View from the Pew
A look inside Hawaii's houses of worshipBy Mary Adamski
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
A biblical drama with elaborate, realistic costuming and makeup was held Monday at the Jehovah's Witnesses District Convention. Glenn Tateishi, Harold Kim and Clarence Minami, from left, waited backstage prior to the start of the play.
Here they were, more than 1,000 people who make their pitch by going door-to-door, so a first thought was to compare their annual conference to a sales group convention. Modesty and simplicity
seen as virtuesIndeed, there were three days of pep talks and how-to tips and role model speakers reminding conventioneers about the corporate goals. But bragging was not to be heard, not even about the numbers of those sold and brought into the fold.
What could be further from a sales convention than Florante and Leah Nacion's story about simplifying their life, letting go of one car, the cell phone, and gym membership and working toward the goal of low-paying jobs at the headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Another preconception held by this visitor to the Jehovah's Witnesses 2002 District Convention last weekend in their Mililani Assembly Hall was to expect the hullabaloo of an arena event so predictable in a modern church gathering. Get more than 1,000 church people together in one big hall and there's bound to be major music and speakers revved to an entertainment pitch and flamboyant, wordy prayers, right? How else can you hold the crowd for three days?
Wrong again. A few hymns were interspersed amid dozens of lectures, giving an occasional opportunity to stand. Only one brief prayer was expressed all day, just before the baptism of two dozen people.
The program was speakers, speakers and more speakers. There are no big name guest keynoter, members are groomed to be speakers. Each congregation has a Theocratic Ministry School in which youths are assigned subjects, do research and develop discussion skill, under the guide of elders.
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Danielle Sanches applied finishing touches on Monday to the makeup of Aima Pahukoa for a religious drama.
All male, except for a few women participants in mini-skits, they were earnest, low-key, relentlessly citing Biblical chapter and verse. The conventioneers were as serious as students on the day before the test, taking copious notes and flipping to each of dozens of scriptural sources.
Most impressive was the fact that many of the note takers were teenagers. Dressed up in Sunday best -- not a slipper, shorts or T-shirt to be seen --- the youths scribbled away, chin to chest. One speaker focused on modesty -- and why it rules out bared navels and the Goth and grunge looks -- and another had suggestions for steering common gossipy, sports or "secular" conversation into spiritual subjects.
"All nations, corporations, individuals today want to be the best. Modesty is viewed as a failing," said Larry Nelson.
"Modesty is a realistic evaluation of your competence before Jehovah. Lack of modesty is what led to the sexual abuse of children by priests. It led to large-scale thievery by corporations."
The July 20 session drew families from Pearl City and Aiea. It was one of 14 three-day conventions drawing more than 14,000 church members throughout the summer to the Witnesses' two-year-old meeting hall in Mililani Tech Park.
Years of encounters with "publishers" -- those people who go door-to-door -- and "pioneers" -- they do it full-time -- led me to expect dire predictions and descriptions of Armaggedon. They teach that this "time of the end" has been underway since 1914. But, they believe, once God eliminates the present system of things in a great battle, a kingdom under Christ will rule the earth in righteousness and peace.
Speakers didn't grind on it but it was a throwaway line in many a talk.
"Each day brings us closer to Jehovah's Day," Dun Uchimura told the crowd.
"Nationalistic wars are a sign the end of the present system is near," said Joseph DeMoor.
"We need faith in the last days as we approach the great tribulation," Ron Miyamoto told candidates for baptism.
"God's Kingdom of 1,000 Years" was one hymn, and another asserted "Jehovah's Day of Vengeance is drawing ever near. God's watchmen must give warning, each stands his position, the time is getting short."
Members don't get bonus points for people they add to the flock, although they may keep personal track, he said. People aren't going to be tested on their notes but they, particularly the youth, will be prepared for future discussion groups in individual Kingdom Halls.
"Jesus is the son of God but is not God," said church leader Gary Wong, and they also reject teachings common in Christianity such as hellfire, immortality of the soul and "worldly holidays based on pagan beliefs."
You won't find Jehovah's Witnesses participating in any interfaith gathering: "Our beliefs are very different. We don't believe we can share with them," Wong said. "We respect them."
A member who is seen to stray from the belief system may find himself or herself "disfellowshipped." It's a decision made by an individual congregation, for such things as drunkenness and immorality, such as living with someone not your legal spouse, Wong said.
Smoking is on the list of forbidden behavior. Research done in the 1960s convinced the church that "tobacco is ... addictive, it is inviting the demons in," Wong said.
The people who decided to be baptized had to demonstrate knowledge of beliefs, have faith and be repentant. It is seen as "a symbol of unconditional devotion to Jehovah" and is not required of church members.
The assembly hall contains a small waist-deep tiled pool behind doors that were folded open to allow the crowd to watch the immersion baptisms. Two strong men helped dunk men and women who donned shorts and T-shirts for the experience. No words were said -- they don't believe in the Trinity.
The baptisms provided the only touch of drama for the day. But, said information officer Bruce Wakukawa, "We don't believe there is any magic in it."
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Mary Adamski covers religion for the Star-Bulletin.
Email her at madamski@starbulletin.com.
