Sign this petition - Investigation On Jehovahs Witnesses Religious Policy That Violates Human Rights and Abuses Religious Freedom (page 3)

wearewatchingyouman

Can a religion use of coersion and pression thru leaders to lead You to do that?

Yrs. This is what most religions do. Use pressure from religious leaders and coersion, or threaten bad things will happen for not following their teachings, to make the congregants fall in line with the teachings.

Especially a religion that enjoy freedom of speech and proud of is conquests of religion's freedom?

Yes, this would fall under freedom of association and freedom of religion that they've fought for through the years.

problemaddict

I do not think this is a waste of time. Continuing to poke and prod and annoy even if they are never actually indicted, is part of what exposes and embarrases this religion.

In other words, sometimes the act of protest and the act of questioning does just as much damage. Everyone has their own way.

tootired2care

The net effect of this will probably be close to nil, but anything I can do to disrupt or at least annoy the WT is well worth it to me.

OUTLAW

Every one as the right to don't talk to anyone he or she don't want. But the question is:

Can a religion use of coersion and pression thru leaders to lead You to do that?

.............................................Yes..Because..

...........................There is No Law against Being Stupid!..

............................................... ..OUTLAW

Simon

In other words, sometimes the act of protest and the act of questioning does just as much damage. Everyone has their own way.

Yes, but then doesn't it behoove us to do a proper job of it?

(and yes, I just wanted to use the word 'behoove' ... it's not my fault my bucket list is lame and geeky.)

Simon

This is what most religions do. Use pressure from religious leaders and coersion, or threaten bad things will happen for not following their teachings, to make the congregants fall in line with the teachings.

That's exactly right but it's difficult to tell the difference between genuine belief and techings solely for the purpose of control.

It comes down to our relative chosing to believe that certain people are speaking for an all powerful super-being ... and he doesn't want them talking to us.

Yes, it's stupid. Yes, they are stupid to believe it. But no, the government will not pass any "don't be dumb" legislation.

Heck, look at the cults that are truly abusive and how extreme them have to be before the government will intervene.

There is no appetite (in the US) to hold religions accountable for ANYTHING. One thing you have to give the French - they get shit done.

The thing to attack the WTS on is taxes. Now THAT is something that the government could get on board with (again, probably not in America).

wearewatchingyouman

As an interesting side note - The Bahai faith works closer with the UN than any other faith on Earth. You know the UN who's document is quoted throughout the petition. In fact it could be said that the tenets of the faith and the UN are virtually identical. They are joint partners with the UN in many venture's.

http://www.bic.org/who-we-are/what-bahai-international-community

https://www.google.com/#q=Bahai+and+the+UN

Yeah, they also shun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunning

OUTLAW

Yes, but then doesn't it behoove us to do a proper job of it?

......

.....................................................................OUTLAW

adamah

TJ asked:

Can a religion use of coersion and pression thru leaders to lead You to do that? Especially a religion that enjoy freedom of speech and proud of is conquests of religion's freedom?

Not only "yes", but HELL yeah, at least in the US court system, shunning has been repeatedly been ruled to be a Constitutionally-protected activity covered under free exercise of worship doctrine. It's part of their freedom of association rights, where "freedom of speech" includes the right NOT to speak.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunning_among_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses#Legality

In June 1987, the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld the Witnesses' right to shun those who fail to live by the group's standards and doctrines, upholding the ruling of a lower court, finding that "shunning is a practice engaged in by Jehovah's Witnesses pursuant to their interpretation of canonical text, and we are not free to reinterpret that text … The defendants are entitled to the free exercise of their religious beliefs … The members of the Church [she] decided to abandon have concluded that they no longer want to associate with her. We hold that they are free to make that choice."

Kinda sad that some ex-JWs are embarrassing themselves with their ignorance of the Basic Principles of American Civics (which is excusable, likely due the JW anti-education and "non-participation in voting and government" stance, hence they've likely not taken a required Gen. Educ. course in Poly Sci, i.e. Intro to Government 101). You'd have to trample all over the US Constitution in order to change the situation, and there's not a snowball's chance in Gehenna of the Justice Dept or US Attorney General's Office doing anything but filing the petition in the circular bin, even if it gets the required number of signatures. It's a no-brainer.

Just like there is no law preventing people from putting together silly inane petitions that only allows signatories to fly their "I'm a dumbass!" banner proudly, there is no law preventing JWs from flying their "I'm a dumbass!" flags by engaging in shunning at the direction of men in Brooklyn. Freedom is a two-way street....

BTW, I didn't sign up for the process (obviously), but it seems as if the web-page of the petition site (change.org) seemingly "outs" whomever signs it, showing the names of recent signatories and their locations? Just sayin', something to watch out for....

Adam

Watchtower-Free

If this gets some media attention and a few media Web links that can be used to build on

then it will be usefull .

Sign this petition - Investigation On Jehovahs Witnesses Religious Policy That Violates Human Rights and Abuses Religious Freedom

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