Posted by Amazing [Anointed] on November 27, 1999 at 13:40:45 {nwG7wj0NI.0hi4VK0MIQASIIcexUto}:
In Reply to: *Mexico/Tyndale posted by Adam Covington on November 27, 1999 at 11:50:25:
AC: The issues between the Cartilla and the Malawi Congress Party Card are almost identical. Both cards were and are necessary to conduct business and virtually functioned in the same manner. Both cost a nominal fee. The only significant difference is that the Mexican Cartilla, as you later agreed, is a military card and the Malawi card is a poltitcal card.
The problem that Franz, the GB and other Branch officials involved in the issue saw is that for JWs to buy the Malawi card was considered by the Society to be a major compromise of neutrality, so much so that JWs were severely persecuted and many murdered with the consent of the Malawi Congress Party and the Malawi government.
Yet, had JWs been allowed to buy the Party card, they would have been left alone to conduct business. They would not have been required to vote or engage in any compromising activity. The Malawi government simply wanted all people to be registered with the party as a show of national unity.
The Mexican Cartilla functions in almost exactly the same way. So why not the same consistent stand then with Mexican JWs? The facts are that having a Cartilla was not absolutely required to conduict business, it just made it much easier. In Mexico one can bribe his/her way through the system in spite of the Cartilla. Why was owning a Cartilla not a major compromise of neutrality?
Because it was 'Double Standard.' The Society, according to Franz, voted to repeal the policy on Malawi. According to Crisis of Conscience, the GB originally cast the necessary 2/3 vote to pass. Then one of the GB at the last minute recinded and reversed his vote, and the Malawi policy was retained.
The majority of the Governing Body at that time saw the problem and the inconsistency. They choose to repeal the Malawi policy rather than tighten up the Mexican policy. They clearly knew that the issue of neutrality did not require the Malawi JWs to be persecuted, but they closed their eyes to it.
Either way, according to their voting procedures, they continued to treat such card ownership as a serious vilation of neutrality in Malawi but allowed the same violation to take place in Mexico.
By their own standards, the Society has either violated neutrality in Mexico, or they have permitted needless murder and persecution in Malawi. They cannot have it both ways?
Simply Amazing