Jehovah's Witnesses and Their Strange Bedfellows
by Lorri MacGregor
The Watchtower Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses has done some strange "bedfellow" partnering in the past. Over ten years ago, they filed a court paper called amicus curiae (friend of the court legal brief) in support of Jimmy Swaggart when he was in trouble with the IRS for issuing tax receipts to followers buying his merchandise. At the same time their Watchtower magazine was roundly condemning evangelists like him as being devil-inspired!
Unbeknownst to the Jehovah's Witness population at large, they secretly supported Swaggart to cover their own sales practices, which were also suspect to the IRS. Alas, the court ruled against Swaggart (and the Watch Tower legal brief) and found him subject to taxation for his merchandising practices.
Surprise, surprise! The Jehovah's Witnesses received "new light" shortly thereafter to stop selling their literature and ask for "donations" instead! Donations were safe from government taxes. Jehovah's Witnesses, do you really believe God had anything to do with this, or is your "donation" light just a tax dodge?
Well, that was then, and this is now. Another "strange bedfellow" matter has come to light and is being widely publicized over the Internet. You can be sure the rank and file Jehovah's Witnesses will not be informed unless they are bombarded with inquiries, and can no longer cover it up. (We can only hope!)
It has come to our attention that the Watchtower Society has, for years, been a non-governmental organization (NGO). This designation is for any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group which is organized on a local, national or international level. These NGO's are closely linked to politics and are usually non-religious (although non-profit) in nature. For example, they are used for human rights concerns, the environment, or health matters. They bring citizens' concerns to governments and encourage their communities to get involved politically.
Until recently you could find the Jehovah's Witnesses Organization on a United Nations website. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York was listed, sandwiched in between the War Resisters International and the Water Environment Federation. Unbelievable?
Yes, it was really them all right, because if you clicked on their name you got their correct address. However they listed themselves, not as a religion, but as "Northern American & Caribbean Human Rights."
Those of us with intimate knowledge of this oppressive organization can hardly utter the words "human rights" in the same breath as the Watchtower Organization. The elders rule with an iron hand and followers must obey. Just attend one committee meeting for some small infraction of their rules, and see how many human rights the poor victim has!
Also, this membership in the NGO was very strange for the Watchtower Organization which does not allow voting, let alone political involvement. They believe all governments are under the devil's control, and any political interaction is grounds for disfellowshipping. The story now gets stranger, since it doesn't end with their years-long NGO status.
Enter the Department of Public Information (DPI). If you are an NGO member, then you co-operate with the DPI and work closely with them. It becomes your responsibility to disseminate information about the United Nations to your membership, thereby building knowledge of and support for the UN at the grassroots level!
This is nothing new. A 1968 resolution by the Economic and Social Council (1297 (XL1V) stated that NGO's: "...shall undertake to support the work of the United Nations and to promote knowledge of its principles and activities, in accordance with its own aims and purposes and the nature and scope of its competence and activities." By becoming an NGO, the Watchtower Society agreed to support the UN. No doubt, they knew the purpose of NGO's, up front, before they ever joined.
Trouble is, the Watchtower Society has already stated publicly and at great length in its official publications that the United Nations is the "abomination that causes desolation…," an "infamous harlot," a " scarlet-colored wild beast," "a blasphemous counterfeit of God's Messianic Kingdom,..." and the list goes on.
Their "Pay Attention to Daniel" book published in 1999 identifies the "disgusting thing" standing in the holy place as the League of Nations, and then the United Nations (page 269).
Why, then, has the Watchtower Organization for years jumped into bed with the United Nations? Out of one side of their mouth they say they are "not of this world" and do not participate in any way in politics. Then they affiliated themselves with the United Nations whom they malign, despise, and downright hate! They believe anyone supporting the United Nations is doomed to lose their eternal life. Why would they choose to join themselves to this hated symbol?
We can only imagine the scramble at Watchtower Headquarters when this revelation of their United Nations support came to light. An article in the Guardian of October 15, 2001 reported that when the news broke of the Watchtower's ten-year affiliation with the United Nations they quickly disassociated themselves (with egg on their faces big time)! Too late!
The article reports, "Within hours of the article's appearance on the Guardian website on Monday and its posting on a Jehovah's Witnesses bulletin board, more than 14,000 people across the world had read it. By yesterday there were 353 official posts and 325 message boards discussing the article and its revelations, with the Witnesses in the US demanding to see copies of the paper."
The United Nations was so bombarded with inquiries that they issued this form letter under date of October 11, 2001, which reads:
To Whom it May Concern:
Recently the NGO Section has been receiving numerous inquiries regarding the association of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York with the Department of Public Information (DPI). This organization applied for association with DPI in 1991 and was granted association in 1992. By accepting association with DPI, the organization agreed to meet criteria for association, including support and respect of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and commitment and means to conduct effective information programmes with its constituents and to a broader audience about UN activities.
In October 2001, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York requested termination of its association with DPI. Following this request, the DPI has made a decision to disassociate the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York as of 9 October, 2001.
We appreciate your interest in the work of the United Nations.
Yours sincerely,
(signed)
Paul Hoeffel,
Chief, NGO Section,
Dept. of Public Information
Be sure and ask the next Jehovah's Witness you see why their Society supported the United Nations and its purposes and activities for the past ten years secretly, while at the same time condemning and disfellowshipping individual members if they spoke in favor of the United Nations?
Also ask why the Jehovah's Witnesses who blew the whistle on the Society and reported its involvement were quickly disfellowshipped and condemned to lose their eternal life for just reporting the truth? There are constant cover-ups and lies which the Society cannot hide due to the internet. We'll wait and see if they make any official statement in their Watchtower magazine. It will be interesting to see them try and wiggle out of this one!
No wonder James pointed out, "...a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8). We can only pray that their instability will lead to their downfall, and the setting free of their many captives, who deserve to know the truth.