I expected you to use a little initiative and your own brain and use the website like Old Hippie did.
So what happens when you don't vote in Australia?
by icer101 15 Replies latest jw friends
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techdotcom
Of course, you could just go ahead and go the the ballot box according to the information from the society. What you do when you are there is up to your conscience. At least that is what the literature seems to say.
WT Nov 1st 1999 (thx JW facts for that one)
And one of the new publications from 2008, I'll have to look on the library CD and post that. If someone else has it handy have a go at it. These, of course completly contradicts what any witness I have asked believes to be true and what some of the other sited sources from the literature state. Search for "voting" on the cd rom and notice how wives of unbelievers are encouraged to go to the voting booth if thier unbelieving mate demands it.
I wonder what the surviving brothers and sisters in Malawi think about this softend stance on showing christain neutrality?
The link to JWfacts: http://www.jwfiles.com/vote.htm
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jwfacts
In Australia you can avoid being fined for not voting by invoking your rights as a consciencious objector. After the election you receive a letter requesting you pay a small fine, or supply a reason for why you should be exempt from voting. I used to write something such as:
As one of Jehovah's Witnesses I invoke my right as a conscientious objector to abstain from voting. Daniel 2:44 shows that God's kingdom will soon rule the earth and as a follower of Jesus I remain neutral in political affairs.
In the last election my wife did not vote, so I filled out her letter as follows:
As one of Jehovah's Witnesses I invoke my right as a conscientious objector to abstain from voting. Daniel 2:44 shows that soon God will kill everyone involved in politics and everyone who is not a Jehovah's Witness.
I can imagine the look on the readers face.
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fulltimestudent
OK, as i read you query, you are not a J.Witness, and you do not have a conscientious reason against voting. But you do not see that the system is worth your vote.
The law is specific - voting is compulsory. But since it is a secret ballot, then all you have to do is to attend the voting centre, and vote informally. You can do this by putting a couple of lines through both voting papers and/or writing a succinct message, such as, 'screw all f**king politicians' or similar.
If you wish to do more, then wait for the 'please explain' and on that state why you do not vote and take your chances on a fine. If you are fined, you can obtain some publicity for your cause by refusing to pay the fine and perhaps going to jail.
I sympathise with your feelings, if Tony Abbot and Julia Gillard are the finest politicians that our system can produce then screw the system.
I upset one of my lecturers, who is a true blue believer in Aussie democracy, by pointing out how useless our system is and telling him that since the Chinese Communist Party University (that trains Chinese politicians and leaders) now has a link to the Australian National University in Canberra, that we ought to pay the Chinese Communist Party to train our politicians in the art of getting things done. (As they seem to be doing rather well at getting things done.)
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Listener
Just to confirm the above there are two ways of going about it.
The first is to go to the Polling Booth and have your name crossed off this list. Then on the paper mark the form so as to make it an informal vote, by crossing it or whatever. The WT has made it clear in their publications that this is acceptable if it is not against your own conscience. Many JWs will not do this but the fact is it is legal requirement to vote and the JWs also acknowledge that we must be obediant to the law of the land if it does not contravene God's law. I chose this method many years ago when I left.
The other method is to not attend and be served with the papers inviting an explanation as to why you didn't vote. I know of a person who does this but is not a JW. The form is completed on the basis that they are a 'conscientious objector' on a religious basis and quote a scripture. They have never been fined.
Personally I prefer the first method as it demonstrates that I will comply with the law. Also by deliberately making it an informal vote it sends a message to the Government to say that even though we are law abiding citizens it is a nonsense to force people to choose one Party over another. Hopefully as the number of informal votes increases they will make voting non compulsory.
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Broken Promises
In the last election my wife did not vote, so I filled out her letter as follows:
As one of Jehovah's Witnesses I invoke my right as a conscientious objector to abstain from voting. Daniel 2:44 shows that soon God will kill everyone involved in politics and everyone who is not a Jehovah's Witness.
I can imagine the look on the readers face.
ROTFLOL!!!!!