united nations and watchtower society

by Ozner 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Ozner

  Dear Friends,

  Of course, the JW doctrine says "no" to a connection between UN and the Watchtower Society.

  But: my personal opinion as a long-time witness is that this was a ultimate chance for the Society to change things for good: the WTS as a NGO, helping many people in the world to improve their lives, just as they did on a small scale with aidafrique in Africa and Asia earlyer.

  Why did the WTS disconnected from UN so soon after the Guardian-story? Now, there are only losers, no winners: the WTS, with all the PR-problems on this subject now, but more important, the many people who could be helped with a WTS/UNHCR aid-program or an Aidafrique/UNHCR aid-program.

  The reaction of disconnecting so soon as possible was not a professional act!

  Please, do not build so many buildings like offices and congreshalls, but do something to help the people with any food or clothes!
• 

  Valis

  Hi Ozner and welcome to the forum. I personally am glad they are not an NGO. I don't know if this would happen, but if they had authorized UN access to certian countries and so forth they would do little if any aid work and a whole lot of preaching. I would also not want them to get funds from the UN either if that was a part of them being affiliated.

  Sincerely,

  District Overbeer
• 

  gitasatsangha

  Ozner,

  What aid work did the Watctower Society actually do with it's "Libary Access"?
• 

  jgnat

  I would have no problem with the WTBTS involving themselves with the UN, if they also publically acknowledged that the UN is not the Wild Beast as originally thought, and quit condemning other churches for being NGO's.

  By scanning the UN's own documents while the WTS was an NGO, the Jehovah's Witnesses did receive some writeups for the discrimination they faced in some of the oppressive regimes around the world.
• 

  iiz2cool

  The WTS was a member as an NGO for 10 years. I'd be interested to know what good they did during that time.
  
  And if they did, then why lie about their membership?
  
  In my 20 years as a JW I saw many people in need in the congregations, and they were never helped. In some cases they were even driven out by means of persecution from within the congregation, particularly from elders.
  
  They don't help their own people, let alone others in the world.
  
  Walter
• 

  Sunspot

  **And if they did, then why lie about their membership?
  

  It sure did look fishy when they DID, huh? I wonder if we'll ever discover what was going on and why the sudden exit.
• 

  TallTexan

  Ozner,

  It's not about whether or not they could help anyone or anything else. They had to take quick steps to destroy the link w/ the UN because of the hypocrisy it showed. After years of preaching that the UN was the wild beast, here they are in bed w/ it. Keep in mind too, that the WT has never recommended or condoned donating time or money to any 'worldly cause' that would actually help feed, clothe, or house people. I was told by an elder that I couldn't volunteer to help with our local Habitat for Humanity project, because any spare time I had should be given to the preaching work or the society's building work, and any spare money should go to the society as well. See, the WT 'helps' people by preaching and bringing them into the 'correct' understanding of the Bible. Everything else is just 'window dressing' in the 'last days' of this system. All humanitarian efforts would be wasted, because only God can fix things. Never mind that you may help someone to eat or have a place to live out the rest of this 'wicked old system of things'. What a bunch of BS!
• 

  hawkaw

  To ALL:

  Careful on our choice of words when trying to explain this to other JWs.

  The WTS is and always will be a NGO. Why? Because it is a registered not for profit company.

  The key to this story is that the WTS voluntarily applied to the UN, voluntarily agreed to the UN criteria of support for the UN Charter and to dissiminate positive UN information. Based on their application and agreement, the WTS recieved accreditation as an "Non Governmental Organization associated with the United Nations' Department of Public Information".

  Therefore, when dealing with this incident, it is wise to remember that WTS is and always will be a NGO. But, between 1992 to 2001 it was an "associated NGO" with the DPI.

  hawk
• 

  Atilla

  Good point Hawk, it's all about the wording. When I called Bethel the other day, that is what the guy there tried to tell me, saying oh, we have always been an NGO. Not a lie, but not exactly the truth as well.