You may hear from friends and relatives that Jehovah’s Witnesses get into trouble with the law, that they are banned by some governments, or that they are otherwise bad people. Why this contrary talk about them?

It is not because the Witnesses disrespect the law but because they follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Jesus said to his disciples that men would reproach them, persecute them, and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against them. This is because God’s chief opposer, Satan, is the god of this world, and he would like to turn men away from serving God.—Matthew 5:10-12; 10:16-22, 34-39; 24:9, 10; John 15:17–16:3; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:17.

Today, Jehovah’s Witnesses are law-abiding Christians who pay their taxes and show respect for those in authority. They pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar and God’s things to God. If they have a conflict with any governmental authority, it is because the government does not recognize their preaching work, or because of their neutral stand in affairs between the nations. But in this Jehovah’s Witnesses must take the same position as did the apostles, who stated: “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.”—Acts 5:29; Mark 12:17; John 18:36; Titus 3:1, 2.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not seek persecution but would prefer to lead a calm and quiet life. However, if because of their following God’s law and the example of Jesus Christ they are persecuted, they are happy to endure it.—Matthew 5:10-12; Acts 5:40, 41; 1 Corinthians 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:2; 1 Peter 3:14, 15; 4:12-16.