A few weeks after the election we would get a letter asking to explain why we did not vote, with the option of paying a fine if you did not have a valid reason. This Golden Age would see the Earth transformed to its original purity, with a righteous social system that would not have poverty or inequality. (While authorities often cite security concerns, such as a groups alleged links to violence, as a reason for imposing a ban, some governments use security concerns to target groups or people that pose a political threat, or they label religious groups as being deviant or a cult when these groups do not adhere to what the authorities deem to be acceptable religious practices. Jehovahs witnesses do not vote in elections, they do not participate in elections or enter politics. Yes, you can, Balloons are one of the essential elements of any amazing party. As part of Ms Whitby's legal case, she is claiming that the Jehovah's Witnesses elders must have known her alleged abuser had been convicted the previous year of offences against an eight-year-old boy. I actually feel I have cast a vote, the Oceanside resident tells me. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. For instance, they do not disrupt with voting or stop those who intend to vote. Despite Ms Clare's complaints, the man remained in the congregation and even took to the stage to deliver Bible readings. They also dont celebrate religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter in the belief that these customs have pagan origins. This is an updated version of an article originally published on May 4, 2017. Police in Germany have said the 2023 shooting was most likely committed by a lone individual who did not leave the organization on good terms, although they have not released information about a possible motive. She is speaking out in order to expose the organisation's practices. When leaders in government FAIL your needs and your loved ones needs, do you still follow them and their rules? So I dont feel left out. If you are born in the cult and never marry you are supposed to stay a virgin for the rest of your life. Sign up for a weekly brief collating many news items into one untangled thought delivered straight to your mailbox. This goes along the fact that the woman is simply a sub-citizen compared to the man. "In fact, within the ex-Jehovah's witnesses, we do it once a year, [there] is a memorial day you take a bunch of flowers and a card to mourn the loss of your family, and leave it on the door . Their gathering places are called Kingdom Halls, which are ordinary-looking buildings like small conference centers that have the advantage of being easily built. Ex-Witnesses now vote It took several years after Carol Hartman left the Jehovah's Witnesses to get around to voting. The Governing Body oversees a vast global real estate portfolio, including Kingdom Halls built by congregations around the world. So many non-JWs take it for granted, or hate the intrusion on their Saturday. So it was like I landed in a different planet and it was an extremely lonely period of time. Australia does what US won't: Investigate Jehovah's Witness cover-up Yeo Zheng Ye grew up in Singapore knowing he would have to go to jail. Watchtower is saying that Jehovah's Witnesses have a legal right to "scripturally" refuse to vote and at the same time recognize that others non-Jehovah's Witnesses (excluding Jehovah's Witnesses) also have a legal right to exercise their civic duty. But then after I voted, I thought that wasnt so bad. Yes, Jehovah's Witnesses accept medicine and medical treatment. In Jamaica, for example, the country still has colonial-era laws that criminalized the Afro-Caribbean religious practices of Obeah and Myalism, but they are not enforced. 41 countries banned religion-related groups in 2019 - Pew Research Center I'm the same. "[They took] 33 years of my life, and I'm not letting them take any more. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. I dont like it because of all the responsibility thats involved. Almost 100 million eligible Americans did not vote in the 2016 presidential election. Schmalz said the social and political upheaval the US and the world are experiencing may confirm Witnesses' belief that human institutions can't solve human problems. While extreme shunning may be tempered by some individuals, for the most part, its the way of life in the organization of Jehovahs Witnesses. But in a landmark civil case,former memberAmy Whitbyistaking on the secretive religious groupin court. Growing Up Jehovah's Witness: 'Higher Education Is Spiritually - NPR - To vote in a public election was on my to do list when I left Jehovah's Witnesses. In this way, I remain neutral in world political affairs., Even though hes never known a member to vote, the Chula Vista resident is as firm as Hendriks about the consequences. Jehovah's Witness group was founded in the 1870s. The story of Jehovahs Witnesses begins in the late 19th century near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a group of students studying the Bible. Jehovahs witnesses neither campaign nor engage in any political effort to support a change of governments. Armageddon specifically refers to Mount Megiddo in Israel, where some Christians believe the final conflict between good and evil will take place. The analysis is based on factual information about laws, policies and actions coded from a set of publicly available sources, including the U.S. Department of States annual reports on international religious freedom, annual reports from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, reports and databases from a variety of European and UN bodies, and several independent, nongovernmental organizations. Like all Americans, we can choose how much, if any, active involvement in politics that we choose. An unshakable faith that is no voting matter. The men going to military jail for their faith - BBC News Mum died three weeks ago, and I knew it was coming at some point, and I just got a text message from my brother, to say, 'Oh, by the way, mum died yesterday of stomach cancer. They say the organisation drags cases out until the last possible moment, then settles to avoid a courtroom examination of its practices. The religion has previously provided a number of dates for the end the world as we know it, but now tell followers it will happen any day now. A large majority of witnesses are people of color 32% are Hispanic, 27% are Black, and 36% are white, according to 2016 Pew polling. 2:1-4; Acts 5:29) Hence, some Christians have concluded that they ought to accept jury duty. Lawyers who have battled the Jehovah's Witnesses in the US and UK have told Four Corners the organisation has a global problem with both child abuse and the way it responds to victims. He is 52 now and an elder at a Kingdom Hall in National City. I feel that being a subject of Gods kingdom has brought me many benefits.. Each of us regularly spends time helping people learn about the Bible and God's Kingdom. Write an article and join a growing. Jehovah's Witnesses, who number at 1.3 million in the US, are among them. They point to global conflicts, ISIS and natural disasters as signs that we are on the verge of the Apocalypse. "It will always keep them as a minority religion, but in their own terms it will keep them growing. The subject of intense international criticism, lawsuits and a Royal Commission, the Two Witness Rule is the Jehovah Witnesses interpretation of scripture that, in the absence of a confession, there must be two material witnesses to a sin for them to be acted upon. Parents, siblings, friends are instructed to cut all ties. Once we take a stand for a political party or leader, we stand against our brothers and sisters, says Hendricks, who is 55 and was raised in this faith. The group was led by Charles Taze Russell, a religious seeker from a Presbyterian background. Jehovah's Witness - Beliefs | Britannica Such doctrines distinguish Jehovahs Witnesses from mainline Christian denominations, which hold that God is triune in nature. Amy saidshe was abused by a trusted member of the congregation, inside the home her family shared with another Jehovah's Witnesses family. Colossians 4:14. He was born into the organisation and raised his three older children as witnesses. While she has never missed an election, she confesses that she has mixed feelings about whether she actually likes voting. They say that God will start a worldwide war called Armageddon, and the people who do not obey God or worship him the way he expects will be killed. Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images, Georg Wendt/picture alliance via Getty Images, The Youth League of the Malawi Congress Party, Lecturer in Environmental Art - School of Art and Design. The Australian branch owns at least 440 properties including a sprawling headquarters in western Sydney. Other religious groups cannot register and are treated as illegal. Notably, the denomination is one of the most racially and ethnically diverse of any religious group in the US. They say they are following in Jesus footsteps, in obedience to his admonition to be in the world but not part of the world. ", Who the hell are non-voters? Jehovah's witnesses tow the path of non-partisan and politically neutral, with the belief that the bible supports such action. "One little grandson was with his dad and his dad let him speak to me and he said to me, 'I'm forgetting you Nanny'. Blog: http://sylvianenuccio.com. Six adults were killed March 9, 2023, in Hamburg, Germany, in what police described as a rampage after an evening religious service. Jehovah's Witnesses risk exclusion if voting in elections - Reddit That should be red flag to government.. But they dont take partisan sides and they dont vote. That would be money not well spent, he replied. Some guys can be quite arrogant towards young women since they know that they can only marry in the church having little choice to find a husband. They believe it is Gods will to abstain from blood (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:10; Deuteronomy 12:23; Acts 15:28,29). Because neither Jehovahs Witnesses nor former members I spoke with in San Diego ever heard of a Witness who secretly voted. Since the royal commission exposed thecrueltreatment of victims of child abuse within the Jehovahs Witnesses, little has changed. This, of course, is a major diversion from orthodox Christianity. The royal commission uncovered a vast cache of files compiled by Jehovah's Witnesses members over more than 60 years. In the battleground state of Pennsylvania, a GOP PAC is reaching out to the traditionally secluded Amish community, hoping to coax them to get in their buggies and vote for the president. I stood in line and I got into the booth and I thought, I hope I do this right. It was basically three men who were in an interview panel with me," she said. Many Witnesses fled to neighboring Mozambique, where they were held in internment camps. Not even to the family of the pedophile, leaving the youngest child of the pedophile as prey. Elders are men who shepherd and care for the well-being of their congregation. George Wallis wasnt raised in a religious family. The Jehovahs Witnesses organization is a registered charity, which means they pay no income tax. 13 Replies Ohmyjw saod . Early Jehovahs Witnesses believed 1914 would be the beginning of the end of worldly governments, which would culminate with the Battle of Armageddon. Bahais and Jehovahs Witnesses in the country were not permitted to have places of worship or import religious literature. Consider what the Bible says about this occasion. If your excuse is not accepted you are fined I think it is or was $50 I would use the against my conscience as a JW excuse and was never fined I voted at the last election and I am happy to say I didn't vote for the backstabbing bitch that is ruining the country now Not my fault I didn't vote for her. Jehovahs Witnesses spend a substantial amount of time on Bible study and evangelizing door to door. 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A woman cannot pray for a group where even a single man is present. The Jehovahs Witnesses say local elders werent aware of the prior conviction, and, regardless, the organisation isnt responsible for the acts of its members within the family home. While we try to take care of our bodies and maintain good health, we sometimes "need a doctor.". "It would make me so angry to the point that I would get up and I'd go outside and I'd just pace. Through subsequent legal battles in the 1940s and 1950s, Jehovahs Witnesses helped expand safeguards for religious liberty and freedom of conscience both in the United States and Europe. Hi Slimboy - As an Aussie and a JW for 40 years (ex for 5 years now) I can answer this. Despite these ongoing issues, the government made other notable moves to reduce restrictions, such as enforcing a prohibition on raids on religious communities. ( John 15:19; Isa. Copyright 2001-2015 Jehovah's Witness Discussion Forum | JW.Org Community Information. Over Zoom, Hendriks told me members may vote on issues in their homeowners association or some other residential situation. I would write "As one of Jehovah's Witnesses my bible trained conscience does not allow me to take part in the politics of this world" then list a scripture or two. Obviously, a child reporting rape by an adult does not have a witness to back them up, thus they are not taken into account and for the most part not believed. As of 2019, authorities in Uzbekistan had criminalized membership in 22 religious organizations, citing threats to the governments secular authority and the need to prevent incitement of interreligious instability and hatred, according to the U.S. State Department. We pledge allegiance to Gods kingdom.. According to a survey released this week by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, the religious group is far more. Hes 67 now and an elder for the Buena Vista congregation, which meets at a Kingdom Hall in Carlsbad. Ex-Jehovah's witness reveals secrets of the religious group Do Jehovah's Witnesses Accept Medical Treatment? | FAQ - JW.ORG It made three key recommendations: That the organisation should involve women in its judicial committees; abandon the two-witness rule in abuse cases; and stop shunning people who leave due to abuse. Jehovah's Witnesses organization like just about any other cult believes that they are the only people who have God's backing, and like any other cult out there have created outrageous. Supposedly because of some twisted rule called the two witness rule which means that two people need to be present if someone accuses someone else of a sin. For us, thats a badge of honor. Why Serena Williams won't vote for Barack Obama. - Slate Magazine In the 1960s and 1970s, dozens of African Jehovahs Witnesses were slaughtered by members of The Youth League of the Malawi Congress Party for refusing to support dictator Hastings Banda. America's 1.3 million Jehovah's Witnesses will be sitting out this election. Sylviane is a relationship coach for women and helps ex-Jehovahs Witnesses who struggle after their exist of the cult. Jehovah's Witnesses cover up child sex abuse and oust a victim. In Brunei, all three groups Jehovahs Witnesses, Bahais and Ahmadis were banned in 2019 as they were considered deviant.. If somebody says get off my step because I dont want to hear about the kingdom, well thats OK, he explains. The denomination claims that the COVID-19 pandemic is evidence that the world is experiencing "the last days" before God establishes his kingdom on Earth led by Christ. Jehovahs Witnesses have a one star rating out of five stars. Your email address will not be published. Pakistan had laws that prohibited Ahmadis from calling themselves Muslims and banned them from preaching or proselytizing. Sherry Jansma and her husband were third generation Witnesses and had been active members for more than 40 years. I too wrote the blah blah excuse as above and never received a fine. Many actually see voting and political activism as an extension of their faith. Jehovah witnesses also recognize other citizens political decision-making privileges. Jehovah's Witnesses | The First Amendment Encyclopedia The Old Order Amish, Christadelphians, and Rastafarians are all religious groups that have long avoided politics. Several countries have such compulsory voting - like Greece, Belgium, and Australia. Conscience Matter Watchtower 1999 11/1 pp.28-29 Questions From Readers - How do Jehovah's Witnesses view voting? 3. Uzbekistan criminalizes activities by unregistered religious groups, which are considered to be illegal, and designates certain Islamic groups to be extremist and therefore prohibited. Members and organizers of illegal religious groups can be imprisoned up to five years, and those in prohibited groups can be jailed for up to 20 years. She was cast out into a world she was completely unprepared for. They are Jehovahs Witnesses, who pride themselves on staying politically neutral here and around the world. The perpetrator is free to keep living his life as if nothing happened and free to rape again. If a Witness is happy not voting and believing the way they do, Im not going to be the one to try to change them on that.. Jehovah's witnesses and compulsory voting in Australia. The Jehovah's Witnesses say they will notimplement these recommendations because their practices are based on the Bible. In a statement to Four Corners, the Jehovahs Witnessesdefended the practice ofshunning. Answer (1 of 4): Jehovah's Witnesses are strictly neutral in regards to politics and regard the government(s) as under the control of Satan. If she did face the audience it would mean that shes teaching such audience and thats a no-no among Jehovahs Witnesses. The case is significant because it stems from an ongoing investigation by the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which found that Jehovah's Witnesses do . Sub-Saharan Africa had eight countries with bans (representing about 17% of the 48 states in the region), Europe had three (or about 7% of the regions 45 countries) and the Americas had two nations with such bans in place (representing about 6% of the regions 35 countries). (Mt 24:14) As ambassadors of Heaven, Jehovahs witnesses are authorized to announce its arrival, members stay nonpartisan in all political affairs, including their country of residence. Do Jehovah Witnesses Vote - Awajis.Com I believe it is the main reason for a lot of my trauma. "I know there are still good people inside the congregations. She is not supposed to make any big decision in the marriage. Dubs in Australia are issued a failure to vote notice after an election and required to respond by either paying a fine or stating their reason for not voting.