News Article on Protesting JWs from Portugal:
web link to actual article:
>> http://jornal.publico.pt/publico/2002/01/20/Sociedade/S08.html
Posted by: OhHappyDay
Senior Member
Posts: 159
Re: MAJOR PRESS REACTION!! Jan 20, 2002 10:56
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Some other friend is doing a better translation, but this was the 1st trial [translation] of a german friend from another forum.)
MAKE SURE THAT YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER GETS A COPY!!!!
Newspaper Headline in Portugal, Spain:
PROTESTING JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ASK FOR EXPLANATIONS
From ANTÓNIO MARUJO
Sunday, January 20, 2002
More than a thousand letters were sent from Spain
In focus is the "hypocrisy" of the leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses in relation to the United Nations
Almost 1200 people that participate today in a meeting of elders (locally responsible) of Jehovah's Witnesses received a special letter from Spain this week by internal critics. In it the leadership of this religious group is criticised, with respect to a registration in the United Nations. As PÚBLICO announced in last October, the WBTS, the head organ of JW at world level, was enrolled for 10 years in a departement of the United Nations, an organization that is designated in publications of the group as the "detestable thing" and the "scarlet beast" referred in the biblical book of the Apocalypse (or "Revelation").
The letters sent from Spain - the content of which the PÚBLICO had access to through information that circulates in the internet and whose authenticity was possible to confirm - were directed to elders and "kingdom halls" (local congregation rooms of JW) in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. According to the information gathered, the remittance of the letters was performed by several dozens of people, some of the them also elders, in other words, holders of positions with local responsibility inside of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Among the addressees, are the more than 160 thousand JW, gathered in 2150 congregations, according to the numbers of the "Watchtower", mentioned in the information of this group of critics.
According to the text of the letter, the senders - whose critical voices consider the registration in the UN a "hypocrisy" - ask the elders to inquire from those responsible beeing present at the meeting, why the WBTS didn't inform anybody about the registration in the UN, in any one of the three regular publications - the Watchtower", "Awake" and "Kingdom Ministry" - during the 10 years in that the registration was in effect. They also suggest to ask for the reason, why the countless letters of JW, asking what happened, were replied to with trivial answers, suggesting one should "talk to the local body of elders".
The meeting today is a "school" of elders, in other words, an educational provision for those responsible locally. Basically, all the elders from Germany and some of German speech originating from of Switzerland and of Austria have been called to attend, so that those attending should total between six thousand and nine thousand participants. During the meeting, the participants will hear a succession of speeches, mainly covering juridical subjects. But the senders of the critical letter expect that, in the intervals, some of those attending dare to ask questions to the conductors.
The critics bring to attention, that in the letter that summoned this meeting in Germany, it was said twice that no one must record, in any way, the speeches of the "elder school".
The registration in the Department of Public Information (DPI) of UN was done in 1991, thereby being registered among no-government organizations to collaborate with the United Nations. According to statements made by the spokesperson of JW in Portugal, Pedro Candeias, in October, they were justified "because of being able to help and to defend the human rights in several countries of the world". But as happened, the critics say, just before the publication of the information, the WBTS decided to cancel the registration in the beginning of October. And obviously, those same protesting groups are not satisfied with the explanations given up to now by those responsible.
Actual Portuguese article/source on web:
>> http://jornal.publico.pt/publico/2002/01/20/Sociedade/S08.html