The Reluctant Apostate: Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses Comes at a Price

by Lloyd Evans

As for the “critic” on whose firsthand testimony the convention story is based, this was none other than Konrad Franke—a now-deceased branch overseer for Watchtower in Germany. In a recorded, two-part lecture he recounted his arrival at the 1933 convention to hear the Judge’s declaration: When we entered, we found the hall bedecked with swastika flags! But not only that: when the meeting started, it was begun with a song that we had not sung for years, especially not in Germany, because of the melody. Though the lyrics were fine, the melody—well, the musicians who are here will recognize that the notes were [taken from] the melody of “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles”! Can you imagine how we felt? Many could not join in the singing. It was just as though their throats were throttled. What kind of leaders did we have who brought us [into] such dangers—and the danger of faltering under these circumstances—instead of helping and supporting us, so that we could take a fearless stand [against Nazism]. May all elders who are here among us learn something from these examples, and may they recognize their responsibilities in such matters in the near future.[153]