Text 24111, 110 rader
Skriven 2006-10-29 21:00:00 av MIMI GALLANDT (1:275/311)
     Kommentar till en text av Sean Dennis
Ärende: Budget
==============
Sean Dennis wrote:

SD>MIMI GALLANDT wrote in a message to Sean Dennis:

SD> MG> I didn't know that, do they believe there's some kind of
SD> MG> religious  restriction against doing so? Also does that mean
SD> MG> they don't serve in  the military?

SD>Correct.  The article about them at Wikipedia
SD>(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses) has some excellent
SD>reference points about them.

Ah, thanks and thanks for all the below interesting and baffling 
information. From the outside looking in (you may not know or care that 
I'm not Christian) it seems like with the exception of the Catholic 
Church all these little splinters broke away from "the Mother Church" 
over silly things like not saying "bless you" after someone sneezes. 
It's an odd religion if you ask me.

SD>Here's an article about holidays:
SD>===Cut===
SD>Among Jehovah's Witnesses, there is an avoidance of practices
SD>considered to have nationalistic or false religious origins. Examples
SD>include not singing the national anthem or not saying "bless you"
SD>when someone sneezes. Distinctive titles in address (such as Father,
SD>Pastor, Reverend, etc) are not employed. Witnesses address one
SD>another as "Brother" or "Sister", often followed by the first or last
SD>name of the individual. Despite varied positions of service, these
SD>are not used as a title to address the person by, such as in the
SD>case, "Elder John".

SD>Weddings, anniversaries, and funerals are typically observed. Common
SD>celebrations and religious or national holidays such as birthdays,
SD>Thanksgiving, and Christmas are regarded as pagan and not celebrated.
SD>===Cut==

SD>I thought it was rather funny since Thanksgiving has no religious
SD>overtones and isn't "pagan".

SD>Here's some more concering their beliefs concerning neutrality,
SD>politics and the military.  This is quoted from:
SD>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beliefs_and_Practices_of_Jehovah%27s_Wit
SD>nesses

SD>===Cut===
SD>Although in general respecting the law of the land, Jehovah's
SD>Witnesses do not salute flags, sing national anthems, or pledge
SD>allegiance to any state or nation. This is not intended as disrespect
SD>for any particular nation or for governments; Witnesses recognize the
SD>legitimacy of political leaders, believing that they are the
SD>"superior authorities" referred to by the Apostle Paul in Romans 13:1
SD>(NWT), and are therefore to be respected. Indeed, in many places, the
SD>Witnesses have been commended for their law-abiding stance. They make
SD>a distinction, however, between a show of respect and what they 
consider
SD> to be a manifestation of worship. Jehovah's Witnesses feel that
SD>saluting a flag or singing a national anthem crosses the dividing
SD>line between the two. This is because they believe they owe
SD>allegiance solely to Jehovah (God), that he alone may be
SD>worshipped.[60]

SD>For Jehovah's Witnesses, neutrality is defined as:

SD>    "The position of those who do not take sides with, or give
SD>support to, any of two or more contending parties. It is a fact of
SD>ancient and modern-day history that in every nation and under all
SD>circumstances true Christians have endeavored to maintain complete
SD>neutrality as to conflicts between factions of the world. They do not
SD>interfere with what others do about sharing in patriotic ceremonies,
SD>serving in the armed forces, joining a political party, running for a
SD>political office, or voting." - (Reasoning from the Scriptures, pages
SD>269-270)

SD>In this regard, Jehovah's Witnesses feel that their position is
SD>similar to that of the early Christians, who refused to sacrifice a
SD>few drops of wine or a few grains of incense to the Roman emperors
SD>even when faced with execution.

SD>Saluting flags

SD>Among the results of this belief in the United States are several
SD>cases of Constitutional law regarding the Pledge of Allegiance. The
SD>early cases establishing that government schools cannot mandate the
SD>Pledge, or the salute to the flag, all involved Witness students
SD>punished or threatened for their refusal.

SD>Some courts in other countries have also protected the Witnesses'
SD>right to abstain from patriotic ceremonies. For example, in 1986, the
SD>Supreme Court of India held that no one can be forced to join in the
SD>singing of the national anthem if the person has a genuine,
SD>conscientious religious objection.

SD>In a decision handed down on 1 March 1993, the Philippine Supreme
SD>Court ruled unanimously in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses in a case
SD>involving Witness youths who were expelled from school because they

(Continued next message...)

L'Chaim

Mimi

In the beginning
the Word already was.

mimigal@cox.net

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