So why DID they join the UN??

by Xander 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  Xander

  Kind of wondering.

  Obviously, I'm aware of the Society's hypocrasy RE: the UN. I've been talking about it with family members, and finally one threw out a question I didn't know offhand.

  If the library card excuse is false (I am pretty sure it is), then why DID they join?

  Considering their public position on the UN, it would only be a matter of time after joining that the details would come back to haunt them, so why risk it?

  What did they get out of UN membership? Do NGO's get any kind of special protection or recognition? It seems odd that France would finally succeed in leveling their tax against non-religious organizations (JWs) only months after the org left the UN. Coincedence?

  A fanatic is one who, upon losing sight of his goals, redoubles his efforts.
  --George Santayana
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  openminded

  This is totally speculation but...I assume NGO status is a valuable tool the society can use to establish themselves globally.

  Negotiating with government officials:

  "Look were not a cult, see were an NGO for the U.N., our literature promotes human rights"-- botta-bing botta-boom and they're in selling their ware making millions on millions.

  om
• 

  Liberty

  Hi Xander,

  You bring up an interesting point but any answer still shows how unfair the WTB&S has been to its rank & file members for years and, as you said, points out their shameless hypocrasy. Even if joining was for something as innocent as using the UN's library, a regular JW would be DF'd for much less even if their reasons were just as innocent. I am reminded of the JW soft drink delivery man who was told that it was unchristian to make his deliveries to a military base and was threatened with DFing if he continued, as recounted by R. Franz in C O C. What could be more innocent than delivering soft drinks to military men and their families? How could delivering pop to somebody make you "guilty" of their actions anyway?

  If the UN is a part of Satan's organization(as the Watchtower preaches) then any involvment with them is much worse than bringing Pepsi to a military base. Considering the Society's long standing teachings about the UN, any reason used as to why the WTB&S joined/associated with the UN at any level couldn't possibly be justified by anyone but a brainwashed cult member.
• 

  Xander

  I agree Liberty, you miss the point though.

  I guess it goes back to another post someone made about the typical j-dub reaction to the news.

  Runs like this:

  1) It was faked, the WTBTS would never do that
  2) Well, there must be a good reason, I'll wait for the WTBTS to tell me what it was

  To even get by #1 (IE., convince them it wasn't faked, that the WTBTS *did* apply) you need to provide a reason. Like a murder investigation - it's hard to convict someone of committing a murder if you can't find any motive - anything they'd gain by risking so much.

  A fanatic is one who, upon losing sight of his goals, redoubles his efforts.
  --George Santayana
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  Xander

  And to OpenMinded - yeah, that's kind of what I suspected.

  Any way to prove it, though? Was the WTBTS being targetted in any countries specifically that suddenly were okay with them?

  I don't recall if the legal troubles in France dated back that far. It seems especially convenient that they went away for so long, now the j-dubs aren't an NGO, here the troubles come again.

  Something like that is kind of what I'm looking for, you know?

  A fanatic is one who, upon losing sight of his goals, redoubles his efforts.
  --George Santayana
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  Amazing

  I agree with Openminded's comments on this. Additionally, the Society may have viewed thie membership as merely using 'unrighteous riches' as they have spoken of in the Watchtower regarding what individual members can do. For example, JWs speak against the governments as instruments of Satan. Yet, JWs are permitted to take advantage of government welfare programs, unemployment compensation, Social Security, federal and military retirement benefits ... all as part of their "rights" under Caesar's laws ... the Society uses the Court system to legally establish their rights, as well as use of Corporate laws in each State.

  So their view of this UN membership may well have been justified as merely another 'right' to participate as an NGO to gain needed recognition and assistance in cases where JWs were persecuted in some countries.

  The one 'Fly-in-the-ointment' is that the Society uses the 'Library card' excuse when they could have made better justifications as noted above. Also, UN membership is not as essential as other useful rights, such as welfare, Social Security, or unemployment benefits. The Society could still appeal to the UN or to the European Union, or the United States to get needed police-type attention in areas where persecution was a problem. Yet, they took this extra step anyway.

  The other 'Fly-in-the-ointment' is their signing on to the UN Mission and Goals ... individual citizens who take advantage of government benefit programs do not have to give such oaths and committments ... rather as long as they paid taxes they are entitled regardless of their political views or lack thereof. Yet, the Society made this major compromise of their teachings ... a compromise that individual memebrs would be sanctioned for doing. That is the real sin of the Society ... and they do not want to take the same discipline as they meet out to the rank and file.
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  Hmmm

  Because it was there...

  and they could...

  with no repurcussions from the sheep

  Hmmm