NEWSWEEK: After Ban, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia Harassed by Police During Religious Services (page 4)

sparrowdown

WT's attitiude has always been when governments make a ban we make mileage!

You watch the borg will milk this ban for all it's worth. Shameless bastards.

Just as Rutherford "set up" JWs for persecution in Germany in the 1930s by his writing an inflammatory letter to Hitler , so too the GB needlessly "sets up" JWs for persecution in Russia by sanctioning public forms of "worship" in defiance of the ban.

In both instances, the "leaders" are safe in the USA.

Hecce

More similarities with Cuba:

The Jehovah’s Witnesses were an insignificant minority but they over estimated their importance and displayed a belligerent attitude, it was known that this was a US based religion and an easy target to connect them with the CIA. The WT acted like it was business as usual, during the early times of the revolution an Awake magazine came out with the title “Soviet world master plan for world conquer” and it was pure anti communist propaganda.

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5645973241987072/fidel-castro-wt

Tech49

I agree completely with the comments of Sparrowdown.

If something is illegal, whether it is now, or tomorrow, or overnight changes make it illegal...you DONT DO IT! The law is the law. As mentioned, there is no "rule", or "law" that states you MUST OBEY GOD and go to meetings in order to be a JW. Just not true. I can guarantee you that I would NEVER put my family in harms way just to go to the KH, or to go to a hidden bunker meeting. That's just stupid, and smacks the face of the governmental authorities, whether you agree with them or not. Why INVITE a problem into your home.? Why put yourself in HARMS WAY for 7 old men in New York?

People are lemmings. Exactly as Steve2 said.... super easy for them to send the publishers to get arrested and jailed..... from the comfort of their new McMansion in New York.

Shameless and disgusting, but equally appalling is the "persecution complex" of the publishers. Gag.

zeb

So why don't the jw there use the Russian Orthodox bibles because they are conditioned not too!

Surely the Russian security apparatus has better things to do.

I wish the Russian Govt takes a good look at the ARC and what it has uncovered with a view to dumping on the wt org and not going down the old Stalinist road of persecuting the rank and file.

Brokeback Watchtower

Well I think this is just the beginning of governments baning a foreign run religion for profits harming its citizens now that the Watchtower corporation is faced with mass communication from the internet and all the shit they are facing in one country after another before the whole world to see,, they can't use religious freedom as an excuse to abuse members and making profit at all the free labor they get from enslaved members.

They definitely are not getting the world on their side no matter how hard they try with their pious " we are the faithful slave" bull shit.

OrphanCrow

zeb: I wish the Russian Govt takes a good look at the ARC...

There is no reason to think or presume that the Russian authorities are not fully aware of what is happening in Australia with the ARC or anywhere else in the world, for that matter.

What might be worth taking a good look at are some of the documents that have been accumulated in the Russian courts concerning the Jehovah's Witnesses over the past few decades. There has been no shortage of scrutinizing the religion and the organization:

http://roman142.blogspot.ca/p/blog-page_07.html

I cannot imagine the Russian government conducting anything near what the ARC is doing in Australia...it would not be worth their effort or even be feasible for many different reasons. Like trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Russia is not Australia - not by law, not by culture, not by politics.

For one thing, Australia is dealing with the JWs as only one of several institutions. And for another, the JWs in Russia are a very small group in comparison to their size in Australia.

Russia is dealing with the JWs using entirely different laws that are not at the disposal of the Australian government.

Apples to oranges. Oil and water.

The only commonality that Russia has with Australia is that they have both placed the Jehovah's Witnesses under ban in the past.

Surely the Russian security apparatus has better things to do.

Of course they do.

That is why they are shutting down the WTS' operations there. They are getting them out of the way so they can do their job.

Having to monitor unsuspecting dumb JWs who don't know enough to spot someone taking advantage of their networked organization, for purposes that has nothing at all to do with their religion, has been taking up a lot of the authorities' time.

If the JWs in Russia would quit taking up the authorities time and just obey the law, the Russian security apparatus wouldn't have to waste so much time dealing with the JWs' unlawful behavior.

WTWizard

The leaders do not care. Just attend the boasting sessions anyways and accept the consequences. This is the same as when they refuse to cancel a boasting session for snow or a hurricane, leaving many stranded or leading to many accidents. Or egging on the flock to do stupid missions (like Israel) that serve no purpose other than to waste their resources, only to have rabbis using black magic on the whole human race using their littera-trash. Or to give up all their belongings and quit their nice jobs so they can pious-sneer.

They just don't get it that, when it is not safe to do something, they shouldn't be expected to do it anyways. And if joke-hova really expects them to do boasting sessions and field circus in unsafe conditions, or to make legendary sacrifices with no benefits, then is it really worth worshiping? For sure, joke-hova is not worthy of my worship if it demands people to be that stupid that they will go in field circus in dangerous circumstances. Bans are only one of the areas where joke-hova insists on people sacrificing safety for its own short term gains.

menrov

First, it is good to realize that Rom. 13:4 makes it clear the governments are God's servants. It means, going against them, is going against God. regardless the correctness of the decisions of these servants. It is up to God to judge them, not up to the WT in this case. The bible never says anywhere that a believer MUST gather in a man-made house of worship, regardless the rules of the country. It is a WT rule, jeopardizing the lives of many of its members. If the law says that something is illegal, it is. And if one does not obey, there are consequences. Happens in all countries. The WT had time to appeal in court but eventually lost. Whether one agrees with the law or reasons behind it, is irrelevant. If I am speeding because I believe I have the right to move at a speed I like (freedom to move), I will still be penalized for it. It is a law. David is sometimes used to show that he continued the worship as usual. First, it was his personal choice. Second, he personally accepted the risks. So, if any member of the gb believes it is good to do what David did, then take a plane (paid by donations) and personally go door to door and accept the risks.

Now, why not just leave the country? Why use the local member to fight the government. Paul did not (Act. 13:51). Matt. 10:14 gives the same advice. Check Act. 14:6. Or Act. 7:29. Joseph and Maria fled to Egypt. Lastly Jo. 10:39,40.
My point: get out of the country if you are not welcome or when you cannot do what you want without breaking the law. Protect you members who donated all their time and money to you. Give them the freedom to believe and protect themselves. Unfortunately is seems the WT is more interested in their own interest.

jwleaks

From the JWs official instruction book "Organized to Do Jehovah's Will" on page 166 (also available in Russian and given to every Russian JW):

NEWSWEEK: After Ban, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia Harassed by Police During Religious Services