Venus and Serena Williams like Sen. Barack Obama but they won’t be casting a vote for him come November. During a press conference at Wimbledon last month, Serena Williams told reporters that she’s excited for Obama but her religious beliefs won’t allow her to vote for him.
Because of John 17:14 and other passages in the Bible. In that verse, Jesus says of his followers: “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” Jehovah’s Witnesses have interpreted that statement as a call to remain neutral in all political matters. (In some of the sect’s literature, members are described as “representatives of God’s heavenly kingdom”; they are thus obligated to stay out of local political affairs in keeping with the behavior of ambassadors.) Witnesses also refrain from serving in the military, running for public office, and pledging allegiance to the flag. (Source)
Venus, who beat Serena to take the Wimbledon trophy this past weekend, refused to even comment on the issue. It’s a good thing their religious beliefs don’t prohibit them from playing tennis and making obscene amounts of loot. A large chunk of which goes to the Watchtower Society, the legal arm of the Jehovah’s witnesses.
