Watchtower Political & Commercial Involvement

The Watchtower Society strongly condemns the world and all its commercial, political and religious systems. Described as part of Satan's system these will all be devoted to destruction.

Watchtower 1993 April 1 pp.17-18 "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!""

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 conscience matters or forbidden. Something as simple as painting a Church roof as a contractor can be grounds for being disfellowshipped. In Malawi thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses have been tortured and killed for not holding a political card.

However, as an Organization the Watchtower Society has never held back from such involvement when considered beneficial for its own means. This has happened on numerous occasions.

In the opinion of the writer it is not only acceptable, but beneficial for people to be actively involved in this world's commercial, political and religious systems. The Bible is filled with examples of faithful servants of God that were exceptionally rich or involved in politics. Voting is an important way to ensure that governments most beneficial to the people (and organizations such as the Watchtower Society) are selected. The purpose of this section is less a critcism of the Watchtower involvement in these areas and more a highlight of the hypocrisy of an organization that has different standards for the leaders than for the layperson.

Of recent years 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. This is detailed at United Nations NGO

This article discusses the involvement with:

• Court
• Hilter
• Political Petitioning such as the Hansard Committee and WHO
• Commercial Systems

The Watchtower Society is proud of its extensive use of the worlds court systems, claiming it has benefited the preaching work and freedom of speech for people in general.

Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p. 678 "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."

It is interesting to examine the lengths the Watchtower is prepared to go.

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. (http://www.oyez.org/cases/1980-1989/1989/1989_88_1374/argument/ April 6th 2007) Realising a ruling against Swaggart could result 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 support Jimmy Swaggart Ministries. With the decision looking likely to go against Swaggart the Watchtower Society initiated the 'voluntary donation' arrangement in the United States before the ruling. Click Here to view a copy of the Amicus Curiae that the Watchtower submitted for the Jimmy Swagart case.

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 Watchtower Society 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." They 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 automatic offence to be disassociated instead, making any freedom of choice quite meaningless.

While using the worlds courts to gain freedom of speech for the organization the same can not be said for its own members. Any 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.

Jehovah's Witness underwent tremendous atrocities in Nazi concentration camps, and many displayed tremendous courage and conviction. It is sad however that this suffering was quite unnecessary, and a result of the actions of Rutherford. During the time of Rutherford Witnesses were known as a religion of hate due to the ongoing tirade of insults against other Churches and governments, and hence came to the attentions of Hitler.

Proclaimers mentions that Rutherford wrote a letter to Hitler under the context of "facing Nazi oppression".

Jehovah's Witnesses-Proclaimer's Of God's Kingdom p.693"Therefore, on June 25, 1933, a declaration regarding their ministry and its objectives was adopted by Jehovah's Witnesses at an assembly in Berlin. Copies were sent to all the high government officials, and millions more were distributed to the public. Nevertheless, in July 1933 the courts refused to grant a hearing for relief. Early the following year, a personal letter regarding the situation was written by J. F. Rutherford to Adolf Hitler and delivered to him by special messenger. Then the entire worldwide brotherhood went into action. On Sunday morning, October 7, 1934, at nine o'clock, every group of Witnesses in Germany assembled. They prayed for Jehovah's guidance and blessing. Then each group sent a letter to German government officials declaring their firm determination to keep on serving Jehovah."

Made to sound firmly against the Nazi's and filled with determination to stand fast to Jehovah it comes as a shock to read what was contained in the letter to Hitler and the Declaration of facts that later appeared in the 1934 yearbook. The contents of Rutherford's letter praise Hitler for his anti-Anglo/American campaign and his stance against the Jews, all to no avail.

    (Click on the thumbnails to see a copy of the German letter.)

Letter to Hitler 1933

"Dear Reichskanzler, … The Brooklyn headquarter of the Watchtower Society is pro German in an exemplary way and has been so for many years. For that reason, in 1918, the president of the Society and seven members of the board of directors were sentenced to 80 years in prison, because the president refused to use two of the magazines published in America under his direction for war propaganda against Germany. These two magazines, "The Watchtower" and "Bible Student" were the only magazines in America which refused to engage in anti-German propaganda and for that reason were prohibited and suppressed in America during the war.
In the very same manner, in course of the recent months the board of directors of our Society not only refused to engage in propaganda against Germany, but has even taken a position against it. The enclosed declaration underlines this fact and emphasizes that the people leading in such propaganda (Jewish businessmen and Catholics) also are the most rigorous persecutors of the work of our Society and its board of directors. This and other statements of the declaration are meant to repudiate the slanderous accusation, that Bible Researchers are supported by the Jews.
… The conference of five thousand delegates also noted - as is expressed in the declaration - that the Bible Researchers of Germany are fighting for the very same high ethical goals and ideals which also the national government of the German Reich proclaimed respecting the relationship of humans to God, namely: honesty of the created being towards its creator.
The conference came to the conclusion that there are no contradictions when it comes to the relationship between the Bible Researchers of Germany to the national government of the German Reich. To the contrary, referring to the purely religious and unpolitical goals and efforts of the Bible Researchers, it can be said that these are in full agreement with the identical goals of the national government of the German Reich.
… We are looking forward to your kind approval, which we hope to receive soon, and want to assure our highest respect to you, honorable Mr. Reichskanzler.
Yours faithfully,
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society Magdeburg"

"Declaration of Facts" presented in Yearbook 1934 pp.134-138

"It is falsely charged by our enemies that we have received financial support for our work from the Jews. Nothing is farther from the truth. Up to this hour there never has been the slightest bit of money contributed to our work by Jews. We are the faithful followers of Christ Jesus and believe upon Him as the Savior of the world, whereas the Jews entirely reject Jesus Christ and emphatically deny that he is the Savior of the world sent of God for man's good. This of itself should be sufficient proof to show that we receive no support from Jews and that therefore the charges against us are maliciously false and could proceed only from Satan, our great enemy. The greatest and the most oppressive empire on earth is the Anglo-American empire. By that is meant the British Empire, of which the United States of America forms a part. It has been the commercial Jews of the British-American empire that have built up and carried on Big Business as a means of exploiting and oppressing the peoples of many nations. This fact particularly applies to the cities of London and New York, the stronghold of Big Business. This fact is so manifest in America that there is a proverb concerning the city of New York which says: The Jews own it, the Irish Catholics rule it, and the Americans pay the bills….
The present government of Germany has declared emphatically against Big Business oppressors and in opposition to the wrongful religious influence in the political affairs of the nations. Such is exactly our position….
Instead of being against the principles advocated by the government of Germany, we stand squarely for such principles, and point out that Jehovah God through Christ Jesus will bring about the full realization of these principles and will give to the people peace and prosperity and the greatest desire of every honest heart….
A careful examination of our books and literature will disclose the fact that the very high ideals held and promulgated by the present national government are set forth in and endorsed and strongly emphasized in our publications and show that Jehovah God will see to it that these high ideals in due time will be attained by all persons who love righteousness…
Let us remind the government and the people of Germany, that it was the League of Nations compact that laid upon the shoulders of the German people the great unjust and unbearable burdens. That the League of Nations compact was not brought forth by the friends of Germany."

The Holocaust Victim Assets Litigation (Swiss Banks) CV-96-4849 is a fund to compensate people suffering from the Holocaust. As stated at http://www.swissbankclaims.com/index.asp (March 3rd 2006)

"This is the official information website for the Holocaust Victim Assets Litigation against Swiss Banks and other Swiss Entities. You may have important rights under a proposed $1.25 billion (U.S.) Settlement of a class action lawsuit against private Swiss Banks and other Swiss Entities for their alleged conduct related to World War II and the Holocaust."

In 1999 the Watchtower Society applied for compensation payable to itself. http://www.swissbankclaims.com/PDFs_Eng/WatchTowerBible.pdf contains the letter from the Watchtower Society, including the request they receive a portion of the funds on the following basis;

"Some Witnesses died prematurely and left no heirs to make a claim to the Swiss Bank Settlement Fund. However, the legacy of spiritual resistance that they left behind is of great value in the education of future generations about the importance of standing up for the dignity and value of human life. Representing these individuals, the Watch Tower would be pleased devote any allocated moneys solely to the interests of Holocaust education and the remembrance of the prisoners who bore the purple triangle, according as the court might stipulate."

The Watchtower Society has held associated NGO status with many political organizations and sends representatives to numerous political enquiries. If the Watchtower Society can send attendees to influence government on matters of religious tolerance why are individuals forbidden from voting?

Recent examples include the following.

OSCE

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is "the world's largest regional security organization whose 55 participating States span the geographical area from Vancouver to Vladivostok." (http://www.osce.org/)

A list of registered NGO's for the OSCE's 2005 conference on Anti-Semitism and intolerance appears at http://osce.usmission.gov/Cordoba/Cordoba_NGOs.pdf (April 6th 2007)

Page 3 lists The European Association of Jehovah's Christian Witnesses as registrars and Page 7 lists the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of Pennsylvania.

Hansard Committee

In 1999 the Australian Bethel sent their lawyer, Vincent Toole and Don Maclean, one of the branch committee to the Hansard Committee for religious tolerance. Toole and Maclean both contributed to the conversation, requesting tolerance towards Witnesses, particularly in regards to the issue of blood transfusions, with little effect. The result may have been far more significant if the political parties knew 80,000 Witnesses would be voting to supporting their requests.

World Health Organization

Each year on the 7th April World Health Day is celebrated by representatives of the World Health Organization, NGOs, and high ranking government officials. Jehovah's Witnesses participated in this celebration in 2000.

http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2001/WHO_BCT_01.03.pdf (April 6th 2007) contains a 140 page souvenir brochure of the event. Page 7 shows the theme for the year 2000 was regarding blood.

"This is why blood safety was the theme of World Health Day 2000, but also one of WHO's priorities for the future, with the launch of a long-term programme aimed to assist national health authorities, especially those in greatest need, to establish and maintain well-organized blood transfusion services with appropriate infrastructure and trained personnel."
Page 53 says "Of note was the presence of Jehovah Witnesses at the Congress."

Though condemning the worlds commercial system as part of Satan's system the Watchtower Society has not held back from utilising it to the fullest, in the process becoming a multi-billion dollar organization. The Watchtower Society owns tens of millions of dollars of real-estate in Brooklyn alone. By claiming religious or charity status the money earned over the last century has generally been tax free.

The Watchtower Society has used stocks, bonds and trusts as investment vehicles. One such trust was the H M Riley Trust, from the deceased estate of Henrietta Riley.

This trust traded in shares in companies such as Exxon Mobil, Coca Cola, Proctor & Gamble and Phillip Morris, one of the world's largest cigarette manufactures.