Do the Witnesses Deny Government Authority?
No. Without governments, anarchy and chaos would reign. Earthly governments have the right to make laws to regulate morals, protect persons and property, and maintain public order. Jehovah’s Witnesses obey all such laws, if they are in accord with God’s laws. When there is direct conflict between God’s law and that of a government, they obey the supreme law of God as set forth in the Bible. Why Do the Witnesses Claim Service Exemption? Because they have conscientious objections, based on the commandments of God, against taking part in the world’s wars. Wars between nations today are not the same as Israel’s wars in ancient times. Israel was Jehovah’s theocratic nation, and the Israelites were fighters in God’s wars. No political nation today can properly claim that status. Though not pacifists, Jehovah’s Witnesses fight only when God commands them to do so. Since the days of ancient Israel, God has not commanded men to fight in wars between nations. That is why Christians of the first
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