The fact that they don't vote is a shame. Many people have died for their freedom and their right to vote. If you don't vote, then don't complain about anything the leaders of our country do or don't do. And the comment that they won't serve in the military is a absolute disgrace. They sure don't mind living in this country that men and women have died, families sacrificed for even them. What a DISGRACE!!!!!!! Sounds to me that they think they are better than every one else and expect others to take care of them. This comment is from the wife of an army soldier and proud to be!!!!

joining the military is a personal decision..stories of untold killings that were not authorized for what freedoms? who are you to go into another country and tell them..no force them to change their ways and their governments? and if they dont change, they are radicals and must be taken care of? no wonder this nation is being mocked at.

Until bush the idiot got into power the military of the united states was very honorable. We defended the freedoms that you JW's flout...

You use and abuse the 'worldly system' while acting smug and waiting for an end that will never come. I'll be sooooo glad when your cult disappears.

I have a deep respect for anyone that joins the military even though I personally wouldn't. And I certainly couldn't bear sending my 20 year old child over to be blown to pieces. For what??? I know that they are being brave and have good intentions. They believe that they are doing what is right.But we cannot justify killing our brothers just becasue the live across the line. God created all people. And he doesn't love Americans any more then any other people. He didn't create borders. He created the whole earth. And look how many soldiers come back injured and mentally scarred from what they have had to do and what they have seen while at war. How can that be right? I hope your family member makes it back safely. I don't think this was Gods intentions for us.

My name is Mel and I am a 16 year old baptized Jehovah's Witness. While I was signing in to check my email, the words "Jehovah's Witnesses Not Voting" caught my eye. I read the article and then found your opinion on the matter. I just want to say that I completely respect your opinion for we are all entitled to have our own. I just wanted to be able to give my own opinion as well. It is true that countless numbers have died for the right to vote. We are only a free country because so many have been willing to give their lives for our freedom. We all fight for something. Some fight for the right things and on the contrary, some fight for the wrong things. We Jehovah's Witnesses are meerly fighting to follow principles set in the Bible. We do not think that we are better than anyone else and if a Witness did, than they could not rightfully call themself a Witness. I just wanted to say that I respect your opinion on this matter very much, it just bothered me to see that the beliefs and intentions of Witnesses were so misread. I see that you are a proud wife of an army solier. I admire your husbands courage to fight for this country. I hope that you can admire the courage that we Jehovah's Witnesses have to be different. It's not easy having people believing that we are an ungrateful group of people who take for granted what so many have given to keep this nation free. I really hope that in your heart you don't truly believe that we Jehovah's Witnesses think that we are better than everyone else. I surely don't, and I don't expect anyone to take care of me. I do what I can for this country as long as it doesn't go against any of the priniples in the Bible. That's all that Jehovah's Witnesses are trying to do, follow Bible priciples. Please don't condemn us for that.

It wasn't god's intention, because god doesn't exist.

I am one of JW's. We do not complain about this government, or any other. But we follow the example of Jesus Christ, who steadfastly refused to get invoIved in the political world of his day. Who would he vote for? Based on the scriptural account, no one.

I can assure you that no matter where your loved one is, there is no Jehovah's Witness putting him in harm's way. I cannot say the same for any other religion.

Many Jehovah's Witnesses have been persecuted, tortured and/or killed by their respective governments, including our own, for their neutral stance.

I am a proud army wife as well. But like I have said before JW's are NOT the only people in this country that do not vote. If you are going to say that it is a disgrace then say it against ALL people that don't vote. And everyone in this country I am sure, voting or not has at some point said something bad about the govt or the people in office.

I use to be a Jehovah's Witness, and what I was told was that we didn't vote because we are neutral in political affairs. We are encouraged not to vote, but we can make a bible-based decision on whether we should or shouldn't. I decided not to vote based on the fact that the leaders of our country don't always make wise decisions, and I don't want to be apart of a war that kills hundreds or even thousands of lives just for a cause that not even we know. Just because I live in this country does not mean I have to take part in an event where my vote may not even matter...especially when a house vote can override the people's choice, how else did Bush win?

Many Jehovah's Witnesses have been persecuted, tortured and/or killed by their respective governments, including our own, for their neutral stance.

Show me where in this United States this is true. Oh yea ! Must have been written in the Book Of Jehovah"

pickle:

The fact that they don't vote is a shame. Many people have died for their freedom and their right to vote. If you don't vote, then don't complain about anything the leaders of our country do or don't do. And the comment that they won't serve in the military is a absolute disgrace. They sure don't mind living in this country that men and women have died, families sacrificed for even them. What a DISGRACE!!!!!!! Sounds to me that they think they are better than every one else and expect others to take care of them. This comment is from the wife of an army soldier and proud to be!!!!

JW's hide behind an act called "the freedom of religion" act. Ages old and un changed but that will come to an end as the laws are gradually changing. It is also against their "religion" to be wealthy....how much do the williams sisters make from playing tennis, royalties etc? They are a bunch of hyporcrites! Its only ok when it suits them. How can I make such claims? because I was bought up as one and on 2 occassions they wrecked my family.

Your US army guys and girls are standing up for what they believe is right. As far as not voting, I believe it should be your choice not forced upon you by some other organisation but if you dont vote, dont complain!!!

gc33

Australia

To : cncernd

It's common knowledge. You are obviously on the web, look it up.

It is a matter of public record that the leading representatives of the JW's, including the president of the legal corporation, were imprisoned on trumped up charges in the 20's. They were later completely exhonorated. It is also a matter of public record that many JW's were imprisoned, tarred and feathered, etc throughout the 30's and 40's, while their neutral brothers in Germany were also being gassed in concentration camps for not joining the Nazi Party. I know of people this happened to. To tell them this didn't happened is like telling someone the holocoaust didn't exist.

This is not a complaint about the United States. Governments change, they come and go, and we are affected positively and negatively depending on the whim of those ruling. Even if the persecution hadn't happened here, the point remains that man cannot solve it's own problems, but God soon will. Do you really think this nation, or any other, will fix the global problems we see?

It's my hope that your sense of justice will lead you to at least listen to those people who have proved worldwide to prove no threat to you or your family, but only want to show you what the Bible says about the solution to man's problems.

Where in the Bible does it say that you should alienate people who aren't Jehovah's Witnesses? Why are people who aren't Witnesses called "worldly"? Why are parents told that they must not associate themselves with their own adult children if the do something not acceptable according to them? Where in the Bible does it say that you're supposed to do that?? Don't you dare tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about either. I dated a non-baptized "Witness" for 6 years. When we visited his mother's house and she had a study at her house, we had to leave so they didn't know he was dating someone worldly.

Granted, some of the principles are not so bad. But you can't tell me that alienating your own child is fine because they got drunk and had sex!

And please tell me when Serena goes out and does her service work (aka giving out magazines door-to-door)? As a baptized Witness isn't she required to do so? Please stop me if I'm wrong. You can't just pick and choose what you want to do, can you? Saying she's not going to vote for religious reasons is a cop-out! How can a baptized Witness walk around in those skimpy tennis outfits? I say she should stop being a hypocrite and go vote. As a Black American woman I say, "HOW DARE SHE not vote!" People have died so that she would be able to vote!

If you don't want to get involved in the electing of public officials LEAVE! If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. We need all the voters we can to help get the idiots out of office to get this country back in shape. Hmmm, is it because she's rich that maybe she doesn't care about what us lower/middle class people are going through because of the state of this country.

By the way, I won't be back to argue with anyone about this. I said what I had to say.

Peace and Love to everyone!