Swedish government declines to give JW financial support

by InquiryMan 56 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  InquiryMan

  Quite recently, Watchtower in Sweden applied for governmental financial support, as they are entitled to as a registered religious community. However, the government declined to accept the application, stating that the reason was that the JWs do not adhere to democratic values and standards and do not support mainstream values.

  The witnesses are upset, because they feel discriminated against. They state that the financial issue is not the real issue, but to be treated in a similar way as other religious communities.

  They have appealed the decision and plan to send a report explaining the witnesses views in more detail.

  The Branch Office chose the religious, pentecostal (Assembly of God) newspaper "Dagen" to make an interview.

  Here is the photo report of the article.

  http://www.dagen.se/dagen/gallery/?ID=jehovasvittnen
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  InquiryMan

  BTW. JWs have received governmental support (actually the government pays the same amount per member to all registered belief communities as they do to the State Church, so it is a kind of tax being paid back to the religious community) in Norway for many years...
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  besty

  Can someone send the Swedish Government Rutherfords letter appeasing Hitler.

  Thanks.
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  yesidid

  but to be treated in a similar way as other religious communities

  .

  Cmon they cant have it both ways. On the one hand they want to be treated as other religious communities.

  However in their propaganda they claim they are unique and are not at all like "other religious communities".

  Give us a break!

  y
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  InquiryMan

  Inasmuch as I disagree with the Watchtoer society, I am in favor of giving them the same rights as other belief communities as long as they are registered and accepted as such. That is a matter of principle.
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  alanv

  I'm with Yesidid. You simply can't have it both ways. They would be horrified if after reading a WT article they were seen as the same as any other religion. And yet once money is involved they say they are the same. It reminds me of the UN scandal On one hand they say how terrible the UN is, then they do all they can to keep in with them. Hypocrites
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  HintOfLime

  Of course, I'd prefer it if NO religion received financial aid.. seperation of church and state and all... but that's just because I have no spiritual side and sold my soul to satan on a whim for a book on evolutionary biology and a bag of starburst jellybeans (Satan has the best textbooks, music, and jellybeans).

  One amazing thing I notice about the Catholic church across the street is that they have 2 nights a week where they actually feed the homeless. It's pretty cool. They've had to borrow a can opener or other things from me on more than one occation. I hate religion, but that's not bad stuff. I don't mind lending my can opener to them for an evening for that.

  It would be nice if religions had to display some sort of positive community effect (other than self promotion) to be considered for government support, and if so, then maybe. JW's never really paid much attention to Jesus commandment to take care of orphans and widows (and those generally just down on their luck). I don't see Kingdom Halls feeding the poor or open 24 hours throughout the winter allowing 3 people at a time to enter and warm up.

  Of course, it's Sweden, so I really have no say in what what the Swedish people want. If every Swedish person likes giving their income/tax money to primarily self-serving religious organizations like the JWs, then I guess that is ok.

  - Lime
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  LouBelle

  Why don't they apply to brooklyn bethal for financial support - they've got more than enough $$ to go around.
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  InquiryMan

  I guess it is more fair to state that whatever each tax payer pays goes back to the community that individual belongs to...

  Quite a lot of the Swedish watchtower surplus is being sent out of the country....
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  TheOldHippie

  It's a rather easy calculation: You pay your taxes, and on the state budget let us say 2 % of the government expenses go to the Ministry dealing with religious affairs. In the Scandinavian countries, there is a Lutheran State Church, and so the expenses for the churches to a large part are paid thru the state budget, as is the salary of all the priests etc. Now, if you are not a member of the State Church, you do not want any of your tax money to go to the State Church, and so the calculation is that the total sum of the state budget going to religious affairs is divided with the number of State Church members. Presently, the per capita amount - amount per member - in one of the countries is some 100 US$ worth. The religious groups outside of the State Church apply for funding, and if approved of or recognised as churches or religious groups, present memberhsip lists or numbers, and recieve the 100 $ for each member paid to the central organ of the church. The organ then to a certain extent does with the money as it pleases, apart from the fact that they have to let the government have a look into their books, their finances, be audited, and if errors are found either in the way the money is spent or in the number of members, then the government can either claim the money back or decide to stop giving financial aid to that church in the future. Some Moslem chuches have experienced that because of membership hoax. If the WT in that country has say 10,000 members on their list, then they receive 10,000 x 100 $ = some 1,000,000 $.