The agenda of this recent UN meeting was freedom of religion to worship. It discussed the banning of religions, hate crimes, government stiffling, etc. It also discussed the limits of the freedom of religion, that it could not be used as a scapegoat for illegal purposes.
The WTS officials that attended were from Russia, France, Belguim, and the US HQ. It is obvious that Russian and French Jehovah's Witnesses have been investigated by their respective governments. These governments are wary of any religion that has signifcant control over its members and/or disrupts family or poses harm to citizen's lives (i.e. blood, shunning, etc.). The US representative would be there, but I'm puzzled at Belguim's need to attend.
At one time, the WTS preached that everyone would have the chance to hear Jehovah's promises before the Big A. I'm not sure if that has changed. But, I do know that the WTS thinks that only Jehovah knows the exact hour and time (though they are really good at also saying 1975, generation of 1914, new light, etc.). Jehovah gave decision making ability to the United Nations (and Hitler) under Rennai's logic.
In John 19:10-11 Pilate, who had absolute control asked Jesus, "Do you refuse to speak to me. Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above." Clearly, Pilate was boasting about his power. Jesus, reminded Pilate that his power was from above. What is "given" from above, can also be "removed." The "rest of the story" is that after Jesus's death, Pilate later lost his power, was exhiled, and is believed to have committed suicide. So much for being "all powerful."
Anyway, the WTS officials are like gnats at these meetings. Under biblical reasoning, they can't control a thing. The "power" is in the hands of the Russian, French, etc. governments. It is "Jehovah's will" whether or not the WTS gets to preach there. There are millions of people that "might" be reached; but there are also 6 million people who are already JWs who might be appalled to find out that the WTS secretly agreed to be an NGO, to uphold the United Nations values and principles...all the while reading WTS literature that denounces the UN as the Great Beast. There's an old marketing saying, "It takes $100 to get a new customer, and $1 to keep an existing one." This is partly why the WTS does not "announce" to the rank and file what they are doing inside the UN and want to keep the existing members off Internet sites.
What I wonder most of all, is how the United Nations allows the WTS to be an NGO. The UN mustn't read the WTS literature condenming the UN as the Great Beast. If they did, they'd quickly realize that the WTS is NOT going uphold UN goals. Any apostate in New York want to put on a tie and go over to the UN with a bookbag of WTS literature showing the UN as the Great Beast, and ask the NGO Admittance Committee how the WTS fits into their group?
