Martial Arts & The Watchtower
Anonymous
news:4175d...@Usenet.com...
>
> "le ténébreux" <prince.d'aqui...@tour.abolie> wrote in message
> news:4175...@duster.adelaide.on.net...
>>I did jujitsu for a few years and never got in trouble (not
that I
>> actually said anything about it to anyone of course). I just
figured
>> if it's okay to defend yourself then it must be okay to learn
how.
>
> Exactly.
>
WTBTS or Martial arts which will you follow?
Combat Instruction: In some schools military training is given
students. Yet
Jehovah's Witnesses want to be among those of whom the Bible
says: "They
will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears
into pruning
shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither
will they
learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4) Therefore, Jehovah's Witnesses
ask to be
excused from military training classes at school.
The Bible also says: "If possible, as far as it depends upon
you, be
peaceable with all men." (Romans 12:18) The application of these
principles
in our lives also affects our attitude toward other forms of
combat. These
include the martial arts, such as judo, karate and kendo, as
well as boxing
and wrestling. Although these activities may be labeled sports,
we view
participation in them as training for the purpose of fighting or
hurting
others. Therefore, Jehovah's Witnesses do not take part in such
combat
activities. Although Witness youths ask to be excused from
participation in
them, they gladly cooperate to the extent possible in other
school-hour
physical education programs.
school and Jehovah's witnesses 1983 pg 29
Watching the World
Freedom of Religion Upheld
On March 8, 1996, the Supreme Court of Japan ruled that the Kobe
Municipal
Industrial Technical College violated the law by expelling
Kunihito
Kobayashi, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, for his refusal to
participate in
martial arts training, reports The Daily Yomiuri of Tokyo. In so
doing,
Japan's highest court rejected an appeal made by the college and
established
a precedent for future cases. (Please see the October 8, 1995,
issue of
Awake! for further details.) The court recognized that the
student's reason
for declining to participate in the kendo martial arts drills
"was earnest
and closely related to the very core" of his faith. The court
called
Kobayashi "an outstanding student" and stated that the school
could have
offered him an alternative physical education program in place
of kendo
awake 9-8-96 pg 28 (notice that it says that abstaining from the
martial
arts is at the very core of the JW religion)
'That is all well and good for owning firearms,' someone may
say. 'But what
about learning the martial arts for self-defense, such as judo,
karate, and
kendo?' Ask yourself, is not the object of this instruction to
fight or hurt
others? And is not such training really equivalent to arming
oneself
lethally? (1 Timothy 3:3) Even practice sessions have resulted
in serious
injuries and fatalities.
(Even this article condemns martial arts)
Romans 12:17-19 offers wise advice in this regard: "Return evil
for evil to
no one. . . . If possible, as far as it depends upon you, be
peaceable with
all men. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but yield place to
the wrath;
for it is written: 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says
Jehovah.'" The
Greek word Paul uses for "evil" (ka·kos´) could also mean
"destructive,
damaging." Hence, Christians are to keep from all thought of
vindictively
damaging or harming another person.
Rather than impetuously expressing his own wrath, a Christian
fully trusts
in God, who says of his people: "He that is touching you is
touching my
eyeball." In harmony with this, God promises to 'annihilate the
wicked' in
due time.-Zechariah 2:8; Psalm 145:20.
awake 7-8-1991 pg 13
The Martial Arts
They show it on TV all the time-martial arts experts flipping
through the
air, kicking and punching with the grace of a dancer. Within
seconds the bad
guys lie motionless on the ground. Amazing! The martial arts
seem like the
ultimate protection. In reality, though, life isn't like the
movies. A man
with years of experience in karate said: "It takes just a
bullet. If a
person at a distance has a gun, you don't stand a chance. If
you're too
closed in without any room for movement, it's not really that
great either."
Realize, too, that to become proficient in the martial arts, one
must spend
a lot of money and undergo years of vigorous training. And
unless you stay
in training, your ability to perform those fancy moves can get
dangerously
rusty in no time at all. The same can be said about other forms
of
self-defense, such as boxing. Besides, having a reputation for
knowing how
to fight is likely to attract unwanted attention. Troublemakers
may decide
to take you on as a challenge.
There is a greater danger, however, in learning the martial
arts. The
Economist magazine recently reported: "Most, if not all, of the
martial arts
are inextricably linked to the three main East Asian religions,
Buddhism,
Taoism and Confucianism." Another source adds: "Everything done
in
karate-every movement, every feeling-can be traced to some
principle of
Zen." Zen is a sect of Buddhism that emphasizes religious
meditation. These
religious roots pose a serious problem for Christians in view of
the Bible's
words at 2 Corinthians 6:17: "'Therefore get out from among
[false
worshipers], and separate yourselves,' says Jehovah, 'and quit
touching the
unclean thing.'"
awake 9-22-1995 pg12-13 Even the WTBTS clearly states that
martial arts is
connected with Zen Buddhism, and again reaffirms abstinence from
it.
How do you reconcile that you follow the teachings of Jehovah's
witnesses,
and yet have no problem in having connections to Buddhism and
violence at
the same time. Surely this being very hypocritical. Now where
has the WTBTS
said that this is left to your conscious to decide it for you.
They have put
their foot down and made their claim.
However, there is an out for you. Your defense could be the same
as Perez's,
and that is to pick and choose to follow the teachings of the
WTBTS when
it's convenient and hope no one notices you, or you could say I
didn't know.
But the problem with that is you have made yourself out to be a
long term
member and in good standing so therefore one would say, " didn't
you realize
that JWs don't go to war or fight" which is one of the very
first things
that they teach, so that excuse would not work. Or better yet
you could say
I screwed up and stuck my foot in my mouth, and got caught being
a
hypocrite.
Anyway I will let you make your own excuse, and be waiting for
it.
L Perez
another in my defense, I am glad I earned my brown belt in Tae Kwon Do
before I became associated with Jehovah's earthly organization. I never
bowed to any picture or statue in my training though. I certainly want no
part of any pagan religious ritual now but I dont think I can unlearn self
defense.
--
BEWARE! there are people on this newsgroup who are only here to slander and
lie about Jehovah's Witnesses. They do not offer any alternative
organization... as a matter of fact, some are admitted atheists (Matthew
12:30; John 8:44-47) I have all of their posts filtered out because they can
not hold an intelligent conversation and often resort to lies. They claim to
be quoting from Watch Tower literature but these are *NOT* exact quotes,
they change words and quote things out of context. I don't respond to
spurious fabrications. Hence if you see that I am not answering someone, it
is because their previous attempts at deception have earned them a place in
the 'block sender' file. They exist here only to destroy (1 Corinthians
10:6-11) They speak not as Christians (Ephesians 4:31-32) I do not need to
name them for by their fruits you will recognize them (Matthew 7:16-20) One
has to wonder, why was a newsgroup set up to attack this *one* organization?
Matthew 5:10-12
"Anonymous" <cri...@ecn.org> wrote in message
news:c663f139330164fe...@ecn.org...
Precision
"L Perez" <LPere...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:tqOdnUg0hvk...@comcast.com...
> in this world self defense is important, though I would never try to kill
> another in my defense, I am glad I earned my brown belt in Tae Kwon Do
> before I became associated with Jehovah's earthly organization. I never
> bowed to any picture or statue in my training though. I certainly want no
> part of any pagan religious ritual now but I dont think I can unlearn self
> defense.
That is exactly right, LP.
I wouldn't even try to unlearn the skills I acquired before becoming
baptized as a Christian. The skill of defending oneself without the use of
deadly weapons is vital to everyone.
. $. -*- .$ .
> another in my defense, I am glad I earned my brown belt in Tae Kwon Do
> before I became associated with Jehovah's earthly organization.
** Which org? The Catholics?
I never
> bowed to any picture or statue in my training though. I certainly want no
> part of any pagan religious ritual now but I dont think I can unlearn self
> defense.
** And this is all for Jabriol's benefit! You're as transparent as
cellophane tape. :-)
--
Debbie........
"Where two or three are gathered together in MY name, I am in their midst:"
[Matt 18:20] No Watchtower Society needed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<~~<{@
. $. -*- .$ .
"Precision" <prec...@Usenet.com> wrote in message
> I wouldn't even try to unlearn the skills I acquired before becoming
> baptized as a Christian. The skill of defending oneself without the use of
> deadly weapons is vital to everyone.
I bet your wife, kids and mother really enjoyed learning the Martial Arts,
eh? ;-)
Debbie...........--
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