by NikL 35 Replies latest jw friends
The letter said that the comments in the QFR really only applied in countries where people were required to vote, may even have included a husband requiring a wife to vote,
It's a conscience matter only where you're required to vote by law but you're not allowed to use your conscience in other places? What happened to all JWs believe and practise the same no matter where in the world?
In 1969 my Congregation Overseer (that's what they called em' back then) and his assistant took me aside in the Kingdom Hall library and shut the door. Confidentially they informed me what I was to do while simultaneously admonishing me that I was NEVER to say that I had been so advise by any member of my religion!
They outlined that I was to go along with the Draft Board and even take my Armed Forces physical examination. I was advised to comply with everything right up to the brink of reporting for duty when I was assigned. At that point I would be in violation of "Christian Neutrality" if I complied further because:
1.I'd become Property OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES
2.I'd have to swear allegience and salute the flag, etc. etc
Remarkably, although the understanding of Romans 13 had changed from JW's saying the "Superior Authorities" were Jehovah and Jesus into what all mainstream churches had said all along--the Overseer used that scripture with the old understanding and advised me to do the same when speaking to the draft board!!
Duplicity dogged every step along the way as far as my spiritual advisors were involved.
As I look back now, I marvel at the fact that in the 2 years I was incarcerated, I only got one visit from my best friend and no visits from any other member of the congregation! I suspect even my best friend counted THE TIME spent driving, visiting and driving back from Dallas to Fort Worth.
Oh, the agony of the memory!!
A little more on voting. A CO told me you could go into the voting booth but you still were not allowed to vote for a party. You could write Jesus Christ on the ballot or not vote at all. Notice the article is couched with words like a JW may "go to the polling booth" and states that several times, but they are very careful to omit the words that actually say the person can "vote for a candidate".
Quote from the article below:
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. It is not our responsibility to instruct them what to do with the ballot."
Notice how carefull they word this. Notice they say "write in what they stand for". This is where the CO said JWs if pressured to vote could write "Jesus" on the ballot or write nothing at all. Notice also they say "witnesses MUST act in HARMONY with HIS commandments in ACCORDANCE with their FAITH. This is where a JW knows he cannot vote and still remain a member of the congregation.
Ambassadors are expected to be neutral and not to interfere in the internal affairs of the countries to which they are sent. As representatives of God?s heavenly Kingdom, Jehovah?s Witnesses feel a similar obligation not to interfere in the politics of the countries where they reside.A third factor to consider is that those who have a part in voting a person into office may become responsible for what he does. (Compare 1 Timothy 5:22, The New English Bible.) Christians have to consider carefully whether they want to shoulder that responsibility.
Fourth, Jehovah?s Witnesses greatly value their Christian unity. (Colossians 3:14) When religions get involved in politics, the result is often division among their members. In imitation of Jesus Christ, Jehovah?s Witnesses avoid becoming involved in politics and thus maintain their Christian unity.?Matthew 12:25; John 6:15; 18:36, 37.
Fifth and finally, their keeping out of politics gives Jehovah?s Witnesses freeness of speech to approach people of all political persuasions with the important message of the Kingdom.?Hebrews 10:35.
The above quote from the article states pretty plainly that JWs do not vote.
1.JWs are ambassodors. ambassodors do NOT vote.
2.JWs do not interfere in politics.
3.JWs may become responsible for the party they voted for.
4.Voting would result in division. JWs must maintain Unity. JWs avoid politics.
5.JWs keeping out of politcs gives them freeness of speech to talk to people of all politicial persuasions. If JWs voted this could not happen.
JWs are still not allowed to vote IMO and the CO I talked with, but as was stated by others they do talk with forked tongue and you have to read between the lines.
I don't have a problem with a religion, as an a organization, remaining neutral. They don't endorse either candidate, they don't get invovled in the political machine, they don't take sides on the issues. That's fine. It's all part of seperation of church and state. I like that.
But for any religion to dictate to it's members, as citizens of that country, that they can't vote is overstepping their authority. Of course the WTS is very coy on how they print their instructions to the flock, but in private counsel, on no uncertain terms it is made clear, NO VOTING.
To me, they do not have the right to tell me I can or cannot vote. If I choose to not vote, it will not be because they said I couldn't but because of my own personal reasons and choices. If I choose to vote, well, it's none of their business, is it?
I was 17 when I became a witness. Freshly baptized, I mentioned in passing to an elder (my then best-friend's dad) that we had elected a class president. I don't remember at all how the conversation went, I probably mentioned all the "Oaf of Office" joking around we did. (Our "class" had about 10 people in it)
The next week I was in a Judicial Committee! I didn't even realize that's what it was, but there were three of them. We chatted awhile, then they brought up my "voting". Nobody trotted out any verses where Jesus warned against electing a class president or any such thing, they just wanted to establish that I had voted and that I admitted it. It was only my very reasonable bible study conductor (an elder, one of JC) that managed to keep it from becoming a "reproof" situation. He basically used the "he didn't know, it's obscure, he knows better now" defense, and it worked.
Of course, I was a full-on Party Member then, so I was glad to have had this light shown on my ignorance. I look back now and think, wow, this is the best thing we all had to do with an hour of our time?
Dave
Yes the coy and clever use of words. What was that? Something about "tickling" the ears? It's heart stopping to imagine how many people will spend the next few months in constant agony over this. Although I never went to the wall like Terry and some of the others when it came to "defending" integral doctrine but, like the rest of us, sacrifices have been made. And for what? I think that it is going to be a slow process, like the rusting rot of iron over the next few months, as the import of what has been done here begins to sink in. It hit me like a freight train.
Let's see, go to the voting booth, but write "Jesus" on the ballot. Any particular color of crayon we should use? If we go to the voting booth, that means we are voting, right? No, see, we're going to be clever and fool all those people watching us. Hee, hee, hee. Isn't that a lie? What other games will required playing next? Oh, it's okay to attend a Devil Worship ceremony, but when it comes time to sacrifice the chicken, just look at your feet. It's okay to hump the neighbor's wife, just wear a condom. It's okay to steal from somebody, just promise him, in the presence of God, to give it back some day.
I'm sorry, but there aren't words clever enough, smiles fake enough, excuses bold enough to hide the fact that this is absolute, positve proof of the WTBS has leeched away it's integrity. Okay, okay, it's alright to take blood DERIVATIVES, fine. That's a close one, I'll give them the benefit. It's okay to get extended education. Fine, it's about time, and the situation in the world has changed, it takes more to make a living nowadays. Okay, another close one. 1975, hey, they never actually SAID that. "This generation will by no means..", well, maybe their calculator got stuck, besides, I wasn't serving for "a day". The UN and the NGO, hmmm, that's really close, but registering is not necessarily support. But to state, in black and white, that it is okay to support the "Beast" that we have had shaken in our faces like a boogie-man for decades... The bug just hit the windshield, I'm afraid.
It's hard for me to believe the government would allow a religion to make such a rule, after so many people had worked for years for the right to vote. They should take away a religion's "rights" to no taxation if they don't allow their followers to vote or if they restricted any of their follower's constitutional rights, IMO.
I am 35 years old and for the first time this federal election.......I VOTED. Felt so good to USE my rights.
How the society words things like this reminds me of how I taught my children to think for themselves. In pychcology it is a process that takes external talk from parents (leading, correcting, encouraging, disipling), becomes the child talking themselves through things and then goes into our 'inner voice, or inner talking to ourselves.' JW have taken a childlike tactic of molding and used it on adults, never allowing the final step to happen. Adults are reduced to children. They are lead lead lead, but never graduate to the final step. Most children follow this process: (millions of examples but here is one)
1 Mom: "Johnny, what do we do when we have dirty sock? We take them off and where do we put them? Right! In the basket."
2: Johnny outloud to himself, "My sock is dirty, I will go to the basket with them"
3: Johnny now only thinks the above internally, making decisions internally.
This process is essential to independence in children, problem solving skills and yup, you guessed it...critical thinking skill. All things that JW do not want their ppl to have...are we sure that the borg is not full of pychology Phd's using ppl as the world's best experiement?? The wording in their articles, like this one on voting, staggers me. It is only through education that I and I am sure YOU all now can decifer what the hell they are doing to us. Oh wait,,,,,again....education is not encouraged, is it....don't want them wise to what we are doing to them, do we.
Let's look at this from a witness perspective for a minute. First off, ask any witness: Who allows the present governments to exist on earth today? You should get the same answer each and every time - Jehovah. Then ask them if Jehovah knows and can predict the outcome of all political elections until the cows come home. Again, all answers should be in the affirmative. So, if Jehovah already knows, and most likely himself guides the outcome of all elections to fit his purposes on earth, what difference would it make if an ordinary r&f witness were to vote? Couldn't it possibly be Jehovah himself guiding the witness to vote one way or another?
Let's face it, according to JW theology, Jehovah has his timetable and plans set in stone. There is absolutely no human on earth that could change Jehovah's plans for the future. This includes anyone who votes for a certain political party. If Jehovah's path to armageddon is unchangeable, vote away. You're just a puppet afterall, right?
