Russia and the letter writing

by Listener 26 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  biblexaminer

  I did a little editing.

  
  

  
  

  Wednesday, March 22, 2017

  An open letter to Vladimir Putin, President of Russia

  Russian Branch Office of Jehovah’s Witnesses would be shut down and liquidated

  Dear Honorable Vladimir Putin:
  
  Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I know you and your staff are working hard to provide a fair and peaceful environment for the citizens of your country. At the same time I would like to implore you to expand the treatment of Jehovah’s Witnesses in your country.
  
  In 1633 Galileo was convicted of heresy for publishing information that the earth was not the center of the universe. The Church used heavy-handedness to silence anything or anyone who challenged their authority. It took 300 years for the Church to admit that Galileo was right and clear his name of heresy.
  
  Today in the 21st century, Jehovah’s Witnesses have continued the tradition by crushing dissent in their ranks. It's takes great effort to silence they who would speak the modern "Earth is not flat" truths, that, for instance we conceal child abusers and punish victims and their families, that we break up families, that our doctrines are lethal and unscriptural, that we try to fool public officialdom at every turn and use them to our advantage as in our secret affiliation with United Nations.

  
  

  We hope that we can go past 300 years without EVER having to admit anything, and we need your help. We are more than a third of the way there, but with your help, with a little more obfuscation and lies, and a heap more persecution of our brethren who would dare to speak out the truth, we can get there.
  
  Step 1) Ban our publications. When any of Jehovah’s Witnesses publications are outlawed and labeled “extremist,” we comply with the law and remove it from our places of worship and homes. However, this does not stop the persecution. The Russian authorities consistently find our secret stash and prosecute us for breaking the law.
  
  Step 2) Ban us from teaching the Bible outside our places of worship. The study aids we publish are not essential to our faith. We need only the Bible. Except that ...

  • "All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah's channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave."The Watchtower, Oct. 1, 1994, p. 8.

  Step 3) Ban Jehovah’s Witnesses, by labeling us “extremists.” This will effectively allow Russia to take over all of our legally registered and established places of worship throughout the country affecting over 100,000 Russian citizens. In doing so, Russia would be able to prosecute criminally any members of our faith.
  
  I am writing, Honorable Putin, to respectfully request your official intervention.
  

  1. Continue applying legislation on extremism to the peaceful worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses
  2. Advance the claim filed with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation seeking “to declare the religious organization, the Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses, extremist, ban its activity, and liquidate it.”
  3. Widen the list of WTBTS religious publications in the Federal List of Extremist Materials
  4. Ensure that Jehovah’s Witnesses cannot peacefully enjoy freedom of religion and assembly without interference
  5. Enforce media standards prohibiting libel and slander (this needs no modification)

  Jehovah’s Witnesses may disagree with certain practices, for example, smoking. But they are taught to love the “smoker” as themselves. They never promote the hatred of another human being. In fact, Hitler sent German Jehovah’s Witnesses to concentration camps for refusing to take up arms and kill. This, after our beloved President JF Rutherford sent Hitler a letter schmoozing up to the 3rd Reich
  (see 1935 yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses)

  
  Respectfully,
  
  Greg (the fool) Holland
  Ministry Ideaz
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  Richard Oliver

  NikL I take your point that you and the Russian government view Jehovah's Witnesses as an extremist organization and you point to hate speech as proof. What Watchtower and these letters are trying to show, is not that the law should be changed, but that it is being misapplied to them. It is using the court system in a way that is beneficial to the group, and lets face it the Russian Court system will do what the Russian government wants it to do.
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  OrphanCrow

  Listener:

  The response from one poster to that letter was very good..."We also don't get rid of or destroy our publications just because they ban them. We hide them."

  The Administrative Center in Russia was raided. I wonder if the WT's guys had copies of that 1963 Babylon book stashed that got turned up in the search? Hiding that book would certainly be seen as problematic for the JWs. That book would be banned without question - the WT beat Russia up pretty bad in that one.

  The Russian authorities probably found all sorts of inflammatory literature that the WT had hidden away.

  RO: Using the court system is not a political act.

  Bullshit.

  and lets face it the Russian Court system will do what the Russian government wants it to do.

  I am not even going to touch that one
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  Yesu Kristo Bwana Wangu

  Richard Oliver - "Was Paul not remaining neutral when he used the legal system of the Roman's not just to appeal his case but to appeal it to Ceasar. It is asking a government to abide by their own laws of freedom of religion and by the treaties that they are signatories to that require them to also provide freedom of religion. They are not running anyone for office to try and get it over thrown or any other political means. Using the court system is not a political act."

  
  

  Paul was a Roman citizen and used his rights as such, to stand his case. In the case that we see now with JW's and Russia, it's definitely not comparable to what Paul did. A non-Russian person writing to the Russian government to tell them what to do, is not justifiable using Paul's example. They are not in the same legal position.

  Moreover, asking the government to abide by their own laws, also means that they should abide by their anti-extremist laws. According to Russia law, JW are extremist. Taking a stand against it, is not asking the Russian government to listen to their own laws, but to change them. It's definitely political.

  If not, why are JW's not protesting against abortion laws and all such laws?
  
  
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  Vidiot

  TheWonderOfYou - "Putin will ask Trump. 'What the hell?..."

  "...who the f**k are these wackjobs? Are you pranking me or something?"
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  OrphanCrow

  Yeah, I wonder what Putin will say. Or even if he will bother.

  Putin's humor:

  "I told this oldie-but-goodie before, and can't help but tell it again. Well, there once was a pessimist and an optimist. The pessimist was drinking cognac, and said, 'This smells like bedbugs!' The optimist grabbed a bedbug from the wall, sniffed it and said, 'Well, doesn’t this smell a bit like cognac!'"My point is, I’d rather be a pessimist who drinks cognac, than an optimist who sniffs bedbugs. Even if the optimist lives a little more happily…"
  
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  stuckinarut2

  How long will it be until Greg Holland's business "ministry ideas" gets hacked by expert Russian hackers?
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  Richard Oliver

  Yesu:

  I accept that your opinion that they are not in the same legal position because those writing the letters are not citizens as Paul was a citizen of the Roman Empire. But using the legal system is not taking a political stand either.

  I can relate it to the ARC where Mr Stewart stated that he has received over a 1000 letters from people around the world concerned for that action, were all of those people taking a political stand with Australia or trying to present facts to a quasi-judicial body. Or on this forum a number of non-Australians signed a petition to get the Australian parliament to look at revoking Watchtower's charity status, so you will agree unless they were Australian Citizens then they should not have signed the petition.
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  Richard Oliver

  And I agree with you that there is a law about extremists and I already stated this, the letters and what Watchtower is asking for is not that the law be repealed but that the law is being misapplied to them. It is that are defending themselves using whatever means is morally at their disposal.
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  wannabefree

  This is totally nuts! The GB is probably loving this ! They don't expect anything positive from the Russians, just the positive effect of persecution to strengthen the base. Too bad the Russians don't know that banning them actually makes them stronger. The king of the North is making a comeback! Everybody back to the Kingdumb Halls while the Chariot waits!