A JW posted on AOL> Maybe because they didnt kill each other in the war of hatred ( ww1 ) millions of Gods trinity believing young men on both sides slaughtering one another on the orders of men in hatred. While the trinity believing clergymen blessed the guns and bombs for the quick destruction of their own brothers in Christ on the other side. Listen to Jesus rev 3:12 My reply> The Witnesses were not as neutral during those years as you might think. When there was some criticism leveled against them in Brooklyn regarding war bonds, an article was published in the May 15, 1918 Watchtower that said the following on page 152 (page 6257 in the reprints):
“The International Bible Students’ Association is composed of Christians. Every Christian gladly obeys the law. The United States has always stood for religious liberty and freedom of speech. Every Christian appreciates the privilege of living in such a country and gladly meets his obligations in the payment of taxes. When the Government asks to borrow his money and gives its promise to pay in the nature of a bond, if he can do so he should buy the bond. “The Association has no power to direct members thereof with reference to buying Liberty Bonds. It certainly will not and has not advised any one to refuse to buy bonds. That is an individual matter which each person must determine for himself according to his ability. The Association believes in supporting the Government in every way it can and each one should do so according to his ability and his conscience.’
The Watchtower also encouraged participation in the National Day of Humiliation, Prayer and Fasting that was held on May 30, 1918. The June 1, 1918 Watchtower contained an announcement that read:
“In accordance with the resolution of Congress of April 2nd, and with the proclamation of the President of the United States of May 11, it is suggested that the Lord’s people everywhere make May 30th a day of prayer and supplication.”
The end of that announcement is as follows:
“Let there be praise and thankgiving to God for the promised glorious outcome of the war, the breaking of the shackles of autocracy, the freeing of the captives (Isaiah 61:1) and the making of the world save for the common people – blessing all assured by the Word of God to the people of this country and of the whole world of mankind.”
There was also a group that broke away from the Watchtower during those years called the Standfasters. The issue over which they parted company with the Watchtower? It was the WTS LACK of neutrality. You can read more about them at Loyalty & the WTS Their lack of neutrality was one of the reasons that the WTS says it was in “Babylonish captivity” during those years. Their book “Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Divine Purpose” made the following statement on page 91: “With considerable misunderstanding they had accepted earthly political governments as the ‘superior authorities’ that God had ordained at Romans 13:1; and as a result the Witnesses had been held in fear of man, particularly the civil rulers.” Of course, since then they have re-adopted the view that the superior authorities of Romans 13:1 are the earthly governments. As usual, the WTS was not as squeaky clean in their past as they would have us believe these days.