Is the Watchtower Society Racist?

by DevonMcBride 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  DevonMcBride

  You be the judge.

  The Watchtower Reprints 10/01/1900 p. 2706

  "Though, once as black as charcoal, the Rev. Mr. Draper is now white. His people say that his color was changed in answer to prayer."

  The Watchtower Reprints 7/15/1902 p. 3043

  "While it is true that the white race exhibits some qualities of superiority over any other, we are to remember that there are wide differences in the same Caucasian (Semetic and Arvan) family."

  The Golden Age 7/24/1929 p. 702

  "Question: Is there anything in the bible that reveals the origin of the Negro? Answer: It is generally believed that the curse which Noah pronounced upon Canaan was the origin of the black man. certain it is that when Noah said, 'Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren; he pictured the future of the colored race. They have been and are a race of servants, but now in the dawn of the twentieth century, we are all coming to see this matter of service in its true light and to find that the only real joy in life is in serving others; not bossing them. There is no servant in the world as good as a good Colored servant, and the joy that he gets from rendering faithful service is one of the purest joys there is in the world."
• 

  SYN

  Of course, they'll deny it like everything else. *sigh*
• 

  minimus

  anything more recent?
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  ISP

  I don't think so. I never knew of it in 20 years...there is always the human element!

  The WTS is most things...but maybe not racist.

  ISP
• 

  Kenneson

  Read the story of Greg and Penny Peterson entitled "Favoritism and the 'Jim Crow' Laws Among Jehovah's Witnesses." According to Greg, racism was still alive and well up until the 1990s. "Even now in 1998, politics and racism are alive and well in the organization. Example, African Americans, for the large part could only head up departments for cleaning and food (when there was a food department)."

  http://www.freeminds.org/african/african.htm

  http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/africanxjw
• 

  nancee park

  I forget when they finally put an Afro-American on the Governing Body but it took well over 125 years. I think it's been in just the past 5 or so years, and he is Samuel Herd, the one and only ever.

  So, is the WTS misleadership racist? Figure it for yourselves!
• 

  blondie

  Of course, officially the WTS says they are not and will trot out proof. But in reality behind the scenes, the feeling is still that the nonwhite races are not as intelligent or educated. I overhead one brother say, "he didn't sound black on the phone," when the brother showed up in person and he realized that he had put a black man in charge of a department.

  Being a woman in the WTS organization, I have to say that a black man is still considered miles above any woman black or white.
• 

  Joyzabel

  Hello,

  According to Firpo Carr the first black man to be appointed to the governing body, as a WT society director decades ago, was William Jackson. He did seem to come from a black family but none of us at bethel knew he was black. Light skin and balding, who knew.

  Hurd was appointed I believe in 1999. Years before that Ralph Walls was appointed as a 'given' one, assistant to the GB but of the other sheep, kind of a Mc-GB.

  The old WT stuff is embarrassing for the Witnesses but I believe official policy has been fair for the last few decades. When it comes to issues as racial prejudice, honesty and work ethics I feel the Witnesses are ahead of most other religious organizations though they may fall behind a few other cults.

  Jst2laws

  Looks like Papa Smurf is fooling with Jst2laws sign in again.

  Edited by - joy2bfree on 18 August 2002 18:50:9

  Edited by - joy2bfree on 18 August 2002 18:51:40
• 

  barry

  Not racist just anti smurf
  Barry
• 

  blondie

  Barry, smurfs....no the evil ones are the Teletubbies. A sister came over and saw my Po doll and flipped out. I just told her to chill out and that when I saw something in black and white in a WT publication, I might consider setting it on fire. She flounced out and the manure has not hit the fan yet.

  I think the whole Smurf thing (Teletubbie, whatever) is a pathetic way some sisters (and brothers) have of getting individual attention. They are so void of social skills, this is the only way. It is like the sister who runs to the elder body every week or calls them at 3 a.m. to say the demons are attacking.

  The prejudice I see most at the KHs I have attended is economic and social which can be synonmous. Intact elder and MS families are at the top of the list no matter the race. At the bottom is the sister with an unbelieving husband and several unruly kids.

  For those who still love the Smurfs

  http://www.smurf.com/homepage.html

  Or for Teletubbie lovers

  http://pbskids.org/teletubbies/

  Has anyone encountered reverse racism (blacks avoiding whites) or (lighter blacks avoiding darker whites)? I heard a talk at the KH one time on that...the brother giving it was very dark and very animated.