In 1977 I attended the special school for Elders the circuit had - We had one guy in the class who was an Illinois State Trooper. I never figured out how he was appointed as an elder- State police are issued handguns. I casually inquired about it during one of the class breaks and was told it was none of my business.
Why cant JW's be police officers?
by pepperdoodles 33 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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blondie
I don't think the directive about handguns and employment was made and enforced until 1983. I knew of other JWs before that that carried a gun in their jobs, including security jobs. But in 1983, several brothers adjusted by either leaving the employment or transferring to a position that did not require carrying a handgun such as PR, working in the jail, or an office job that did not require carrying a gun (most of those were near retirement and did not want to lose it and the employer cooperated with them on this).
Many jails and prisons do not require staff to carry guns so it is not improbable to find a JW working there.
Blondie
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garybuss
In my home town when I was a kid a Witness was chief of police.
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headmath
Actually I knew a JW cop . Was he a real JW? I don't think so.
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barbar
They can!!!
I specifically wrote to bethel when I was 19 ( a long time ago I'm afraid)and asked if it was OK for me to join the police force and was told that it was a conscience matter. I wrote because a person who had left the police force when he became a JW told it was wrong to join the Police and a serving police officer who was still a JW said it was OK.
This was in the UK and guns at that stage were not part of the std police force. By the way, I applied by was not selected so it never mattered anyway.
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blondie
First the issue of being a police officer or not hinges on carrying a weapon. I mentioned that JWs transferred to positions that did not require a gun when the 1983 WT policy came out.
Second, JWs can be gun-carrying law enforcement but then the congregation elders will take away any "special privileges" they might have and not give then any new ones until they change their employment.
So, JWs can be police officers as long as they don't carry guns, and if they do, their privileges will be taken away. But it is not a matter for df'ing.
Of course, you can always find a BOE that will "overlook" things. But they tend to hide this from the CO.
Blondie
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JT
we had two bro in our hall a State Trooper --MS and a Game Warden - Elder
both had to give up thier titles, they were dogged reeatly by comments both from the platform and congreagtion anytime "heeding the spirit of jahs direction thru the slave"
came up
no DFing offense, but no privilges either
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rebel8
Besides all the bloodguilt/guns mumbo jumbo, I was told an additional reason: Becoming a police officer means you "enjoy crime", in that you don't want crime to end because you'd be out of a job, which you love. Therefore you love crime and do not love the idea of living in the new system (TM) with no crime (and going on picnics with wild animals).
One of the silliest things I ever heard.
God forbid you would actually want to make the world a better place today, rather than waiting to have grave digging responsibility after everyone is killed during the Big A. Why contribute to humanity now--just wait for them to all be zapped by lightning and bury them.
(PS-In my area, the rule about having any job that required physical force or use of weapons was made and enforced at least by 1974, if not earlier....but they tend to be stricter than other areas I think. My mother began studying that year and I remember many times being told "daddy can't be in the new system because he carries a gun".)
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Wasanelder Once
Pepperdoodles, great name first off.
I thought you were being ironic as in, "Why can't JW's be police officers" meaning elders are such great detectives, why can't they be cops. The world would have very few unsolved crimes if the elders were the cops. They would make up an answer even if they couldn't find one and there would be a 100% conviction rate.
Wait a minute, that's what the cops do anyway. My brother in law was a JW and a sheriff's officer. Wouldn't stand for the anthem at a sporting even while sitting in front of the DA. That was the end of his carear. No promotions. He's retired and inactive now.
W.Once
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GoingGoingGone
Welcome, pepperdoodles!!! Nice to have you here!
I know a JW who is a police officer. No special privilages, just as per the articles Blondie quoted. He grew up a JW and became a police officer to stir the pot, I think... LOL! But he hasn't been DF'd because of it.
GGG