Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Because helping women and girls is always "political"

From an interview with Venus Williams:

Serena was saying yesterday when asked about Obama, she said, I admire him, but we're Jehovah's Witness. We can't vote. You're out there doing political issues all the time.


"Political issues? Which ones?"

You're talking about UNESCO, equal prize money. If you're out there advocating for an issue you're taking some kind of political stance. How do you feel about that?

"I feel that what I do in tennis isn't really political. I mean, I think equal prize money is more I mean, obviously we have equal prize money, which is great. I don't see it as political, that or the other thing you brought up, which I can't remember right now."

UNESCO.

"UNESCO. I mean, helping other people is what we're all here to do, if you ask me."

2 comments:

Diane said...

There is actually quite a bit of conflict with what I understand JW's rules to be, and what the Williams sisters do. That is not a criticism, by the way--at least, not any more of one than I would give to any person whose religion seriously mismatches her lifestyle.

tom sheepandgoats said...

The Bible uses the word “ambassadors” illustrating for us the politically neutral role Christians are to play:

“We are therefore ambassadors substituting for Christ, as though God were making entreaty through us. As substitutes for Christ we beg: ’Become reconciled to God.’” 2 Cor 5:20

If you were an ambassador from a foreign country stationed here in the U.S. (where I am), you would adapt to all laws and customs locally. You’d likely come to love the land in which you live, and its people. But when it came to the politics of your host country, you wouldn’t take a position…nor would anyone expect you to. It is not your business…your business is to represent wherever you are ambassador from. Even if heavy issues develop and positions evolve for which, since you live here, you may have some feelings, still, it is not your job to take sides. Your lack of involvement would not be because of callousness, or apathy, or lack of interest in fellowman…but it is simply not your place, representing another government, to take sides in the disputes of your host country.

Now, God’s Kingdom is a government very real to Jehovah‘s Witnesses. It is the government with which God will bring an end to human rule, unite all peoples, restore earth to it’s original paradise state, and extend everlasting life to all those under it’s rule. We view it as the only hope for mankind. No amount of tweaking of human governments will ever approach what God brings through his own rule. We believe that it rules from heaven now, and will shortly extend its rule earth wide. Those who believe in it are charged to represent it, to announce it….in effect, to act as ambassadors of that government.

It’s a role. That’s not to deny that there are other roles which people may play honorably. Though we do think ours is the role that will endure over the long run.

The Williams sisters are athletes, not JW spokespersons. They can’t be expected to give long-winded statements on religious convictions. Few want to hear it anyway. Easier to say “We don’t do it.”