E.g A nonprofit organisation that helps people, that requires its members to vote. Is all voting evil and wrong, even if it's not a political party?
Serious question: Can a Jehovahs Witness join a democratic non-religious organisation? If it's not political, can they vote?
by The Quiet One 12 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Truth seeker 674
All votes are political, so yes they can and no they can't, so as always they have to listen to the FDS. Now that should be a good response!
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Splash
Yes, you're ok to vote for these sort of things.
Splash
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JakeM2012
Quiet one, I'm thinking off the top of my head Unions? I've never heard pubs getting into trouble for joining a union.
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The Quiet One
Splash- What are your sources? Jake- Good thinking, that sounds like a good example, if Union members are required to vote for their elected leadership. Can't imagine a publisher being allowed, though..
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smiddy
This question and the answer I give shows what a mixed up witness I was .LOL .First of all their was the time when I was new in the "truth" a new KH that I was in was taking a vote in the congregation about sunday morning or afternoon meetings, at the service meeting on thursday evening.twice I attended over two weeks the vote was only 1 or 2 in favour of the morning meeting.The next meeting I didnt attend the vote was narrowly passed for the afternoon meeting .Their were no more votes after that.The elders got what they wanted ,keep having votes till you get the desired result.
The other experience is work related :The last job I was in you had to be in a union I had no problem with that it was work I wanted to be employed in.Though I tended to frustrate my workmates from time to time , when issues came up that had to be voted on I always abstained .I thought it was wrong to vote . How crazy was that ?
Now I am happy to use my democratic right to vote for a politician /party of my choice and NOT leave it in the hands of jehovah
smiddy
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The Quiet One
Thanks Smiddy, interesting answer.. So a Witness would abstain from even voting for a Union representative?
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Phizzy
While I was a JW it was always my understanding that it wasn't the simple act of voting, but the context that was important.
If you were to Vote on political matters, in a National or Local Election to elect Politicians for example, that would be against the JW being "neutral" as to worldly government.
But voting in other settings, for example in a local residents association's deliberations on what flowers to plant next year, would hardly be frowned upon.
Voting per se was not the sin.
Now I am free of the cult I vote, and give vociferous opinions, whenever asked to, no matter what the setting.
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Max Divergent
There was no problem in expressing one's views via a vote.
Votes were taken in the KH over expenditure issues and other points too.
The essential issue was remaining seperate and nutural in the governance arrangements of 'Satan's system of thing', or whatever normality was called. If the vote was to be relevent to government, it was forbidden. If it wasn't, it was OK.
And joining non-religious, non-political groups was OK, except they'd be jelous of the time and engery membership took and would warn anyone who'd listen about the potential 'bad / worldly associations' etc etc.
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The Quiet One
Excellent input guys.. but how about voting for the leader of a nonreligious and nonpolitical organisation, if it is required of members, rather than merely joining it?