The Watchtower Society strongly
condemns the world and its
commercial, political and
religious systems. Described as
part of Satan's system, these are
said to be shortly devoted to
destruction.
"False religion’s involvement in
the affairs of the political nations
will lead ultimately to her own
devastation." Watchtower 1985
Mar 1 p.13
"Indeed, consider what the
situation will be the day after
God brings this system of things
to its end. Satan, his demons, and
his political, commercial, and
religious systems will be gone -
every one of them! Satan's entire
propaganda apparatus will be
gone too. Thus, after the great
tribulation, there will never again
be printed a single newspaper,
magazine, book, booklet, or
leaflet that supports this wicked
world. There will be no
corrupting influences broadcast
from worldly television or radio
stations. The entire poisonous
environment of Satan's world will
be cleared away in one mighty
stroke!"" Watchtower 1993 Apr 1
pp.17-18
Watchtower 2013 July 15 page
13 Christendom
Witnesses are warned away from
involvement in these systems.
Voting, jury duty, working in the
military or religious institutions
or joining related clubs are either
warned against as conscience
matters or forbidden and
reasons to be disfellowshipped.
Something as simple as painting
a Church roof as a contractor can
be grounds for being
disfellowshipped. In Malawi,
thousands of Jehovah's
Witnesses were tortured and
killed because the Watchtower
told them it was unchristian to
hold a political card as required
by the Malawian government.
(Yearbook 1999 pp.149-223)
Despite its scathing attacks on
other Religions for political
involvement and the censoring of
its followers, the Watchtower
Society as an organization, has
not held back from political
involvement and lobbying when
considered beneficial for its own
means. This double standard has
been a major source of
stumbling for many followers.
Since 2001, a number of people
have left the Watchtower Society
on learning of its application and
involvement as a Non-
Governmental Organization
(NGO) Associate Member of the
United Nations Department of
Public Information, as detailed at
United Nations NGO.
The Watchtower is vague as to
its definition of politics and
where it draws the line between
what involvement is or is not
acceptable. In democratic
countries there are three main
political aspects:
Executive - General
administration of state
bureaucracy
Legislative - Create and maintain
laws
Judiciary - Court system for
interpretation and application of
the law
Whilst all three tiers are critical to
the governing of a country, the
Watchtower appears to be
against the Executive aspect
more-so than the Judiciary and
Legislative functions. However,
whilst against influencing the
Executive function through the
election of representatives, they
have not shied away from
political lobbying as a form of
influence. The following
information shows how the
Watchtower Society is actively
involved in political affairs, such
as through lobbying and use of
the Judiciary.
Judiciary Court Systems
The Watchtower Society is proud
of its extensive use of the
world's court systems, claiming it
has benefited the preaching
work and freedom of speech for
people in general.
"Legal cases involving the
Witnesses have numbered many
thousands, and hundreds of
these have been appealed to
higher courts. This has had a
profound effect on the law itself
and has often fortified legal
guarantees of basic freedoms for
people in general. But this has
not been the main objective of
Jehovah's Witnesses. Their
principal desire is to proclaim the
good news of the Kingdom of
God. Legal action that they take is
not because they are social
agitators or legal reformers.
Their objective is to 'defend and
legally establish the good news,'
even as was true of the apostle
Paul." Jehovah's Witnesses -
Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.
678
Ironically, while using the world's
courts to gain freedom of speech
for the organization, the same
cannot be said for its own
members. Open disagreement
with any doctrine of the
Governing Body is grounds for
removal from the Organization,
with members strictly forbidden
from speaking to such members.
It is interesting to examine the
lengths Watchtower lawyers are
prepared to go when using the
Judiciary system for rights
pertaining to the "Organization".
Jimmy Swaggart
In 1988, Jimmy Swaggart was
taken to court in the case
Swaggart Ministries v. California
Board of Equalization. This
regarded paying tax on profit
derived from sales of religious
material. See www.oyez.org/
cases/1980-1989/1989/1989_88_1374/
argument/ (6 Apr 2007)
Realising a ruling against
Swaggart could result in the sale
of Watchtower publications
being taxed, the Watchtower
Society filed a Brief of Amicus
Curiae (friend of the court) for
United States Supreme Court
Docket # 88-1374. This was to
show support for Jimmy
Swaggart Ministries retaining tax
exempt status. Click Here to view
a copy of the Amicus Curiae that
the Watchtower submitted for
the Jimmy Swaggart case. Other
groups to similarly do so
included International Society for
Krishna Consciousness of
California, Evangelical Council for
Financial Accountability and the
Prison Fellowship. The Supreme
Court ruled against Swaggart on
January 17th, 1990, ordering him
to pay back taxes.
With the decision going against
Swaggart, the Watchtower
Society initiated the 'voluntary
donation' arrangement. A letter
to elders in the United States was
sent on February 21st 1990,
changing the distribution of
magazines to a donation
arrangement, effective from
March 1st 1990. This was rolled
out to other countries over
coming months. Information
explaining the arrangement to
congregations was provided in
the Our Kingdom Ministry,1991
March pp.3,4 titled "Our
Simplified Literature Distribution
Arrangement". To ensure that the
Watchtower would not be
disadvantaged by the new
arrangement, Witnesses were
told to donate for the literature
they pick up at the kingdom hall,
and then also donate any money
received from householders,
something akin to double-
dipping. A further letter to
congregations followed January
24th 1991, with the following
explanation for why the double
donation was not to be
considered donating twice.
double donation Jan 24 1991
congregation letter
Bulgarian Government
On March 9th 1998, the
Watchtower Society and the
European Commission of Human
Rights brokered an agreement
with the government of Bulgaria.
For Jehovah's Witnesses to be
recognized as a religious
organization in Bulgaria, the
Watchtower Society had to
ensure that "members should
have free choice in the matter [of
blood transfusions] for
themselves and their children,
without any control or sanction
on the part of the association."
The Watchtower Society
guaranteed that Witnesses are
free to make their own choice on
the use of blood, with blood
transfusions removed from
being a disfellowshipping
offence. This was quite
deceptive, as taking blood
became an offence to be
disassociated instead, making
any freedom of choice quite
meaningless. A full discussion of
this is found at Bulgaria & Blood.
Government Lobbying
In representative democratic
politics, the legislative process
can be influenced through voting
in elections or lobbying.
Lobbying by pressuring decision-
makers is least democratic and
yet least objectionable to the
Watchtower. Most Witnesses are
unaware of the lobbying being
carried out by Watchtower
leaders. Direct examples are its
involvement with organisations
such as the OSCE. (It is also likely
that the real reason for joining
the United Nations as an
associated NGO was also for
political influence.)
A name you will see repeatedly
below attending these political
events is Mr. Marcel Gillet. A
search on the Watchtower’s
media web site shows his
prominent status within the
Organization, working on Public
Relations in Europe.
OSCE
The Watchtower regularly sends
representatives to annual OSCE
conferences. The goals of the
OSCE are political, running
contrary to principles the
Watchtower prints in its
magazines. These include:
Legislative reviews for
governments, on request, to help
them bring their legislation into
line with international standards;
Publishing Guidelines for Review
of Legislation Pertaining to
Religion or Belief, which were
drafted by members of the Panel
of Experts in association with the
Council of Europe's Venice
Commission;
Development of new legislation
intended to foster improved
relations among religious
groups, including in post-conflict
societies;
Promoting dialogue between
governments and religious
groups, as called for in OSCE
commitments. (osce.org/
odihr/20056.html 25th Apr
2010)
“With 56 States from Europe,
Central Asia and North America,
the OSCE is the world's largest
regional security organization. It
offers a forum for political
negotiations and decision-
making in the fields of early
warning, conflict prevention,
crisis management and post-
conflict rehabilitation, and puts
the political will of its
participating States into practice
through its unique network of
field missions.
“The OSCE has a comprehensive
approach to security that
encompasses politico-military,
economic and environmental,
and human aspects.” (osce.org/
who 6th Oct 2012)
The OSCE is closely aligned with
the United Nations.
The OSCE recognizes that the
United Nations Security Council
bears primary responsibility for
the maintenance of international
peace and security. Thus, the
United Nations is the OSCE's
primary partner organization.
( osce.org/ec/43240)
Sending Watchtower
representatives for attendance at
these events show a different set
of standards apply to the leaders
as opposed to Watchtower
followers.
2004
In 2004, Jehovah’s Witnesses
attended the OSCE conference
alongside a colourful group of
other attendees including the
Sudanese Solidarity Group,
Baha’is and American Jewish
Committee.
For the full list of participants see
osce-participants-2004.pdf
2005
A photo from the 2005 OSCE
Human Dimension event shows
the truly political nature of these
conferences with a medley of
political flags framing the
attendees.
A list of registered NGO's for the
OSCE's 2005 conference on Anti-
Semitism and intolerance
appeared at http://
osce.usmission.gov/Cordoba/
Cordoba_NGOs.pdf (April 6th
2007 - no longer active). Page 3
listed as a registrant The
European Association of
Jehovah's Christian Witnesses as
registrars and page 7 listed the
Watchtower Bible & Tract Society
of Pennsylvania. On the
registration document the
Watchtower appeared alongside
Church groups such as
Scientology.
It appears however from the list
of participants that the
Watchtower representatives did
not show up.
2006
The main goals for the US at the
2006 OSCE Human Dimension
Implementation Meeting were
clearly at odds with Watchtower
doctrine, promoting democracy
and political will.
U.S. goals for this conference
include:
"To demonstrate U.S.
commitment to human rights
and democracy, and to show
support for NGOs working in
these fields."
"To generate political will among
OSCE participating States for
implementing OSCE commitments
in the Human Dimension."
www.usosce.rpo.at/HDIM/
hdim2006.html (as of April 25,
2010)
The 2006 participants yet again
include Mr. Marcel Gillet
representing the European
Association of Jehovah's
Christian Witnesses.
For the full 2006 participant list
see 2006 participants
2007
2007 continued to accommodate
Watchtower representatives
alongside religious and political
organisations.
For the full 2007 participant list
see 2007 participants
2012
The 2012 list of attendees
appeared at OCSE.org

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