Voting a conscience matter??

by Cynisister 31 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Finally-Free

  I am a lawyer and have often thought how I could not take the oath of allegiance as a Witness. In fact, I wondered how the Society obtains Witness lawyers. My supposition is that they have to be converts.

  You reminded me of something. In 1976 I got a job working for the Canada Post Office, and all who were hired had to pledge alliegence to the Queen. A few years later I asked 2 elders in my hall how they got their jobs at the post office without doing the same. One was a former CO. They both quickly changed the subject. I have to assume they pledged alliegence to the queen and didn't want to discuss it.

  They just do whatever is convenient.

  W
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  BabaYaga

  Here is something. On the link that Gayle posted (from six years ago), xjw_b12 posted this quote from a WT:

  The November 15, 1950, issue of TheWatchtower, on pages 445 and 446, said: "Where Caesar makes it compulsory for citizens to vote . . . [Witnesses] can go to the polls and enter the voting booths. 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."

  What of a country where voting is not mandated by law but feelings run high against those who do not go to the voting booth?perhaps they are exposed to physical danger? Or what if individuals, while not legally obliged to vote, are severely penalized in some way if they do not go to the polling booth? In these and similar situations, a Christian has to make his own decision. "Each one will carry his own load."?Galatians 6:5.

  And then, very aptly, xjw_b12 made a comparison of this and the horrors in Malawai. Very true, and horrifically sad.