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A Successful Witnessing Campaign in Greece

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES have long faced opposition in Greece. Some police, court, and government officials have persecuted Witnesses, often because of pressure from the Greek Orthodox clergy. Sometimes the excuse has been Greece’s antiproselytism law, at other times the Witnesses’ Bible-based refusal either to go to war or to accept blood transfusions.—Isaiah 2:2-5; Acts 15:28, 29.

In an effort to promote greater understanding among honesthearted authorities in Greece, some 200 Witnesses whom the Greek government recognizes as religious ministers, as well as some who are members of the legal profession, recently engaged in a country-wide campaign. They offered a specially designed brochure, entitled Jehovah’s Witnesses in Greece, as well as the book Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom. They also provided a packet of documents that demonstrate that there is no valid legal basis for the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Witnesses visited police chiefs, mayors, public prosecutors, and other officials.

The response? Hundreds of good experiences. Consider some examples.

The commander of a police station in West Macedonia welcomed the brothers and said: “I have known you people for a long time, . . . and I admire your order. . . . I disagree with the law of proselytism, and if it were up to me, I would abolish it.”

Commanders of various police stations in many cities made such comments as: “I commend you for the social service you perform.” “Your community never makes work for the police; you accomplish a social work.” “We have absolutely no problem with you. We respect you and appreciate you.”

In Piraeus a high official in the security police told the brothers, with tears in his eyes, that he knows to pray to Jehovah God by name through Jesus Christ. He surprised the Witnesses even further when he told them that he knew that they were expecting some persecution prior to Armageddon, and he hoped that God would use him to help them at that time! He accepted the brothers’ invitation to have further discussions.

Government Officials Respond

One mayor in Thessaly said regarding the Proclaimers book: “It deserves a place in the library of the municipality—the first place!” He thereupon cleared books from a shelf and set the Proclaimers book there so that its cover could be seen.

In northern Greece a mayor greeted the brothers’ visit warmly and said: “You are the best people I could wish to have in my municipality.” A kindly mayor in North Euboea told the brothers: “I am an ex-army officer. But you—I appreciate you very much.” He agreed enthusiastically with the points the Witnesses made. When they showed a selection of the books published by the Watch Tower Society, he said: “If I promise to read all of them, will you give them to me?” They answered: “But of course—they are yours!” He was delighted and would hardly let the brothers leave.

In a suburb in Attica, a mayor happily accepted the literature that the brothers offered and asked them to continue bringing him the Society’s publications. As they were leaving, he told them: “The people are very disappointed by the politicians and search for the real truth somewhere else. I am sure that from now on you’ll be very busy because you have the truth.”

Public Prosecutors Respond

The brothers who visited a deputy public prosecutor in northern Greece recalled: “He was impressed by our publications and by the presentation, as well as by the efforts we make to ensure that our people are not helpless when facing the serious issue of blood transfusion. Finally he thanked us and warmly commended us for taking the initiative to visit and inform him. Later on, we found out that four years previously he had called the police and ordered the arrest of two brothers who were engaging in the field service.”

Two Witness lawyers who visited the public prosecutor’s offices in Athens were surprised to see a well-known and widely respected older public prosecutor approach them. He took them aside and told them that the law against proselytism has no foundation and causes confusion in the Greek court system. He thanked them with a warm handshake.

In the north of Greece, a public prosecutor was very friendly and accepted literature. As he leafed through the pages of the book Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work, he was astounded to see the variety of chapters in the table of contents. He remarked: “What this book covers, I haven’t seen in all of Orthodoxy.”

A public prosecutor in Boeotia admitted that he, in the past, had issued orders for giving blood transfusions to Witnesses against their will. But after the brothers reasoned with him on the matter, he declared: “I will never issue such an order in the future!” He resolved that the local Hospital Liaison Committee for Jehovah’s Witnesses be consulted so that all alternatives to blood could be explored. He gladly accepted a Young People Ask book.

Librarians Respond

The material was also presented to many librarians. In one library in Athens, a polite librarian accepted literature and commented: “It is very nice that you brought us your books because most of the books we have in our library are against you. . . . A priest was very upset to see your books in the library. . . . It doesn’t matter. All voices should be heard.”

An official in a municipal library in Crete, who had come to know Jehovah’s Witnesses in a military camp, told the brothers that he had been impressed by the Witnesses’ refusal to take part in war. He had kept asking himself, ‘Why should these people suffer?’ He accepted literature from the brothers and said of their current campaign: “You have done excellent work and should have done this years ago. . . . In Greece there is a lot of prejudice.” He asked the brothers to visit him again soon.

During this special campaign, the brothers placed more than 1,000 Proclaimers books, 1,600 Jehovah’s Witnesses in Greece brochures, as well as hundreds of books and magazines. Better still, they spoke face-to-face with hundreds of Greek officials. Now it is the hope of faithful servants of Jehovah in Greece and around the world that honesthearted authorities in Greece will take a more fair-minded view of Jehovah’s Witnesses.