Pioneer defends WT involvement with UN

by Shania 26 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  upside/down

  Funny...

  they only did so because of the weak ones complaining!

  So just WHEN did these "weak" ones complain? The R & F Dubs... hell even the "apostates", weren't even AWARE of it.

  It was brought to light (could this be "new light") by a newspaper report (who yes, had been previously associated...ie."apostate") and the bOrg quit THE NEXT DAY!!!

  This was NOT a reaction on the part of the bOrg to "weak" ones complaining....besides, the bOrg in it's OFFICIAL responses IN WRITING...NEVER says that's why they quit. They host a series of bogus reasons as to how they got caught with their pants down why they "quit".

  This is one they CAN'T wiggle out of....

  it is so we know what the UN is up to.

  My ass...

  u/d(of the hates being "snowed" class)
• 

  badboy

  A ngo is not a country, but observes,me think
• 

  Legolas

  Jehovah's Witnesses Quit UN Affiliation
  after 10 year Relationship with UN Made Public

  
  October 30, 2001

  Responding to criticism from current and former members the Watch Tower Society (parent organization for Jehovah's Witnesses) this month withdrew its formal association with the United Nations as a NGO (non-government affiliate organization). The Watch Tower Society had quietly affiliated with the UN in 1991 in an agreement to "support the Charter" of the United Nations--also agreeing to promote the UN among its members.

  Watch Tower publications have long labeled the UN as one of the "beasts" of the biblical book of Revelation--the archenemy of the kingdom of God. Some critics of the 6 million member denomination, well known for its aggressive door to door missionary work, believe this is the greatest scandal to hit Watch Tower leadership. "It's comparable to a Catholic finding out that the Vatican had privately agreed to support Planned Parenthood and abortion rights, "stated ex-member David Brown of Central Point, Oregon.

  The refusal of Witnesses to salute a flag, perform military service, vote or hold public office has often brought them official persecution. Apparently, the Watch Tower Society's affiliation with the United Nations was to get help in their religious freedom struggles. "Their affiliation with the UN as a NGO was much more than just registering with the UN to get help for their members," says Brown.

  In a letter explaining the sect's withdrawal as a UN affiliate, UN official Paul Hoeffel states that NGO membership involves "support and respect of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and commitment and means to conduct effective information programmes with its constituents and to a broader audience about UN activities." The Watch Tower Society's affiliation with the UN gave them political clout, status and connections they could not have had otherwise. The connection was not announced in Witness publications and was only recently discovered when it was noticed that the Watch Tower Society was listed on a UN webpage as a NGO member.

  The public criticism of this connection led to the Watch Tower's disassociation as a UN affiliate. "In October 2001, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York requested termination of its association with DPI[Department of Public Information of the UN]. Following this request, the DPI has made decisions to disassociate the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York as of 9 October 2001," explains UN official Hoeffel.

  Membership as a NGO of the UN required annual re-certification. "There have been several seemingly positive articles in the Witnesses' news magazine Awake! discussing the UN in the past few years. It seemed out of character to read such things in Watch Tower publications but it didn't make sense why they were there until now," says Brown. "The Society's Writing Department evidently used UN press releases for Awake! articles and then they could submit these to show they were informing their members of UN activities and keep their NGO membership."

  Ex-members and many current members feel this was hypocrisy of the highest caliber. Witness theology has understood the United Nations as "the disgusting thing that causes desolation" (from Matthew's gospel) and as "the image of the wild beast" from Revelation chapter 13. Witnesses believe that all other religions have prostituted themselves to the UN (their interpretation of "Babylon the Great" riding the "scarlet colored wild beast" in Revelation chapter 17) and that soon the UN will turn on "false religion" (all other religions) and destroy them. Improbable as that scenario is the Witnesses believe that because of their "strict neutrality in political affairs" they will not be affected when the UN acts to destroy "false religion" (this being the immediate predecessor of Armageddon).

  "Most Witnesses have no idea that for the past 10 years the Watch Tower Society was certified as an affiliate organization of the UN along with Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants and other religious bodies promoting its agenda just as the other religions promote theirs," says Brown. "Actually, I think this was a positive development in the history of Jehovah's Witnesses. Unfortunately, it was hypocritical to do so while demonizing the UN in their doctrinal publications. Sadder still, the Watch Tower organization continues to maintain a policy that effectively excommunicates members who get involved in any political activity."

  The first official reply from a Watch Tower official was made by Paul Gillies of the Witnesses' branch office in Britian on October 22nd: membership as a NGO was simply a result of "getting a library card" at the UN facilities in New York. Gillies did not explain the annual re-certification process for NGO members which the Watch Tower Society participated in. Nor did he comment on the numerous articles in Awake! which promoted the UN.

  "This was not a one-time application the Watch Tower Society made where they didn't realize what they were doing," says Brown. "This was a relationship renewed yearly resulting in their news magazine doing PR for the UN. This relationship resulted in favorable UN support for the Witnesses' human rights struggles."

  ---

  More Information on NGOs and the UN
  More Information on Problematic NGOs at the UN
• 

  badboy

  AMEN,SISTER!
• 

  TopHat

  I got it !! Thanks for your answers....It is embedded in my little brain now.
• 

  Legolas

  'Hypocrite' Jehovah's Witnesses abandon secret link with UN Stephen Bates, religious affairs correspondent Guardian Monday October 15, 2001 The Jehovah's Witnesses have hurriedly disaffiliated from the United Nations within days of a Guardian story in which members accused the sect of hypocrisy for supporting an organisation it has repeatedly denounced privately. After the article last Monday, the organisation's New York based hierarchy pre-empted a UN inquiry by agreeing to dissociate the Witnesses from an organisation which it holds to be the scarlet beast named in the Book of Revelation. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, as the sect is formally known, has 6m members worldwide and 130,000 in Britain. It had been secretly affiliated to the UN as a non-governmental organisation for 10 years. Recognised organisations are supposed to demonstrate that they share the UN's objectives, but Witnesses are instead told by elders to regard it as "a disgusting thing in the sight of God and his people" for allegedly aspiring to world domination like Babylon the Great, the beast in Revelation. The sect does not believe in participating in government and initially strove to play down or deny the evidence of the UN's website, which lists it as one of 1,500 affiliated NGOs. Those bringing the evidence to light were accused of apostacy. Disaffiliated members become known informally, like the rest of humanity, as "bird seed" in line with biblical prophesy of the fate of non-believers, whose corpses will be pecked bare by crows. Within hours of the article's appearance on the Guardian website on Monday and its posting on a Jehovah's Witnesses bulletin board, more than 14,000 people across the world had read it. By yesterday there were 353 official posts and 325 message boards discussing the article and its revelations, with Witnesses in the US demanding to see copies of the paper. Special report Religion in the UK
• 

  Es

  You handled that fantastically !!!!

  Job well done

  es
• 

  undercover

  I said to her that the witnesses were actually members of the UN,

  This is a picky point, but a very important one:

  The WTS was never members of the UN. (Likewise Witnesses weren't either. The WTS and the JW religion are different legal institutions). Only national governments can be members of the UN. All other organizations can become associated with the UN as NGOs. The WTS sought for and was granted NGO status. The UN website has an entire section on NGOs and their role. To become an NGO, that organization has to agree to the principles of the UN and help promote the UN. That's where the hypocrisy comes in.

  I think it's important that "we" (ex-JWs/apostates/faders) clearly understand the WTS role in this situation and how they became NGOs, what the role of an NGO is and how that relates to the principles of the WTS and also the timing of how the WTS decided to become disassociated as an NGO.

  If we make statements in error, like the WTS/JWs were members of the UN, it only feeds the JW supporter's claims that we don't know what we're talking about. JWs already put up a wall of defense, we only strengthen their resolve to not listen to us if what we say can be refuted, even if only on picky, technical points.

  That point aside, good job on handling the situation.
• 

  Kenneson

  Another bone of contention is that the Watchtower Society criticized some religious organizations for being NGO organizations (they are not countries either) for their association with the U.N. Then, lo and behold, we find out they were doing the same thing!

  For all those who want to review what has been said on this topic in this forum go to

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/32/76847/1.ashx

  Lots of reading.
• 

  AK - Jeff

  What I find interesting here is that the Society seems to be 'leaking' some information in a counter-intelligence move. By feeding a bunch of departing Bethelites this half-truth they are giving the witnesses back home some ammunition they never had before. Who will doubting witnesses believe ? - us evil apostates - a compromised UN web-site - or former Bethelites who are just a little below angels in Wt thinking?

  Brilliant move I would say - but about three years too late to be effective perhaps.

  Jeff