When the Bible Is Not Followed

Professing Christians bring great reproach on God’s name when they fail to follow his Word. A paramount chief in a country of western Africa was heard to say: “You Christians [of Christendom] do more evil than my pagan people here. The Bible is good. You people read it and know that your God disapproves of bloodshed. But what do we see? You Christians are the major participants in war. I have seen Christians meddle in politics. And yet your Jesus avoided politics. If you are Christians but prove disloyal to your leader’s commandments, are you not deceiving yourselves? Go back and correct your own people. I don’t believe any Christian to be true to Jesus . . . with but one exception​—those children who were dismissed from school for failing to salute the national flag. They are true disciples of Jesus, I am convinced.”

Who were these Christian children that conscientiously refused to idolize the state as the source of all good things? They were Jehovah’s Witnesses.