Voting and JWs

by Davros 12 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Davros

  With the upcoming elections, the campaigns and political rhetoric are ramping up. (Ramping up IS an understatement lol)

  I remember a few years ago, GB member Brother Herd mentioned during one of his talks that several witnesses were either reproved or disfellowshipped for voting for a certain presidential candidate who won...twice. He said that the biggest reason or excuse they gave was ibecause they wanted to be part of history.

  I personally know of one former sister that mentioned to me that (even though she is now disassociated) she has voted in every presidential election since Kennedy, even though she was a witness for about 20 years during that time

  Is it possible that more witnesses secretly vote In elections? Could it be a lot more vote than they think? I know most Witnesses will never admit that they do for obvious reasons. But as I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I’ve noticed more and more political comments creep in here and there among some of them

  Anyone else have a similar observation past or present?
• 

  Gorbatchov

  1. And in the mid 90s there was a WT article, about "voting is a matter of conscience."

  G.
• 

  waton

  Voting is against my religion. I never raise my hand if asked to vote for or against any resolution presented by the kh leaders.

  no taxation no voice, no contributions, no vote. handy hand signals.

  voting in kh should be secret.

  reason or excuse they gave was ibecause they wanted to be part of history.

  D: wait until there is a lady on the roster, then true colours will show. Rainbows even.
  
  
• 

  alanv

  I think JWs would say voting can be ok, if its not anything to do with the politics of the world. I believe Ray Franz said in his books, that the governing body regularly voted, to show if they agreed with something that was brought up at their meetings. So its now a conscience matter, but you would certainly be looked down upon if anyone found out you were voting for a political party.
• 

  smiddy3

  This was a thing that came up early in my conversion days actually twice .One was in a new hall we had obtained a vote was taken in the congregation as to what colour the drapes were to be made .

  In the other example I should have learned an important message.:

  In the Theocratic/Ministry School meetings that were held on a thursday night a vote was taken as to what time the sunday meeting was to be held in the morning or the Afternoon.Which I attended and voted for the morning.In my mind the rest of the sunday was for you to do whatever you wanted to do .

  Apparently everybody else thought much the same .

  The next week this vote came up again ? I thought why are we having another vote on this same issue ?

  Again apparently the vote went the same way .The next week i missed going to the MS/SM ,and apparently the Elders got the vote they wanted to have the meetings on a sunday afternoon so that JW`s could go out witnessing on the Sunday morning .

  And there was never another vote on that subject again .

  Apparently if the meetings were held in the mornings very few would go out witnessing in the Afternoon.

  However if the meetings were held in the Afternoon many more people would go out witnessing in the mornings.

  So the Elders actually in effect rigged the vote in their favour.

  So the voting issue isnt with voting itself its what you are voting for .Politics a no no. because you are supposedly "voting" for Christ Jesus kingdom.
• 

  LongHairGal

  DAVROS:

  I have no doubt there may have always been some JWs somewhere who secretly voted..When Obama ran it was said many black JWs made sure they voted for him!

  SMIDDY3:

  Why bother asking for a vote if they’re only going to ‘fix’ things the way they want? I also believe that they wanted that Sunday afternoon meeting because they thought people were going to go out in service in the morning.

  I needed my sleep from getting up early to work every day - so I didn’t make too many Sunday mornings for service ☺️.
• 

  tiki

  Back in the day voting in any election from municipal preferences up to national level was considered a violation of neutrality and disfellowshippable offense.

  As for the congregation resolutions put to vote, it was mainly a formality...if the option was brought up it was already a done deal. The majority hand raise was a farce.
• 

  Davros

  Back in the day voting in any election from municipal preferences up to national level was considered a violation of neutrality and disfellowshippable offense

  TiKi. That’s exactly what I thought. Vote and be DF. I had no idea that at one time it could be a matter of conscience. I doubt it’s still that way now. I wonder if it still is?
• 

  BluesBrother

  Some things in the KH used to be put to the vote.... expenditures usually. I dont know if they still do ( difficult by zoom!) So much these days is dictated by central Bethel.

  The question was really about political voting for governments. I always believed that article that said it was a conscience thing was a sop to the public authorities because in reality W T forbids such voting .

  Whether today is is a disfellowshipping matter , I am not sure .The Shepherd the Flock book is not specific.
• 

  JoenB75

  Funny I never thought I would learn something new about JW. In our family voting was out of the question 😁😁😁