Did you ever vote NAY?

by Fleshybirdfodder 14 Replies latest jw friends

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  Fleshybirdfodder

  Remember the proposals from the platform? Usually it was about footing the C.O.'s bill for expenses on his visit, or for paying for floral arrangements for the memorial. But I remember one time it was proposed that we give some of our cong's coffers to our neighbouring cong for renovations, and after the obligatory seconding of the motion one older sister boldy raised her hand singularly in a defiant "nay!" Needless to say as her hand shot up, her name was put on the black-list. I always respected her for that, since I had never witnessed anything but a unanimous vote on any issue proposed from the platform. Was total conformity completely unique to my congregation?

  FBF
• 

  Fleshybirdfodder

  And according to Watchtower dogma, why did sisters get to vote? Doesn't that completely conflict with Paul's misogyny?

  FBF
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  blondie

  1) Sisters whose husbands are not JWs

  2) Sisters who are single

  3) Sisters whose husbands died

  4) Sisters whose husbands are df'd or da'd

  All these women are considered the head of their own household and so can vote. No man is head over them in this regard. (which is great)
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  I looked for my previous post to avoid typing it again, but didn't find it.
  My Kingdom Hall's operations committee decided to put up a new locking gate
  for the parking lot. They said it was necessary, but it cost alot, so they had to
  have the congregations vote on it. The PO of my congregation mentioned it to
  the BOE but did not ask for our opinions. A vote came up the following week.
  First they asked if for any questions. I asked about the existing gate that was
  never used, why a newer one was needed, what examples of security issues
  they had. The PO answered each to some degree. Next was the motion and
  second motion to vote on it, then the vote. Everyone looked at me when they asked
  "All in favor?" No hand up. "Any opposed?" I put my hand up and a few others did
  also. The measure passed, but not unanimously. Later, the PO said "We discussed
  this before." NO, YOU MENTIONED IT WITHOUT DISCUSSION. "If you had a problem,
  why didn't you bring it up in private?" YOU DIDN'T ASK UNTIL TONIGHT.

  They got their gate. Everyone hates it except for the few elders who thought it was so
  necessary. Nobody knows what they think. The gate is always closed until a brother
  with a key gets out of his car, unlocks it, opens it.
• 

  undercover

  I refrained from voting the last few years that I was still in. I witnessed (no pun intended) some sad things when it came to proposals and voting.

  One instance split the congregation right down the middle and created a war of words between the two sides...over something that wasn't all that big of a deal to begin with.

  Seeing how childish everyone got, I decided from that day on to not even be involved with those controversial items.

  Proposing and voting to give the CO money was only a formality, no one was going to vote no, so by abstaining I at least didn't agree to it. Though on a couple of instances I was confronted by the elders as to why I didn't vote. I find it ironic that voting for a worldly person running for political office would get you in trouble...and not voting at the hall would get you in trouble.
• 

  Fleshybirdfodder

  I find it ironic that voting for a worldly person running for political office would get you in trouble...and not voting at the hall would get you in troubleW

  Well said... will someone explain that to me?

  FBF
• 

  blondie

  Voting in politics, etc., is part the the "world" in the WTS eyes. Voting at the KH is supposedly part of God's organizaiton. Is not voting that the WTS sees as wrong but participating in "worldly" affairs.
• 

  james_woods

  The times I saw this done, there was usually just a "loudest shout of the crowd" Ya or Nay. Ya first, so that anybody left that really wanted to go Nay felt shouted down. This even went to the elders meeting when we voted in the circuit overseer's expense report. I think that in my experience pretty much all the sisters could shout out if they wanted to on Ya - but would have felt really put down to pop up with a Nay.

  I never saw a secret ballot take place, and I do not believe I ever saw a resolution get rejected with a Nay. It was a rubber-stamp job deluxe.
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  95stormfront

  I guess it's to bad they don't have "worldly style" votes on the things that really matter aside from maintaining WT buildings that don't belong to them anyway. If they did, I'd suspect that those ten old geezers in Brooklyn would be out on their ass.
• 

  95stormfront

  1) Sisters whose husbands are not JWs

  All these women are considered the head of their own household and so can vote. No man is head over them in this regard.

  I guess this is true as I saw an emergency information form that I flat out told my wife I refused to fill out. Well, she filled it out anyway declaring herself the head of the house.

  I wonder would she still like to make that claim if I laid a couple of thousand dollars of our monthly bills on her ass.