Why is shunning NOT a violation of Nat'l and Int'l law?

by Zoos 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Zoos

  I was looking at The Universal Declaration of Human Rights posted at un.org and also the description of what constitutes a violation of religious freedom at uslegal.com .

  According to the Declaration of Human rights:

  Article 18.

  • Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

  Article 19.

  • Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

  According to USLegal:

  Pursuant to 22 USCS § 6402 (13), the term violations of religious freedom means “violations of the internationally recognized right to freedom of religion and religious belief and practice... including violations such as--

  (A) arbitrary prohibitions on, restrictions of, or punishment for--

  (i) assembling for peaceful religious activities such as worship, preaching, and prayer, including arbitrary registration requirements;

  (ii) speaking freely about one's religious beliefs;

  (iii) changing one's religious beliefs and affiliation;

  (iv) possession and distribution of religious literature, including Bibles; or

  (v) raising one's children in the religious teachings and practices of one's choice; or

  I'm not going to post all the Watchtower quotes of how they disfellowship as a means of punishing people for disagreeing with WT doctrine or shunning as a means of coercion to bring a person back to the organization - we're all too familiar with them.

  I just don't understand how they get away with it.
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  designs

  Religions are to often untouchable in this area of Law.
• 

  DesirousOfChange

  There is also freedom of association.

  You can't really pass a law forcing people to associate with or even "like" other people.

  However, hate speech based on race or religion or orientation has been made illegal in many arenas.

  Doc
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  stillin

  It is a violation of the law of common decency.
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  seekchristonly

  If someone disassociates themselves with an organisation becasue of conscience then that has to be repected by those they are disassociating themselves from
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  nonjwspouse

  Why isn't Sharia law not a violation of International law?
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  talesin

  It is my understanding that the "State" cannot discriminate or punish a person for the above listed things. The "Religion" is not bound by these so-called Human Rights that the UN and its members don't enforce anyhow.

  xx

  tal
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  Zoos

  There is also freedom of association.

  You can't really pass a law forcing people to associate with or even "like" other people.

  True.

  But by the admission of WT's own printed statements, they disfellowship people for adopting other beliefs as a matter of punishment and an attempt to coerce the individual into compliance.

  That is the very definition of placing "arbitrary prohibitions on, restrictions of, or punishment for--" on someone for changing his/her belief system.
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  AndDontCallMeShirley

  Once governments grow up and quit treating religion with kid gloves, and requires them to abide by the same rules that every other progressive institution sees as humanly decent, then you'll see changes.

  Until that time, you'll see religion exert the same force and idiotic traditions that have historically kept religion in the Dark Ages while humanity progresses by leaps into a better way of doing things.
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  talesin

  ADCMS - Precisely!