by Quadraphoenix 52 Replies latest watchtower scandals
Banning them will not soften their resolve, but too much publicity on shunning, the blood issue, their rabid hatred for other religions, etc. might make them want to compromise.
Then there was the country that was told that jws could freely take a blood transfusion without repercussions. I forgot which country, but they bought it, hook, line and sinker. I hope Russia is a little smarter than that.
Ah, I knew it would happen. I had no doubt. Various posters proclaiming how persecution 'helps' the organization. More growth. More 'resolve'.
MORE BULLSH*T. MORE NONSENSE. MORE UNCRITICAL ACCEPTANCE OF WATCHTOWER PROPAGANDA.
Look, nations that banned Witnesses had strong growth AFTER THE BAN WAS LIFTED. Anybody remember the enthusiasm after Franco died? After Communism collapsed? Don't expect much growth under ban regardless of what the Theocrat Thugs say.
And this situation is more subtle. It is different. The Russians don't give a rat's a$$ about anybody's opinion of freedom. They have labeled Jehovah's Witnesses as extremists. If you are French or German or American and you hear of Witnesses banned because of being CIA agents or enemies of the state, you likely would say, "that's ridiculous, it's just Russians persecuting people with nonsense".
But calling Jehovah's Witnesses "extremists"? What can you say? Can you deny this accusation and really have anyone believe you? Would you be laughed at for saying otherwise?
And appealing to Europe? You mean the feeble confederacy with no military to speak of? The one with individual nations like Spain and Greece "five minutes to midnight" on national bankruptcy? The Union that the Watchtower lied to about the blood issue in regard to Bulgaria ( and the Bulgarians weren't buying the "personal decision" lie on refusing blood transfusions)?
Oh, and I wonder..........what judges in Europe will these Hypocrites appeal to? Judges from France? Belgium? Nations that object to cults that abuse human rights? Oh, and does the corrupt Watchtower still owe 60+ million dollars to the government of France for evading taxes? Good Luck with that !
So, this horrible event will no doubt strengthen the resolve of Witnesses everywhere? Think so? Do you think that they will Open Their Wallets and donate more money so that the Watchtower can build more Soviet-style architecture in Upstate New York?
This isn't the era of Judge Rutherford, folks - and the corrupt Governing Body knows it - which is why they are quietly and discreetly compromisng the organization while pretending to be fearless 'John the Baptist' proclaimers of "truth".
I say: watch carefully for compromise in Russia and elsewhere in Europe. They know the organization is not what it used to be especially in Europe.
metatron
"To the Jew become a Jew, to the Athiest and Atheist, to a Russian become and Russian...."
The WTS has two choices, take a hard stand and use the propaganda machine to motivate the followers or adapt to the Russian society, like the Catholics do. In other words, become more mainstream.
Choice one, hard stand? JW's today are soft compared to the JW's from yesteryear. They will give in and compromise, rather than die for this religion they now have doubts about.
I see them becoming more mainstream, but just in Russia. Similar to joining the UN, if that is what it takes.
If Russia gets away with this, which I think they will, look for other countries to do something similar. (France, Romaia, African continent, etc...)
"JW's today are soft compared to the JW's from yesteryear."
Yes! Thank you! You grasp an essential point. They are stuck with increasing public knowledge of their cultish practices while Witnesses go slack.
metatron
I am glad this is happening. They are considered extremists which they are although some might argue what an extremist is. Bottom line: they are a nuisance in whatever host country they live in. They produce nothing except uneducated people who practice shunning. They break up families, have no loyalty to anything except their organization. A country like Russia that is struggling in so many ways cannot afford the luxury to indulge this sort of thing. They can hardly be tolerated in affluent western nations like the U.S. Where I consider them to be nothing more than ungrateful parasites.
Met and longhairgal
Are they really that extreme?
Let's see....
They publish that the goverment is run by Satan the Devil
They publish that ALL religions except there own are corrupt, a lurking place of demons, and a tool for the Devil
They sacrifice their own adherrents by denying them acceptable-life saving blood transfusions
They harbor child molesters in the their congregations and punish those who expose them to the authorities
They separate their members from families and friends, normally good people, saying they are bad association
They threaten with expulsion anyone who doubts any of the WT GB teachings and do if they question just one of these
They also teach, and this the most extreme. That all the citizens of that country will die a horrible death at Armageddon if they do not become a JW, attend the WT meetings, share in proselitizing, and contribute money to the WTS.
This includes the following for destruction: All citizens. From the oldest, grandmas and grandpas, to little children, even small babies. It doesn't matter if they are good people, as long as they are not JW's, they will be destroyed, as well as their pets.
Does that sound like an extreme dangerous group to you?
good post dissed.
Amazing, they haven't been registered in Russia for all that long since the fall of communism.
I remember watching Society's video on those witnesses in the 1950s who were sent to Siberia for refusing to compromise their faith.
Well, they get what they ask for - they are extremist and their members are willing to die refusing blood transfusions.
No doubt cries of persecution will be heard.
Seems like Jehovah is allowing this "door of opportunity" to close.
I wonder if WTS will compromise with Russians since GB is in US and r&f are a continent away. Russians like Malawi witnesses are most likely poor and can set a very good example for the rest of the members as to how to show their loyalty to WT$ Jehovah. This example will be heralded during assemblies and conventions and wts have found themselves a new King Of the North as a new light hits gb in a head while sleeping while the r&f jumpo up and applaud the grand revelation as the end must be oh so close. After all they are living in the last day of the last days. If Russian witnesses offered more financially to the wts cause maybe then wts lawyers would push harder to compromise, who knows what kind of play on words they can sneak by Russian judges as they did in Bulgaria or Hungary. IMO this will be Malawi II except less extreme but a tool for GB to use for witnesses in wealthy nations as example how poor Russian witnesses are putting WTS God's interests first.
They are extreme, there's no escaping that fact as Dissed has pointed out. The question now is, do the Russian authorities realise just how extreme they are? Is there an informed body of people in Russia and in the ECHR that will see through the doublespeak of the appeal and uphold the Russian ban?
God, how exciting to see this happening! Whats funny about this ban now is its not a result of a Communist government state cracking down on all religion, its a result of the JW's own doing. The Russian government have given the Witnesses some room to breathe over the last few decades which has given them time to show their true colours. Sure enough, their true colours have shown up black as pitch and the Russians have seen this and labelled them extremists.
As Besty rightly said, they're reaping what they've sown.
