This commentary is quite insightful. In the midst of our love-hate co-existance between orthodox Christians and Jehovah Witnesses, it is a resemblance of what it means to co-exist and having the freedom of religion (even the freedom to disagree), without coercing your beliefs to others nor to water down your faith. Joel Engardio writes
"Our essential freedoms are at war with each other -- a culture war. We are divided by the very principles that defined America. But when Jehovah’s Witnesses knock, they are demonstrating that the freedoms of speech, religion and personal liberty can exist in harmony. It is how a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, an abortion clinic and a gay married couple can peacefully co-exist on the same block.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are moral conservatives who only compete in the marketplace of ideas. They attempt to persuade -- not impose -- their beliefs at your door. If you say “no thanks,” they won’t go behind your back and amend the Constitution to suit their world view. The only world they want to control is their own congregation, which is their right, and joining it is a personal choice. Jehovah’s Witnesses keep religion out of politics. Their separation of church and state is absolute: they don’t vote, pledge allegiance to the flag or serve in the military....
And as a group with fundamental religious beliefs, they remind us that it is possible to stand firm in your faith without feeling threatened by those who choose a different path...
The knocking may be inconvenient, but it is a necessary annoyance in a free society... (because of them) Now we can all equally share our own message. Better we hear an idea we don’t like than be forced to live by it." (bracket and emphasis mine)
.jpg)
7 comments:
Yeah, it is more annoying when religious or antireligious groups push to get a candidate elected who will try to pass laws that fit their moral/ethical code and then we all have to live by them.
Is there a middle way? Not participating in politics at all?
I think that everyone who participates in politics, acts according to his/her conscience and understanding of ethics. One can hardly act beyond his own worldview and ethics, be it religious, anti-religious, or non-religious.
What do you think?
Mr. Engardio's comment speaks to the effect of JWs not participating in politics, but not the cause. At first glance, one might think it is just plain apathy, but it is not.
If you were an ambassador from a foreign country, you would not be involved in politics of your host country, though you would be law-abiding. Nobody would expect you to, either. It's not your job; your job is to represent your country of origin.
It's not a perfect analogy, but it helps explain their position. They take "God's Kingdom" seriously, literally. That, they feel, is the gov't that will ultimately solve human problems, and so they try to represent that gov't exclusively.
Thanks for that analogy. It seem to me that it is either saying that the "Kingdom" from the JW's perspective is not yet here, but is to come. The ambassador is staying on in that country till his country's troop come.
or, the Kingdom is here already, but its subversive and exclusive to the Kingdom Hall followers.
Are you saying that because God's kingdom will ultimately solve human problems, we should try doing it now?
KL:
A little bit of both.
"the "Kingdom" from the JW's perspective is not yet here, but is to come. The ambassador is staying on in that country till his country's troop come."
Yes, that's it, pretty much.
"or, the Kingdom is here already, but its subversive and exclusive to the Kingdom Hall followers."
Not the way we would phrase it but, from our perspective, the Kingdom rules among those who acknowledge its rule. (which we....I hope this does not come across as immodest....try to do) It is to extend its reach over the earth in due time, however. We endeavor to announce this (to us) fact.
"Are you saying that because God's kingdom will ultimately solve human problems, we should try doing it now?"
a little garbled (fast typing?) but if I catch your meaning, just aligning oneself with this Kingdom contributes to solving the world's woes. There are 7-17 million (depending on how you count them) JWs today. They take no part in the world's turmoils, but instead expend their energy announcing this Kingdom. Were they not Witnesses, they would no doubt be among the soldiers, terrorists, agressors, freedom fighters, defenders (which is always in the eye of the beholder) common today.
Yeah, I typed too fast. It should be, "Are you saying that because God's kingdom will ultimately solve human problems, we should not try doing it now?".
In my earlier post here
http://extremeweight.blogspot.com/2007/06/inspiration-from-early-church.html
As I was doing my reading on church history I found out that Christians in the early days were involved in the daily affairs of the Roman empire and that included running the government as there are government officials and civil servants who are believers.
And of course, they transform the society with the values they believed in, which is fair enough I guess.
Came across an interesting discussion on the vice of political passivity
http://tinyurl.com/347ff6
Post a Comment