Human rights violations by the Watchtower

by yalbmert99 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  yalbmert99

  http://www.watchtowerlies.com/watchtowerlies_021.htm

  Human rights violations by Jehovah's Witnesses

  The Jehovah’s Witnesses organization has often been prompted to go before the courts to defend the rights of its members to reunite, to preach door to door, to refuse certain medical treatments, to refuse to salute the flag, to refuse to sing the national anthem, to refuse to serve in the military etc. However, behind closed doors this cult is far from respecting fundamental human rights.
  
  Here are a few of the prohibitions in the Jehovah’s Witnesses, which are imposed on their members stripping them of their human rights.
  
  

  • Forbidden to have premarital sex. 1
  • Forbidden to participate in oral sex. 2
  • Forbidden to participate in anal sex. 2 and 3
  • Forbidden to participate in sexual activity with people of the same sex.4
  • Forbidden to marry someone who is not Jehovah’s Witness. 5
  • Forbidden to divorce and to remarry. (Can divorce and remarry only if the other spouse commits fornication). 6
  • Forbidden to have an abortion or to use the morning after pill. 7
  • Forbidden to masturbate. 8
  • Women must be in total submission towards their husbands. 9
  • Forbidden to believe in evolution theory and to promote such ideas.10
  • Forbidden to promote other beliefs that are not taught by the cult and forbidden to contest existing ideas (apostasy). 11
  • Forbidden to go to another religion or cult.12
  • Forbidden to oppose the law of the sect, organization or its representatives. 13
  • Forbidden to listen to certain types of music, movies, television shows, read certain books, play certain games or video games. 14
  • Forbidden to acquaint oneself with non-believers on a regular basis. 15
  • Forbidden to participate in sports competitions (not sports). 16
  • Forbidden to vote independently at an election. 17
  • Forbidden to involve oneself in politics. 17
  • Forbidden to play the lottery. 18
  • Forbidden to partake in any celebrations such as Halloween, Christmas, New Year's Eve, Birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, national celebration days, Easter etc. 19
  • Forbidden to receive blood transfusions even if life is compromised. 20
  • Previously: Vaccines and organ transplants were strictly forbidden. 21
  • Previously: Post secondary education was strongly discouraged. 22
  • Forbidden for women to wear revealing shirts, tub tops skirts that are above the knee. 23
  • Forbidden for women to have special privileges in the congregation such as elders or ministerial assistant or other. 9
  • Forbidden for women to teach men the doctrine unless there are exceptional circumstances and in these cases they must wear a hat as a sign of subordination.9
  • Forbidden to participate in martial arts. 24
  • Forbidden to drink a toast to somebody. 25
  • Tattooing is strongly discouraged. 26
  • Piercings are strongly discouraged. 27
  • And more.

  
  
  Many prohibitions are directly linked to disciplinary measures imposed by what they call an ‘elder’ or a committee of 3 elders forming a judicial committee (a religious court). They use a manual named “Shepherd the Flock of God - 1 Peter 5:2“. Only elders are permitted to use this manual. It indicates how to punish disobedience. The following are some examples of their coercive measures:
  
  

  • Severe and humiliating verbal reprimands to break the individual.
  • Temporary or permanent loss of privileges (they work on a privilege system).
  • Inability to obtain privileges.
  • Censorship.
  • Rejection and avoidance of a member once they’ve been deemed 'noted'.
  • Unwanted disassociation.
  • Disfellowshipping: no longer able to have access to other members. Forbidden to speak or to associate with the disfellowshipped. It is psychological harassment.
  • Parents use corporal punishment to discipline their children.

  
  These prohibitions and disciplinary measures are violations of human rights. The prohibition of blood transfusion is a violation of the right to life in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. References : Watchtower publications listed below.
  Note : these references were taken from the french versions. The pages and dates may differ in the english ones, especially for the older publications. 1 - Watchtower February 15th, 2004 p. 12 par. 9
  1 - You can live forever in paradise on earth, (1989), chap. 12 p. 110 par 15
  2 - Watchtower January 1st, 1978 p.14 par 14
  2 - Watchtower May 15th, 1978 p. 30-31
  3 - Watchtower July 1st, 1977 p.400 par 16
  4 - Watchtower February 1st, 2002 p. 5
  4 - Watchtower June 1st, 2000 p. 6
  5 - Watchtower May 1st, 2002 p. 17, par. 13-15
  5 - Watchtower July 15th, 1999 p.31
  6 - Awake ! May 8th, 2004 p. 20-21
  6 - Watchtower May 15th, 1990 p.17 par. 11
  7 - What does the Bible really teach? (2005) chap. 13 p.127 par. 5
  7 - The secret of family happiness (1996) Chap. 5 p. 53
  8 - Questions Young People Ask-Answers That Work. (1989) Chapters 25 and 26.
  9 - Insight on the Scriptures (1988) p. 875
  10 - See the book : Life : How did it get here? By evolution or by creation? (1985)
  Chap. 20 p. 248 par. 6
  10 - Watchtower April 1st, 2005 p.5-6
  10 - Awake ! June 22nd, 1998 p. 8
  11 - Our Kingdom Ministry, December 2003
  11 - Our Kingdom Ministry, May 1992
  11 - Watchtower May 15th, 2003 p.15 par. 24
  11 - Watchtower October 1st, 1989 p.18-19, par 13-14
  12 - Watchtower October, 15th 1986, p. 31
  13 - Watchtower August 15th, 2000 p. 28
  14 - Worship the only true God, (2002) chap. 8 p. 75 par. 12
  14 - The secret of family happiness (1996) chap. 13 p. 156 par. 10
  14 - Awake ! November 8th, 1986 p.10
  15 - Worship the only true God (2002) chap. 5 p. 46. par. 10
  15 - Awake ! November 8th, 1986 p.10
  15 - Awake ! January 22nd, 1994 p.18
  15 - Awake ! December 22nd, 1993 p.26
  15 - Awake ! May 22nd, 2002 p.25
  16 - Watchtower April 15th, 1977 p.238-239 par. 9-12
  16 - Watchtower June 15th, 1999 p.13
  17 - In the past , it was forbidden for Jehovah's Witnesses to vote at the elections. In the past, many witnesses were imprisonned around the world for refusing to vote :
  17 - Revelation : it's grand climax at hand! (1988) Chap. 28 p. 197 par. 36:
  But since 1999, the Watchtower took a softer line. If they are forced to vote, they can :
  17 - Watchtower November 1st, 1999 p. 28-29
  18 - Watchtower June 15th, 1993 p. 31
  19 - Watchtower November 15th, 2003 p. 27
  19 - What does the Bible really teach? (2005) Chap. 16 p. 156-159
  19 - Watchtower December 1st, 1996 p.9
  20 - Watchtower June 15th, 2004 p.29-31
  21 - Watchtower June 15th, 1980 p.31
  *Vaccines were forbidden from 1931-1952. (The Golden Age of Feb. 4th.1931 ; The Watchtower 15 déc. 1952)
  22 - Questions Young People Ask-Answers That Work. (1989) chap.18 p.141
  22 - Watchtower August 1st, 1990 p.13 par. 15
  22 - Watchtower August 15th, 1992 p. 28
  22 - Watchtower November 1st, 1992 p. 20 par. 17-19
  23 - Watchtower February 1st, 2002 p.6
  23 - Watchtower June 15th, 1977 p.373 par. 6
  23 - Watchtower July 1st, 1973 p.412
  23 - Watchtower December 1st, 1970 p.724 par.21
  23 - Watchtower April 15th, 1971 p.242
  23 - Awake ! February 22nd, 1985 p.22
  24 - Watchtower October, 15th 1983, p. 24
  25 - Keep Yourself in God's Love, (2008), p. 154
  26 - Awake ! September 22nd, 2003 p.25
  27 - Awake ! March 22nd, 2000 p. 11
• 

  sir82

  Membership in the religious entity known as Jehovah's Witnesses is strictly voluntary. You joined of your own volition.

  If you don't abide by that organization's rules, they can terminate your membership.

  It's hardly a "human rights violation".

  You'd be better off heading down a different road - coerced alienation of affection from family members of former members. That's more close to a "human rights violation".
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  yalbmert99

  That too is for sure..
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  cofty

  what sir82 said
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  criticalwitness

  the problem is all the kids born in to the org they dont have a choice and parents will happily disown their kids in this org if it comes between them and their god trust me seen it happen many times as well the death sentances they hand out if you are labeld an apostate you are hated and considered dead just awaiting execution! they give these death sentances out to kids! who for all intant and purposes believe this no kid is emotionaly stable or built to deal with that oh and during that time no support from fam and friends! its crazy whatever allowed gov to go in on that waco texas thing hope will allow to break up this cult!
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  00DAD

  I respectfully disagree with Sir82.

  We may have joined of our own volition, but once you're in you discover sooner or later that the WTBTS/JW are not who and what they claim to be. They are hypocritical frauds and liars.

  It's not like they actually are God's Representatives on Earth.

  When someone learns The Truth About "The Truth" and wants to leave, well they can but they will of course be disfellowshipped and shunned by any and all that remain in the organization, including family members.

  For one person to coerce another to cut off family relations due to made up and false religious rules is a violation of basic human rights. I for one am constantly amazed that it's not criminal. If JWs had their way you can be sure that such actions WOULD BE criminal by all religions except of course their own.

  But then again everyone here is familiar with that fact that JWs take religious hypocrisy to new lows. They make the Pharisees look like wankers:

  "No one should be forced to worship in a way that he finds unacceptable or be made to choose between his beliefs and his family." - Awake, July 2009, p. 29

  Here is just one example of many where JWs apply one standard to everyone else on earth and exempt themselves. The word for this is hypocrisy.
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  andys

  My roommate saw firsthand how bad this cult is, I called my dad on Christmas and asked if I could come over and visit, I had my speaker phone turned on so my roommate could hear it, my dad told me over the phone because I am considered apostate I am not allowed anywhere near their house after that my dad hung up the phone without saying goodbye, my roommate was taken back by all that.
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  Jeffro

  Membership in the religious entity known as Jehovah's Witnesses is strictly voluntary.

  That's not strictly true. Most JWs are born into the religion (as well as parents of minors who convert). Those children are under frequent pressure to 'progress' toward baptism, and often are not given opportunity to build any meaningful social relationships outside the group. Fear of the 'the world', of losing all their family and friends, of 'dying at Armageddon', of 'bloodguilt', etc are used in order to keep children inside the group. This is coercion, not voluntary membership.
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  sir82

  OODad,

  For one person to coerce another to cut off family relations due to made up and false religious rules is a violation of basic human rights.

  For someone who "respectfully disagrees" with me, you sound an awful lot like you are making my very point!