I don't know if the story about a preacher in NC kicking out members of his church for voting for Kerry made it here to the site or not:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/07/church.politics.ap/index.html The preacher has since resigned.
Anyhoo, a JW relative of mine read this in a local paper and made mention of it. They said something to the effect that the preacher was misguided and was trying to force his opinions on others.
I just paused and waited for the foot to go further in the mouth... Then they said that it was great being in the "truth", that would never happen there.
With their foot now firmly in their mouth, I pounced: "You mean the WTS would never impose on the friends or sanction them for following their own conscience or understanding?" "Of course not" was the answer. "Well, what's the difference between this preacher telling his church that voting against Bush was a sin and the WTS saying that voting for anyone is a sin?"
After a little stammering the reply was something like "we don't get involved in politics; as Jesus said, 'we're no part of the world' so the WTS position is right".
I said, "That's not the point...you just said the WTS would never impose on the JWs as this preacher did. I contend that by making voting a disciplining matter, they have imposed on the JWs...that's no different than what this preacher did, so you're willing to ridicule the preacher for doing basically the same thing the WTS does to you."
It went right over their heads... they just kept repeating the mantra "no part of the world" trying to defend why JWs don't vote. I never could get through that that wasn't the issue...
I gave up, I could have argued this for hours, but it would have been pointless. I just hope that a little logic and common sense got through the defences and lodged itself somewhere in the recesses of their mind waiting to pop up the next time something similar happens triggering them to think a little.