Jehovah's Witnesses lose registration as a religious community in Norway

by RULES & REGULATIONS 51 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • RULES & REGULATIONS
    RULES & REGULATIONS
    It must be a mighty ton of money they're losing, to create such a furor. Going to court to fight for the "right" to feed at the public tax trough, while simultaneously claiming God approves of abandoning children who don't want to be forced into the religion.
    • The Jehovah’s Witnesses in Norway According to the Norwegian government’s Ministry of Children and Family Affairs, in 2021, there were 12,686 registered Jehovah’s Witnesses in the country. That number meant taxpayers were on the hook to give the Witnesses more than NOK 16 million (roughly $1,778,793 in U.S. dollars) in support.
  • FFGhost
    FFGhost

    Others have noted, and I tend to agree, that it’s not so much about the loss of money in a nation where they don’t have much of a footprint anyway (less than 1/5 of 1% of their members live there).

    What is likely more troubling is the precedent it sets. If a European country determines that JWs are not to be a recognized religion due to their disfellowshipping policy, what’s to stop other nations from doing the same, perhaps with more dire consequences (loss of tax exemption? Loss of property?).

    Expect them to fight this with everything they’ve got. They’ll defend their “right” to control members through the blackmail of enforced shunning to their dying breath. Without that level of control the whole shebang dies.

  • fulano
    fulano

    Let’s pray for that FFGhost.

  • dropoffyourkeylee
    dropoffyourkeylee

    As I understand it, the government support of religions in Norway came about in a roundabout manner. At one time there was a single state-supported religion, but at some point the state support was expanded to other religions and the government money (through taxes) began to be distributed proportionately to all the registered religions based on each religion's membership numbers. To qualify, a religion had to register and to meet the legal qualifications defined in the law. One of the legal requirements was that the members have to have the freedom to leave one religion and join another without penalty or repercussions. JW's disfellowshipping fails this test, the goverment claims, so the JWs registration has been removed. Especially galling is the fact that minors are baptized, become members who are counted in the totals (hence more money to the JWs), but cannot leave without being penalized by disfellowshipping.

  • Diogenesister
    Diogenesister
    Oh, yeah, baby! Persecute me! Persecute me!!! Harder!!! I have no safe word!!!”

    😂😂😂 But they do Vidiot! Their safe words are "we no longer follow two witness rule, we no longer shun!"

  • Beth Sarim
    Beth Sarim

    Vidiot;

    “Oh, yeah, baby! Persecute me! Persecute me!!! Harder!!! I have no safe word!!!”


    This can really firm-up the Borg's persecution complex amongst Borg members. I know, I know. The Borgites will be in a 'fever-pitch' over this one. Ramps-up the Borgites ''us vs. them'' mentality to a factor of 10.


  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    Two things’ll happen with the rank-and-file.

    As Beth said, the hardcore loyalists will lose their shit and parrot the GB’s complaints verbatim, no matter how ridiculous it sounds…

    but…

    …a significant remainder will be surprised that the WTS was getting regular checks from the government for essentially doing nothing in the first place, and will - quite reasonably - scratch their heads over why the fuck the Org is making such a big deal about this.

    Don’t they realize that the more they holler about stupid shit, the more childish and embarrassing they look (not to mention the more their toxic behaviour gets scrutinized), to the point where anyone with half a brain rolls their eyes so hard it hurts?

    Honestly, it seems like every time the WTS opens its mouth these days, the foot just goes straight in.

    😳

  • FedUpJW
    FedUpJW

    @ dropoffyourkeylee

    Yours is perhaps the best explanation of what is going on. This really has nothing to do with removing JW's registration AS A RELIGION which it does not, as it does removing their religious registration for taxpayer funded government subsidies. Again, it's all about the $$$$$.

  • Beth Sarim
    Beth Sarim

    Yes. This can work either way. As the Borg gets more weird and culty,, they can exploit this as governments turning on religion and can further their scheme. Drum-up more 'uncertainty' amongst the sheeple. I predict this will be the case.

  • Hellothere
    Hellothere

    With what's going on In recent year's with child abuse, vaccin, half empty khs and stopped door to door for two years, this brings another bit too puzzle. Many JWs are wondering why all this happening to org. Specially as watchtower always said allt other religions gonna be destroyed before watchtower. Now they find out watchtower getting governmen money for year's and telling congregations that all is done by donations. Every little thing org been doing on the dark for year's is coming out. This already half dead org is just gonna be suffering even more

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit