http://editorials.arrivenet.com/rel/article.php/4929.html
For decades, the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society (WTS) has been teaching…
Change in teachings among Jehovah Witnesses
Distribution Source : ArriveNet Member Editorials
Date : Friday - June 24, 2005
* Be no part of the world
* Do not participate in nationalistic activities, such as voting
* The United Nations is the image of Satan's organization and will be destroyed
* Members will be disfellowshipped for voting, taking a blood transfusion, or getting involved in political
organizations.
The real issue…is NEUTRALITY and keeping apart from the politics of the world, which will brand one with the mark of the "wild beast" of Revelation. Being no part of the world, they say.
Several interesting developments…
As of 1991, apparently the rules have secretly changed. The WTS filled out an application and joined the United Nations as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to the Department of Public Information (DPI).
A NGO is any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group which is organized on a local, national or international level. Task-oriented and driven by people with a common interest, NGOs perform a variety of services and humanitarian functions, bring citizens' concerns to Governments, monitor policies and encourage political participation at the community level. They provide analysis and expertise, serve as early warning mechanisms and help monitor and implement international agreements.
What's required to be a United Nations NGO? The first requirement is "support and respect for the principles of the Charter of the United Nations." The Charter of the UN authorizes the use of military force, something in which the Society has always claimed neutrality. Is support neutrality? The UN has in the past repeatedly been taught to Jehovah's Witnesses to be "the disgusting thing."
Here is a quote from the Jehovah's Witnesses 1991 "Awake!"/Sept 8th, page10, published just prior to the WTS application for NGO membership to the Department of Public Information (DPI). All prior publications spoke disparagingly of the UN, however this promotion convinced the UN that the WTS was changing sides:
"Jehovah's Witnesses firmly believe that the United Nations is going to play a major role in world events in the very near future. No doubt these developments will be very exciting. And the results will have a far-reaching impact on your life. We urge you to ask Jehovah's Witnesses in your neighborhood for more details on this matter. The Bible clearly paints a picture showing that the United Nations will very shortly be given power and authority. The UN will then do some very astonishing things that may well amaze you. And you will be thrilled to learn that there is yet a better way near at hand that will surely bring eternal peace and security!"
This quote gave the United Nations, as well as the whole world the idea that Jehovah's Witnesses were an authority on the United Nations, an that people could learn about the exciting things the United Nations was going to do (in the near future, and that this information could be learned from Jehovah's Witnesses! At the same time this quote from the WT could clearly be explained away to Witnesses as meaning it will be Jehovah's kingdom as the better way.
An October 8, 2001 article by U.K. newspaper Guardian exposed the Watchtower, Bible & Tract Society's secret association to the UN as a NGO. Following a flood of inquiry by Jehovah's Witnesses, the Watchtower quickly withdrew its membership and released an official explanation stating that they became an NGO (non-governmental organization) simply to have access to research materials at the UN headquarters' library.
Watchtower spokesman Paul Gillies responds by saying that the association was to gain access to the UN library and this association enabled a writer who received an ID card to enter the library. He further said that there was nothing secret about this association. If this association was not secret how come none of the congregation members knew of this? Why didn't you know of this? Why did only the governing body know?
Interestingly, lots of articles in the Awake! Magazine and the Watchtower disseminated information regarding UN events, efforts, and dates during the ten year period of 1991 through 2001. While the articles many times went on to say that the UN failed in its endeavors, the Society's responsibility as a NGO was to support the UN in disseminating information about the UN efforts and milestones and increase public knowledge. As per Oleg Dzioubinski, Information Officer of the NGO section, "You can criticize the UN. But, we would take offence if they were using the UN name to raise money or they were saying they were a UN organization when they really are not. Thus, the fact that the WTS literature does not praise the UN, in fact in many cases it calls the UN a failure is irrelevant. The support for the UN is in disseminating information about the UN, promoting UN observances and international years, publicizing UN activities, promoting knowledge of UN principles and activities, and mobilizing public opinion in support of the UN.
Noteworthy is the fact that every year each NGO must reapply for membership and submit proof to the UN that it is using its influence to disseminate UN propaganda in its sphere of influence. As an example, the November 22,1998 Awake! Issue was submitted to the United Nations by the Watchtower Society and is listed on the UNCHR website along with many other NGO supporters of the UN. This article featured several articles praising the UN's Commission on Human Rights. This was done to commemorate the 50th year since the signing of the UN's human rights charter. Remember from the above paragraph, the fact that the article goes on to say a UN's effort failed does not change the fact that the WTS was fulfilling its contractual obligation to support the UN in its Commemoration of the signing of the UDHR and the role of Eleanor Roosevelt. Was this not in disseminating information about the UN as well as promoting knowledge of UN principles and activities?
Why would the WTS align itself with the UN? The Watchtower's status as an NGO gave them political clout and was useful in currying favor with governments where their work has been under ban.
WTS official letter to branches where Witnesses were inquiring about the matter states the reason for this association that began in 1991 "was to have access to research materials… in that year it became necessary to register as an NGO to have continued access." However it has been verified by sources at the UN library that the issuance of a library pass is independent of NGO status or any other status. It has been verified that this policy had been unchanged from as early as 1985 through the then current date in 2001. It was restricted following the September 11, 2001 tragedy due to increased security measures.
Were requirements for NGOs the same in 1991? The resolutions passed in 1968 which established the criteria for association with the DPI as a NGO. Please note that Resolution 1297, which established this associative status in 1968, states in bullet 6: "Recommends that the Secretary-General bear in mind the letter and spirit of Council resolution 1296 (XLIV) governing consultative status, in associating international and national non-governmental organizations with the Office of Public Information." This means that the same criteria used to qualify for consultative status would be used to qualify for associative status. What are the criteria for consultative status? This is clearly spelled out in Resolution 1296, where it says in bullets 2 & 3 under Part I, Principles to be Applied In The Establishment Of Consultative Relations:
2. The aims and purposes of the organization shall be in conformity with the spirit, purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
3. The organization shall undertake to support the work of the United Nations and to promote knowledge of its principles and activities, in accordance with its own aims and purposes and the nature and scope of its competence and activities.
The claim by the Society that the requirements to support the Charter of the UN and be in conformity with the spirit and purposes of it were added after the Society joined the UN as a NGO is thus a false claim, as all verifiable evidence shows.
The WTS Has claimed that it was unaware that the criteria to be a NGO member to the DPI included it support for the charter of the UN. However there were two press releases, dated Feb 14 and Aug 7 1992 that clearly spelled out what membership entailed, clearly stating, "These press releases can be located online, the 14 February 1992 Press Release has a file number "NGO/208 PI/775" and the 7 August 1992 Press Release has a file number "NGO/211 PI/770".
Perhaps disgruntled former members have infiltrated? Are those in charge at Bethel aware of this? Apparently so, since the names of Lloyd Barry (Governing Body), Ciro Aulicino (Writing Dept.), and Robert Johnson (Service Dept.) appear in the registry. Barry passed away recently while giving a talk, but Aulicino and Johnson are still at Bethel. A directory is sent out annually to all NGO members that outlines the responsibilities of the NGO and what membership entails. The Watchtower, Bible, & Tract Society is listed in the indexes and the criteria for association is clearly spelled out.
The UN, in a letter dated 03/04/04 acknowledged the 10 year relationship the WTS held with them, and exactly what it entailed. (available for viewing at the United Nations website) Interestingly, the WTS withdrew its membership on 10/9/01... exactly 1 day after Guardian's article publicly exposed the WTS for its union with the UN.
To sum it up:
These rules for NGO membership to the DPI were reviewed by the General Assembly in 1968 in resolution 1296, which became the basis for establishing criteria for the participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the United Nations, which remained in use for almost three decades.
So from 1968 until 1996 everything remained the same. In 1996 there was a review and arrangements for NGOs at the United Nations as a whole were updated and adopted by ECOSOC resolution 1996/31. This resolution is the current basis for partnership between NGOs and the United Nations.
So indeed if there were any changes, then they would have been made in 1996, 5 full years before the Watchtower claimed that there were changes taking place in 2001.
So again we see, that there were no changes in criteria in 2001 when the Watchtower claimed that the United Nations had used language that they could not subscribe to. And in 1991 when they joined, the United Nations was still using the same criteria for NGOs as the criteria from 1968.
Also, in the 55th session of the United Nations General Assembly under the heading at the bottom of the page: Current Legislation: We read, "Such arrangements may be made with international organizations and, where appropriate, with national organizations after consultation with the Member of the United Nations concerned."
(also available for viewing on the UN website)
If the Watchtower, Bible, & Tract Society had any questions what so ever as to what they were getting themselves into, they could have had consultation by a Member of the United Nations, if they had any doubts about the criteria, or the United Nations membership as a whole.
In the first paragraph under the heading: Current Legislation, we read, "The preamble of the UN Charter begins with "We, the peoples of the United Nations". This has come to mean both Member States and (civil society. More details are given in the article 71 of the Charter, which recognizes NGOs legally and formally as partners within the UN system.
The Watchtower even published the Charter of the United Nations in their literature.
A person might renounce his place in the Christian congregation by his actions, such as becoming part of an organisation whose objective is contrary to the Bible, and hence is under judgment by Jehovah God. The 9/15/1981 Watchtower brings out on page 23 that if one who was a Christian chose to join those who are disapproved of God, it would be fitting for the congregation to acknowledge by a brief announcement that he had disassociated himself and is no longer one of Jehovah's witnesses. In private the WTS had made a commitment to disseminate information and mobilize public opinion in support of the United Nations. But in public they claimed that it is under Satanic control - a "disgusting thing" responsible for identifying people as Gods enemies by marking them with the "mark of the wild beast"; (666) marking them for death at Armageddon.
To close, ask yourself the following questions:
-If this alliance with the United Nations was not wrong to do, then why was it kept secret from all the rank and file membership of the Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide?
* Why was it not until 2001, after the secret was leaked that the Watchtower all of sudden noticed "language that we cannot subscribe to" supposedly within the NGO requirements?
* If it was not secretive, why has Bethel never publicized their NGO status in any Watchtower Society publication?
* If it was not secretive, why was the Watchtower forced to issue an explanation to numerous inquiring branches that were contacted by Jehovah's Witnesses around the world demanding answers?
http://www.RandyTV.com
by Ken Carella