Suppression Demanded by Clergy

The first act of suppression against Jehovah’s witnesses (then called International Bible Students) came toward the end of World War I, in 1918.

At that time, the Canada Gazette, an official journal of the government, carried an order outlawing certain publications of Jehovah’s witnesses. These were the book The Finished Mystery, and certain issues of The Bible Students Monthly. The mere possession of this literature could bring a fine of $5,000 and imprisonment for five years!

When it was suggested that the clergy had triggered this censorship order, this was denied. However, the recent opening of the official archives reveals that at that very time, Chief Censor Col. Ernest Chambers had in his file a letter from the First Congregational Church in Vancouver, British Columbia. The author of the letter was the church’s minister, “Rev.” A. E. Cooke. Clergyman Cooke had written the following to the censor:

“I have been instructed by the General Ministerial Association of Vancouver to bring to your attention a matter which seems to us to be of considerable public importance at this time. As you are aware the followers of the late ‘Pastor’ Russell . . . call themselves ‘International Bible Students’ . . .

“Would it not also be well to prohibit the propagandist literature of this body which is published in the United States and sent to Canada for distribution by these people?”

The chief censor, Col. Chambers, wrote back. In his letter, which was marked “Confidential,” he said to clergyman Cooke:

“Reverend and Dear Sir: . . . your communication conveying as it did the views of such an influential body as The General Ministerial Association of Vancouver, proved very useful in securing action in this very important matter. . . .

“I consider that the bitter attacks in these publications upon the Churches of all denominations, without distinction, are noteworthy, even if the statements embodied in these attacks cannot be described as ‘militarily objectionable.’”

Thus, these confidential documents of the past, now finally opened to public examination, reveal that the clergy did indeed trigger the 1918 action against this minority of truly serious Christians. Jehovah’s witnesses were denied freedoms because they dared, as did Jesus Christ, to speak the Word of God without fear, exposing the hypocrisy of the clergy.

Also, a western newspaper, The Chinook, remarked editorially about the ban on the book The Finished Mystery:

“When the Canadian government put the ban on this book, it did a great deal to advertise it, and arouse the curiosity of the people as to its contents. As a result of the government’s actions, thousands of extra copies of the book will likely get into circulation and hundreds of new converts may be made for the International Bible Students. . . .

“The regular ministers called down all manner of condemnation on the head of Russell [first president of the Watch Tower Society] and the result was that inquisitive church members secured some of the Russell literature, liked it, and joined the movement. Now that the Canadian Government is getting after the Russellites, you may look out for a rapid spread of the movement.”