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I probably should have asked this a few weeks ago, but didn't think about it. Can Jehovah's Witnesses run for moderator on secular websites (like this one) or is that something their religion prohibits them from doing?

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    This would be a personal decision. Commented Jun 4, 2020 at 21:58
  • @Kris I think you have the start of a good answer. Commented Jun 4, 2020 at 22:37
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    I thought this was going to be a question from someone else asking if JWs were excluded by some rule! Commented Jun 4, 2020 at 23:58
  • Or more generally, is it acceptable for JWs to participate in sites that discuss non-JW doctrines? Commented Jun 5, 2020 at 1:07
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    I was a little surprised Kris didn't run for mod, FWIW. But I thought this might be the reason. Commented Jun 5, 2020 at 2:22
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    @RayButterworth JWs endeavor to understand all denominational points of view. This site is designed to provide clear answers to specific questions. I have found it helpful to me in my conversations with non JWs. Very often I find that I have a better grasp on the official teaching of a particular group, thanks to this site, than the person professing to belong to said denomination. Commented Jun 5, 2020 at 3:00
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    As Kris said, this is a personal decision. There are a few duties of moderators that can present problems for Jehovah's Witnesses. For one, it would mean being responsible for the moderation of content posted by apostates or to interact with ones who have been disfellowshipped. We strive to have minimal contact with these ones to the best of our ability. Commented Jun 5, 2020 at 3:19
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    This question might actually be more on-topic for the main site. Though I can also see how asking on meta allows the community to discuss the duties of moderators. Commented Jun 5, 2020 at 3:58
  • @4castle the rule for stackoverflow, at least, was you don't talk about stackoverflow (until they made meta) Commented Jun 5, 2020 at 4:09
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    @Kris, the reason I asked is because many years ago, when I worked at a summer day camp, a few of the children were JWs, and weren't allowed to take part in one of the regular activities simply because it was held indoors in a meeting room of a church building. But perhaps that was because they were children. I'm also thinking of (2Corinthians 6:17) and separating oneself from non-believers. Commented Jun 5, 2020 at 13:35

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This is not within the scope of Meta

There are no religious or doctrinal requirements to be a moderator anywhere on the network. You can be a moderator here and be Catholic, Baptist, Jehovah's Witness, LDS, or a member of Jews for Jesus and nobody here will bar your candidacy. You can be an atheist, Muslim, or Hare Krishna and run for moderator.

Whether or not Jehovah's Witnesses have a rule or teaching regarding participating in secular websites is a valid and interesting question that would be entirely appropriate on the main site. Ask your question with the tag .

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    Yes, that's a question for the main site. @PeterTurner Maybe for once we can use the close reason to move a question from meta to main instead of the other way around ! Commented Jun 16, 2024 at 4:06
  • The question has it the other way around, Robert. It's not a check on whether this Stack Hub site would disallow JWs. It's about whether official JW 'rules' or 'advice' (a word they prefer) would hold back JWs for applying for Moderatorship. As this Q was asked by a long-standing Moderator on the Stack Christianity site, perhaps he has wondered about this (if no known JW applications to be Moderators has cropped up over many years). Although I upvoted your answer, it is interesting that there have been no JW answers. Commented Aug 5 at 12:19
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Advice given to Jehovah's Witnesses has been published by their leaders since the Internet 'took off' in a big way at the start of the 21st century, such as these direct quotes from their official magazine, The Watchtower:

Heading, 'Guard Against Deception by Apostates'. "Such malicious opposers would tell what is not true with the intent to deceive others... How can we guard against being deceived by apostates?... We 'avoid them' by steering clear of their reasonings - whether in person, in printed form, or on the Internet... Second, we love the organization that has taught us... Meanwhile, we will not abandon the organization that God is pleased to use." The Watchtower 15 Feb 2004 pages 16, 17-20

Heading,'Enemies of the Truth'. "A few work with other groups in organized resistance to pure worship. In doing so, they side with the very first apostate, Satan. Some apostates are increasingly using various forms of mass communication, including the Internet, to spread false information about Jehovah's Witnesses. As a result, when sincere individuals do research on our beliefs, they may stumble across apostate propaganda. Even some Witnesses have unwittingly exposed themselves to this harmful material... Avoiding all contact with these opponents will protect us from their corrupt thinking. Exposing ourselves to apostate teachings through the various means of modern communication is just as harmful as receiving the apostate himself into our homes. Never should we allow curiosity to lure us into such a calamitous course!" The Watchtower 1 May 2000 page 9-10

See also The Watchtower 1 Sept 2004 pages 15-17.

The point being made is that supposed 'enemies' of Jehovah's only true organization (the Jehovah's Witnesses, according to themselves) are cropping up all over the Internet. None of them can know where they might stumble across such 'enemies' because their official literature never names any particular sites that they have in mind.

Of course, it is true that some choose to operate on the Internet, and not merely stick to their organization's official web-site. Such ones have made a personal decision. And, as it may also be the case that in more recent years such advice has been mellowed, or even removed completely, it would be good to read a Jehovah's Witness answer showing that to be the case.

The answer to the question is, "Yes, they can." Again, if any Jehovah's Witnesses on this site (and there are more than a few) have themselves, or know of others who have applied, that would be worth knowing.

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