Political Neutrality: Required for Servants of God?

leavingwt

How many here (who are no longer JWs) believe that servants of God must be politically neutral?

I ask, because there are many regular posters who do not participate in political discussions -- ever. There could be a wide variety of explanations, but I would like to know if any of you refrain from political discussions and political activity because of your religious beliefs?

I'm not interested in criticizing your beliefs or challenging them, I'm just interested in your stance/opinion, if you'd like to share it. I would like for this thread to be friendly to believers of all stripes.

JWoods

A lot of us don't think we are "Servants of God" any more, so the neutrality idea does not apply to us.

For what it is worth, the Watchtower Society has long been one of the more political religions on earth - having set stands on military service, the U.N., flag salute, picking and choosing what taxes they want to pay, denouncing all forms of government except themselves, pretending to not be a true religion in Mexico to save their property, and so on. We just had a post of a page ad they put in the NYT to protest a French tax on themselves (rather than just paying it like Jesus said) - and of course their open protests to the Russian government regulations are playing out now as well.

So the witnesses, in spite of their protests about it, are not really "neutral" politically themselves.

snowbird

I never quite subscribed fully to that doctrine of political neutrality.

While a JW, I voted on school board, property taxes, and gambling referenda; I felt that benefitting from those services while not actively supporting them was hypocritical.

The political discussions on here get to be a bit too rancorous at times, hence, I selectively participate.

Syl

Finally-Free

I don't get involved in political discussions because I work in a political environment. As a result I'm saturated to the point of nausea when it comes to political crap. Nearly 10 years with one political organization has shown me that we're no better than the the others. Some policies might be different, but the end result is the same; the people get screwed. Holding on to the power supercedes everything else. I've even detected some very cultlike mentality in the party. (I hope I'm not being monitored, as I could get fired for saying what I just said.)

To your question, I don't believe servants of God need to be neutral. I've heard very good arguments favouring political involvement for religious people. One thing I am very opposed to, however, is attempting to use legislation to impose certain "morals" on those who choose to disbelieve in God.

W

cult classic

I've been wondering that too LWT. I think there are degrees of political involvement. I don't want to continue to reap the consequences of political decisions and not participate in the processes of their creation.

I think people take political and religious discussions too personal. I've never understood how it benefits me to pick up somebody's torch and fight to the death for it. You know how people say "there are two things I don't discuss. Religion and politics."? Well I think that only serves those in charge because nothing affects our lives more than these two topics.

I also think that being neutral is taking the easy way out. Not every thing has to be debated. But we should be able to discuss anything that affects us.

p.s. I don't know if God requires neutrality but obviously there are servants who impose it on themselves (for a few reasons).

leavingwt

Thank you for these comments.

Perhaps I should throw out a couple of specific questions to get feedback on. . .

1. Because of your faith, do you think it's sinful to vote in elections?

2. Because of your faith, do you think it's sinful to voice/discuss political opinions?

leavingwt

JWoods -- Thank you. For the sake of this thread, I'm interested in people of faith who are no longer JWs. (The official JW position on the matter is clear, but I agree, WT has failed in their mission to be 100% neutral, over the years.)

Snowbird -- Interesting. Did you keep your voting a secret, or did other JWs actually know about it? (Yeah, I guess we're off-topic.)

Finally-Free -- I can understand being sick of it all. Thank you.

Cult Classic -- Interesting points. It's certainly easy for everyone to start making assumptions about each other, once the topics of Religion & Politics are involved.

undercover

I don't think people who consider themselves servants of God should have to remain politically neutral...

But OTOH... maybe it would be a good thing. Get all the religious nonsense and deluded zealots out of politics and let logic and reason prevail over belief in an imaginary being blessing whatever country you're in.

snowbird

I didn't hide or skulk around; then, I didn't flaunt it, either.

Discretion is the better part of valor.

Syl

miseryloveselders

I'm still an active JW, so for the obvious reasons I'm politically neutral. I might throw my two cents in occasionally on some of the social/political threads here. For the most part though, the older I get, the less I care about politics. I think its backwards for a person to go from a delusional no-blood card carrying JW, and discard that only to become a delusional card carrying member of a political party. Theres some posters on here where I just shake my head at their stupidity. You went from lap dogging the Faithful & Discreet Slave and Circuit Overseers, to lap dogging Hannity, Glenn Beck, or Keith Olbermann. As a man, I just find it pathetic to be a "stan" for anybody or any group of people. Some of the anti-Obama sentiments I pick up in here quite frankly irritate me, and I don't even like the man. Its the same gullible mentality that was present when Clinton was in office and conservative zombies just regurgitate the same idiotic conspiracy theories and rumors. When I get away from the JWs in the very near future, I'm not planning on linking up with some political party. Why go from believing Smurfs are demonized, only to gravitate towards another group of yahoos who think Obama is the antiChrist.

When I hear a person snarl something negative about, "the liberals", I pretty much at that point chalk them up as another idiotic zombie with Rush Limbaugh's DNA on his chin. Be your own man. Why be a "stan"? Not that I'm singling out the conservative crowd either, because the liberal element is just as gullible. Being honest, my views might be a reflection of a JW upbringing, I don't know. Lately I just think worrying about the human race and which way its going is just a huge waste of time. Why waste my breath arguing over which jackass group of pundits is right or wrong?

Terry had a thread I seem to remember asking why we expect anything of politicians. Somedays his threads go over my head, but not that one. I wish more people would see it the same way. Burn it down and start over.

Political Neutrality: Required for Servants of God?

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