When Caution Was Forgotten

At times when the work was prospering, it was easy to forget that Jehovah’s Witnesses were still under ban. The brothers charged with oversight encouraged soundness of mind in all activities. But some were not content with the methods being used. They wanted faster results.

One day in 1963 in a Prague park, two brothers gathered a crowd of people together. One of the brothers stepped up on a bench and began to deliver a sermon. When a man in the crowd voiced objections, the brother called him the Devil’s agent. The police arrived and had the brothers identify themselves, but it did not end there. That incident provoked a large police operation. Within a few days, over 100 brothers and sisters from Prague were taken into custody. This resulted in two things—court trials, and a lesson for the brothers. Six of those arrested were brought to trial and sentenced.

This incident did not slow down the ministry, but it did remind the brothers of the need for practical wisdom. (Prov. 3:21, 22) That was especially important in the late 1960’s when hopes were raised for the lifting of the ban.

Freedom of Worship on the Horizon?

The year 1968 saw unexpected changes. So-called reformist Communists took power and began working toward democratization. These changes were welcomed by the people, and there was talk of “socialism with a human face.”

How did Jehovah’s Witnesses react to these changes? Reservedly. Although they welcomed the liberalization of the system, hoping that perhaps the ban would be lifted, they avoided hasty steps that they might later regret. This proved to be a wise course. (Prov. 2:10, 11; 9:10) Following eight months of relative freedom, the armies of five Warsaw Pact countries entered the territory of Czechoslovakia. Some 750,000 soldiers and 6,000 tanks put an end to “socialism with a human face.” The people were devastated. However, the neutral conduct of Jehovah’s Witnesses during the “Prague spring” greatly helped them in later years because the State authorities had to admit that Jehovah’s Witnesses pose no threat to the government.