Posted by Kent [KENT] on November 07, 1999 at 05:40:17 {zExURjw8QAOJikFWJ7tMBSwZlMEBKg}:
In Reply to: JW's NOW VOTING???!!!*** posted by OpenMinded on November 06, 1999 at 21:57:13:
This is the typical "DoubleTalk". The Watchtower has printed lots of stuff about "How to vote".Examples as putting "God's Kingdom" on the votes, thereby disqualify the wotes, is one tactic.
Else, the rules are just fine:
*** w86 9/1 21 Christian Neutrals in a Bloodstained World ***
. They are political ‘neutrals’ since they belong already to another world—God’s. . . . They do not seek or offer compromises. . . . To serve in the army, to vote,
*** w73 12/1 734 The Seed Finally Germinated ***
At the age of thirteen the girl had become quite interested in politics. One day the girl asked the family maid for whom she was going to vote in the election. Being one of Jehovah’s witnesses, the maid told the girl that she did not vote in political elections due to what the Bible says about the position of Christians in the world.
*** 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.
*** w70 10/15 638 Cameroon Says "No!" to Freedom of Worship ***
The Witnesses sincerely try to follow Jesus’ example and his counsel to be “no part of the world.” Winning the approval of God and of Jesus Christ is more important to them than anything else. Yet, while they hold such views for themselves, the Witnesses also believe it would be wrong for them to hinder others from voting or to interfere with their efforts to do so. In fact, the Witnesses readily acknowledge that others are free to vote if they so desire.
*** w50 11/15 446 Subjection to the Higher Powers ***
24 Since they do not exercise the popular vote to put even consecrated servants into office even within the theocratic organization, they consider it improper to exercise the democratic vote by which unconsecrated persons are put into worldly political offices. They do not choose to share in the responsibility for the sins of such worldlings in governmental offices. They want to preserve themselves pure from this world. They abide by God’s appointments through his theocratic organization, and they accept his appointment of Jesus Christ to the kingship of the righteous new world.
*** g91 2/22 29 Watching the World ***
Obliged to Vote
Brazilians are obliged by law to vote, but in a recent election, many found a way to show their indifference or even disgust. The magazine Veja comments: “There are those who like to vote and choose candidates and those who do not, and hindered by legislation from staying home, they choose to cast blank or invalid votes.” Veja explains why some evidently have no interest in voting: “In consciously casting an invalid vote, the voter may want to show his revulsion for the entire system of choosing candidates.”
*** jv 673 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.
*** w94 12/1 22 A Purposeful Way of Life ***
Jim and Phyllis had no idea that my outlook on life had changed, but they found out when our family was invited to a friend’s party. In those days, on such occasions all present would stand, and a toast would be proposed to the King of England, and all would raise their glasses to drink the toast. However, I decided to remain seated with Jim and Phyllis. They could not believe their eyes when they saw me still sitting! We, of course, did not mean any disrespect, but as Christians we felt that we should be neutral and not participate in such nationalistic ceremonies.
*** w92 4/1 12 Hailing God's New World of Freedom ***
Another evidence that Jehovah’s Witnesses are fulfilling the prophecies about the Kingdom-preaching work is noted at Isaiah 2:4: “They will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.” So those doing the global preaching work about God’s Kingdom rule must ‘learn war no more.’ Jesus said that they must be “no part of the world.” (John 17:16) This means that they must be neutral in political affairs, not taking sides in the controversies and wars of the nations. Who are no part of the world and learn war no more? Again, the historical record of the 20th century testifies: only Jehovah’s Witnesses.
*** w90 2/1 16 God's Judgment Against "the Man of Lawlessness" ***
To maintain this love and unity on a global scale, God’s servants must be neutral in the political affairs of this world. Jesus said: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.”—John 17:16.
*** w78 5/15 3 'If Possible, Be Peaceable with All Men' ***
This sometimes proves to be very difficult. But Christians know that the way to enjoy peace with God is to obey this commandment, which means that they must be neutral as to the divisive factions in the world and, additionally, must obey Jesus’ words to seek ‘friends of peace’ by telling all men about the peace that God’s kingdom will bring to the earth.—Luke 10:5, 6.
*** w71 5/15 308 The Good News That Unites Mankind ***
Thus God calls for those who want to serve him in unity to be neutral as to the affairs of this system of things. For such unity to prevail no matter where an individual lives, regardless of his national heritage, language, color or line of descent, that individual must be at unity with God’s people in all parts of the earth. Again, it does not depend on how an imperfect human interprets the law of God. It depends on what the Almighty First Cause, Jehovah God, decrees for man in order to have unity and the blessing of that First Cause.
*** w56 1/1 17 'Choose Whom You Will Serve' ***
‘NOT OF THIS WORLD’
7 Jehovah’s witnesses are peaceful, wanting only to be exclusively devoted to Jehovah’s kingdom work. They know their position on earth is to represent God and him alone. Worldly governments do not want their constituents to be neutral as far as this world is concerned. However, when one gives exclusive devotion to Jehovah God he will not be mixed up with this world’s politics, religions or commercial movements. While in the world he is not a part of it. All so minded seek first the kingdom of heaven and Jehovah’s righteousness, and then all other things will be added to them.—Matt. 6:33, NW.
*** g87 4/22 10 Religion in Politics-Is This God's Will? ***
Is it possible in our time to be in the world, living on the globe as a legal citizen of some nation, and still be “no part of the world,” to be neutral? The modern history of Jehovah’s Witnesses answers yes. They have complied with the Biblical obligation to be law-abiding citizens, yet neutral as to political and military activities of the many nations in which they live.
*** w84 5/15 25 Insight on the News ***
When the authorities require Christians to violate their Bible-based conscience, they must “obey God as ruler rather than men.”—Romans 13:1, 5; Acts 5:29.
*** w90 11/1 25 Our Relative Subjection to the Superior Authorities ***
10 Since Jehovah’s Witnesses are subject to human authority, why did Franz Reiter and so many others suffer as they did? Because our subjection is relative, and the authority does not always recognize that there are Biblically set limits to what it can demand. If the authority demands something that offends a trained Christian conscience, it is going beyond its God-given limit. Jesus indicated this when he said: “Pay back . . . Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.” (Matthew 22:21) When Caesar demands what belongs to God, we must acknowledge that God has the prior claim.
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Chapter 5 of Pay Attention, tells us voting is a disfellowshipping offence!!
Kent