Does anyone know of an old WT book that proves the JW's USED to vote in elections?? Any help would be very much appreciated!
Lavendar
Help please...need information...
by lavendar 6 Replies latest jw friends
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Gerard
This is the closes I found:
http://www.watchtowerinformationservice.org/index.php/watchtower_quotes/do-not/vote/
*** Watchtower 1950 November 15 pp.445-6 Subjection to the Higher Powers ***
22 In some countries today the legislature wants to make all the adult citizens responsible for the government. To enforce the democratic way upon them they are required by law to vote in the national elections. Under such circumstances what are Christians to do, since they are under divine command to keep themselves unspotted from this world? By dedicating themselves wholly to God through Christ they have vowed their unswerving allegiance to the kingdom of God, and they cannot divide their allegiance. So how are they now to proceed? Can they register as qualified voters? Yes. The apostle Paul held onto his Roman citizenship and fought for its rights, even appealing to Caesar in defending his right to preach the gospel. In lands where military conscription is in force Jehovah’s witnesses register the same as all others within the age limits, and they write down their relationship to the matter. They remember how Joseph and Mary complied with Caesar’s decree and traveled to Bethlehem-Judah in order to be registered at their home town. (Luke 2:1-5, NW) But it is when these ministers of Jehovah’s Word are called up for induction into the army that then they present themselves and take their stand according to God’s Word and pay to him what belongs to him. Likewise where Caesar makes it compulsory for citizens to vote. After they have registered and when election day comes, they can go to the polls and enter the voting booths.It is here that they are called upon to mark the ballot or write in what they stand for. The voters do what they will with their ballots. So here in the presence of God is where his witnesses must act in harmony with his commandments and in accordance with their faith.
23 It is not our responsibility to instruct them what to do with the ballot.They must act in accord with their conscience as enlightened by the study of God’s Word. In lands where voting is not compulsory, the ministers of Jehovah’s Word remember that his people are theocratically organized. According to the divine law under which they are organized the popular vote of the majority does not put servants in office, but all appointments in the theocratic organization are from God and through those whom he puts in authority in his organization. Even in his visible organization the individual members of the congregation do not vote democratically and put qualified men into positions of overseers and ministerial servants by majority vote. No, but the appointments to all official positions of service are made by the spirit of God and through the governing body according to the Scriptural requirements. Even the governing body which make the appointments are under instructions from the "superior authorities", God and his Christ. To them it is written: "Never lay your hands hastily upon any man; neither be a sharer in the sins of others; preserve yourself pure." (1 Tim. 3:1-13 and 1Ti 5:22, NW) So the ministers of Jehovah’s Word do not possess the vote within his organization. As for the governing body, it does not lay its hands hastily upon a consecrated person, lest it should become responsible for his sins in office due to a hasty appointment of an undependable, unqualified person.
24 Since they do not exercise the popular vote to put even consecrated servants into office even within the theocratic organization, they consider it improper to exercise the democratic vote by which unconsecrated persons are put into worldly political offices. They do not choose to share in the responsibility for the sins of such worldlings in governmental offices. They want to preserve themselves pure from this world. They abide by God’s appointments through his theocratic organization, and they accept his appointment of Jesus Christ to the kingship of the righteous new world.
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yknot
I am still looking ....(when I can ........sorry but I have had 15 kids at my house all day (ages 2-9), and 12 are spending the night!)
As of July 1916, page 109, para 2 Under the title "Conscience and the War" states...
Of course, no country forces aliens into the army; and were it recognized that true Christians are aliens as respects earthly governments, the whole question might solve itself. The Bible Students’ claim is that the followers of Jesus have their citizenship in heaven, and that by giving their obedience to the heavenly Lord they renounce in a degree their allegiance to earthly kings--governments. It is for this reason that we have long advocated that the fully consecrated abstain from voting on political issues. If they so vote, they are identifying themselves with the earthly kingdoms, and might properly enough be called upon to shoot as they vote--to support the government which they helped to create.
I will keep looking later tonight after they go to bed.
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yknot
It is still a MOC in 1905 but based on the following wording ...... we all know what is being said....
Nov 15, 1905 under the "Some Interesting Questions Answered" ....(lol guess this was the ancestor of the QFR)
SHOULD WE VOTE?
Question.-Should the Lord’s people vote? Would it be wrong? or would it be a duty?
Answer..-Conscience may have to do with this question on either side. And conscience never should be violated. It may be educated, however ; nay, it is our duty to educate conscience, and God’s Word is its best instructor. The spirit of God’s Word is to the effect that the elect are a “new creation,” whose “citizenship is in heaven,” and all of whose interests, temporal and spiritual, center in “Thy kingdom come.” Assuredly we must have dealings with the world to earn our living decently, but all of this class should be on the alert to foster the interests of the new creature, and experience proves that the less we have to do with the “world” and its politics the better will be our spiritual health. What will our votes amount to any wav? Even if we all voted the one ticket we would change no election. Our advice then is that as nothing ie to be gained and much time and spiritual energy sure to be lost by dabbling in politics, the consecrated will be exercising of a sound mind in the wisdom from above in leaving the world’s affairs to its own care. See further DAWN Vol. I, chaps. 13 and 14; also Vol. VI, pp. 693, 694.
Dawn Vol 1 was written in 1886.......
Here is a dl link to the 1905 ZWTs http://www.4shared.com/file/62579204/9b068885/1905.html?dirPwdVerified=d6acb320
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lavendar
Thank you very much, Gerard and Yknot! I'll go back now and read all you've provided. I appreciate your help!
Yknot - 12 kids spending the night?! Bless your heart! Hope you get some sleep! Heh heh
Lavendar
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The Lone Ranger
Do you realise that in a 1999 WT "questions from readers" the WTS has now made it OK for JW's to vote.
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yknot
Well I went as far back as my collection allows which some 1874 Heralds....
In the Oct 1880 ZWT the article "The Two Natures" addresses voting (with the usually loaded language)....
Now, we can readilv see that to be conformed to His death does not mean that we should give up only sinful things to which we never had a right. Many things are proper enough to us as human beings, that we covenanted to give up if we might have the Divine nature. To illustrate: It is proper enough for a worldly man to seek the honor and respect of his fellow men by such lawful use of his talents as would commend him to their esteem. It would be right enough for him to participate in worldly governments, both by voting and holding office. It is right for him to seek all uninjurious pleasures; operas, concerts, games, &c., to seek wealth and ease and human happiness. It is not wrong for earthly women to engage in the same pleasures, and to wear braided hair, jewelry and costly apparel, if rightly and honestly obtained. But if any man or woman be in Christ a new creature, these should remember that their covenant was to crucify the natural will and mind of the flesh, and to develop the new nature, and they will find that every such natural pleasure permitted in their hearts fills a place consecrated to God, and excludes a measure of the joys of the Spirit, as well as requiring some of the time which they have consecrated wholly to God.
Any good lil' J-Dub worth their salt can knows what 'worldly' means and they should easily discern earthly women compared to spiritual ones. Of course bear in mind that it isn't until 1920 that women in the United States are 'allowed, permitted, or given the privilege to vote and for most states hold office (save a few maverick towns & states)
It appears that Russell like the WTS today is of the 'not part of this world' thinking class.
He sees true Christians not seeking (voting or holding public office) the kingdoms of this world (governments, politics) because they are not of Christ's Kingdom.
Similarly to the 1880 article if you are a goodl lil' Dubbie.....the Nov 1, 1999 QFR...
*** w99 11/1 p. 28 Questions From Readers ***What, though, of voting in political elections? Of course, in some democratic lands, as many as 50 percent of the population do not turn out to vote on election day. As for Jehovah’s Witnesses, they do not interfere with the right of others to vote; neither do they in any way campaign against political elections. They respect and cooperate with the authorities who are duly elected in such elections. (Romans 13:1-7) As to whether they will personally vote for someone running in an election, each one of Jehovah’s Witnesses makes a decision based on his Bible-trained conscience and an understanding of his responsibility to God and to the State. (Matthew 22:21; 1 Peter 3:16)
The loaded language spells out it in very clear terms, those with bible-trained consciences always obediently adhere to the Slave's discernments.
Perhaps one of our JWD Elders/Former Elders will comment on whether the March 24, 2000 BOE LTR will confirm the DA point of a Brother or Sister breaching neutrality..... this automatically DAing themselves.
Text of BOE March 24, 2000
Dear Brothers:
In reporting cases when individuals have disassociated themselves by engaging in nonneutral activities, the following direction should be followed.
The implication of their action should be reported in harmony with Scriptural guidelines. Therefore, when completing the S-77 form, please use such expressions as "Violated neutrality" or 'Took a nonneutral course." Isaiah 2:4 and John 15:17- I9 support these descriptions, as
pointed out on page 101 of Pay Attention to Yourselves and to All the Flock. Other expressions should not be used. By reporting matters in this way, we are following the Scriptural direction regarding those who go out from us because they are "not of our sort," while we ourselves
remain neutral as to the world and its affairs.-l John 2:19; John 17:16.Although this direction applies to the terminology used when reporting disassociations, the same caution is to be exercised in all correspondence with the Society or with other congregations. We pray Jehovah's rich blessings be with you as you continue to care well for the flock of God entrusted to your care.
......Never has the society 'endorsed, or supported' seeking the kingdoms of this world.......