I am just curious here, and thought someone here may know the answer to a question I’m starting to wonder about.
At this link:
- http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/
2848af408d01ec0ac1256609004e770b/
66cf0523c6217c4b802567cc002f8b0e?OpenDocument
this UN document: “Report of the Working Group on Minorities on its fifth session” dated 24 June 1999
lists the NGO’s, under item 10, that were present as observers. It’s a long list; I cut out all the names except three that reference JW’s.
10. The following other non-governmental organizations were represented by observers:
Association of Jehovah's Witnesses,
European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses for the Protection of Religious Freedom,
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia,
This is the second time I have seen the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia referred to as an NGO. The other reference is at the link below where they are listed with other NGO’s as protesting reduction of intervention time.
- http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/english/pressrelease/
ngo-petition-23-10-2000-osce2000.html
I saw only the Watchtower listed in the UN directory of NGO’s when they were associated. Do you suppose it’s possible that they have been associating as NGO’s under different names, such as above, depending on the country they were currently getting resistance from in becoming an established religion--then disbanded once their fight was won? Or were these JW NGO’s members of the Watchtower NGO, like the way NGO’s can be members of various UN or Human Rights Organizations-many of which are NGO’s also, such as Amnesty, Human Rights Watch or the OSCE. I noticed on the NGO listing that many countries are listed as NGO’s. The few that had web pages had a link to membership information. Or maybe those are names the JW’s used to become members of these various Human Rights Organizations?
Joseph you said:
I tend to believe them is that I cannot imagine WHY they would risk so much for so little; surely they would have known that their application would be public.
So little?
In the last ten years the JW’s have toned their fire and brimstone speech regarding governments (satan’s reps), human rights organizations (chasing rainbows), and their blanket condemnation of ALL religions (Were the only true religion w/God’s backing). Why? Their views have not changed.
There is never any mention as to why this softened tone. Becomes a little clearer though, when considering their UN/NGO association.
What there is no real change in though, is their proclamation that they are persecuted and hated by the world. Of course, in the industrialized nations the witnesses pretty much enjoy every freedom that other religions enjoy. Not much in the way of real persecution. But it's been ingrained in their minds for decades that they are hated by EVERYONE outside their bubble, that if a person should ridicule their religion, it’s perceived as persecution. Yet, they have disdain for ALL religions.
But in some developing countries there is definite persecution of the JW religion. There is also definite persecution of Baptist, Catholic, Muslim, Scientologist, Mormon and several others I never heard of. Being the expansionist that they are (the WT) I suppose their UN/NGO association was to better represent themselves in countries that refused them religious status and the benefits that go along with that status.
They have certainly benefited from many of the human rights organizations such as OSCE, human rights without frontiers, Amnesty International, and governments agencies such as the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission), the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, and The UN’s Special Rapporteur.
I was under the impression any search for JW on the Internet would turn up an endless number of “apostate” sites. OK, it does turn up quite a few. But a search for Jehovah’s Witnesses, Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, or Watchtower, and then a sub search of one of the organizations previously mentioned, also turns up quite a few finds. Browsing some of these articles it can be seen that these organizations are taking up the JW cause and offering them a hand in overcoming the resistance the WT is receiving in some of these countries, even if it's just through exposing in print some of the obstacles that JW are trying to overcome.
This is just one example I thought was interesting:
- http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/06/georgia-religion0607-ltr.htm
This person from the Human Rights Watch is requesting “information about measures taken to prevent impunity for violent attacks on members of nontraditional religious communities” (specifically JW’s). Then notice how many organization reps are cc’d a copy of this letter—bringing this matter to their attention also.
Or this article at
- http://www.house.gov/csce/hearing.htm
This WT rep is presenting the JW grievances to the CSCE along with the Scientologists.
I think their associations go much further than just the UN. Too many of these organizations, government and human rights, have taken up their cause. What’s more is that it’s working. They have won their fight in a number of countries already, but they didn’t win it alone.
I certainly haven’t read about these organizations active participation in exposing the persecution of the JW’s in the Watchtower or Awake. I don’t think it would go over too well that the one and only true religion is fighting right along with Babylon for religious freedom, nor would it be conducive to promoting “The Whole World Hates Us” propaganda.
This really got long. If you’re still reading, Thinks for taking the time.
Sapo
