# Neutrality.

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Posted by N.H. [Pravo] on October 29, 1999 at 14:43:29 {CAtoZJLIp2MNeo5UWiLAX.sgIvMbfw}:

Neutrality.

In most democracies voting in political elections isn¡¦t compulsory. Many of these democracies do however have legislation, which outlaw subjecting people who do want to vote to threats and sanctions. The fact that Jehovah¡¦s Witnesses don¡¦t vote has been the source of conflict throughout their history.

As a former Jehovah's Witness myself I of course know very well that I didn¡¦t conceive the idea that it was ¡§wrong¡¨ to vote in political elections myself. This was an idea that was presented to me by the Jehovah's Witnesses that conducted the ¡§Bible study¡¨ with me. Likewise of course was the matter of ¡§abstaining from blood¡¨. In all the years in the ¡§organization¡¨ I never met anyone who held such ideas before they joined the Watchtower organization. Of course most of us quickly became aware that should any of us vote or take a blood transfusion, this would result in a so-called disciplinary action, with subsequent DF¡¦ing if the required repentance wasn¡¦t forthcoming.

In other words this ban was of course invented and implemented by the Watchtower Society and wasn¡¦t at all any ¡§personal decision¡¨ on our part in the sense that we didn¡¦t come up with these ideas. And we all know the cost of ¡§violating¡¨ these Watchtower rules.

It is of course no question as to the fact that the Watchtower Society is violating the law in the democracies, which has such legislation. In most cases where this issue has come up, the Society have been able to wiggle and squirm out of the problem by using double talk and lies.

A good example of this was reported in the this Watchtower:

> *** w71 4/15 253 Is Gabon Really "the Country of Friendship"? ***
> Later the authorities accused the Witnesses of not respecting the flag, not paying taxes, teaching people not to vote and causing disorder among the population.

> *** w71 4/15 253 Is Gabon Really "the Country of Friendship"? ***
> THE CHARGES UNFOUNDED

> *** w71 4/15 253 Is Gabon Really "the Country of Friendship"? ***
> As for politics, Jehovah¡¦s witnesses maintain a neutral stand. Nobody was brought forth by the Gabonese government as proof that the Witnesses had taught him not to vote. Incidentally, the vote in Gabon is secret, so it should not be possible to tell who did and who did not vote. Then, too, for three years prior to this ban there were no elections, and for four years thereafter none are to be held. So is this matter of voting a problem that Gabon has suddenly been faced with? Hardly.

Does the Watchtower Society teach people not to vote? Were the charges of the Gabonese government unfounded on that particular point? Of course we all know the answer to that. The next quotes identify the source of every Jehovah's Witness so-called ¡§personal decision¡¨.

> *** w54 7/15 448 Check Your Memory ***
> „Ñ Why Jehovah¡¦s witnesses do not vote? P. 446, 11.

> *** w54 7/15 446 This Generation's Disgusting Alliance ***
> 11 Christians cannot serve two masters, cannot be for both Satan¡¦s world and Christ¡¦s kingdom. (Matt. 6:24; Jas 1:27) The clergy say we are to blame for corrupt government by not voting; we say they share the blame by their voting. (1 Tim. 5:22) We must not enter politics to clean it up; we must escape its plagues by staying out.

> *** jv 673-4 29 "Objects of Hatred by All the Nations" ***
> In some lands, voting in political elections is viewed as an obligation. Failure to vote is punished by fine, imprisonment, or worse. But Jehovah¡¦s Witnesses support the Messianic Kingdom of God, which, as Jesus said, ¡§is no part of this world.¡¨ Therefore, they do not participate in the political affairs of the nations of this world. (John 18:36) The decision is a personal one; they do not force their views on others.

For the sake of argument, we know that no Jehovah's Witnesses force non-Witnesses not to vote, but is it really a personal decision for any Jehovah's Witness, and is there no force applied to them? Let us consider the next quote from the Watchtower:

> *** w89 12/1 13-14 Why We Need Accurate Knowledge ***
> 16 Those who reject an accurate knowledge of the truth often choose the pathway of expediency. They no longer accept the responsibility of regularly attending Christian meetings or of participating in the house-to-house ministry. Some even go back to smoking! Others are happy that they no longer have to stand out as different over the issue of Christian neutrality and the misuse of blood. Oh, what freedom! Now they can even vote for one of the political parties of the ¡§wild beast.¡¨

Here the Watchtower inadvertently gives away the whole game. Would anyone who held a strong personal conviction against voting and participation in politics consider it a ¡§freedom¡¨ to be able to vote? It is of course a freedom because it was banned within the Watchtower Society. It was of course not any personal conviction that held the rank and file Jehovah's Witness back from voting, but fear of reprisals. It is the cadaver discipline of the Watchtower Society that holds back the rank and file from voting. If the Watchtower changed its policy on this, most Jehovah's Witnesses would vote without hesitation.

To make this perfectly clear just read the next quote from the Watchtower:

> *** w72 2/15 123-4 Living a Dedicated Life ***
> Jehovah¡¦s allowing the individual to take whatever course he chooses is actually part of the test of integrity. The person has his freedom of will. If he takes a course violating his Christian neutrality, he is denying God as his Master, and he is walking out on God and his congregation. He is certainly not leading a dedicated life. The congregation is not the one that publicly disfellowshiped him. He takes himself out, dissociates himself. He was once saved from this ¡§crooked generation,¡¨ but now he prefers to go back with it, doing as it does.

This demonstrate the truth about the Watchtower Society definition of ¡§free choice¡¨. Do as we order, or we will take your entire social network away from you and make them shun you! Talk about ¡§personal decision¡¨.

Norm.

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- *Neutrality. CPiolo 15:47:40 10/29/99 (0)

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