Hey FG

I'm not exactly sure why they wouldn't stand for this... but if they won't for the anthem, etc., perhaps they view it as some kind of 'paying homage to the nation-state' thing.. if that makes any sense.

BTW the word you're looking for is Jehovah, and collectively the group is known as Jehovah's Witnesses.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but originally the JW's called themselves "Bible Christians" (this was around 1900-ish when they started, I believe). They have their own translation of the Bible (Watchtower translation), and they believe that "Jehovah" is the true name of God. Unfortunately for them, "Jehovah" was actually the product of some bad translation of the Hebrew "Yahweh" (one of the names used to refer to God in the OT).

they probably had no reason that even they understood. It's common in some sects to pick some point and make it one of enormous principle, even when it's quite irrelevant, I guess it becomes a matter them assuring themselves that they have the only true faith, and all the rest of us are going to hell.

graeme

Not understanding why some refrain from standing for the national anthem or saluting a flag or honouring a moment of silence is often where we start not liking or not respecting people or marginalizing people based on belief. .

Jehovah Witnesses are, like many other denominations, concsientious objectors.

One can be a conscientious objector with or without religion. There are those who stand for their reasons and those who do not for their own.

The Amish do not salute flags or stand for national anthems, nor would they honour a moment of silence related to war. They are pacifists. For the Amish, waving and/or saluting the flag, pledging allegiance, singing the national anthem, etc, is contrary to their interpretation of the Bible and is viewed by them as a form of idolatry. It is making an idol of flag, pledge, song, government, country...

Unitarian Universalists object to war.

The Church of the Brethren, Mennonites (including Amish), Quakers, Church of Christ, Community of Christ (former Reorganized Church fo Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), Seventh Day Adventists, Christadelphians... part of their religious beliefs is pacifism or conscientious objection.

Some Indian religions, Buddhists, some Wiccans won't salute national flags or won't join the armed services.

Sometimes the only difference between the "us's" and the "thems" is whether the concept of a Just War is accepted or not.

Jews are very big on separation of church and state. I never pledged allegiance to the flag. The lesson of the Holocaust was that nations can be wrong. It meant I took much teasing, torment and was accused of all kinds of things including the mild one of being disrespectful.

There are national anthems that mention God, Canada's anthem does. That poses a problem for agnostics, atheists, Buddhists, UU, Humanists, etc.

Honouring the concept of freedom means also honouring those who use that freedom to not do what you do.

I have some agreement with the above, indeed some considerable agreement. I do have a problem with those who make an issue of principal out of something quite minor. Most of the issues mentioned above have importance. On the other hand, I have often observed the religious customs of others that are not in accord with my own (wearing a cap in a synagogue) where it seems to me to in no way compromise any fundamentals of my faith.

FG - did you approach them at all from a perspective of respectful non-judgemental  curiosity to ask about their choice not to participate?  It would be interesting to hear what their own perspective is.   Something like "I noticed you didn't observe the two minutes of silence on Remembrance Day - I'm just curious to know more about that choice."   It might provide some interesting illumination & discussion.

good idea. It has to be done with some delicacy, and some reassurance that one is not being critical. but it sounds worthwhile.

graeme

Audj will probably stop by and give an observation.

Not that I'm an expert on Jehovah's witnesses but they consider things like the pledge of allegiance and similar things to be a form of idolatry. While I don't agree with their definition of what constitutes idolatry I'm actually inclined to give them a break on this one. I think you'll agree that idolatry is a bad thing so even if you don't define it the way they do understand why it's done. In America several key Supreme court cases concerning religious freedom and seperation of church and state were actually the result of Jehovah's witnesses not going along with everyone else and what was socially accepted (read established).

I really have to admit, on reflection, that much of my annoyance comes close to being intolerance. maybe more than close.

In addition to what Jon said, the JW's do not recite any prayer, stand in circles or similar behaviours. I imagine that standing together for a moment of silence might come under the same category of behaviours.

It has been a very long time since I had a good explanation of this, so bear with me. I used to work at an addiction program and I had a JW client. I had encouraged her to check out AA for support. She did attend a meeting and was somewhat horrified to learn they start the meeting by reciting the Serentiy Prayer, and end by standing in a circle to recite the Lord's Prayer. She said that went against her beliefs as a JW because they are not allowed to recite prayers. I think it is in the idolatry category, and ironically seen as a cultish behaviour.

I think the Jehovah's Witnesses have reason to do things the way they do.  There are other Christian denominations that probably would not stand either.  I imagine many types of Mennonite wouldn't stand either.  The problem here is that people assume because they stand as Canadians that Christians should stand - this, my friends is a conflict of loyalties.  I personally sit with those who call standing "idolatry" mainly because I'm a Christian.  I see no reason to pacify the government with acts of worship like admonishing their soldiers and raising up war as an ideal.

This, however, is not to say that I have no respect for the soldiers.  In fact, it is to say just the opposite.  To not stand is to rip your shirt off in despair that these would only know war-making and not peace-making.  Jesus says something about peacemaking in the Sermon on the Mount:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be the children of God.  (Matt. 5:9)

Gandhi said, "It is that Sermon which has endeared Jesus to me."

Freundly-Giant,

Did you attend the Memorial of Christ's death, celebrated by Jehovah's Witnesses? You may have recieved a personal invitation to this event at the end of March?

I don't think the reason is because they are objectors to the wars.

JW dont' acknowledge any thing other than God.

they don't celebrate or acknowledge birthdays, secular holidays like Halloween, christmas, anthems, flags.....  It was my understanding that they had a belief that to celebrate something was to elevate it as greater than God.

Well there is certainly a lot of knowledge flowing here, and these issuse can be very controversial as some people would label the JWs as anything from unpatriotic (whoopty-freaking-do) to a traitor to the country (them's some serious accusations!).

Christadelphians...every time I hear that word I giggle on the inside.  Christians from Philadelphia xD

As-salaamu alaikum

-Omni