Got this from this blog, http://isnrblog.wordpress.com/2007/12/
Being born and raised a Jehovah’s Witness, I had always been taught that it was wrong to take part in political elections. Was I surprised whent he following was printed in the Watchtower, Nov 1. 1999 questions from readers.
The Question was: How do Jehovah’s Witnesses view voting?
For simplicity sake I have only quoted exerpts from this article as it is rather long. If you think I am taking it out of contex, I will email you the full article or if you have the Watchtower Society’s CD, look it up. Here was there answer in part:
· 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 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) In making this personal decision, the Witnesses consider a number of factors.
…”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. 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.
So, “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
Voting then, is a matter of conscience, with each Christian making their own decision.
Interesting.
Lets look at the Watchtower of 2/15/74 pg 107, entitled “A NONPOLITICAL WORK TODAY”
As such ambassadors they do not go to the political nations, trying to bring about the reconciliation of a whole nation at once, neither do they meddle in political affairs. Rather, they go directly to the people—to individuals. But they do not try to turn individuals toward any earthly ruler, or seek to win them over to any political ideology. They confess: “Our citizenship exists in the heavens, from which place also we are eagerly waiting for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 3:20) They appeal to people to look to the kingdom of God for relief. Accordingly, if they should get involved in the affairs of this world, taking part in political activities, holding office or voting, they would lose their status as ambassadors and brothers of Christ, and would never attain to heavenly rulership with him.
We then have this from the Watchtower of 3/1/03, pg 5:
“In March 1933 the German government called a general election. Dr. Detlef Garbe, head of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial near Hamburg, explains: “The National Socialists wanted to force a large majority for their chancellor and führer, Adolf Hitler.” Jehovah’s Witnesses followed Jesus’ admonition to stay politically neutral and to be “no part of the world,” so they did not vote. The result? The Witnesses were banned.—John 17:16.”
History shows that as a result, Jehovah’s Witnesses were viciously persecuted in Nazi Germany. In all fairness, voting wasn’t the only issue but the Watchtower says “Jehovah’s Witnesses followed Jesus’ admonition to stay politically neutral and to be “no part of the world,” so they did not vote.
But the Watchtower above says that “it’s a matter of conscience”. Which is it?
In the case of the Nazi’s and the Witnesses, voting was a small issue. They refused military service and all other sorts of things, that if you thought about it for a while seemed designed and gauranteed to piss off the Nazis. Not good for your health as thousands were imprisoned and killed for following the teachings of the Watchtower Society.
Keep in mind the voting issue as you read the next quote. Remember, in Nazi times it was a not allowed, but in 1999 it was “a matter of conscience”
From the Watchtower, 4/1/70, page 218, par 5
As recently as October 1967, the refusal to join a particular political party and the failure to carry a party card identifying one with the party, resulted in a barbaric wave of torture heaped upon Jehovah’s witnesses in the Central African country of Malawi. An unknown number of women witnesses of Jehovah were raped. Forty of these were pregnant. Due to the way they were abused, each one suffered a miscarriage. Because they refused to buy a political card, they were beaten severely, sexually assaulted and their property was destroyed. Yet President Banda of Malawi could not get them to break integrity and renounce their God Jehovah. These Witnesses were motivated from the heart. They had true Christian qualities built in them.”
Its a point of semantics but joining a political party and/or voting is pretty much the same primcipal. Either way, you are no longer politically neutral, so the Witnesses “neutrality” arguement, the basis for not voting, is out the window. How could you be allowed to vote, if your conscience allowed, and still maintain “Christian Neutrality”?
The huge inconsistancy here is that in some of their publications it is wrong, definitly. In the 1999 Watchtower, it’s a matter of your “Christian conscience”or, in other words wrong for you if you think it’s wrong and OK for you if you think it’s OK.
Gee, it’s a little late for those poor slobs in Malawi.
“Hey, guys..yea we did flip on that one. Sorry, our bad! Oh, and how’s the wife?”
Excellent article on the WTS flip flop on voting
by whereami 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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whereami
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dawg
Once agin we se a flip flop on doctrine, what's new?
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Tired of the Hypocrisy
I for one have never agreed with anyone telling me what to do. I went along with it for a while but I am tired of the bullsh**! Do this, no do that, no do neither, wait do both and then whack your tally! I really beelieve in my heart of hearts that we are each responsible for our own actions or failures to act. Anyone that waits for permission to do something is a worthless turd in my book. Vote or don't vote....Just let it be your own conscience that makes it happen. Don't let someone else dictate what you can and can't do.
An example. We were at a circuit assembly back in Yuba City, California a few years back. The speaker made up a talk about movies, music, video games and sports activities. We could all be relieved that now the society had printed up a list of approved music, movies etc for us. They would tell us what we could and couldn't watch and listen to. He paused and guess what....The whole auditorium erupted in applause!! I sat there with my wife and we just looked at each other. WTF? Now they are going to be running our lives even more? After the cheering crowd was settled back down the brother said, no we don't have the time and resources to do this for you. You all need to monitor your own pleasures.
What I took this initial offer to monitor the media and tell us what part of Satan's system we could enjoy was to see how many weak minded sheep they actually had in the fold. They probably had someone from Beth_HELL there to monitor the response and report back on the plan. To those that believe in God and Christ I think that we are all answerable to THEM, not tthe watchCORP or any other group. So, vote if you feel you should and don't if you feel you shouldn't. Use your own mind and think about things.
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seven006
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AudeSapere
So, vote if you feel you should and don't if you feel you shouldn't. Use your own mind and think about things.
So... Dare to Think for Yourself?
-Aude Sapere
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Tired of the Hypocrisy
So... Dare to Think for Yourself?
You bet....
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AWAKE&WATCHING
Every time I think about what happened in Malawi I get sick to my stomach, and so damn pissed. I hate those evil, evil bastards with my whole heart.
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chickpea
i read this thread earlier in the week and just tried to digest the chicanery and blatant @ss covering that the b0rg foists on sincere ( and sincerely misled) people....
right next to me on the desk is my completed voter's registration form....
there is a primary upcoming and it seems my conscience will not allow me to disengage from my responsibilities as a thinking citizen.....
if for no other reason than to see justice served on those wankers, i sincerely hope there is a god, cos boy will she be p!ssed!!!!