Need Info on JW's Scandals in Mexico-

by Cappuccino OC 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  Cappuccino OC

  Many years ago I heard that the JW's in Mexico weren't allowed to sing songs or pray at the meetings due to the government not wanting to recognize them as a 'religion'.

  Is this true?

  Then I heard that Jehovah helped them and now they are recognized as a religion and they can sing & have prayers in meetings.

  In a post about > or < 2 weeks I read a little comment saying that the WTS didnot register with the Mexican government as a 'religion'. THe WTS claimed that it was 'oposition from satan' that they couldn't pray or sing.

  Does anyone have any information on this? Please direct me to the right place.

  Gracias,

  CAPP
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  nancee park

  They can and do now sing at meetings. Mexico had had strong anti-religious laws from after the revolution in the early 1900s which was largely against the Catholic Church's owning so much land while the poor people had little to none, and it required church groups in general to register as non-religious but charitable-type associations with certain restrictions on activities including as said on singing.

  The big scandal is that the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society have let Mexican Jehovah's Witness males pay a "muleta" or fee which many would call a bribe to officials who in turn have then given them a card exempting them from military service in that it says they have already served for the military while hypocritically telling African JW males in Malawi they could not buy a 25 cents or so card saying they were loyal citizens supportive of Malawi's national government, for which the Malawians were sometimes raped and burnt to death.
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  Valis

  Just click on the search link and type in Mexico Malawi....its all there.

  Sincerely,

  District Overbeer
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  ThiChi

  Read Ray Franz' book, COC....good mexico info.
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  nancee park

  Yes, go to the following then look for and click on SEARCH which is in tiny lettering up at the top I think towards or on the left side of the screen: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/forum.asp?id=19&site=3
• 

  seedy3

  Nancee is correct, on her statements, the only part that was left out is the reason the WTS never registered as a religion, becasue many groups were registered religions in Mexico, even before the changed law.

  The reason the WTS did not regtister is that they could not own property in Mexico if they were a registered religion, all religious property was goverment owned. So therefore the WTS could not go out and increse their wealth in that nation as a religion, but they could as a non-profit Organisation. Until the law changed which then gave them the ability to buy and sell property, which is when they became a regestered religion in Mexico.

  Seedy

  P.S. Correct me if I am wrong but that is what I remember of the situation.
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  nancee park

  I'm sure that's correct. I wish more from and in Mexico would post to this board. I'm sure lots goes on there we just don't hear as much about.

  Any takers?
• 

  thinker

  Seedy and Nancee are correct. I even wrote a poem about that and the JWs in Malawi.

  Mexico & Malawi

  by Thinker

  Spread the Word south of the border;

  deny the fact we're a religious order.

  Tell them we're a culture club;

  just a bunch of social "dubs".

  Hide the bibles and change the names;

  bribe officials and play the games.

  The reason for the tricks you see?

  We want land and it's not free.

  Crime and death in other lands?

  Oh! Well that's a religious stand!
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  Cappuccino OC

  Thank you all for the information. I'm going to see if there are any 'Spanish' goverment journals that I can borrow through the university that I attend. We can usually request interlibrary loans. I'm thinking that Harvard, Yale and/or Standford should have some info. Most Mexican presidents are graduates from US Elite Universities like the three mentioned above.

  It doesn'y surprise me 'the bribery. I know a local Mexican brother from the spanish congregation who works under the table, lives in goverment subsidized housing (for $50.00 US per month verus 550.00) & his conscience doesn't bother him.

  CAPP
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  Cappuccino OC

  LOL on the poem. (Thinker)

  Valis thanks for the tip.

  Seedy & Nancy thanks for the info.

  Thi Chi - I just picked up the book - after I posted the topic. Thanks

  Capp