Sons of Jehovah's Witnesses return from Iraq without welcome
Two brothers, Jason and Johel Woodliff, came back from Iraq with their comrades in a Marine Corps battalion that lost 48 members, greeted by a mile-long parade attended by thousands of strangers. But not by their family.
The brothers, their parents and J.R. Brown, director of public information for the Watchtower Bible Tract Society, all speak out about Jehovah’s Witnesses and military service.Two brothers, Jason and Johel Woodliff, came back from Iraq with their comrades in a Marine Corps battalion that lost 48 members, greeted by a mile-long parade attended by thousands of strangers.
But not by their family.
Thomas and Mia Woodliff, who are devout Jehovah’s Witnesses, were so upset by their sons’ decisions to join the Marine Reserves that they did not meet them at the airport upon their return last month.
“I begged my mother to come, but I knew she wouldn’t,” Johel said. “Several families know our situation and have taken us under their wing. My mom knows I’ll always have love for her. I believe love is unconditional.”
His brother is less forgiving.
“What’s the most important thing in the Bible? Love and family,” Jason asked. “It’s not like I blasphemed God or worshipped the devil. It’s just ridiculous to me.”
In a written statement, Thomas and Mia Woodliff respond:
“We love our sons and are saddened that they have expressed public disappointment regarding what should be a private, family matter, that is, our choice not to attend the recent homecoming party for the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines. As you know, we are Jehovah’s Witnesses and are neutral as to the political and military affairs of the world. We base our beliefs on Scriptures such as John 17:14, 16, Matthew 5:43, 44 and Matthew 26:52 among others. This means we are neither for nor against the political involvements of the 200-plus nations that we can be found in. This does not mean that we do not love the land in which we live, or that we disrespect the government or those in authority. We recognize that each nations ruling authority has the right to enact and enforce laws, make foreign policy and to purse its own sovereign interests. We simply choose not to participate.
However, we are generally known as exemplary taxpayers and citizens and we try to follow the laws of the land to the extent that our Bible-trained conscience will individually permit. Which leads us to the main point of our statement. Our two sons were taught to be peace-loving followers of Jesus Christ. Instead, they have chosen a different path. We respect their right to chose whatever lifestyle they wish. And we hope one day for reconciliation so that we can be a united family again. We have many fond memories of the abundant good times we shared together. In the meantime, please be assured that the current difference in point of view, and the separation in ties that has occurred as a result, does not mean that we love our children less.”
Graduates of Washington High School in Massillon, the Woodliffs said they had a strict upbringing based on their parents’ faith, and that the real trouble began when they announced their intentions to become Marines.
“When they found out I wanted to join, they were very upset about it,” said Johel, 20, who turned down a college scholarship to join the Marines in 2003. “I let them know that as I grew older, I had done some research on the religion, and that it didn’t abide with my beliefs.”
Jason, 23, claims that when he informed his parents in 2004 that he too intended to join the Marines, he was asked to leave the house.
“I was 18 years old, living by myself in a trailer,” he said. “I haven’t had a conversation with my dad in five years. For him, it’s 100 percent about the religion.”
Though the Bible is filled with accounts of battles and war imagery, J.R. Brown, director of public information for the Watchtower Bible Tract Society, confirmed that Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t participate in military service based on their interpretation of Scripture, and that the actions of the Woodliffs’ parents are consistent with the faith.
“As Christians, we’re neutral with respect to the conflicts that nations have,” he said. “Our neutrality is just in regards to conflicts of men. This doesn’t mean we’re adversaries. We try to (convey) that to the person as best we can, but because they’re usually partisan, they think we’re against them. That’s not the case. We’re truly neutral.”
Brown noted that numerous U.S. court decisions have recognized members’ right to neutrality.
“We’re not be feared,” Brown said, adding that the church is merely adhering to Jesus’ admonition to, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God, the things that are God’s.”
Brown acknowledged that family members who enter the military voluntarily, risk “disassociation.”
“We as an organization or local congregation do not initiate this action,” he explained. “Rather than ‘disfellowship,’ we use ‘disassociation’ as a term. That means the individual made a conscientious decision that he or she would no longer ascribe to the principles that we do. He or she has decided to take a side; the individual has left the position of ‘neutral.’ We look at disassociation as accepting the person’s decision to take a side.”
Given that the faith places a great deal of emphasis on the family, Brown concedes that others might see the policy as contradictory.
“It depends on how you look at your Christian responsibility,” he said. “We look at our responsibility before God as our first and foremost responsibility. As our creator, he comes first. We feel our position of neutrality is based on our love for him. If a family member does not accept the same decision, we feel they have to bear the consequences. It pains us. We’re human too.”
Brown said members must prioritize their allegiances.
“You have to decide who’s first in your life, is it God more than any human?” he said. “The fact is, we do not even put ourselves and our own interests ahead of God. He’s our creator. Our allegiance is first to him. In making that decision, it does at times create problems within the family. Husbands, wives, parents can be torn; there’s love there. But the apostle said we must obey God as ruler rather than man.”
The Woodliff brothers say they consider themselves nondenominational but still fervently believe in God. Johel Woodliff carries a camouflage Bible and wears a medallion of St. Michael, the warrior angel, on a chain with his dog tags.
“There are Scriptures written all over Iraq,” Johel said. “My favorite is John 15:13.”
“War shouldn’t be necessary, but war has existed since the beginning of man,” he said. “The Bible speaks of war constantly. King David was one of the greatest warriors. It shouldn’t be a necessity, but it’s a reality.”
Based on Associated Press and cantonrep.com articles
@Jim Jones
Jim, there are two categories of jehovordures: those who drown in cash and gold thanks to this business and those who drown in the shit. so some jehovordures must be really smart.
And yet the founder was buried near a Pyramid that dons a cross on it. Talk about hypocrites. Thought JW don’t believe Christ died on a cross but rather a pole? So why isn’t a pole on the pyramid? Another Jim Jones Cult…no educated followers who need something to believe in.
@dennis thurman
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
the watchtower only seperate themselves from the world when it suits them ,there such hypocrites the money ,music and entertainment all the supplies of a modern society are all part of the wicked world until the brothers need them then they miraculously become GOD”S provisions .
No thurma, no jehovhas witnesses should serve in the army, it all goes against what the bible says. Nowhere in the bible talks about wars and Christians killing innocent people. Or does it? It is time for you to start reading the bible instead of the propaganda WT magazines.
“”"”"”"”No misquotes here, read all about it in your good book.
Deuteronomy 20: 10-17
10 “When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it.
11 And if its answer to you is peace and it opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall do forced labor for you and shall serve you.
Comment: Oh, so slavery is OK with Biblegod. The United States, when it defeated Japan and Germany, did NOT enslave them; it bettered them. Therefore, the USA has a higher moral standard than does Biblegod.
12 But if it makes no peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it;
13 and when the LORD your God gives it into your hand you shall put all its males to the sword,
14 but the women and the little ones, the cattle, and everything else in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as booty for yourselves; and you shall enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you.
The ‘Booty?? ‘What to DO with “The Booty” “The women”you shall enjoy” Deut. 20:14 “But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.”Numbers 31:18
Comment: So, after the enemy army has surrendered, Biblegod wants all the POW’s murdered, and their widows and orphans given to the Jews as sex slaves and servants. THIS is the “god” of the Christians! If he were real, do not kiss his fucking ass- spit in his eye and see him for the monster he is!!! SEX SLAVES damn it!!!! Doesn’t THAT at least piss off any modern Christian fathers who have teen age daughters or pretty wives??? How about if your wife or 13 year old daughter were to be taken away for some harem? Would you be pissed off then at least??? Is enslaving women to be SEX SLAVES ok with modern Christians- is THAT a moral and good thing to do??? Is that something a “good” god sets up??? Stop BLINDING yourself to the true moral nature of this damn “god” you kiss the ass of every Sunday morning. He is EVIL, and no amount of Madison Avenue P.R. can change that.
15 Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you, which are not cities of the nations here.
16 But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes,
17 but you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded.
Mr Deneke, sorry to say it gets worse:
Numbers 31: 1-18
1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 “Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”
3 And Moses said to the people, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the LORD’s vengeance on Midian.
4 You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war.”
5 So there were provided, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6 And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, together with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
7 They warred against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and slew every male.
8 They slew the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian; and they also slew Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
9 And the people of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones; and they took as booty all their cattle, their flocks, and all their goods.
10 All their cities in the places where they dwelt, and all their encampments, they burned with fire,
11 and took all the spoil and all the booty, both of man and of beast.
12 Then they brought the captives and the booty and the spoil to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the people of Israel, at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
13 Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went forth to meet them outside the camp.
14 And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come from service in the war.
15 Moses said to them, “Have you let all the women live?
16 Behold, these caused the people of Israel, by the counsel of Balaam, to act treacherously against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the LORD.
17 Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.
18 But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
Comment: What the FUCK is going on here and how can ANY one with half a brain kiss the ass of the “god” who gave such barbaric orders!!! Keep the young virgins so they can FUCK and SUCK you? Murder their mothers and fathers and little brothers in front of them, then while they’re wailing with grief HOLD THEM DOWN ON THE FLOOR AND RAPE THEM? Kill off all the girls who’ve gotten laid before you met them? And imagine these brave soldiers of God, pulling the clothes off of ALL the girls and opening their legs and sticking their fingers into their cunts to see if they were still virgins! BUT THIS IS WHAT THAT GOD-DAMNED “GOD” OF THE OLD TESTAMENT ORDERED!!! How else do you THINK they could tell which were and were not virgins- by asking??? “Excuse me, miss, but are you a virgin? If you’re not, I have to kill you- orders, you know. Nothing personal.”
As if the above were not enough of a moral abomination, Biblegod also gave them orders to kill off ALL the little boys. “Onward Christian Soldiers”, get your sword and thrust it thru the little five year old’s belly- yeah, the cute little boy with the angelic smile- that’s the one, right over there, crying over his bloody dying mother YOU just sliced and diced. And slice up his little four year old buddy- cut his arm off, cut his legs off- play with him first and then just let him bleed to death. Keep killing the little boys until your arms are so tired you don’t think you can kill another one. At that point, de Lawd will give you POWER to rise anew, and kill even more little boys! Praise Gawd! Kiss the ASS of the deity who gave such orders and tell mankind what a LOVING and KIND and MERCIFUL deity he is!!! And if ANY disagree with you, well, THEY just don’t understand that God is God and anything God does is OK by you.”"”"”"”
I gather this was a holy war so it was ok! Doesn’t the same go for those Eastern religions/countries that activate bombs everywhere killing endless people? According to them it is a holy war so it must be ok too. Man are you ever brained washed by that cult of yours.
no jehovah witness should serve in the armed forces at all.it flys in the face of all the church teaches.if they were my sons i wouldnt be there for them either due to the fact they did not take wise counsle and stay true to their upbringing and to the church.
Why don’t you say something about the hatred the sons showed by joining the warring factions?
You should look at your Bible rather than at people. The Govering Body has used the srciptuers as their authority. Do YOU really believe that the Bible is God’s Word? Do you think a loving God would condone worldly wars that do not enjoy His backing? If parents decid eto lead by example so be it? How could they preach tolerance and condone intolerance? Warring groups show intolerance of divergent viewpoints. How can you live with that?
Just fixing spelling errors:
“the first command is this” and “all your soul and all your strength”
actually “the first command is thid love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with allyour soul and with all your shrength, thd second is Love your Neighbors as yourself”
they don’t speak badly about Jehovah Witness they found something that is unexplainable but here’s a hint to what they see 1 John 4:7-12 “dear friends let us love one another because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and Know God whoever does not love does not know God because GOD IS LOVE”
1John4:18-21 “there is no fear in love, but love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment the onwe who fears is not made in perfect love we love because he (God) first loved us.” this is what I found in my bible. (I have an NIV)
All christians around the globe should join forces and keep the pressure on the leadership of the watchtower society, we must keep exposing their hypocrisy and their opprerssion on peoples mind, we must not tolerate any longer, their abuses, totalitarism and psycological pressures on innocent and unsuspecting children, and families altogerher. We must seek the help of the gobernment, if possible; and the help from powerful institutions and individuals, until we achieve the goal of riding the globe from this evil scum called the “goberning body” This time though, we must not make the same mistake the reformers did after the protest of 1517, the “Big Fish” got away, because we did not stick together. this time lets finish the job.
has anyone seen the Southpark episode where Jehovahs Wittnesses were sent to hell with everyone else Question why was he wearing an Army Uniform?
Aahhh the intolerance of the JW’s shines through once again. Exactly the reason that I as a 13 year old (funny that even a child can spot it) decided not to follow the religion. They proclaim to preach love and acceptance (love thy neighbor, hate the sin not the sinner) and then shun and abandon anyone who doesn’t follow the “slave class” (for the unenlightened that would be the governing body…again..funny that so much is stressed on teachings of MEN and their biblical interpretations and not the word itself that is as it says is “unchanging”) in body AND thought. So basically love everyone unless the governing body says not to (very cult like isn’t it, isolationism, exclusion, etc). Makes me think back to the old watchtower I found in the attic from around 1904 or so (can’t remember exactly when) that talked about blacks being “not totally equal” to whites. I guess it’s only now that the “voice of god” get’s it right and not then, or the many other times throughout the past 100 years. But anyways back to the point at hand. Their parents weren’t asked to be part of, condone, nor do anything that would contradict their neutrality doctrine. They were simply asked to welcome their sons home after a very rough experience (2 tours in iraq and 1 in Afgan myself so I know of what I speak). Isn’t that the very essence of love? To celebrate the fact that their sons were alive and safe? I know what it feels like to stand there and watch everyone embraced in the arms of their loved ones. The tears of joy at seeing them after so long, and then walk away alone, climb in a car and drive to an empty apartment. But this story and many others only confirm my realizations as a child. I will not have any part of an “organization” wether it be secular or religious that teaches one thing (love) and then practices another. It is no less intollerant then the muslim religion that teaches anyone not a muslim is therefore an infidel regardless of their beliefs or morals (even if they are the same as the muslim faith). Jason and Johel, welcome home brothers. Stay safe and keep your head down. Semper Fi marines.
I am very sory that you grow so bitter. But it does not allow you to speak of Jehovah’s Witnesses in a such maner. the first and foremost commandment is to love God with all our heart. and second is to love nearest as ourselves. we do call on Jehovah as to a Father, so we do understand importance of parental love sadly to say more than anyone else.