They look forward to God’s kingdom to come

[Guest Kurt]

Kingdom Hall in Margao, South Goa, India

Jun 15, 2017

PANAJI: The build up to the elections, the hullabaloo on polling day and the much-awaited results on counting day mean nothing for the 600-odd members of the Christian sect Jehovah's Witnesses in Goa. Just like their counterparts in other countries and "like the first century- Christians", JW members choose to maintain political neutrality for religious reasons."There are no restrictions on us and our individual decisions," one member said, adding, "The Bible says we must obey God rather than man. Whether to obey God or not is our own decision."

A 62-year-old member from Margao, on the condition of anonymity, said he was introduced to the sect as a child when his entire family joined. He told TOI that he has never voted for any political party or candidate in any election. "If one's conscience allows then they may vote but this is generally not done. We have voting cards and follow all the rules and regulations of the government, no matter which government is in power, but we don't take active part in the political process," he said, adding that the sect doesn't raise any slogans against the government either.

Explaining the belief, he said, "We're citizens of God's kingdom and although we are in this world we are not part of this world. The world is full of corruption but we're not involved in it. This kingdom belongs to Satan. We're purely looking for God's kingdom to come when peace and security will be there."

Members also consider bowing to a flag or saluting it in conjunction with an anthem to be non-scriptural as they do accepting blood transfusion.

According to the Christian breakaway group, there are 44,000-odd members (witnesses) divided into 600-odd congregations in the country. In Goa, the group has its presence in Margao, Vasco, Panaji, Mapusa and Siolim where regular meetings are held in English, Konkani and Hindi at premises known as Kingdom Halls of JW and at rented premises.

THE TIMES OF INDIA<<<click

[Guest Kurt]

The Religious Group In Goa That Does Not Care Who Is In Power Because 'God Is King'

They are the citizens of the 'Kingdom of God'.

 15/06/2017

The International Convention of Jehovahs Witnesses being held at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne on 17 October, 2014.

 

Even as the rest of Goa was waiting eagerly for the results at the end of the Panchayat Elections counting day, Jehovah's Witnesses across the state remained neutral and uninterested.

It is not that their lives aren't affected by those who run the government or the policies they formulate, but members of this Christian sect don't actively participate in the political process because they believe that god alone must be obeyed in all things and not any man, even if he is an elected representative.

 

The members of the religious community follow the rules, regulations and laws of the land they inhabit but consider themselves to be citizens of the 'Kingdom of God'. While the 'Kingdom of God' is just and peaceful, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the present world belongs to Satan and is full of corruption. Therefore, they don't want to be a part of it. In fact, they consider singing the national anthem or saluting the flag of any country antithetical to their beliefs.

 

The Times of India quoted one of the members of the Jehovah's Witnesses community in Goa as saying that the community does not quite impose the 'no-vote' restriction but leaves it the decision to individual members.

 

Jehovah's Witnesses emerged as a group with beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity in the 1800s. They consider it extremely important to refer to god by the Latinised version of the Hebrew name for god, Yahweh, which is Jehovah. Hence they call themselves Jehovah's Witnesses and believe that their beliefs have accurately restored the Christian faith as it was followed in the first century after Christ.

They emphasise more on god, less on Christ and refuse to participate in major Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter. They even refuse to celebrate birthdays because they believe such festivals are all pagan in origin.

By god's kingdom, they mean a literal government in heaven, established in 1914, which is ruled by Jesus Christ and of which Jehovah's Witnesses are representatives on earth.

Mainstream Christianity on the other hand considers the kingdom of god central to Jesus's ministry on earth and believes in its realisation only after he returns to earth. In short, it is the equivalent of salvation in popular Christianity.

Leo Tolstory, in his book The Kingdom of God is Within You sees Christ's teachings on pacifism and nonviolence as the means to build such a kingdom. Tolstoy also sees exercising the right to franchise as being antithetical to pacifism as he believed that every government was oppressive and voting for an oppressive government was akin to encouraging it. "The profession of true Christianity not only excludes the possibility of recognizing government, but even destroys its very foundations," he wrote.

The Jehovah's Witnesses, who are well-known for their door-to-door evangelism, are not a large group in India, even though they claim to have some 8.3 million followers worldwide. There are some 44,000 practicing Jehovah's Witnesses in India.

source HuffPost India