JW Voters: Post Election-Day Fallout?

by Room 215 13 Replies latest jw friends

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  Room 215

  If I recall, a WT Question From Readers a year or two ago suggested that voting was a ``matter of consicience." I have also heard that this was pubished only ``for public consumption,"" and that the verbal ``network'' emanating from the Governing Body and proceeding down the pipeline via the District and Circuit Overseers to the locals was that they should get the word out that nothing had really changed and that voting was actionable by a judicial committee.

  So... my questions are: Is this all accurate? And if so, what would happen if a local dub took the WT at its word and openly voted? And how would the eler react if he thrust the relevant WT reference under their noses? How would they explain that the WTreally didn't mean what it said?

  And, finally, any real life experiences dealing with this issue?
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  hamptonite21

  I would like to see that article posted, do you have it?
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  metatron

  Somebody reported a C.O. saying it didn't apply to the US or something like that.

  Deception is their stock and trade. I'd like to see them nailed hard on this.

  metatron
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  Pathofthorns

  It was quite funny to see about a month ago during the Vicki Boer trial in Toronto, the Society's lawyer John Burns on the stand reply to the question, "Can Jehovah's Witnesses vote?"

  He said that was a decision each Witness personally makes for themselves and when pressed further on the matter conceded that "most do not".

  I am not sure exactly what stance the Society takes on this matter on a practical level as far as what would happen to a JW that voted. I don't really think this is an issue that comes up too often because most JW's do not seem to have an interest in personally voting and if they do, then they are well on their way to leaving the religion anyway.

  It is probably a matter where the Society makes misleading public statements while leaving the elders great latitude in deciding what to do on the local level. Probably local elders' actions will range from ignoring the situation to considering voting as an act of disassociation.

  Path
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  Brymichmom

  Here's an article on the Free Minds website:

  http://www.watchtowernews.org/voting.htm

  Apparently it was the Nov. 1, 1999 Watchtower.

  Cynthia
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  jws

  It was quite funny to see about a month ago during the Vicki Boer trial in Toronto, the Society's lawyer John Burns on the stand reply to the question, "Can Jehovah's Witnesses vote?"

  He said that was a decision each Witness personally makes for themselves and when pressed further on the matter conceded that "most do not".

  Typical. How often have they said it's a matter of one's own conscience to make it seem like there is freedom. Yet what is waiting for that JW who exercises his conscience is a judicial committee.

  Here's an article on the Free Minds website:

  http://www.watchtowernews.org/voting.htm

  Apparently it was the Nov. 1, 1999 Watchtower.

  This is frustrating. I go here to find out what was said and all I see is quotes of past articles on voting. I want to read for myself what was said in Nov 1999. Am I missing something? Where is the text from the Nov 1, 1999 article?
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  Brymichmom

  Ok here is a scanned copy from another site:

  http://www.jwfiles.com/vote.htm

  Cynthia
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  joannadandy

  This really chaps my ass

  How can they say all that crap about how united they are in their thinking, and what about all the doctrines on stumbling, not to mention the CLEAR mandates that YOU CANNOT VOTE, and now it's a personal matter?

  GAH!
• 

  bittersweet

  well I voted Tuesday,and I didn't hide it.I even had to vote at a Catholic Parish!

  I am still "technically" a witness.I haven't been to a meeting in 4 years though.When I registered to vote during the presidential election,I rsearched what I could,and I didn't find anything that said it was a disfellowshipping offense if you voted.My husband,who is an active witness(and former elder)said he didn't think you could get disellowshipped for it.I'm sure if you could he would have told the elders on me.

  I just follow my heart in these matters.If they choose to take action against me,let them.I certainly could care less.
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  mrs rocky2

  I remember having a conversation with my sis and her hubbie right after that QFR was published. They were told by the brothers in a talk at the KH that voting was still not acceptable and that the article was published for the sake of the brothers living in countries where a person would be killed for not voting. Also they said that those countries where they had to vote or be killed the brothers were expected to vote neither 'yes' or 'no' and still could maintain neutrality. Of course, anyone with a smidgin of a conscience would be thinking about what happened in Malawi with the party card...people died, IMHO, needlessly. 'Yes-no-abstain' are all principles of democracy. Many of these 'vote or die' countries are not democracies. Either you are a citizen of that country or not. The Malawiian party card was not a choice of 'yes-no-abstain.' I was offended by that WT article on voting and feel it is an outright lie.

  Mrs R