Can JW ' s vote?

5go

I forgot already I know there was a foggy article recently on it.

The Watchtower, June 15th 1999 Issue, Page 30:
Questions From Readers
How do Jehovah’s Witnesses view voting?
...As for Jehovah’s 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 Jehovah’s 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)
...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.
[...]
In view of the Scriptural principles outlined above, in many lands Jehovah’s 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 woman’s 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 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.
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, ‘Jehovah’s 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 Jehovah’s Witnesses make in the face of different situations, they take care to preserve their Christian neutrality and freeness of speech

I'd say YES

Dismembered

tetrapod.sapien

Can JW ' s vote?

yes, but secretly.

tetra

5go

good to know for '08

sspo

Make sure you don't get caught by anyone in the congr.

The article will not help you. It was written for those that live in a country where voting is a must or you will end up in jail or get yout butt kicked.

US and other free countries the elders will not let you use the article.

Fleshybirdfodder

US and other free countries the elders will not let you use the article.

Then I say we vote those elders out! oh... wait...

FBF

minimus

My mom and I discussed this the other day. Her take: "Of course you CAN'T vote. That article is only there for those in foreign lands----not in this country".

OnTheWayOut

The Watchtower, June 15th 1999 Issue, Page 30:
Questions From Readers
....As to whether they will personally vote for someone running in an election, each one of Jehovah’s Witnesses makes a decision based on his Bible-trained conscience and an understanding of his responsibility to God and to the State.
...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.
In view of the Scriptural principles outlined above, in many lands Jehovah’s 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.

The above portions are telling the JW's what to do. DON'T VOTE. Whenever they tell you that each one of Jehovah’s Witnesses makes a decision based on his Bible-trained conscience, they are saying to do whatever the WT says. The only exception is as noted below.

What, though, if the law requires citizens to vote?

garybuss

Brumley says Witnesses don't vote. Source: KNOCKING CD.

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Elsewhere

Asking the WTS if one can vote is like asking a cop if one can commit murder. The answer is yes, you can... however you will be punished for doing it.

Can JW ' s vote?

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