Skip to main content.
Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news
ReligionNewsBlog

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:
A Random Image


Related

More news articles & news archive on Jehovah's Witnesses


Translate



Advertisements *

What is a cult: Cult Definition
Simple steps to financial health and a good credit score


Elsewhere

What you should know about Scientology


Jehovah's Witnesses:

Sons of Jehovah’s Witnesses return from war without welcome

AP, via The Beacon Journal, USA
Nov. 5, 2005
www.ohio.com

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 12729 • Posted: Sunday November 6, 2005  

  • Google Bookmarks
  • Google Reader
  • Gmail
  • Yahoo Mail
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Digg
  • Delicious
  • Blogger Post
  • Evernote
  • Facebook
  • Share/Bookmark
Click here... More articles on this topic: Jehovah's Witnesses

CANTON, Ohio – Jason and Johel Woodliff came back from Iraq with their comrades in a Marine Corps battalion that lost 48 members, greeted by a mile-long parade attended by thousands of strangers.

But not by their family.

Thomas and Mia Woodliff, who are devout Jehovah’s Witnesses, were so upset by their sons’ decisions to join the Marine Reserves that they did not meet them at the airport upon their return last month.

“I begged my mother to come, but I knew she wouldn’t,” Johel Woodliff, 20, told The (Canton) Repository for a story Saturday.

The parents say they respect their sons’ choices but can’t reconcile them with their beliefs.

“Our two sons were taught to be peace-loving followers of Jesus Christ,” the couple said in a statement. “Instead, they have chosen a different path. We respect their right to choose whatever lifestyle they wish. And we hope one day for reconciliation so that we can be a united family again.”

The parents are behaving according to the doctrines of their faith, said a spokesman for the Jehovah’s Witnesses headquarters in New York.

“As Christians, we’re neutral with respect to the conflicts that nations have,” said J.R. Brown, director of public information for the Watchtower Bible Tract Society. “Our neutrality is just in regards to conflicts of men. This doesn’t mean we’re adversaries. We try to (convey) that to the person as best we can, but because they’re usually partisan, they think we’re against them.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses who volunteer for military service have essentially opted to leave the church and abandon neutrality, Brown said. Such a move can mean the end of their relationships with other church members, even family, he said.

Jason Woodliff, 23, said he was kicked out of the house for telling his parents he wanted to join the Marines.

“I was 18 years old, living by myself in a trailer,” he said. “I haven’t had a conversation with my dad in five years. For him, it’s 100 percent about the religion.”

Johel Woodliff said his parents reacted similarly when he announced plans to turn down a college scholarship and enlist.

“When they found out I wanted to join, they were very upset about it. I let them know that as I grew older, I had done some research on the religion, and that it didn’t abide with my beliefs,” he said.

The brothers say they consider themselves nondenominational but still fervently believe in God. Johel Woodliff carries a camouflage Bible and wears a medallion of St. Michael, the warrior angel, on a chain with his dog tags.

“War shouldn’t be necessary, but war has existed since the beginning of man,” he said. “The Bible speaks of war constantly. King David was one of the greatest warriors. It shouldn’t be a necessity, but it’s a reality.”

  • Google Bookmarks
  • Google Reader
  • Gmail
  • Yahoo Mail
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Digg
  • Delicious
  • Blogger Post
  • Evernote
  • Facebook
  • Share/Bookmark


What You Can Do From Here

Read More Articles On These Topics
more cult news articlemore religion news Categories: Jehovah's Witnesses
more religion news aboutmore Religion News Blog articles about
Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Follow Religion News Blog on Twitter


Read Another Article
Find Related Information
cult research search enginecountercult information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults
Find Related Books


Most Popular Today


Share This Article

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:





Counter Cult Search

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.


Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.


Apologetics Search

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.


Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.

Home
Latest Headlines
RSS news feed [?]
Headlines by Email
News Trackers
Free content for your site
About RNB
Privacy Policy
Contact RNB
Link to RNB
Advertise on RNB
Apologetics Index
Cult FAQ
Apologetics Search Engine
CounterCult Search Engine