Brisbane,QLD

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01 Nov 11

Originally posted by RJHinds
Unlike the Jehovah's Witnesses who refuse to serve in the military Desmond
Doss, a seventh Day Adventist, served as a conscientious objecter in the U.S.
Army assigned to the Medical Detachment, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division.

He was the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor.

After a heavy concentration of artillery, morta ...[text shortened]... allantry far above and beyond the call of duty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Doss
Read the OP- awesome!! That's another twenty cups of tea for the JW's when they visit next. Good on 'em.
Awesome

j

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01 Nov 11

Originally posted by wolfgang59
Desmond Doss was a courageous man. I suspect that he would be a man who would respect the faith of others and not want his name associatted with this thread.
Desmond Doss was a courageous man. I suspect that he would be a man who would respect the faith of others and not want his name associatted with this thread.



Desmond is not here to respond. Just maybe he would not want your comment and opinion to be associated with his name.

you never know.

F

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01 Nov 11

Originally posted by jaywill
Desmond is not here to respond. Just maybe he would not want [b]your comment and opinion to be associated with his name.

you never know.[/b]
How revealing that you choose to go after wolfgang59's more generous philanthropic conjecture about Desmond, rather than RJHinds' ugly misanthropic attempted appropriation of the dead man's "honour". How revealing.

The Near Genius

Fort Gordon

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Originally posted by FMF
What you believe or don't believe about what Desmond Dos would think, has little traction, I think, seeing as it is framed almost entirely in a gratuitous, misanthropic attack on the faith of fellow Christians. If you weren't so nasty and spiteful to other posters day in day out, week in week out, on this Forum, your thoughts on doctrinal differences might carry more weight.
What fellow Christians am I attacking?

D

St. Peter's

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01 Nov 11

Originally posted by RJHinds
I was contrasting the attitude of the Seventh Day Adventist with
that of the Jehovah's Witnesses. PFC Desmond Doss showed his
commitment to his country while at the same time giving honor
to his God by his bravery. He appears to me to have the same
faith as the JW's against killing; but he handles it in a much better
way, in my opinion. Therefore, I do not understand your post.
A Christian's loyalty and committment belongs to the kingdom of God first, last and always. I see no scriptural justification for condemning them because they refuse to be a part of the military or government. It is a matter of conscience, and that is after all the whole point of the new covenant. (Hebrews 10).

F

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Originally posted by RJHinds
What fellow Christians am I attacking?
Your OP and follow up posts strike me as a bit gratuitous and not especially 'spiritual' in nature. I think an attack like this probably belongs on the Debates Forum, as you seem intent - in your bitter spirit of Christian infighting - on being pointed and personal rather than seeking any spiritual insight or consensus.

Cape Town

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Originally posted by RJHinds
I don't believe Desmond Doss or any other Seventh Day Adventist would respect any of the false teachings of the JWs.
Yet not long ago you were trying to claim that they held similar beliefs.
If your sole goal is to attack JWs beliefs, then why bring up Desmond Doss? What does his attempts to save lives have to do with any of your concerns regarding JWs beliefs?
You seem to think that praising 7th day adventists somehow makes JWs look bad. It doesn't. It just makes you look bad.