Malawi and MCP Cards?

[Many Miles]

Some participants here may recall the utter shock of what our JW friends suffered in Malawi. The persecution was horrendous. It was all over a document known as an MCP party card. How many here have ever held one in their hand to look it over and see what it is?

JWs of the time were under the impression that, as it was quoted in our publications, "they can give their allegiance only to Jehovah God and his kingdom". (Ref https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1968081?q=they+can+give+their+allegiance+only+to+Jehovah+God+and+his+kingdom&p=par#h=16 )

Under that impression, JWs in Malawi were refusing to obtain the MCP party card.

[George88]

What shocked me the most was witnessing the noble behavior of Jehovah's Witnesses. Without hesitation, they bravely stood against the government's unfair demand to conform to a corrupt system, much like the Pharisees and Roman government of old who sought to silence and suppress Jesus, his apostles, and Paul in their sacred quest. There are individuals who are willing to defile the honorable followers of God with absurdity.

[Pudgy]

I remember the times. If you search “JW Malawi MCP Party Card”, you can get the details. A great testimony of honor in the face of years of evil persecution.

If memory serves, anybody could buy the card for about 25 cents, often a half days pay there … and because there was only one political party in Malawi at the time, was roughly the same as a passport to keep you from being tortured and killed.

 

[Srecko Sostar]

How manipulative and reckless WTJWorg is. The blood of these people and many others is on the hands of your leaders.

Be obedient to the directions, even if they are unreasonable from a human point of view, because they come from God himself.

And you, foolish man, are not able to understand the depths of the wisdom of the GB.

During the great tribulation, we may receive instructions that seem strange, impractical, or illogical. Of course, Jehovah will not speak to us personally. He will likely provide direction through his appointed representatives. That will hardly be the time to second-guess the direction or to view it with skepticism, wondering, ‘Is this really coming from Jehovah, or are the responsible brothers acting on their own?’ How will you fare during that crucial time in human history? The answer might be indicated by how you view theocratic direction now. If you trust the direction we receive today and readily obey, you will likely do the same during the great tribulation. - https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/watchtower-study-february-2022/Do-You-Trust-in-Jehovahs-Way-of-Doing-Things/

[Pudgy]

It all conforms to “The Law Of Unintended Consequences”, which very, very few people understand.

I hope that Jehovah will forgive their well intended ignorance, and the Brothers and Sisters in Malawi and elsewhere will forgive their well intended ignorance.

An Army does not fight with the leadership they need …. they fight with the leadership THEY HAVE.

This has always been the case, and until Jesus Christ returns, always will be.

There are no exceptions, and some are a lot worse.

Get used to it.

That’s the way it is.

 

[Pudgy]

“STUFF HAPPENS” (paraphrased)

[JW Insider]

11 hours ago, Many Miles said:

How many here have ever held one in their hand to look it over and see what it is?

I have never held one, and don't recall the exact wording, although I vaguely recall seeing a picture.  I recall finding some material in a University Library on Malawi, from a huge UN-sourced publication, in the very late 1970s and it tried to give a completely different impression of what had happened in Malawi and why. I chalked it up to governmental propaganda. Banda propaganda.

I never thought about it much until I saw it brought up again in RF CoC. Then it struck me as something I should have looked into, because as a Southern Californian, we used to visit Mexican congregations as a child, and their meetings still stuck out as something that needed more explanation, which my parents tried to explain to me as best they could.

Do you have a copy to share? Or a link to a picture of one? 

[Thinking]

6 hours ago, Pudgy said:

I remember the times. If you search “JW Malawi MCP Party Card”, you can get the details. A great testimony of honor in the face of years of evil persecution.

If memory serves, anybody could buy the card for about 25 cents, often a half days pay there … and because there was only one political party in Malawi at the time, was roughly the same as a passport to keep you from being tortured and killed.

 

Yes this wasn’t good was it but I still wish I could hear their side of the story of why they felt that was okay…

[George88]

7 hours ago, Srecko Sostar said:

How manipulative and reckless WTJWorg is. The blood of these people and many others is on the hands of your leaders.

Be obedient to the directions, even if they are unreasonable from a human point of view, because they come from God himself.

And you, foolish man, are not able to understand the depths of the wisdom of the GB.

The true folly lies in those who sought to compel witnesses to swear loyalty to a party, despite this allegiance being entirely superfluous and only sought to appease the youthful party members, reminiscent of how the Pharisees demanded similar obeisance from the Jews. 

It is fascinating to observe the mindset of individuals who expect others to defy God while convincing themselves that they bear no responsibility (blood in their hands) for their own actions.

Just like when people post pictures of passports that were required for travel, but use them in a misleading manner to prove something insignificant, as the passports were essential for travel while the MPC was not. 

[Many Miles]

7 minutes ago, George88 said:

Just like when people post pictures of passports that were required for travel, but use them in a misleading manner to prove something insignificant, as the passports were essential for travel while the MPC was not.

You don’t have the foggiest idea what you’re talking about. For starters, those images above are not images of passports. So you’re wrong about that. Also, having an MCP card was essential for travel inside Malawi at the time. So you’re wrong about that too.

Do you know anything at all about MCP party card distribution, party registration, or party affiliation? Anything at all? 

[Many Miles]

2 hours ago, JW Insider said:

Do you have a copy to share? Or a link to a picture of one?

At one time I had several in my library. I lent them out for various researchers. We know how that goes!  

I should still have one though. It’s in a special collections safe. Sometime next week I’ll get to and share. I’m sure i still have one. Can’t imagine I’d have left my own library completely dry!!

[Pudgy]

 

You missed the ENTIRE point George 88!

It’s NOT about travel!

It’s about the JW leadership pledging allegiance to the Constitution of the United States for their Passport, while the Brothers and Sisters in Malawi are being tortured and killed by the thousands for obeying not making a similar political statement. to get THEIR “passport”.

To not get raped, tortured and KILLED.

https://jwfacts.com/watchtower/malawi-mexico-oath-allegiance.php

This link has the COMPLETE STORY, and I found it to be fair, true, and accurate.  I was paying attention.