News: Recent warning from French President about certain practices of JWs.

by AndersonsInfo 14 Replies latest jw friends

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  AndersonsInfo

  Here's the link in French. Below that is the link to the Google translation. Can someone help with a better translation?

  http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/le-classement-atypique-des-temoins-de-jehovah-par-l-ump_981061.html

  http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/le-classement-atypique-des-temoins-de-jehovah-par-l-ump_981061.html&act=url

  Debate on secularism

  The classification "atypical" by Jehovah's Witnesses UMP

  By Benjamin Sportouch published on 08/04/2011 at 21:0 |

  • Comment (43)

  

  The president Miviludes Georges Fenech, warned against certain practices of Jehovah's Witnesses akin to "sectarian".

  AFP / FRANCOIS GUILLOT

  During its debate on secularism, the UMP has ranked the religious movement in the "atypical". The head of the fight against cults is more circumspect.

  In the document circulated earlier this week to the press by the UMP with 26 proposals the party for secularism , it is painted a religious scene of today's France. And among the "atypical religious movements" are cited as one example of Jehovah's Witnesses. Classification of the most unusual ...

  Jehovah's Witnesses, who have always defended as a sect, were contained in a blacklist established in 1995 by a parliamentary commission working on cults

  Georges Fenech, former UMP deputy and chairman of the Interministerial Mission of Vigilance and Combat against Sectarian Abuses (Miviludes) declined to comment specifically on the choice of the presidential party in its brochure.

  But questioned by LEXPRESS.fr, he said that Jehovah's Witnesses are the subject of "vigilance" of special Miviludes because some of its practices are similar to "sectarian" could cause a disturbance to public order and public health, such as refusal of blood transfusions or ostracizing children an education based on the imminence of the Apocalypse they are the only survivors.

  Moreover, a "judicial committee" should be systematically seized by the "faithful" before any complaint in court, resulting in "occultation of matters that can be severe," especially for "acts of pedophilia. Miviludes receives "regular reports" against them, "says Fenech.

  For all these reasons, the Federation of Christian Jehovah's Witnesses in France does not enjoy cult status in 1905 allowing tax relief on gifts and bequests. Fenech says she is still liable for 50 million euros to the state. Jehovah's Witnesses who count some 144 000 "proclaimers" - appealed, still pending before the European Court of Human Rights.

  Mr. Fenech has received in January Guy Canonici, head of the Federation of Jehovah's Witnesses. "He read a letter in the form of an indictment against Miviludes and more broadly against France, draconian state according to him, refusing to leave before any dialogue," said the former MP.
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  Quendi

  Considering how intolerant the French government has been with Muslim women who insist on wearing head scarves, this development is hardly surprising. I put little credence in the French government's classification of Jehovah's Witnesses. Do I think the sect is a cult? Based on the regimentation it imposes on its rank-and-file, I do. But I do so as an individual, not as a government that can take punitive action against a religion it happens to dislike. Surely there are more pressing problems in France clamoring for government attention than aggression against a group who, however strange its beliefs, has consistently proved itself to be composed of law-abiding, tax-paying, conscientious citizens.

  Quendi
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  snowbird

  The government should strike at the head of the snake, WBTS.

  Syl
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  Quendi

  The problem of pedophilia is indeed serious and must be addressed. However, that should come in the form of actions against individuals, and not against a group. Let the French government question branch officials who execute Watchtower policy and any elders who are complicit in crimes against children. That is the way to proceed.

  Quendi
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  jean-luc picard

  The President is not the French President but the President of Miviludes.

  The miviludes is a gouvernment agency which observes religious sects

  and is committed to garantee respect for republican values and fundamental rights. The UMP is a political party.The daily Miviludes aims to prevent as many of the risks inherent in certain practices harmful to freedom, physical and mental integrity and dignity of man, found in certain religious sects.

  The Jehovahs witnesses have , over several years, been pursuing the miviludes in justice to try and force them to take off their website , under the heading, " Be informed and act", extracts from a book by an ex JW , Nicolas Jacquette, entitled, Nicolas 25 years old, escaped from the jehovahs witnesses.

  The actual court decision is typically long and legally worded, but, in a nutshell, the jws lost. So now they are appealing before the highest court possible ( God apart of course) the European court of justice.
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  drewcoul

  What is the UMP?
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  Quendi

  Thanks for the clarification, jean-luc picard.

  Quendi
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  jean-luc picard

  Reading up a bit now, aparently the jws took the publisher to court for defamation ( and lost). The author, Nicolas, gave witness, and he said that the jws produced Nicolas sister and father to witness against him.

  It was the last time he saw them.

  The most important point made, was that the 40000 children of jws in France, are not allowed to make their own decisions but are brought up according to the ideas of their parents and are refused access to outside information that may help them have a more balanced view or to relativise the information given by the jws

  I will try and find out a little more of what he wrote in his book.

  Its starting to sound interesting.

  jlp
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  AndersonsInfo

  Yes, thanks, jean-luc picard, for clarification about the president and explanation of article. Sorry to inadvertently mislead in the title about "French President." Anyway, Fenech is a French president, but not of France. See why I asked for help!

  Barbara
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  deep-blue-sea

  Sorry, some correction:

  Jehovah's Witnesses, who have always defended as a sect,....should read: JW who always defended from the accusation of being a sect

  draconian state according to him...should also read; a freedom-killer State

  refusing to leave before any dialogue.. should read: he left, refusing any dialogue (after having declared that the french State kills the freedom (of JW... he left refusing dialogue....what an arrogant person!!!!!!)