Why Did Jehovah's Witnesses Form an Unholy Alliance with the UN as an NGO?

Question

For years the Watchtower has taught that the UN is part of the Scarlet Colored Wild Beast of Revelation. However, from 1992 - 2001, they also had an intimate relationship with the UN as an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization). One of the requirements to be an NGO (granted only upon application by the applying organization) is "that the NGO share the ideals of the UN Charter."

Just four years earlier, The Watchtower 1987 September 1 p.20 stated:
“The United Nations is actually a worldly confederacy against Jehovah God and his dedicated Witnesses on earth.”
In view of this and other WT articles condemning any relationship with organizations like the YMCA, working as a janitor at a blood bank, owning stock in a tobacco company, etc., how can they justify this seemingly hypocritical relationship?

It seems akin to being a lobbyist for a Nazi gas factory during WWII, or selling stock in Mitsubishi (fighter planes) for the Japanese during that time.

Answer 1

It's a religion spawned by the hostile corporate takeover of a religious publishing house.

Joseph Rutherford cleverly turned it into a tax-free distribution system. No tax and far less expense than a standard magazine. Paid for, really, by those "publishers" who spend so much time being indoctrinated in the importance of distributing the "light that keeps growing brighter" mainly so that they always have something new to print.

It's those "publishers" who pay the lion's share of printing costs. It's those publishers who pay for the free rent of the "volunteers" who live in their headquarters and printing facilities. The free food. The free laundry. The free travel of any of them advanced enough to be sent anywhere in the world to give a sermon to a congregation willing to pay for it with their hard-earned money.

Secret relationships with the UN? It's not very secret. You just have to search the web on a couple keywords. No-brainer.

Yep, they're hypocrites. Their leadership thinks they are beyond questioning. In fact, if you question their leadership, you get kicked out. They slander those who leave by saying they have left to pursue the "immorality" of "the world."

Nice.

As for using their own literature as references, it's the best way to condemn them -- with their own words.

Answer 2

The Watchtower Society became a Non-Govermental Organization with the UN Dept of Public Information to have access to research material available in health, ecological and social problems at the UN library. After all, the Watchtower needs to have accurate information about issues around the world especially in our AWAKE magazines. The Watchtower was associated with DPI- Department Public Information and NOT the ECOSOC- Economic And Social Council (this one consults with the UN on it's politicies and helps it achieve its political goals. There is a BIG DIFFERENCE!!! Then unbeknown to the Governing Body of JW, the UN published "Criteria for Association" stipulating that affiliated NGO's are required to support the goals of the United Nation. Of course, when learning this, the Watchtower withdrew their membership and their ID cards were returned.


Next question please..........

Answer 3

http://www.jehovahsjudgment.co.uk/watchtower-un-ngo/

Watchtower's "involvement" was their use of the UN's libraries, which are used by tens of thousands of scholars, educators, students, and writers in New York City.

Years ago, a volunteer from the Watchtower Society filled out a one-side-of-one-page document requesting approval for him and his colleagues to use the libraries at the United Nations (which are only 5 miles from WT offices) .

By most accounts, at the time no signature was even required on that form. Each accepted applicant was designated by the UN and became listed as an 'NGO' (a "non-government organization"). The term is not specific to the UN and everywhere else on the planet the term "non-government organization" simply implies that the entity is:
1. Not a government entity; and
2. An organization (rather than a person)

Sooner or later, the annual renewal began requiring a signature, which a WT representative submitted each year thereafter. According to the form itself, the signature simply verified that this was a bona fide request.

At some truly arbitrary point, some United Nations bureaucrat decided that the term "non-government organization" (which had been and still is used millions of times each day by thousands of agencies of all types around the globe) was a special term! This bureaucrat decided that the term "non-government organization" meant that the organization endorses the UN!

Existing UN NGO's were not asked to enumerate this supposed endorsement. This incredibly presumptuous change was not even formally communicated to renewal applicants, and there was nothing on the renewal form which could possibly be interpreted as authorizing this remarkable conceit.

Weeks or months after the renewal request was submitted and accepted, the UN bureaucracy finally sneaked this ridiculous after-the-fact assumption into two sentences of fineprint at the end of a boilerplate booklet sent to non-government organizations.

For decades, Jehovah's Witnesses had discussed the United Nations as a human counterfeit of God's global Messianic Kingdom government. Suddenly, enemies of Jehovah's Witnesses pretended that Jehovah's Witnesses must actually be in some kind of secret alliance with the UN (apparently along with the thousands of other library patrons). Jehovah's Witnesses acted quickly to distance themselves from the idea that they endorsed ANYTHING associated with the United Nations. They "tore up" their library card, as it were, and formally renounced the idea that Jehovah's Witnesses had ever endorsed the UN.

The matter is unconfusing and straightforward to any fairminded person. The remarkable conspiracy theories of anti-Witness critics fail to explain any possible benefit to Jehovah's Witnesses from "the secret alliance" (which also involved the thousands of other library patrons).

Before, during, and since the supposed "alliance", Jehovah's Witnesses continued to publicly denounce the ungodly nature of the UN. Before, during, and since the supposed "alliance", Jehovah's Witnesses continued to be widely persecuted in dozens of countries. Before, during, and since the supposed "alliance", the UN continued to be consistently unsympathetic to religious persecution.

The conspiracy theorists and anti-Witnesses are illogical and wrong regarding their accusations that Jehovah's Witnesses' status as a "non-government organization" supposedly indicated some endorsement of the United Nations.

http://www.jehovahsjudgment.co.uk/watchtower-un-ngo/

Answer 4

Jesus and his followers had prophesied that an apostasy would occur in the Christian congregation. The apostle Peter had written: "There will also be false teachers among you." (2 Peter 2:1; see also Matthew 13:36-43; Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 John 2:18, 19.)

Answer 5

What were NGOs like Gregory Allen and Paul Gillies of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society encouraged to do at the OSCE conference on Anti-Semitism? Was it a simple conference to hear views on freedom of religion?
No, it was not! To the contrary, it was a conference to encourage NGOs and other representatives to take action on what they learned!
Quote: Section 5 (page 1) paragraph 1:
Minister chairman.
Ladies and gentlemen.
"As a member of our conference already has reminded us. This conference is not an academic seminar. We have discrimination we talk about around us in most countries and
we must act!
Page 3 quote:
"I urge to you representatives of governments to give your support to ODIHR to organize such open conferences in many states in Central Asia, in the Caucasus region and in the Balkans, where still is religious problems specified in Kosovo and where local NGOs, churches and religious organizations and groups can meet in there own countries and report to you and other represents of the OSCE in their own languages.
So we can see that the representatives from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, are taking an active role in "supporting" these political affairs to succeed and further spread. The Watchtower Society is allowing themselves to "take action" in these conferences, and has therefore totally taken a stand for a political event and thereby voided out all claims of so-called neutrality, just as they did when they "registered" to become a member of the United Nations.

Answer 6

There are a number of things going on that cause a thinking person to shake his head in the Watchtower. There are more cases of double dealing going on than this. The mouth (publications) says one thing and the body does something else.

Answer 7

This is really a non issue.

ADDED FOR ANNA:
Anna asked "Why are active witnesses called publishers?"

This really is a fair question. It is based on the Greek word kataggello which in the KJV is translated variously as:preach , show , declare , teach , and speak of. However, note this definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, specifically definition # 2:

1) to announce, declare, promulgate, make known
2) to proclaim publicly, publish
3) to denounce, report, betray

In other words we are publishers because we publish the Good News of God's Kingdom.

Answer 8

HUH? i have to ask my J. Witness coworker about this one. I'm sure there is a good explanation.

Anna, no matter what you say about jehovah's witnesses, you or WE (in general) will never prevail. Hitler tried to wipe them off the earth- and hitler was a very powerful man. People all over the world and Catholics were afraid of him. Yet, Hitler vanished and his Nazi group. JWs are still around--- great in number than ever. You might want to keep Jason W's words in mind: you will never get rid of of Jehovah's Witnesses. Their God is with them... and if ya'll keep calling Jehovah's Witnesses liars, cult, brainwashed, deceptive..... you are fighting not against the Watchtower organization but fighting against God himself. If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all. Have Godly Fear.

Answer 9

Acts 5:34 But a certain man rose in the San´he·drin, a Pharisee named Ga·ma´li·el, a Law teacher esteemed by all the people, and gave the command to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them: “Men of Israel, pay attention to yourselves as to what YOU intend to do respecting these men. 36 For instance, before these days Theu´das rose, saying he himself was somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined his party. But he was done away with, and all those who were obeying him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Gal·i·le´an rose in the days of the registration, and he drew off people after him. And yet that man perished, and all those who were obeying him were scattered abroad. 38 And so, under the present circumstances, I say to YOU, Do not meddle with these men, but let them alone; (because, if this scheme or this work is from men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if it is from God, YOU will not be able to overthrow them;) otherwise, YOU may perhaps be found fighters actually against God.”

Answer 10

Ya know, I wasn't gonna get on this one because I know Mekonen and Tewdie and Askala, but I just don't get it when someone - JW or not - when their first and basic response to documentation of a legitimate issue is so much anger and defensiveness. Calling a person a liar - like Wink Winkleman did to Askala after she presented facts directly from the WT literature - calling her a liar then just disappearing and refusing to admit he at least "overreacted" - that just makes the WT look very deceptive and prickly. At least give the courtesy of documenting your accusations with examples of the so called 'lie', etc.

"Non-issue" (as Abdijah says). For whom? Just because you accept the WT explanation doesn't automatically mean it makes sense someone else. Maybe it is sincerely an issue for Mekonen. Just because YOU say it isn't doesn't make it so.

"Slur Tactics"? (Line Dancer) Maybe. I know Mekonen and don't think it is, coming from him. But, let's say you're right. Why not make a defense of the faith instead of just a trite prickly comeback?

Papa Bear. Well, at least I gotta give him credit that he offered some reference material. And, it was references from Y!A, not from the JW internal literature. Not disparaging the literature, but when you offer proof of your position simply by citing what you yourself wrote, it doesn't hold the same weight. It's like me saying, "This is true because it says so right here in this book that I wrote." I disagree with Papa Bear, but from time to time he at least presents logical reasoning and develops a cogent argument.

Jason W, the question shouldn't be stopping "Jehovah's Organization." The question should be proper representation of the God you claim to worship. The ancient Jews were condemned because they put more stock in the temple and their traditions than in the holy scrolls. In many ways the JW's today put more emphasis on 'Jehovah's ORGANIZATION' than on best representing God himself. Remember, Jason, even the WT says that the organization is just a legal manmade representative. If you really believe that, then you also must accept that if it does not suit God, he CAN allow it to be "stopped," as you say. God's PEOPLE may not be stopped, but nothing in the Bible says he MUST support an ORGANIZATION - especially one which is an artificial creation of man's laws.

Lover of ... here we go again. "LIES."? Ok, where did Mekonen "LIE"? Where did Tewdie "LIE"? Where did Joyfilled "LIE"? You equate questioning the ethics of the organization with 'slander[ing] Jehovah and Jesus Christ. I know Tewdie and NO ONE in his family has been disfellowshipped. As far as I know, not even one of his friends has been. So, where does your comment fit? How is he "slander[ing] Jehovah and Jesus Christ" by questioning the integrity of the legal manmade organization? The two are not interchangeable! This goes back to my comments to Jason W. It seems that JW's in general equate the MANMADE legal organization with God and Christ. They are not the same. Hopefully you are not being like the hypocritical religious leaders of Jesus day who said "Look at the Temple!"

Finally, Achtung. At least you've done some research, but I think mostly just accepted the WT's explanation without being a Beroean and seeking out fact proof. Where most of your reasoning fails is in the time frame. Like Tewdie said, even if it is true (and that depends on who you believe), but if it is true that the UN conspired to slip an evil provision into the documents about being an NGO, why did the WT continue to renew and sign the documents annually for nine more years? In fact, it was ONLY after being publicly embarrassed by so-called "apostates" that they did anything about it at all. So, if they hadn't been caught with their hand in the cookie jar, they'd presumably STILL be an NGO! Why didn't they read what they signed EVERY YEAR? ESPECIALLY if it was a document from the 'Scarlett Colored Wild Beast.'? Gosh, wouldn't ya think they'd be a LITTLE BIT cautious ('cautious a serpents but innocent as doves') about signing documents sent by an organization they claim is SATAN's TOOL? One extra year, maybe. Two? Doubtful. NINE? C'mon! Would YOU sign a legal document you hadn't read?

Use of the library? Ok. But NYC has a pretty darn good library. So does the WT headquarters. Why would it be SO important to use the library in the headquarters of your primary enemy on earth (by JW description). I think Tewdie asked a relevant question. Does that mean one could get a YMCA card for the sole purpose of using the swimming pool?

Ya know, I don't think anyone called you guys liars. Maybe I missed it in someone's comment. But why accuse people of 'slander' 'slurs' 'lies' etc when they are engaging in dialogue? Isn't that against the same principles you defend and which you want enforced in your behalf?