Glossary of American English Hacker Theocratese

=== U ===

unappointed elder, appointed elder

Technically there is no such thing as an unappointed elder, because all {elders} are {appointed} to serve in local congregations by the {Society}. When a brother moves from one congregation to another, the {secretary} of the congregation he leaves sends a letter introducing the moving family to the elders in the new congregation. In most cases a {favorable letter} is sent, saying that the brother is qualified to continue serving as an elder. In such cases these brothers are usually assigned speaking parts and given other assignments normally given to elders, with the exception of handling judicial matters and sitting in on the meetings of the {elder body}. While serving in this capacity, until an appointment is received and announced, some people regard such a brother as an unappointed elder.

Because all elders serve by appointment, the expression appointed elder is a redundancy. Nonetheless, the phrase pops up frequently.

unassigned territory

An area where there are so few Witnesses that it has not been assigned as part of any congregation's territory. <<Last summer three pioneer sisters from our congregation spent nearly three months covering unassigned territory in rural regions of North Dakota and Montana.>>

unbaptized associate

A person who is not baptized but is coming with some frequency to meetings, is usually studying the Bible, and is making progress toward becoming a Christian. Some of them are {unbaptized publishers}. The only occurrence I can find of this in the literature is in the [km 10/75] ``Question Box'', so it may be technically obsolete, but it lives on by resurfacing occasionally in conversation.

unbaptized Christian [obs]

There is no such thing, so we no longer use this expression. We formerly applied the term to unbaptized persons who came to meetings and went in service. (Compare {unbaptized associate}, {unbaptized publisher}.)

unbaptized publisher

An unbaptized person who participates in the {field ministry} and is formally recognized as such by announcement at the {Service Meeting}, having been interviewed by some elders before accepting their service report. <<We're happy to announce that Johnny Little is now an unbaptized publisher.>> Followed by enthusiastic applause. Thereafter his field activity will be tracked and he will be counted as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in the annual {world report}. (But compare {baptized unpublisher}.)

unbeliever

A person who has not yet accepted the {Truth}, regardless of whether out of rebellion, spiritual blindness (2Co 4:4), or lack of opportunity. Such persons are generally regarded as {bad association}. (2Co 6:14, 15) <<Some persons were disturbed by the rowdy spirit that developed at Brother Loose's gathering, caused by the presence of two unbelieving neighbors he unwisely invited.>>

unbelieving mate

A Christian' spouse who has not accepted the {Truth}. (1Co 7:12-15) <<Christians who foolishly acquire unbelieving mates put themselves in line for woe and trouble beyond comprehension.>>

unchristian, unchristian conduct

Not in harmony with Bible teachings. Therefore, anything that is unchristian is also {unscriptural}.

NOTE: Injudicious use of expressions can engender ugly legal repercussions. In years past, when persons were {disfellowshipped}, an announcement was read that said something like <<Willie Burnus has been disfellowshipped for conduct unbecoming a Christian.>> Whereupon Willie turned around and sued the congregation or the Society, effectively saying: ``Who are you to say I am not Christian?'' Nowadays the announcement read on such occasions is engraved in stone. The elder says only: ``Buddy Kantgripe has been disfellowshipped.'' Any elder who dares to say one single word more or less is liable to be removed.

underline

To mark the main points in a {study article} with a pen or marker. By far the commonest method of preparing study articles is to proceed a paragraph at a time, first reading the {study question}, then underlining or marking through the parts of the paragraph that answer the question most directly. Some persons mark the text sparingly, and note only an occasional word to remind them of the contents of cited scriptures or some comment they would like to make. Others have developed a system using multiple colors and marginal symbols. Still others mark practically everything in the paragraph, and write the unquoted scriptures out in full in tiny handwriting, making it impossible to pick up the main point by just glancing at the markings.^[198] Of course, these markings provide visible evidence that a person has prepared his lesson, at least to some degree. It is not uncommon to catch persons sneaking furtive glances at the Watchtowers of others to see if they have prepared. <<Although underlining is an aid to study for most people, it is not required, and is far from all that is needed to prepare a lesson well.>>

[198] The purpose of preparing for the study is not to change the color of the page.

understanding

See {knowledge}.

unity

Oneness, harmony; a state where all elements promote an undivided total effect. God's people throughout the earth are united as no other people in history have ever been. (Compare Psa 133:1.) This is not achieved easily, as is suggested by the fact that even the Christians in the first century Corinthian congregation needed the exhortation to become ``fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought.'' (1Co 1:10) Unity is closely related to peace, a fruit of God's holy spirit. (Gal 5:22) <<Because Jehovah's Witnesses are a united people, it is only natural that they have developed a common form of theocratic language.>>

universal sovereignty

God's absolute rulership over everything. Satan's act of rebelliousness in the Garden of Eden attacked God's sovereignty by raising the question: Does God have the right to be the absolute ruler? The settling of that issue continues to this day, but is very close to resolution.

unlettered

Uneducated in a formal sense. To some it means illiterate. The word is used only once in NW, at Acts 4:13, where Peter and John are recognized as being ``unlettered and ordinary''. It is clear that they were certainly not illiterate. In Bible times it was customary to issue a ``letter'' of certification to students graduating from rabbinical schools, in much the way that a diploma is given to persons graduating from institutions of higher learning today. Peter and John did not have such letters, and furthermore the things they said were very different from what was taught in the schools of the day. Thus they were viewed by their formally educated contemporaries as being unlettered. This is much different from being illiterate. (Compare 2Co 3:1-3, 5, 6.)

unscriptural

Contrary to scriptural teaching. A practice should not come to be regarded as scriptural or unscriptural solely on the basis of whether it is explicitly mentioned in the Bible. Every form of conduct touches on underlying principles. There is virtually no sphere of human activity that is not dealt with in the Bible, if underlying principles are considered. <<Going to movies is not unscriptural, because the Bible writers never discussed this form of entertainment; however, viewing some movies may be considered unscriptural conduct by some because of their content.>>

untheocratic, non-theocratic

Something demonstrably contrary to the principles of {theocracy}, that which does not harmonize with God's Word, could be characterized as untheocratic. Typical applications might involve a sinful course of conduct, a worldly or rebellious attitude, willing close association with persons who demonstrate they despise spiritual matters, an organization rooted in Satan's system, works of art inspired by {Babylonish} religion, literature devoted to Bible criticism or speculative philosophy, and immoral forms of art or entertainment. <<Sister Staid is frequently disturbed by the untheocratic nature of videos her unbelieving husband rents for their children to watch.>> (Compare {theocratic}.)

Some speakers make an interesting distinction between untheocratic and non-theocratic, the latter being applied to any matter that is not directly {theocratic}, e.g., ordinary conversation about everyday topics. <<On our way to the territory we passed the time in idle non-theocratic chatter about sports rather than about the work we were about to do.>> (For another example see {diet}.)

upbuild

See {build up}.

use of the Bible

There is a counsel topic in the {School Guidebook} and on the {Speech Counsel Slip} labeled ``Audience encouraged to use Bible''. (Study 24A) Some have wondered about how to interpret this point. The main point is to use the Bible as the source of what we teach rather than our own ideas. In accomplishing this objective it is almost always a good idea to use one's physical copy of the Bible in teaching its contents, especially in {field service}, where those we talk to normally do not have one in hand.

At the meetings is another matter. Today almost everyone has a Bible handy. In Bible times this was rarely the case. Acts 17:1-3 says that when Paul taught fellow Jews in the synagogues he `reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving his points by references'. In the proper citing and quoting of references he certainly could be said to have been using the Bible. His listeners accepted this. Today some people believe that it's necessary to physically open the book, and that if a speaker reads scriptures from his notes, which is easy to do now that we have the Bible on computer, he is not really using the Bible. Persons who think that are probably not using it themselves. On the other hand, [km 9/95] makes an excellent point in noting that if the speaker does not make the effort to open his own Bible, many in the audience will likewise fail to open theirs. It appears that it is the physical gesture, more than the mere invitation that prompts others to follow.

usher

One who escorts persons to seats at a church service or in a theater. It is customary in a church to allow the ushers to select seats for those attending. (See {pew}.) The theocratic analogue is called an {attendant}. Most people at the hall manage to find their own seats, and need assistance only when it is crowded, or after a meeting has started. An attendant at Kingdom Hall meetings has a much broader responsibility than just helping people find seats. 2. Used by Witnesses to describe the way the {new world} will arrive. <<Jehovah God, not humans, will bring permanent peace through his Kingdom. It will sweep the earth clean of all peacebreakers and will usher in a paradise earth. ([w88 3/15 9]; Rev 11:15, 18)>>