Supreme Court Of Russia bans Jehovah's Witnesses as an 'extremist organization'

by EdenOne 95 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Anders Andersen

  No matter how "pathetic" you think the religious doctrines are, it's every individuals right to follow their own individual conscience

  Yes...everyone should be allowed to follow his individual conscience (as long as that does not mean to inflict harm om others).

  But in Watchtowerland, your individual conscience is to be made obedient to Watchtower rules. Your conscience allows you (or even urges you) to accept blood, or continue associating with your DFed children? Watchtower will try force you to violate your conscience. If you don't, you'll lose all your friends and family.

  
  

  So shutting that organization down strangely might mean that a lot of people have more freedom of religion...

  
  

  Dissolving a legal entity does not stop anyone from following their conscience on worship. They can all still pray to Jehovah, read their Bibles and annoy their neighbors with their preaching.

  Just not in a KH. Or with forbidden literature.

  I wish no harm for the individual Witnesses anywhere in the world. But th organization should be taken down.
  
  

  
  
  
• 

  Barrold Bonds

  lol if you're ok with anything the Russian government does

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_LGBT_propaganda_law

  And fuck you if you're ok with banning literature. That should never happen no matter who writes it.
• 

  DJS

  Anders: Excellent comments as usual. However, "And annoy their neighbors with their preaching."

  Limits are placed on preaching as well - I'm sure you knew that. Dubs and other religions can't preach hate, divisiveness, exclusivity, end of time destruction of all other religions and governments, jihads, and all the other vile hateful teachings religions have dreamed up over the centuries to force their vileness down everyone's throats.

  Dubs can be dubs, but they will practice openly only when they comply with the law. If any of you can find fault with it, let's hear it. Complying with the law allows individuals to exercise their conscience, not a man made set of rules forced on them.

  Voting is a conscience matter. Blood is a conscience matter. Holidays are conscience matters. Proms and Little League baseball are conscience matters. Music and clothing are conscience matters. Joining the military is a conscience matter. The DarkLords have twisted their own religious book to make these and other conscience matters into pharisaical laws for which they iron fistedly control the masses.

  Such ridiculous responses.
  
  
  
• 

  OrphanCrow

  Giordano: Once again other corrupted religions are instigators encouraging the Government to be the hammer.

  I think it is a bit short sighted to blame the "hammer" on being instigated by "other corrupted religions".

  Not everyone who is anti-JW is part of "other corrupted religions". Russia has concerned citizens who engage in activism against the WTS' dangerous policies and teachings (...we have apostate friends in Russia, too).

  Russia also has activists:

  A group of local "anti-sect" activists, Youth Emergency Assistance, has claimed credit for triggering the Belgorod liquidation suits by repeatedly filming Jehovah's Witnesses in the streets and informing police of the distribution of allegedly "extremist" literature. The group has posted videos on its VKontakte page of members confronting Jehovah's Witnesses who have set up literature stands, then calling the police, who arrive and take the Jehovah's Witnesses away, often accompanied by the activists.

  
  Previously, a Russian judge made a statement as to why the JWs were considered in violation of Russia's laws:

  ...Belgorod Regional Prosecutor's Office accused the Jehovah's Witnesses of "violations .. associated with the dissemination of extremist content (advocating the superiority or inferiority of a person on grounds of religious affiliation or attitude to religion) .. an inclination to refuse medical assistance to people in a life-threatening condition on religious grounds, and the destruction of family and kinship relations on the basis of religious differences".

  http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2161
  
  
• 

  OrphanCrow

  Anders: So shutting that organization down strangely might mean that a lot of people have more freedom of religion...

  That is exactly it.

  For all the people who cry out that Russia doesn't recognize "freedom of religion", what they fail to realize is that the WTS takes away freedom of religion. Russia has recognized that individual freedom is more important than an American corporation's freedom to enslave the Russian people with their harmful doctrines and practices.
• 

  Diogenesister

  Orphan Crow They behave as though they are a resistance force led by a US based religion that attempts to force their version of "freedom of religion" on everybody else. They call themselves a religion but they behave like a political force.

  THIS /\ /\ /\ 100%.

  They all remind me, with their ban on all books websites learning etc that disagrees with them, their total life or death loyalty to the " organization", looking forward to the deaths of million of " sub- humans" ( ie non- witnesses), and their thousand year " Reich" of the GB or their " new world order" , of the Nazis that someone is comparing the Russians too....think about it, who are the Nazis? Agree with us or die!..Hmmmmmm....
  
  
• 

  Sanchy

  Wow, just wow. It really pains me to see the amount of hatred some of you here display.
  

  DJS: Let me ask you, what if the Orthodox Russian Church coerces the government into outlawing "extremist" atheist "propaganda" such as Darwin's Theory book or any other non-theist publication. Would it be a "good law" then?

  No JW publication encourages honor killings or burning of heretics. So it's an unfair comparison. Also, the right for a baker to not serve an LGBT wedding is his/her individual right and in no way is this unique to the JW religion as something only they are promoting. Besides that, you are going to defend Russia's gay rights history?
  

  Yes...everyone should be allowed to follow his individual conscience (as long as that does not mean to inflict harm om others).

  But in Watchtowerland, your individual conscience is to be made obedient to Watchtower rules. Your conscience allows you (or even urges you) to accept blood, or continue associating with your DFed children? Watchtower will try force you to violate your conscience. If you don't, you'll lose all your friends and family.

  It is the right of EVERY individual to decide what they will let their concience be guided by. This is a God-given right (mother universe given right for the atheist amongst us) and it cannot be removed by a government. Whether you like the teachings of the JWs or not, taking away their rights is NEVER THE ANSWER. I dont understand why progressives world-round fail to see that one day, this very government that is removing the rights of those you dislike, can turn around and do the same thing to YOUR rights.

  For all the people who cry out that Russia doesn't recognize "freedom of religion", what they fail to realize is that the WTS takes away freedom of religion. Russia has recognized that individual freedom is more important than an American corporation's freedom to enslave the Russian people with their harmful doctrines and practices
  

  There is so much wrong with this reasoning, that it pains me to even hear it. "Russia has recognized that individual freedom is.. important"???? Really?? So taking away ppl's god given rights as individuals to decide how they will live their life is "recognizing individual freedom" ? Please, listen to yourself.
• 

  DJS

  @Barrold: "And fuck you if you're ok with banning literature. That should never happen no matter who writes it."

  So you are ok with child porn being legal? Excellent. Just confirming.

  Also, both Germany AND Russian ban Nazi symbols and materials. Based on the horrific results the Nazi party had on both countries, you are telling me that they both should just ignore and move on??? Perhaps one day they will, but it is naive to suggest that it is a black and white issue and there are no legitimate exceptions.

  The Russian law, as I've said before, is 14 years old. Russian courts and Vlad and his Impalers have not rushed to judgment in applying these laws. They have been patient. Judging Russian courts and legislatures only a few years after democracy has existed is no more relevant than judging the US courts and law making systems in the year 1800. Or even 1900 or 1964.

  Given the restraints Russian courts have shown, they are vastly ahead of where the US was in such a short time.
• 

  Diogenesister

  Guys, let's not confuse a govt preventing freedom of conscience with shutting down an organization that denies freedom of conscience to its members on a daily basis. Proliferates literature containing hate speach toward humans whose sex, sexuality, ethic religous, political and cultural differences do not square with WT ideas of what is acceptable.
• 

  DJS

  Sanchy,

  If you can't organize your thoughts and present them into the keyboard any better I suggest silence is a better option. Hate???? The only thing hating is the DarkLords in this equation.

  Your conscience ends where the rights of others, including the inherent rights of a government in protecting everyone else from your conscience, begins. I/we have provided excellent examples as to the types of conscience matters that have necessary limits. Or are you ok with Warren Jeffs, the bakery not serving an LGBT couple, honor killings and forced rape and genital mutilation - all of which are being done in the name of religion - and conscience - on a daily basis.

  Your conscience and beliefs have limits. You can't exercise either or teach them to others without societal and governmental restraints. It has always been that way and it will always be that way. Now, breathe, and let some oxygen to your brain. You haven't used it as yet.