Jehovah Has Done Great Things for Us
SOME seven years of de facto military government. War in the South Atlantic. Inflation of about 500 percent a year. Argentina has experienced all these things within the last decade.
Today, financial troubles have not subsided. But a republican government holds sway, and a war is not raging. So this land’s 30 million inhabitants look to the future with increased optimism. Especially are some filled with surpassing happiness. Why? Because of the great things Jehovah God has been doing.
With divine blessing, about 55,000 witnesses of Jehovah are now spreading good news of great cheer in this South American country. It is this that has brought joy into the lives of so many inhabitants of Argentina.
The First Seeds Are Sown
The Kingdom-preaching work in this land had its start in 1924, when J. F. Rutherford (then president of the Watch Tower Society) sent Juan Muñiz here to care for Kingdom interests. About a year later, Carlos Ott arrived and began spreading the good news among the German-speaking population. Thus the first seeds of Kingdom truth were sown in Argentina.
By 1945 there were 363 Kingdom proclaimers in Argentina. The next year saw the arrival of missionaries, graduates of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. Brother Gwaenydd Hughes and Sister Ofelia Estrada, both Argentinean, were the first of a long list of Gilead graduates to serve in this country. Among them are Charles and Lorene Eisenhower, as well as Helen Wilson, all of whom arrived in 1948. After some 36 years, they are still active in Jehovah’s service here. Helen Nichols, who also arrived in 1948, ended her earthly course in her missionary assignment at Tucumán in 1974.
The First Obstacles Arise
As our numbers increased, many young Witnesses of military age took their stand as Christian neutrals. (Isaiah 2:2-4; John 15:19) This brought opposition. Nevertheless, in 1950 the Watch Tower Society was legally recognized but only for a short time. Later that year, this recognition was withdrawn, and for the next 33 years Jehovah’s Witnesses persevered without it.
Even under such difficult circumstances, however, the Kingdom-preaching work continued to expand. In 1974 the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses decided that our journals The Watchtower and Awake! should be printed locally. So plans were made for the installation of the first rotary offset press ever to be used by the Society. The press itself came from France, a guillotine section (paper cutter) from Germany, and the stitcher portion from the United States. All of these were gifts made by the respective branches of the Society. Many difficulties had to be overcome before we could publish our first magazines in Argentina, but what joy we had when The Watchtower of April 15, 1975, rolled off the press!
Years Under Ban
In 1976 a new military government closed our Kingdom Halls. Our children were expelled from school, and throughout the land Jehovah’s Witnesses were arrested for preaching the good news. The climax came on September 7, 1976, when the Society’s printing establishment and offices were closed. Only the living quarters of the Bethel family remained open. All of this resulted from an order that ‘absolutely prohibited the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the spreading and public exercise of their doctrines in the whole territory of the nation.’
Years of difficulty thus began. Yet, this was also a time of spiritual strengthening and enrichment. Never before had we received so much publicity in the secular press. The headlines themselves help to tell the story of what happened over a period of years: “Witnesses prisoners for repudiating the patriotic symbols”; “Expulsion of children from provincial primary schools”; “Readmission of scholar of Jehovah’s Witnesses”; “Activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses permitted.”
In March 1979 the Supreme Court of Justice rendered a favorable decision in the case of Juan Carlos Barros vs. National Council of Education. Brother Barros’ two sons, Paul and Hugh (seven and eight years old respectively), had been expelled from school for refusing to participate in a flag-raising ceremony. (Compare Exodus 20:4-6; Daniel 3:1, 16-18; 1 John 5:21.) The court decision said in part: “[Their] actions, merely passive in the case, . . . cannot be taken to constitute a rational manifestation of lack of respect for the patriotic symbols, but rather show an obedience to parental authority.” Thus it was recognized that the religious position that the Witness children took in no way involved a lack of respect for Argentina’s national symbols.
The rights of our youngsters were also upheld in the case of Aurelio Francisco D’Aversa vs. the National Government. The Teachers’ Council had resolved to expel the D’Aversa child from all schools in the country, but when the case reached the Federal Court of Appeals, a favorable decision was handed down. It set some very interesting precedents. After mentioning that most of the country’s citizens participate spontaneously in showing their feelings toward the national symbols, Judge Tonelli said: “On the other hand, it would be offensive to the conscience of the majority that has firmly established patriotic convictions to see someone, against his inward beliefs, obligated to show like feelings without sincerity.” Judge Barletta recognized “the lack of facts that imply contempt, disrespect or public showing of such on the part of the pupil D’Aversa.” The Supreme Court later confirmed this decision.
The ban placed on our work in 1976 apparently caused the decrease in the number of Jehovah’s praisers from 33,503 that year to 31,846 in 1977. But once the brothers became accustomed to the new conditions, the Kingdom-preaching work again gained impetus.
In time, we even began to have small assemblies, first with only the elders and their wives present and later with all members of the congregations in attendance. These assemblies were held in the most unlikely places—in isolated rural areas, in sheds used for sheep shearing, and even in chicken coops. What happy days we had together enjoying spiritual instruction!
Even more important, we never missed an issue of The Watchtower for use in our weekly study. These magazines were printed on small offset presses at various places. All of this required much work and often put our brothers in danger of losing their freedom. At that time newspapers listed thousands of people who had vanished, but not one of Jehovah’s Witnesses disappeared. Despite all the obstacles encountered, from 1977 to 1984 God’s people saw an increase of 57 percent as more than 18,000 new Kingdom publishers joined their ranks.
Full Freedom Is Granted
Actually, our freedom came in two stages. First, on December 12, 1980, the de facto military regime lifted the ban. At that stage, our work was no longer prohibited, although it still was not legally recognized. Finally, the present government recognized the Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This step was taken on March 9, 1984, by Dr. María T. de Morini, Undersecretary of Worship.
Behind us then were the long years of fighting for legal recognition. Our Kingdom Halls could be identified by signs for the first time. Why, the announcement of our legal inscription made us feel like ‘those who were dreaming, and our tongue gave way to a joyful cry’! Truly, ‘Jehovah had done a great thing for us.’—Compare Psalm 126:1, 2.
Rejoicing in Kingdom Increase
With legal recognition has come grand Kingdom increase. Because of this, plans were made for the construction of our first Assembly Hall. It was to be built near Moreno, some 25 miles (40 km) from Buenos Aires. This hall will accommodate 2,200 people. On the same property, there is also a farm that provides much of the food needed by the 78-member Bethel family.
The 1985 service year started off with a new peak of Kingdom proclaimers, reaching 51,962 in December. The number of congregations rose to 730. How happy we were when 135,379 gathered in 1985 to commemorate the Memorial of Christ’s death! And in January 1985 we finished our series of nine “Kingdom Increase” District Conventions, with a total attendance of 97,167 people—17,000 more than the preceding year.
This increase made the branch facilities inadequate for our needs. We were able to buy a building complex, to be used for the factory and offices. On a neighboring lot, we plan to construct a ten-story building to house the Bethel family.
We hope that the new facilities will enable us to take good care of the Kingdom interests in Argentina. And we look to the future with optimism, thankful, indeed, for the great things Jehovah is doing for those who love him.
[Picture on page 29]
News headlines chronicle the problems under ban and finally the return of religious freedoms