Kingdom Proclaimers Report

A Husband’s Perseverance Unites a Family

WHAT would you do if you accepted the truth and then your mate bitterly opposed you and did everything within her power to break your integrity? Would you be strengthened by Paul’s words at 2 Timothy 3:12, where he says: “All those desiring to live with godly devotion in association with Christ Jesus will also be persecuted”? Would you endure or would you give up? A Christian man in Italy faced such a challenge. He did not give up, and Jehovah blessed him for it.

The man in question was formerly an avid communist, but he was also an ardent Catholic. He believed in the equality of people and felt that both movements preached this ideal. One of his workmates spoke to him about God’s Kingdom, and he at once recognized that this was the only way that equality could be achieved. He took to the truth with the same fervor that he had shown for communism and Catholicism and was baptized in 1972. What about his wife? She bitterly opposed him. She relates:

“It was in 1970 that my husband had his first contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses at his place of work. Gradually, as he studied the Bible, I came to realize that it was a new religion and had points that I did not agree with. Persecution began immediately from me and other family members.”

She continues: “My husband’s parents harassed him, using every means possible to stop him. As my husband advanced in Bible knowledge, he saw the need to rid our home of idols. I told him if he did that, something grave would happen. He destroyed a religious picture, and I launched a full-scale verbal and physical attack on him and tore up several of his magazines. At my yelling, my parents-in-law rushed in and hurled themselves at him too, but he did not retaliate.

“The disagreements continued until I left him when he opposed our daughter’s attending catechism at church. My husband told me that if I did not return home, he would make a formal charge of abandonment. After a week I decided to return.

“In a further attempt to stop him, I went to a spirit medium and asked that a spell be put on him. The medium started to question me, and I explained the situation. Upon learning it, he told me that no kind of spell has any effect on one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“We thought of consulting the local priest. The priest advised us to go to a lawyer. To my surprise the lawyer encouraged me to attend the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses with my husband. My father-in-law, who was with me, objected, saying that his family was very devoted to San Rocco, ‘The Protector’ of our town. However, the lawyer explained that this ‘saint,’ like all other idols, was false. Then he identified himself as chairman of Catholic Action and told us that he did not participate at all in the religious feasts because, having read the Bible, he knew that they were all false. In conclusion, he said: ‘Go with your husband and be at peace. Listen to him, and you too start to study the Bible.’

“With this encouragement, I reflected on the conduct, changes, and perseverance of my husband, and I started attending meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses along with him. Impressed by the love shown there, I studied, enrolled in the Theocratic Ministry School, and started in field service. Finally, I symbolized my dedication in 1977 and am happy now to be in the truth, thanks to Jehovah who helped my husband to persevere and unite the whole family in His worship.”