Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses

by DT 4 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  DT

  The JW media site recently made an update about persecution in Uzbekistan. http://www.jw-media.org/newsroom/index.htm?content=/region/asia_pacific/uzbekistan/english/releases/intolerance/uzb_e080425.htm

  I'm concerned about any kind of religious persecution or actions that limit freedom of religion or freedom from religion. Of course, I agree that the brutal practices of Jehovah's Witnesses are a threat to society. I'm glad that some governments realise that. I just think that religious persecution is wrong and, in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses, probably counterproductive.

  I thought it might be interesting to discuss better ways for governments to deal with the antisocial effects of Jehovah's Witnesses. I suspect the best methods may deal with money. For example, instead of forcing them underground, it may be better to allow them to operate as a business in that country and tax them accordingly. Jehovah's Witnesses love persecution, but hate anything that threatens their finances. Instead of of passing laws that limit freedoms, they could pass laws that strengthen the rights and freedoms of victims of Jehovah's Witnesses and other cults. This would make it easier to sue them for pedophilia issues, damages due to the blood ban or institutionally enforced shunning, slander, etc. This would probably be more effective and could raise the county's status as a defender of international human rights laws.

  What do you think?
• 

  Gregor

  Persecute : 1 : to harass in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict ; specifically : to cause to suffer because of belief .

  Sounds like a perfect description of the disfellowshipping/shunning practice.
• 

  dinah

  In most cases, I think the "persecution" is just a self-fulfilling prophecy. I'm sure they call people who speak out about blood, disfellowshipping, and all that persecutors.
• 

  sir82

  better to allow them to operate as a business in that country and tax them accordingly.

  How about this:

  For any religion or charitable organization, the amount of tax exemption is directly correlated to to a measurable standard of "good" to society achieved by the organization. E.g., an organization that provides shelter & food for the homeless, with little overhead, would be fully tax exempt, while a "religion" that performs virtually nothing in the way of support for its adherents (or anyone else for that matter) other than supplying reading material and a place of worship, would be hit with a tax of [X%] of a normal corporation.

  I.e., recognize that a church or religious organization does some good to the community by giving it a tax discount...but don't give a tax exemption to anything if it does not perform true charitable works.

  You'd see Watchtower-sponsored soup kitchens spring up quicker than you can say "quick build"!
• 

  WTWizard

  Persecution based on an organization initiating force, threat of force, or fraud is nothing more than deserved punishment against someone trying to prevent freedom. The Washtowel Slaveholdery ruins lives, and they are a full-blown scam. On top of that, once you get in the scam, they hound and harass people to stay in. People trying to leave have had families busted up, and who knows what else.

  True, people do make a free choice to join (so long as they are not born in, and their parents often force them to get baptized). However, it is based on bad information and is therefore not true freedom. Plus the cult threatens freedom for everyone, as they are attempting to get the Critical Mass so they can use the power of law to make witless doctrine universal. For that reason, and that reason alone, the sooner they can be banned, the better.