Letter From a Well-Wisher

RECENTLY a letter was received from a well-wisher in an African country where the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses is banned. The man wrote:

“Dear Sir,

“I will go straight to the point; I just wish to remind you that the government here has frozen your church’s activities. How it annoys me!

“I no longer get my Awake! regularly. But I tell you, Awake! is probably the best magazine I have ever known. It advises readers how to manage themselves successfully and rightly, legally and spiritually. It is something of a marvel.

“I’ll bet that no university lecturer knows so much or teaches in such detail. Our ‘pastors’ are worse. And yet our government says these magazines and the likes, which educate so much, are banned. Why? Because the publishers don’t salute the flag. Fine.

“But one question: If somebody salutes and then he goes on to embezzle the country’s funds, takes bribes, evades taxes, commits murder, and so on, can that somebody be said to be faithful? That is what our ‘Christians’ are doing. They salute the flags at the parade ground and even take them into their places of worship to salute them there. Some Christians! I am not perfect or even good in God’s sight, I know. But this is naturally not the way.

“You Witnesses say no to flag salute, to taking blood transfusions, to Christmas and Easter and with an ever louder voice shout no to crime, embezzlement, bribery, murder. And no to adultery and fornication. Mention the vices, and the Witnesses are sure to say no.

“I hope and pray that the government will see through the smoke screen and grant your church its freedom to teach.”