Original sentence: Contrary to the claims, contemporaneous official directions show that Witnesses were asked to "avoid unnecessary opposition or prejudice" and not to "cause arrests", by being "polite and courteous", while they endure to "obey God rather than men".Religious Writer William Whalen, as well as former Witness authors Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, Alan Rogerson and William Schnell, claim that the religion incited opposition to pursue a course of martyrdom under Rutherford's leadership during the 1930s, in a bid to attract dispossessed members of society, and to convince members that persecution from the outside world was evidence of the "truth" of their struggle to serve God
Edited sentence: According to William Whalen, as well as former Witness authors Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, Alan Rogerson and William Schnell, the religion incited opposition to pursue a course of martyrdom under Rutherford's leadership during the 1930s, in a bid to attract dispossessed members of society, and to convince members that persecution from the outside world was evidence of the "truth" of their struggle to serve God