Year Book of Jehovah's Witnesses - Watchtower Archive

146 Yearbook
the international convention in New York and the enthusiasm
of these brethren after this grand experience will
doubtless be a blessing to others and mean added impetus
to the Kingdom work.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Totalitarian rule is difficult to combat. For a Christian
to live under the iron hand of a dictator, real
courage and fortitude are required. Jehovah's witnesses
in the Dominican Republic are living under
dictatorial rule, and great pressure was brought to
bear against them during the 1950 service year of
the Society. At present the government has a ban on
the work. Jehovah's witnesses are not allowed to talk
to anyone about the Bible or to distribute Bible
literature. Stop and think for a moment that this
condition exists in a country of the Western Hemisphere,
in a country that is a member nation of the
United Nations! Yet the Roman Catholic Hierarchy
is proud of its success in bringing about a ban on
the work. They take the credit for stopping the
work-and they will take the punishment from God
for doing so. Things have come to a sorry state of
affairs in a civilized world when the Catholic Hierarchy
can arrange even to arrest a woman for carrying
a Bible! However, the Scriptures tell us that the
time would come when people would think they were
doing God a favor by bringing persecution on true
Christians.
The missionaries sent into the Dominican Republic
by the Society some years ago remain there, but it
is impossible for them to preach the gospel in the
manner they desire. At present they have taken up
secular work to help them remain in their assignment.
The Society still supports them and keeps them in
the established missionary homes. This it will continue
to do, having full faith that someday the work
will be freely done and that opportunity will again
be theirs to preach the Word without hindrance.
Their very presence in the land, not running away,