Hell No We Won't Vote--Voting for Jesus

by blondie 5 Replies latest social current

  • blondie
    blondie

    http://www.guardian.co.tt/featurestory1.html

    Hell no, we wont vote

    By Essiba Small

    Jehovah's Witnesses are a group of people best known for their door to door ministry and refusal of blood transfusions. Few people know that they make up a section of the non-voting population.

    In fact Jehovahs Witnesses worldwide do not take part in politics.

    As Jehovahs Witnesses we are neutral when it comes to politics, Milton Forde, public relations officer at the Watchtower Society in St Augustine, explained.

    Jehovahs Witnesses cite several scriptures to support their view, including Romans 13:1, 5-7: Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God.... There is therefore compelling reason for you people to be in subjection, not only on account of that wrath but also on account of your conscience.

    Mark 12:17 (Jesus said Pay back Caesar's things to Caesar, but Gods things to God) and James 4:4 (Adulturesses, do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.).

    Forde admitted that some may be inclined to a particular party but, I dont know of any issue where we have had problems of Witnesses going out there to vote.

    If the situation arises the person is reasoned with privately.

    In countries where it is mandatory to vote, Forde said, a Jehovah Witness is allowed to do so. But only for Jesus.

    They go to the polls and write, for example, For Gods Kingdom or For Jesus.
    By doing this they would have complied with the law and gone to the polls, but they still would not have voted for man.

    In Cameroon, Africa, 22 years ago, Witnesses were beaten, starved, arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and consigned to slave labour because of their refusal to vote.
    According to Forde, the only political opposition to Jehovahs Witness non-voting took place at a political meeting at Woodford Square in 1955.

    I understand that there were certain people in the crowd asking Dr (Eric) Williams how they should treat Watchtower people.

    Williams defended Witnesses, however, saying that it was their viewpoint (not to vote) and that should be respected.

    Jehovahs Witnesses in this country number some 8150, a small number by Fordes estimation.

    So we really don't have any effect on the political scene.

    But 237 votes in Tunapuna could have given the seat to the UNC last year, and broken the 18:18 tie. And changed history.

  • blondie
    blondie

    Did anyone raised as a JW ever have a dilemma about voting in school elections. I can remember waaaaaaaaaaay back then being told to write in God's Kingdom or Jesus Christ. Instead I wrote in Donald Duck and boy did I get in trouble.

  • minimus
    minimus

    My mother always told me, "If you HAVE to vote, just vote for God's kingdom". Of course, I never got involved with any elections to teach us how to vote for the "world."

  • heathen
    heathen

    jesus wasn't even on the ballot besides that what the hell are children doing casting votes for government officials?It had to have been a mock election so what the hell difference would it have made anyway? I like the donald duck vote lol

  • blondie
    blondie

    Hi minimus, you can tell we are from the same generation. Heathen, they did have mock elections for US president when I was as young as six. In high school, there are elections for class president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and student council. So the school is trying to teach students their civic duty. I kept being asked to run for office because of my manipulative abilities. I ghost wrote campaign speeches instead for a fee. I guess that was verboten too for a JW.

  • UnDisfellowshipped
    UnDisfellowshipped

    Interesting Thread.....

    Well, Jesus is definitely my King, however, I don't think the Bible forbids anyone from Voting in political elections.

    In fact, Romans Chapter 13 would seem to indicate that Christians SHOULD Vote!

    Here is an interesting Watchtower Quote on Voting:

    The Watchtower November 1st 1999 Issue, Pages 28-29:

    Questions From Readers

    How do Jehovahs Witnesses view voting?

    There are clear principles set out in the Bible that enable servants of God to take a proper view of this matter. However, there appears to be no principle against the practice of voting itself. For example, there is no reason why a board of directors should not take a vote in order to arrive at decisions affecting their corporation. Congregations of Jehovahs Witnesses often make decisions about meeting times and the use of congregation funds by voting with a show of hands.

    What, though, of voting in political elections? Of course, in some democratic lands, as many as 50 percent of the population do not turn out to vote on election day. As for Jehovahs Witnesses, they do not interfere with the right of others to vote; neither do they in any way campaign against political elections. They respect and cooperate with the authorities who are duly elected in such elections. (Romans 13:1-7) As to whether they will personally vote for someone running in an election, each one of Jehovahs Witnesses makes a decision based on his Bible-trained conscience and an understanding of his responsibility to God and to the State. (Matthew 22:21; 1 Peter 3:16) In making this personal decision, the Witnesses consider a number of factors.

    First, Jesus Christ said of his followers: They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world. (John 17:14) Jehovahs Witnesses take this principle seriously. Being no part of the world, they are neutral in the political affairs of the world.John 18:36.

    Second, the apostle Paul referred to himself as an ambassador representing Christ to the people of his day. (Ephesians 6:20; 2 Corinthians 5:20) Jehovahs Witnesses believe that Christ Jesus is now the enthroned King of Gods heavenly Kingdom, and they, like ambassadors, must announce this to the nations. (Matthew 24:14; Revelation 11:15) 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 Gods heavenly Kingdom, Jehovahs 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, Jehovahs 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, Jehovahs 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 Jehovahs Witnesses freeness of speech to approach people of all political persuasions with the important message of the Kingdom.Hebrews 10:35.

    In view of the Scriptural principles outlined above, in many lands Jehovahs Witnesses make a personal decision not to vote in political elections, and their freedom to make that decision is supported by the law of the land. What, though, if the law requires citizens to vote? In such a case, each Witness is responsible to make a conscientious, Bible-based decision about how to handle the situation. If someone decides to go to the polling booth, that is his decision. What he does in the polling booth is between him and his Creator.

    The November 15, 1950, issue of The Watchtower, 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 if a Christian womans unbelieving husband insists that she present herself to vote? Well, she is subject to her husband, just as Christians are subject to the superior authorities. (Ephesians 5:22; 1 Peter 2:13-17) If she obeys her husband and goes to the polling booth, that is her personal decision. No one should criticize her.Compare Romans 14:4.

    What of a country where voting is not mandated by law but feelings run high against those who do not go to the voting boothperhaps 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.

    There may be people who are stumbled when they observe that during an election in their country, some Witnesses of Jehovah go to the polling booth and others do not. They may say, Jehovahs Witnesses are not consistent. People should recognize, though, that in matters of individual conscience such as this, each Christian has to make his own decision before Jehovah God.Romans 14:12.

    Whatever personal decisions Jehovahs Witnesses make in the face of different situations, they take care to preserve their Christian neutrality and freeness of speech. In all things, they rely on Jehovah God to strengthen them, give them wisdom, and help them avoid compromising their faith in any way. Thus they show confidence in the words of the psalmist: You are my crag and my stronghold; and for the sake of your name you will lead me and conduct me.Psalm 31:3.

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