CNN mentions Jehovah's Witnesses Today (page 3)

wheelwithinwheel

The Village of Stratton should join forces ... make it a class action suit ...

From The Cult Observer March/April 1998

Canada:

Barring JW Proselytizing The Town of Blainville, Quebec last year restricted door to door proselytizing of Jehovah's Witnesses and now seventeen Witnesses, including an 86 year old grandmother, are before the courts following their refusal to pay fines of $250 for infringing a 1996 municipal bylaw. The law allows such soliciting only during office hours on weekdays-and even then, for just two months of the year. It also requires a purchase of a $25 permit. The JW's say this is an unacceptable curtailment of their religious practice. The town of Blainville is considering restrictions on proselytizers.

The Gazette, Montreal, 2/4/98

ARoarer

Watching the coverage of Antrax and the fears that are counting on the way it is being transmitted through the mail system, it seems pretty logical that the freedom to pass literature door to door is going to be viewed as a possible threat by government. The JW's should be humble enough to cooperate and go along with the security measures rather than demanding their rights to force thier religious views on people. Thier intrusivness of coming on to people's property over and over again is going to wear thin on a lot of people who already view them as religious fanatics and basically pests.

Ranchette

Monday October 15 11:39 AM ET
Supreme Court to Decide on Door-To-Door Solicitation
By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In case involving Jehovah's Witnesses, the U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) said on Monday it would decide whether a city law requiring a permit before going on door-to-door solicitations violates free-speech rights.

The high court agreed to decide a case from Ohio brought by a local congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York challenging an ordinance regulating uninvited peddling and solicitation.

The law by the village of Stratton covers ``canvassers, solicitors, peddlers (or) hawkers'' who go to private homes for the purpose of ``advertising, promoting, selling and/or explaining any product, service, organization or cause.''

The individuals were required to first register with the city, providing information about their name and address, their cause, why they were canvassing, which homes they intended to go to and how long they planned to solicit.

No fee was required to get a permit.

A permit was provided unless the mayor determined the applicant failed to complete the form, provided fraudulent information, made false statements or misrepresentations while canvassing, violated any laws or engaged in trespassing.

9 A.M. TO 5 P.M. CANVASSING

Individuals were allowed to go door-to-door from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., so long as the owner of a residence had not filed a ``No Solicitation Form'' with the city and had not posted a ``No Solicitation Sign'' on the property.

While the ``No Solicitation Form'' listed several organizations by name, the only religious group cited was the Church of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The two religious groups argued in their appeal to the Supreme Court that the law violated constitutional protections under the First Amendment accorded to anonymous pamphleteering and discourse.

A federal judge rejected their claims that the law was too broad and vague and that it violated their rights to free speech and free exercise of religion.

A U.S. appeals court upheld the judge's decision, ruling the law was ``narrowly tailored to serve significant government interests.''

Attorneys for the two religious groups told the high court the requirement of obtaining the permit in advance of engaging in ``door-to-door advocacy of a political cause'' -- and having to display the permit upon demand -- violates free-speech rights.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case early next year, with a decision due by the end of June.

wannahelp2

Sorry,
It's wannahelp, but I posted too many times today.. So had to make a second account (wannahelp2).. How original, huh..

Anwyay:

I can see merits to this system -- BIG TIME --

It can protect the citizens by having the person register with the town.. The town should do a background check to make sure the person has no criminal record that would preclude this stuff (Say, petty theft, etc) as well as a sex-offender database to make sure the person is 'safe'..

Only after that should an ID card be granted..

This way the resident answering the door can instantly see the ID card, and know that the person they are talking to has been screened and is safe by the authorities..

The JW's should have no problem with this, after all, they have no problem following secular authority.. They pride themselves on how well they follow the 'law of the land'..

And the JW's cannot state that they are being forbidden from preaching the good news.. After all, it's a conscience matter if they choose to become registered and stay out in field service or not.. But it is their choice..

<ROFL>.. Damn, I scare myself sometimes..

Actually, seriously.. I just re-read this.. It makes sense.. I think a representative from Silent Lambs should goto that court appeal with all the 'pedophile' stuff, and show just how dangerous a situation can arise from this stuff.. Just using the JW's as an example, but the same can happen with any door-to-door saleman, not just JW's..

Maybe we should lobby for a nation wide system as such!!!!

joelbear

I wonder if Jimmy Swaggart or the Hare Krishna's will be testifying in the Watchtower's behalf?

nelly136

if it applies to any canvassers/door to door reps market researchers etc its hardly discriminating one particular party, with the amount of bogus callers we get over here its quite common for reputable company reps to carry id with a photo and their name on it,
My job conditions included a police check and an id card, no big deal
I have nothing to hide.
nelly

ARoarer

Free speech rights should not include intruding on another's property, thier home, a place of safety to push religious views. I always felt very uncomfortable doing this. It really is a boundary issue. Witnesses overstep boundaries in all kinds of ways. That is just part of thier MO.

wannahelp2

Don know Joel,

But I'll bet that the UN ain't gonna help them out in the humar rights department this time <G>

outnfree

According to the www.cnn.law article, it is the Supreme Court of the United States that will rule if Stratton, Ohio's 3-year-old ordinance requiring solicitors OF ALL TYPES to request a permit from the mayor's office. The Witnesses (the local congregation were joined in the suit by the WTBTS of NY, Inc.) are saying that the ordinance was specifically "designed to limit their ministry" and that "members cannot anonymously practice their religion in the town" according to the Associated Press.

The article quotes lawyers for the Jehovah's Witnesses as asking the Supreme Court: "Are religious ministers engaged in a Scripturally based centuries-old practice of communicating their religious beliefs from door to door constitutionally equivalent to peddlers of merchandise ... ?"

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Now, I have TONS of problems with that statement alone:

1) ARE JW publishers truly "religious MINISTERS"?

2) IS the door-to-door method of preaching truly "Scripturally-based"?

3) IS the door-to-door method of preaching truly "centuries old" or is it in reality more like decades old?

And as for being unable to practice their religion anonymously?????

Did the apostles preach anonymously????
Witnesses don't respect the right to privacy of householders when contacting them by telephone canvassing, do they?
And in the door-to-door work -- they know where the householders live and keep records of interest shown/not shown, so why can't the householders know where they live?

Whatever happened to obeying Caesar's law as long as it doesn't go against God's laws? They can preach in Stratton. Just as long as they REGISTER. Registering with the civil authorities is not against God's law, is it?

From Organized to Accomplish Our Ministry, Page 209, 1983:

(4) Should Christians comply with legal requirements such as the registering of marriages and births, respond to census inquires or obtain required licenses and permits that do not conflict with God's laws?Italics mine.

Now in those days a decree went forth ... for all the inhabited earth to be registered ... Of course, Joseph also went up from Galilee ... to get registered with Mary, who had been given him in marriage. -- Luke 2:1-5.

Continue reminding them to be in subjection and to be obedient to governments and authorities as rulers. -- Titus 3:1.

Additional references: 1 Timothy 3:2, 9; compare Acts 18:1-3; Hebrews 13:4

Optional questions for discussion: (a) Why is it important for you to be submissive to the civil authorities even when their rule may seem to be oppressive? (b) How can you be submissive to the political rules without violating Christian neutrality? Bold mine

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but this permit rule is not even "oppressive", is it?

outnfree

Par dessus toutes choses, soyez bons. La bonte est ce qui ressemble le plus a Dieu et ce qui desarme le plus les hommes -- Lacordaire

wannahelp2

I agree with ya out..

Personally, the more I re-think my tounge in cheek reply earlier, the more I like it <G>..

Everyone has to register.. It's not oppresive to anyone individually

It is actually a safety issue with us: How do we know the person knocking on our door isn't a their 'casing' out the house to come back later and perpetrate a crime (Theft or other), or a pedophile wondering how many small children live there?

And why do they need to be anonymous?

And, it certainly isn't stopping their right to preach the good news to those who want to hear it? All they have to do is register.. Hopefully, a background check is done, and get their ID card..

It is, after all their choice.. It's a conscience matter to them wether they want to register and continue in the field ministry or not <ROFL>..

CNN mentions Jehovah's Witnesses Today

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