Defending God’s Truth and His People

As told by Victor V. Blackwell

FOR more than forty years I have been defending God’s truth, even since before I became a lawyer. In fact, it was just before I was admitted to the bar of the state of Louisiana that I went to see the city judge in Alexandria, Louisiana, in 1939, to try to arrange the release of four Witnesses who had been jailed for preaching the good news. When I made known to the judge that I would like to arrange a bond for the four Witnesses in jail, he became angry, pulled a pistol out of his desk and pointed it at me, saying:

“Get out of here! Get out of Alexandria. I’ll kill you if you ever show your face here again. No Jehovah’s witnesses or anybody representing them is going to come to this city and say anything against the holy Catholic Church. Now get out!”

With that experience and what followed immediately thereafter I began a life of legally defending the good news. But my interest in defending God’s truth goes away back to my childhood days. It was in 1908 that God’s truth first came to our home in Louisiana; I was just one year old then. Someone mailed a number of Bible tracts published by the Watch Tower Society to my father. “My mind and heart,” said my father, “were excited about the things of which I read.”

Scarcely had I gotten out of “diapers” when I began learning to read with the use of ABC blocks and by constantly asking my mother: “What does this say?” “Read this to me.” My father would also read to me, especially the Bible and the Society’s literature, and he would explain it to me in a simple way. These wonderful truths rooted themselves in me very early in life. Long before I finished high school I had read the volumes entitled “Studies in the Scriptures,” the Bible and everything that I could get my hands on that increased my understanding of the Bible.

DEFENDING GOD’S TRUTH AT SCHOOL

At a very early age I would defend God’s truth at every opportunity before fellow schoolmates and teachers. The opportunities were endless, for teachers and schoolmates would tell me: “Your Dad is a no-hell preacher!” This was an expression of ridicule, inspired by Christendom’s preachers. The clergyman in our community told the people that hell was ten thousand thousand times as hot as natural fire. So I had many opportunities to defend Bible truth by explaining what “hell” really is, namely, the common grave of mankind.

When I entered a freshman class in biology, the professor passed out pieces of paper and requested each student to write whether he believed in the Bible account of creation or in evolution. Most of the 150 students indicated their belief in the Bible account. At the end of the course, the professor again passed out slips for answers to the same question. This time the results were reversed: Only a small number, about a dozen, held to their faith in the Bible. The remainder fell victim to evolution. The professor appeared highly pleased that he had wrecked the faith of most of his students. Such was the atmosphere in college even in the 1920’s.

Defending God’s truth, I asked the professor one day as he was expounding on evolution: “Professor, where did this one-cell living thing come from? Who made it? And how do you account for all the endless varieties of life?” But he could not answer, and so rebuked me.

One night while having a discussion with a large group of students, I exposed such doctrines as the inherent immortality of the human soul, eternal hellfire and the Trinity as being false. One student said he would phone up his preacher to come out and he would “show me up.” I told him the clergyman would not come. He phoned anyway, but the preacher refused to come. So as I continued to tell them about the Bible, they listened more respectfully.

SHARING GOD’S TRUTHS MORE FULLY

After graduation from college in May 1929, I accepted a position as teacher in the Covington, Louisiana, high school. There I witnessed to students and teachers at every opportunity.

However, since I wanted to serve God more fully, I resigned my position as teacher in 1932 and entered the pioneer ministry or full-time preaching work under the direction of the Watch Tower Society. I was invited to speak to all the teachers before I left, and placed some Bible literature with each one of them.

On April 1, 1932, I submitted to water baptism in symbol of my dedication to Jehovah, my father baptizing me in the clear waters of a creek near our home. That same month a companion Witness and I headed for Minde, Louisiana, my first assignment as a full-time preacher of God’s Word. The great financial depression had not lifted, and money was scarce. So we left much Bible literature with people, exchanging Bibles and books for chickens, ducks, geese, eggs, corn and other foods.

At one time when we were very much in need, a Christian sister whose husband had died and left some money invited me and another of the pioneer ministers over to her home. She handed each one of us $600! To almost anyone in those days, that was a lot of money. To a pioneer it was a fortune! With this we were able to get our autos in good condition, buy new clothes, obtain food and provide for other needs.

Later I went with a group of pioneers to the Mississippi Delta country. In November 1933 I married one of the pioneer sisters. We covered a large number of counties together, distributing large quantities of Bible literature. Since a Bible tract was the beginning of a solid foundation of Bible truth for my father, my mother and myself, I have always endeavored throughout my ministry to leave a tract or some piece of literature at every door where no one is at home and with every person to whom I witness if such a person does not otherwise take literature.

We called at the great cotton plantations. But some of the owners and managers did not want anyone calling on their workers. Sometimes they threatened to beat or kill us if we called on their workers. Thus one day another Witness and I, driving along a dusty road near a plantation, saw a car coming from behind us at great speed. Thinking it to be a plantation manager, we sped in an effort to get back to the main highway, going so fast we almost lost the pursuing car in a cloud of dust.

But the other car never stopped chasing us until it passed us up, then the driver waved for us to stop. We stopped to see what “the great automobile chase” was all about. “You fellows have been passing my home up,” our pursuer explained. “So I figured the only way I was going to get some of that literature was to chase you down!” We made our own explanation and then left him a large quantity of Bible literature.

In 1939, my wife became unfaithful to me. Against all my pleadings to live with me and serve Jehovah, she obtained a divorce and married a man steeped in the ways of this evil world. I carried on in Jehovah’s service. Within a year after my first wife left, and while engaged in the field ministry in the town of Mandeville, Louisiana, I met a fine lady who, in time, became my Christian marriage partner.

DEBATES WITH CLERGYMEN

In the summer of 1932, in Cottonvalley, Louisiana, a clergyman challenged me to a public debate. Always eager to defend God’s truth, I accepted and had many handbills printed announcing the debate to be held in a theater. When the printer found out I was going to debate with the preacher, he made no charge for the printing. We saturated the area with the handbills. This infuriated the preacher.

Well, the night came for the debate. No preacher. But his representatives showed up​—two husky men came backstage to “get me.” But the theater owner warned them to get out or he would have them arrested. Finally, the preacher showed up. He was pale and refused to come on stage. The preacher was scheduled to uphold the propositions (1) that man has an immortal soul, (2) that hell is a place of eternal and conscious torture and (3) that Christendom’s religious leaders represent God and Christ. Since the clergyman refused to speak on these matters, the chairman asked me to proceed.

I stated first what the clergy taught and then took the Bible and exposed these false teachings. Meantime, the preacher was in great discomfort, biting his fingernails and pulling his hair and pacing up and down the aisle. After an hour, the preacher came up on the stage. After uttering a long, sanctimonious prayer, he called for a man to come on stage with a large sack. Taking it, the preacher dumped out the contents. This was a large quantity of Bible literature that we had left among the local people. The clergyman then stomped on it, and raged and raved. Finally, in chagrin he said: “I’m getting out of this place!” A large number of people stayed, and I answered their many Bible questions.

Also in 1940, near Covington, Louisiana, a Pentecostal preacher invited me to a debate. This clergyman, however, sent away to get a highly educated young preacher. When I was introduced to this young clergyman, he said in a smug manner: “I understand you are an educated man. Well, when I get through with you, I’ll have you tied in so many knots, you’ll never get out.”

But the tables were turned, and he got tied up in knots. Like the preacher in Cottonvalley, he would not speak first as scheduled. By the time I got through with my hour’s talk defending God’s truth, he was in no condition to speak, ‘being in torment,’ like the rich man of Jesus’ parable. (Luke 16:23, 24) When the preacher did get up, he screamed at his audience, made no sincere effort to answer any of the points I had made and then sat down. More than a thousand persons attended, and we still hear repercussions from that debate when we talk to the people in that area.

LEGALLY DEFENDING THE GOOD NEWS

In October 1939, while pioneering in Andalusia, Alabama, I received a telegram from the Society that said in substance: “Proceed to Alexandria, Louisiana, at once. Four pioneers in jail. Local brothers unable to secure their release. Do what you can for these brothers.”

I immediately left Andalusia by auto. Other Witnesses had gone to about every lawyer in Alexandria, but not one would touch the case. One of Louisiana’s leading lawyers declined. Asked if he would defend these men if they were charged with rape, murder or robbery, he said that he would. But he would not take a case for defending Jehovah’s Christian witnesses.

Not yet having been admitted to practice law in the state of Louisiana, I was not able to do as much as I wanted to do. My first thought was to get bond and get the Witnesses released. So I went to City Judge Gus A. Voltz, who reached for his pistol and ordered me out of his office, as I have already mentioned. I then went to the district attorney, who expressed regret that the Witnesses were in jail but said there was nothing he could do. The “heat is on” against the Witnesses, he explained, so if I valued my reputation as a lawyer (he did not ask me if I was a lawyer), I would get out of town. But I stayed, for my Christian brothers had been in jail for several weeks now, and it was Jehovah’s name and reputation that were involved.

I phoned a lawyer in New Orleans, Herman L. Midlo, who came to Alexandria, and after appropriate proceedings the four Witnesses were released. Mr. Midlo and I then went to a restaurant for lunch. When we came out, police were waiting. They arrested Mr. Midlo and took him to jail. I reported it to the district attorney, who called the city judge and told him that he had better let the lawyer out of jail. Mr. Midlo was then released.

By early 1942 I had gained admission to the bar of the state of Louisiana. Then I was in a better position to render legal assistance to my Christian brothers.

The arrests for preaching Bible truth in Alexandria continued. Each time I would go there and appear in court, this judge repeated his threat to kill me. But I was not to be intimidated. Since widespread publicity was given the arrests, the courtroom was jam-packed each time. Alexandria had a large military establishment during the war, and on one occasion I discerned a number of servicemen wearing decorations in attendance for the trial. So when I came to argue the case, I said:

“I note that in court today there are some young men who have been fighting in the war. What have they been fighting for? They and we have been told that they are fighting for the freedoms all Americans so much cherish: Speech, press and worship, and the freedom to worship God according to the dictates of one’s conscience being the most precious of all these freedoms. And here we see the City of Alexandria depriving American citizens of these very things.”

The judge was ‘boiling over’ with rage, but the servicemen and others appeared highly pleased.

The Witnesses continued to come under ill-treatment at the hands of this judge down to about 1953. Then we had our last case. Again the judge found the Witnesses guilty. An appeal was taken. One of the Witnesses, Marion Goudeau, who knew the judge, went to his office to sign the appeal bond. It was then that the judge confided to him:

“Mr. Goudeau, for thirteen years I have fought Jehovah’s witnesses, warning them, threatening them and jailing them, to no avail. They just keep coming back to Alexandria. I cannot stand another case with them. I can’t take it anymore.”

This judge did not have to ‘stand them’ or “take it anymore” because he died not long thereafter.

Since 1953 the Witnesses have had little or no trouble in preaching the good news in Alexandria. One of the greatest thrills of my ministerial career came in the summer of 1970, as I sat with a crowd of more than 9,000 people in the Rapides Coliseum in Alexandria during the district assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses, taking in Bible instruction.

MANY PRIVILEGES

Many blessings indeed I have had over the years. For example, I have been privileged to serve as an overseer in the Christian congregation for many years. I have also served at the Society’s headquarters in Brooklyn and later as one of the first instructors at the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. My wife and I were expecting our first child, and so in 1943 I returned to the pioneer ministry and legal activity.

Our marriage was blessed with three children, Dinah, Nathan and Martha. In 1955, Nathan, our only son, age ten, died of polio. From the time he was five or six years old he had been serving Jehovah, loving the Bible, congregation meetings, and engaging in the field ministry. I will never forget that on some Sunday mornings, when I was so exhausted from hard work all week and felt like staying in bed, he would come into my bedroom and shake me, saying: “Get up, Daddy. Don’t let the old Devil keep you in bed. We’ve got to get out in the Kingdom service.” So there were times when his youthful vigor and zeal propelled me out into the work of kingdom-preaching. The Bible’s resurrection hope has helped us wonderfully to bear the loss.

In the 1940’s so many cases arose against the Witnesses in Louisiana that I traversed the state from north to south and east to west, arranging bonds for their release, then representing them when their cases came up in court. I was often on the road day and night. To describe the cases would require volumes, but here is an example:

In Oakdale, Louisiana, one Sunday, nine Witnesses were arrested and jailed. They phoned me and I was there Monday morning. I first went to the jail. The jailhouse door had been left open, with the hope, I later learned, that the prisoners would walk out; then the city could charge them with jailbreaking. But the Witnesses remained.

At the trial the prosecution summoned an elderly lady to testify against the Witnesses. She had obtained a book from a Witness who called at her home. The police confiscated it. When she took the witness stand in court, the prosecutor showed her the book and asked where she got it. She said she got it from a Witness.

“How much did you pay for the book?” roared the prosecutor.

“Not a penny,” she replied. “You see, I told them I was too poor to contribute for the book, but I did want it, so they gave it to me.”

What a dumbstruck city attorney and judge! Yet, despite a total absence of any evidence that the Witnesses were selling, the city judge sentenced them to thirty days in jail. An appeal was taken and the convictions were dismissed.

In time, I began to cross over into Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida and Texas to defend Jehovah’s witnesses in court. Eventually I became involved in court trials of Witnesses, either directly and/​or as counsel, in almost every state of the union.

For example, at the request of G. C. Clark, a Mississippi lawyer and one of Jehovah’s witnesses, I stepped over to assist him. Some of our Christian sisters in the full-time preaching work were arrested in Brookhaven, Mississippi, and were treated very shamefully. The prejudice was so great that Clark was convinced we could never get a fair trial, so we would “object” the case out of court. Every time the prosecutor opened his mouth, Clark objected. When he tired of objecting, he told me to take over. So I did. Between us, we must have registered no less than fifty objections. The prosecutor complained to the judge that he could not try the case because of our objections. The judge reminded him that we had a right to object, whether our objection was good or bad. Finally, in utter disgust, the prosecutor said: “When the district attorney can’t try his case, it’s time to quit. I’m getting out of this crazy place!” And that he did. The judge then dismissed the charges.

After Brother Clark’s death, I traveled all over Mississippi representing my Christian brothers. In every case, I tried, not only to defend the right of the Witnesses to preach, but, whenever possible, to give an effective witness respecting God’s kingdom.

An unusual case was entrusted to me in 1963. For two years the children of Jehovah’s witnesses had had to stay out of the public schools of Pinetop, Arizona, as well as other places in that state, because of their conscientious refusal to render homage to the state as required by Arizona law during the singing of the national anthem. Efforts to get the children reinstated were to no avail. The case was assigned for trial in July 1963, in Federal District Court at Phoenix. The courtroom was packed. After all the evidence was in, I opened my argument with these words:

“If Francis Scott Key (who wrote the national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner) were here today, he would blush with shame, to see that emblem, the American flag, which he viewed as a symbol of liberty and about which he wrote in The Star-Spangled Banner, now used as a club to beat little children down and force them to violate their deepest Christian convictions.”

In time the court handed down its decree holding that such expulsion of children from the public schools was illegal and unconstitutional and that the children should be reinstated.

From the first assignment I received in this field of legally defending the good news, in October 1939, down to the present hour, I prayed and have continued to pray in every case for Jehovah’s help and strength, recognizing that I am but dust. In the seventh decade of life, I look back over my career of defending God’s truth with joyful thanksgiving. I like to look ahead with even greater joy to the nearby day when, under Kingdom rule of the whole earth, I can join with unnumbered millions of my brothers in fulfilling the lofty call of Psalm 150:6: “Every breathing thing​—let it praise Jah. Praise Jah, you people!”