Looking over some of my old papers I came across this quite amusing article from the Awake” magazine. I read the article with interest as I have personally been involved in the child custody cases mentioned from Norway. The Awake! starts up it’s lament with a text from the Bible:
*** g92 9/22 11 Jehovah's Witnesses 'Delivered Up to Local Courts' ***Like any other Human rights violator the Watchtower Society doesn’t like being haled before the courts. The fact that they are not in court because they are merely “Christian” doesn’t seem to worry then much, why confuse the issue with facts?
Jehovah’s Witnesses ‘Delivered Up to Local Courts’
CHRISTIANITY has met with opposition from its inception. In giving instructions to his disciples, Jesus warned: “Be on your guard against men; for they will deliver you up to local courts, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. Why, you will be haled before governors and kings for my sake, for a witness to them and the nations.” (Matthew 10:17, 18) In most countries today, opposition to the Kingdom takes a more subtle approach than the murderous wave of persecution that broke out shortly after the execution of Jesus. In the complex world in which we live, the issues raised by opponents extend beyond the preaching of the good news of the Kingdom.
*** g92 9/22 11 Jehovah's Witnesses 'Delivered Up to Local Courts' ***
Child-Custody Matters
One court to which some of Jehovah’s Witnesses have increasingly been delivered is the family court. In Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Norway, the United States, and other countries, a small group of opposers have tried to make religion the key issue in determining child-custody issues when faithful Witnesses of Jehovah are divorced by unbelieving mates. Just because they were Jehovah’s Witnesses, Witness parents have lost custody of their children.
I am very proud (something that I extremely rarely is) to be one of the “opposers” mentioned in this Awake!
*** g92 9/22 11 Jehovah's Witnesses 'Delivered Up to Local Courts' ***
Child-Custody Matters
One Witness lost custody of her three-year-old son and was restricted from even mentioning religion during periods of visitation. The Legal Department of the Watchtower Society appealed this order and lost in the court of appeals. An appeal was then taken to the Ohio State Supreme Court. Happily, on April 15, 1992, the court ruled in favor of the liberty of the Witness. The 11-page opinion struck quite a blow to the so-called expert witness, who is actually a disfellowshipped individual claiming to be a psychologist. The court said that he “testified, on the basis of a dissertation he had written, that mental illness was more common among Jehovah’s Witnesses than among the general population. This testimony was a blatant attempt to stereotype an entire religion. . . . [T]his one piece of statistical evidence is meaningless.”
The reference above to a “disfellowshipped individual claiming to be a psychologist” was a kick to Jerry Bergman. The courts are naturally quite shocked when they realize how bad the Watchtower religion is for children. In my experience the courts are quick to realize this when it is explained properly to them. The Watchtower literature provides all the necessary documentation for all the insanity the Witness child gets subjected to. The lower courts in Norway have made several similar rulings regarding restrictions on the Witness parents trying to indoctrinate the child during visitation. This is of course done because it doesn’t take any sane person long to realize how harmful it is.
But when such cases some before the higher courts, and they always do because the Watchtower Society is forever appealing, the principles of religious freedom enters more into the picture. And there is no doubt that under the cover of Freedom of Religion the various religious denominations are perfectly free to violate other laws, like Human Rights, etc. As shown clearly in the next quote:
*** g92 9/22 11 Jehovah's Witnesses 'Delivered Up to Local Courts' ***
The court has ordered a new trial, saying: “[C]ustody may not be denied to a parent solely because she will not encourage her child to salute the flag, celebrate holidays, or participate in extracurricular activities. We reverse the trial court’s custody and visitation orders because these decisions were improperly based on [the parent’s] religious beliefs.” As a result, this mother enjoyed attending the Memorial of Christ’s death on April 17 with her son at her side in the Kingdom Hall.
In the KH children will learn that non Jehovah's Witnesses are scum, including it’s “infidel” father or mother, that they will be wiped out by Jehovah very soon. They can be taught to hate the non-Jehovah's Witness parent because of this; in short they can be manipulated in every possible way and they usually are. This can be done while the Watchtower Society scream about persecution and oppression.
*** g92 9/22 11-12 Jehovah's Witnesses 'Delivered Up to Local Courts' ***
The Legal Department of the Canada branch office of the Watch Tower Society has two cases now pending before the Supreme Court of Canada on this same issue. The Austria branch has been involved in a stunning victory in a case before the European Commission of Human Rights. Additionally, Belgium, France, and Norway have reported recent trial-court victories for beleaguered Witnesses in other child-custody cases where religion was the focal point of the attack. In each instance, as Jesus said, it has turned out for a witness not only to the court and the lawyers but to the nations through the publicity generated by the news media.
It is quite amusing to read about this “stunning victory” in Austria. I am familiar with the case, it is known as the “Hoffman” case. The Austrian supreme court was extremely courageous and actually said out loud that the Watchtower religion made Jehovah's Witnesses unsuited as parents. The European commission did however NOT change the verdict of the Austrian supreme court which had given the non Witness the custody, something which the Awake! completely “forget” to tell it’s readers. So let’s hope that the Watchtower Society will have many such “victories” in the future. In Norway there was a similar case where the non Witness parent was awarded custody clearly based on the dysfunctional religion of the Witness parent. The Lower court wrote a decision which clearly stated this. All the Supreme Court in reality said was that this was something that had to be tried in all individual cases, that being a Jehovah's Witnesses should not automatically exclude one as a parent, something I of course agree fully with. But the Supreme Court didn’t alter the fact that the non Witness parent had got custody.
As we know, Freedom of Religion also grants parents the right to kill their children, although indirectly. Jehovah's Witnesses and their children have the RIGHT to refuse the use of blood, they of course have NO RIGHT to choose otherwise because then they will be hit with severe sanctions:
*** g92 9/22 12 Jehovah's Witnesses 'Delivered Up to Local Courts' ***As we can see if the Awake! version here is indeed true, some health care people get a bit heavy handed some times too, but unlike the Watchtower Society they are probably concerned with saving lives, while the Watchtower Society is more concerned with their own power over people, and when you can get people to die over your sick rules, that must be the ultimate power trip, the closest a human being can get to play God. Of course it is always such a comfort to the faithful Jehovah's Witness reader when they write little coded messages like the one above:
Blood Issue
Another matter that Witnesses are being confronted with is the blood issue. Despite recent victories for the religious liberty and personal autonomy of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Supreme Courts of Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York and despite the tireless efforts of Hospital Information Services and the many hospital liaison committees of Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout the country, this issue keeps raising its ugly head. However, health-care providers are getting a witness, and some hospitals are trying to identify quickly and clearly patients who are Jehovah’s Witnesses.*** g92 9/22 12 Jehovah's Witnesses 'Delivered Up to Local Courts' ***
A lawsuit on behalf of a 16-year-old and his mother in federal court in Atlanta is nearing trial. The young boy was tied up and transfused for eight hours. The hearing to obtain a court order authorizing this conduct was held in the hospital and obtained without notice to the boy or his mother. There are numerous other cases pending in appeals courts and new ones arising daily. Battles are being won, but the struggle for human rights is not over. Jehovah’s Witnesses look to Jehovah God to vindicate his law on this issue, in his own due time.
“JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES LOOK TO JEHOVAH GOD TO VINDICATE HIS LAW ON THIS ISSUE, IN HIS OWN DUE TIME.”
This would be quite innocent to the non Witness reader but to a Jehovah's Witness it is another assurance about the imminent slaughter when Jehovah will kill all those non Jehovah's Witness bastards.
*** g92 9/22 13 Jehovah's Witnesses 'Delivered Up to Local Courts' ***Yes, they are indeed “haled” before the courts, and rightly so for their criminal behavior, not because they are Christians.
Jehovah told the nation of Israel that they would not conquer the Promised Land all at once but that it would be accomplished “little by little.” (Deuteronomy 7:22) The advancement of the rights of Jehovah’s modern people is rather similar; little by little they make progress. But win or lose, it is certain that whenever Jehovah’s people are haled before governors, kings, courts, or anyone at all, it turns out as a witness for them and the nations.
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In the near future Jehovah will completely vindicate himself not only on issues involving blood and custody but also on the legal issue involving his sovereignty. Then his people will experience peace from all opposers and enjoy exquisite delight under Kingdom rule—because Jehovah is a lover of justice.—Psalm 37:28.
Again we get that little assurance from Brooklyn about the horrible “fate” that awaits those who dare interfere with the Brooklyn based world wide con operation. And it will of course all happen “IN THE NEAR FUTURE!”
Norm