Jehovah's Witnesses in 1947 were not neutral! They would have voted Republican (i.e. Liberal)

by ILoveTTATT2 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  ILoveTTATT2

  Back in 1947, the Republican party was the "Liberal" party.

  I was reading an Awake from 1947 and found out that JW's were not really neutral at all! They clearly supported American democracy and rejected Fascism and Communism!
  
  Their twist was that, of course, the Catholic Church and the Protestants were in bed with the Nazis, and if just the German people were allowed to be Jehovah's Witnesses, they would also embrace freedom and reject Nazism.
  
  I am not making this up.
  

  Apparently the German people could not think right in 1947... that's why they did not want American Freedom and Democracy... where JW's would be free to preach!
  
  What?
  
  
• 

  sparrowdown

  From nazi to "true democracy" and "real spiritual freedom" as a JW - oh the irony, sounds like from the frying pan of nazism into the fire of religious tyranny.

  I find it interesting the way, even back then, WT would place the magic words "true" and "real" in front of stuff and it automatically makes it so.

  JWs are nothing if not opportunists.
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  Ray Frankz

  They are so strugling to not make an article tearing down the russian government. They are aware that the nowadays witnesses would notice the political tone of an article like this.
• 

  never a jw

  Republicans liberals??? You are kidding me. They proudly call themselves conservative. Conservatism and liberalism are by definition in different sides of the philosophical and political aisle. They, Republicans, just want to appropriate beautiful words, not unlike the guys at the extreme left. The people who best represent liberalism sit somewhere in the middle, moderates. Not surprising, they are willing to listen to both sides.
  
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  Vidiot

  In another life, Rutherford and Father Coughlin would have been BFFs.
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  ILoveTTATT2

  Republicans liberals??? You are kidding me. They proudly call themselves conservative. Conservatism and liberalism are by definition in different sides of the philosophical and political aisle. They, Republicans, just want to appropriate beautiful words, not unlike the guys at the extreme left. The people who best represent liberalism sit somewhere in the middle, moderates. Not surprising, they are willing to listen to both sides.

  Republicans, before the 1960's were the "liberals" and Democrats were the "conservatives". They made the historical switch in policies around that time. So, since this is 1947 we're talking about, then yes, I would say JW's would have voted Republican, which would have been Democrats today.
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  ILoveTTATT2

  Check out, for example, this Republican Senator who was liberal (and the JW's admired him for "slaying fascism"):
  
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Borah
  
• 

  Vidiot

  These days, if JWs were (allowed to be) "political", the vast majority would align themselves on the Right. When self-identified JWs have been (anonymously) polled, they hit damn near all the hot points.

  Why? Because the Org is authoritarian at its core, and the GOP has - for all intents and purposes - become the party of authoritarianism.

  Essentially, the WTS is the Religious Right in microcosm. Realizing that was a significant component in my fade.
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  ILoveTTATT2

  Vidiot, I've always wondered about that. What if... JW's could vote? What party would they vote for?
  
  I guess it would depend. In 1947, clearly they would have voted Republican (the equivalent of modern Democrats).
  
  Now? Probably Republican (modern), as you say. It seems like most exJW's go liberal in many things...
• 

  Vidiot

  ILoveTATT2 - "...It seems like most exJWs go liberal in many things..."

  Frankly, it always surprises the hell out of me when I run into a "conservative" XJW (or better yet, one who leaves the WT 'cause it isn't conservative or authoritarian enough).
  

  You'd think they'd had enough of that sort of thing when they were still in.