01 Dec 2017
Posted by Chante'l Johnson 
With the controversy of kneeling for the national anthem at a fever pitch, it made me think about other people who never stood for the national anthem.
For decades, religious groups such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses have never stood for the national anthem, and it has never caused the type of controversy we see today.
Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t believe in idolizing things such as flags and songs; their beliefs put God first and nothing comes before.
When talking with Willie L. Johnson Jr.–who is a Jehovah’s Witness along with the rest of his family–he expressed how standing for the pledge and the national anthem could be viewed as “disrespectful to God by putting something man made before him (God).”
Johnson considers the flag to be an idol. After quoting the first line of the Pledge of Allegiance, He explains that “I pledge my allegiance to the United States of America and to the republic.” In other words, “what you are saying that you are giving your all to this country and willing to put it before anything.” He says he refuses to stand for something like that.
When asked if he’s ever encountered people who tell him to stand up when the national anthem is played, Johnson replied that he has “never received any backlash until the controversy started last year.” Once he explains why he doesn’t stand, he is left alone.
Johnson also mentioned that he never had any complaints from his childrens’ teachers about them not standing for the national anthem or the pledge.
“It’s our religion and it should be respected just like anybody else who chooses a different religion,” Johnson said. “It’s not about disrespecting the flag; its about not disrespecting our Jehovah and putting a flag or an anthem before him.”
That said, I was drawn to the question, “Does America show greater deference toward an individual’s religious beliefs than his or her personal beliefs?
Yes, freedom of religion is in the Constitution. But so is the right to a peaceful protest.
So why does it seem that one is viewed differently than the other?
Why should a person be attacked because they believe that they and others are being treated unfairly in this country?
Why should a person stand for an anthem and swear a pledge that says that we are supposed to be united as one while at the same time people with darker colored skin aren’t made to feel welcome to visit cities in Indiana like Martinsville or certain parts of the country? Is that really freedom?
Why should a person stand when a person of darker color has their hands up and still is being shot down and killed, but nothing happens to the officers but paid leave? Is this what the “land of the free” looks like?
Of course, this is not to say that religious views should be disrespected equally. Instead, as Americans, we have to stop attacking those with different beliefs than our own, whether they be religious or personal. We need to start listening, healing and changing what is wrong in the first place. American is hurting at a time that we should be coming together we are being divided because people are not listening and not taking the time to at least try to understand either side, or just respecting the opinions of others.
Colin Kaepernick’s protest was never about disrespecting the soldiers or disrespecting this great nation. It’s about the lack of respect that people in this country have for people of darker skin. It’s about the fact that our own president can call those marching alongside white nationalists in Charleston “good people” but a football player kneeling to raise awareness about racial injustice a “Son of a B.”
If we are not going to disrespect the people who sit down for the flag because of their religion belief, then we shouldn’t disrespect the people who kneel for a peaceful protest.
11 Comments
What? As a Jehovah Witness I always stand up out of respect. My daughter always stood up in class but did not recite the Pledge. I have not known any other JW’s that don’t stand.
My in-laws are all Jehovah’s Witnesses, most of them did not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance either.
We had Jehovah Witnesses in our classroom when I was a kid in the 80s. I’m now 44. They always went outside in the hallway when we pledged allegiance and sang the national anthem. Noone had a problem with it and noone ever judge them.
Chante’l, I have been struggling with some of the issues that you bring up in your article in your college’s student newspaper. I am decades older than you, but I appreciate your writing talent, your analyzation of rights we Americans have and the questions you bring up concerning religious freedom as opposed to personal opinions and why these are treated differently. The article is so well written, and am going to share it on Facebook. I assume that it is ok to share as the share button appears at the end of the article. If you see this comment, I would like to hear your opinion of me sharing it. I will share it tomorrow, hopefully after I hear from you.
I’m troubled by many parts of the pledge. The founding fathers never wrote about or implied that pledges or oaths by citizens and state government would guarantee the unification of the 13 colonies of the new nation. In addition, the required pledge to the flag and the USA can be interpreted that the citizens are routinely in rebellion– with no allegiance to flag and government–and must repeatedly make the pledge to assure continuous allegiance. Nazi Germany invoked other similar oaths of allegiance. Following the U.S. Civil War, the government in Washington, D.C. pushed for the requirement Confederate soldiers and citizens of the Rebellion to pledge their loyalty to the USA and federal government. The South argued that as citizens born in the U.S. the pledge of loyalty was intrinsic to their citizenship in the nation, thus rendering meaningless a verbal pledge. “Indivisible” is in response to the South’s succession from the U.S. The Constitution is silent on the topic of state succession from the federal government. Within the first decade of the Nation’s birth, Northeastern states above New York made plans to split to become another nation, and the founding fathers did not object based on the Constitution. Later Andrew Jackson strongly opposed succession, and stated repeatedly that the U.S.A. was “indivisible” and viewed succession as rebellion, even with no Constitutional evidence or case law to support him.. Abraham Lincoln worked with Jackson and strongly supported the same beliefs. Other troubling statements in the pledge have led me to stand with arms at my side, in silence. The pledge is baked deeply in the DNA of our country, but it’s value needs to be analyzed using historical evidence in order to support it, or retire it to our past history.
I believe the good people comment was aimed at the people of Charlottesville not Charleston.
Witnesses will always stand to show a proper respect for the views of others. They will not however participate in the recital (vowing of an oath ) or salutes.
The bible(Jehovah’s book of instructions to mankind) speaks against such things.
As our creator ,the one who knows all our intricate parts and how to make the best use of them , he certainly has the right to give us loving guidance and warnings for protection as any loving father reasonably would .
I heard a guy on youtube make a good point, saying we are being forced to compromise our beliefs to compensate for other’s. The guy also pointed out that people are being taken to court on the account that other’s don’t agree with them, and freedom of speak, freedom of religion is almost nonexistent anymore. I don’t believe in flag salute but I will be respectful of those that do and with the respect that I have shown, it should also be given in return, but sadly that’s not how the majority of the world sees it, but if they did the world they may achieve some of the peace that they’ve been striving for instead of causing divisions amongst those that have different points of view and opinions
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