The counsel against inter-racial marriage was definitely in print. Until very recently they still advised against inter-racial marriage. I'm not even sure if they officially renounced their earlier comments or stand by them in an "at the time it made sense" kind of justification.
Jehovah's Witnesses and racial prejudice by Werner Cohn
by slimboyfat 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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OrphanCrow
rebelfighter: Which then leads to my next question if the WT eventually caved into societies view of equality of racial differences then why have they stood so firm on women being the under dog and staying in submission to men?
Because women being given power would mean that the less than 50% who hold power would be threatened. Women are not a minority. Giving them power would threaten the male only power base
The WTS men in power have a problem with their concept of masculinity - it is very fragile
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silentbuddha
Magnum u are correct however this was happe ing in Greensboro Nc in thw early 80s. Around 1980 to 82. It was bad. The circuit overseer who came to "fix" the situation was Brother Beda. There was also another C.O. that came with him as a direct order from the branch named sylvester bennet who is now a district overseer. He may be retired. It was awful, 4 white elders with 8 black servants that were servants for many years and they were ne er appointed
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rebelfighter
TD,
I just looked it up. The DC schools officially started bussing with the attempt to reach 50/50 in 1970.
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rebelfighter
OrphanCrow,
Yes, if they empowered women could you only imagine how much less drama there would be in the KH.
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TD
Rebelfighter,
I just looked it up. The DC schools officially started bussing with the attempt to reach 50/50 in 1970.
Although I do remember that, having lived there, I guess i'm not understanding the relevance.
I was speaking of the demographics of JW congregations and conventions. A congregation in a nearly black neighborhood in the city proper would of course, but mostly composed of people of color just as a congregation in white suburbia would of course, be mostly Anglo.
But an effort within the JW faith itself to prevent integration in mixed neighborhoods? I sure didn't see it. It would have to have been before my time..
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Earnest
The society's literature counselled strongly against interracial marriage.
In support of this the article says the Awake! of April 22, 1953 counsels against inter-marriage between Negroes and whites.
The relevant Awake! has an article on Intelligence - The Guide to Marriage and states (p.11):
Common sense should tell one that like tends to mate with like. When all traits are considered, it is safer to marry a person near one's own age, of one's own race, and of similar interests, ideals and beliefs. Is intelligence being used as a guide when, for instance, an American girl marries a man of foreign nobility with interests, religious and otherwise, that are diametrically opposed to hers? No...
It is rather straining the intention of the article to say that it counsels against inter-marriage.
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stillin
A brother told me his account of going to Kingdom Farm for an elder's course. One white elder was assigned to share a room with a black elder. The white brother discretely approached the school overseer and said that there must have been a mistake. The overseer said that yea, there must have been, and the white brother was sent home.
this was in the late sixties.
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rebelfighter
TD,
DC was pretty much the dividing line back then. Everything was either black or it was white from there south. True neighborhoods were also very divided back then.
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rebelfighter
Stillin,
That was the southern 60'S attitude!