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Jehovah's Witnesses and not saluting the U.S. flag...
Jehovah's Witnesses and not saluting the U.S. flag...
Item # 725286
October 21, 1935
THE NEW YORK TIMES, Oct. 21, 1935
* re. Jehovah's Witnesses students being expelled
* A plan for non-flag oaths "Kingdom Schools"
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society member
* Charles Taze Russell followers - Bible Students
Page 16 has a small one column heading: "Plans 'Non-Oath' School" with subhead. (see images)
I suspect this to be an extremely rare item because there was really no reason to save it at the time.
Complete with 40 pages, rag edition, a little spine wear, nice condition.
background: By late October 1935, the Jehovah’s Witness "plan" for Kingdom Schools in regions like Massachusetts and Pennsylvania transitioned from a theoretical concept to a desperate educational necessity. These schools were organized as private, decentralized cooperatives—often held in the cramped living rooms or basements of congregants—to bypass state compulsory attendance laws that would otherwise label parents as "neglectful" for their children's expulsions. The academic "plan" remained surprisingly rigorous, utilizing standard state-approved textbooks for arithmetic and geography to ensure students remained competitive with their peers, but the morning ritual was fundamentally transformed; instead of the state-mandated Bellamy Salute, the day began with a quiet "text of the day" and Bible study, creating a sanctuary from the intense "100% Americanism" and physical intimidation found in public classrooms. These schools were staffed by volunteer parents or Witness teachers who had been fired from the public system, operating on a shoestring budget of voluntary contributions while maintaining a posture of total political neutrality. For a child in a Kingdom School on October 20, 1935, the "plan" was one of quiet resistance—proving that they were diligent students and law-abiding citizens in every respect, except where they believed human law directly contradicted their "covenant with Jehovah."
Category: The 20th Century
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