Any news on JWs in the Ukraine?

careful

The war in the Ukraine has been going on for 2+ years now, yet very little has been put forth by the Org on how the Witnesses are doing there. Especially of interest would be just how the Org has implemented their relatively new 'alternative service is OK' policy in lieu of real military service in a place where warfare is actually occurring. Yet nothing is forthcoming from the GB on this matter, or any other issues, really.

Does anyone know what's been going on the regarding the Witnesses there?

no-zombie

Hi Careful,

I read a few months ago that because of the large number of draft dodgers, the Ukrainian courts are now beginning imprisoning those who do so. However as a former soviet country (newly turned to the West) I be surprised if they actually have an "alternative service' clause on their books. If they did, there would not have been the need for so many run away.

However I would like to know how are they going for another reason.

As I talked about in another post, I'm not a believer in waiting for the Organization's disaster relief committee being of any more use than turning my pain into a photo op for the next 'watching the world' article.

Yes like you said, some Witness families in Europe have how been housing Witness refugees in their apartments for over two years. And while it might have been fun for the first few weeks (and caused quite a buzz at the local Kingdom Hall) I sure by now that feeling is quite old. And for those who have been forced to return, was there a line of silver JW.*** trucks filled with building supplies, furniture, food and clothing, waiting for them inside Ukraine so they can restart their lives? Yeh ... I would like to know that answer to that question too.

Bill Covert

There was a news article on AT&T Yahoo news a few weeks ago that stated that the JW's in Mariupol were being arrested as in Russia.

no-zombie

Mariupol is in Russian controlled territory now.

Earnest

In War Resisters International it reports that only one JW has been sentenced to prison (in March) for refusing military service, and his case is on appeal.

Jehovah's Witnesses note that this is the first prison term handed down to any Jehovah's Witness for refusing mobilisation on grounds of conscience. They point out that this case was initiated and the first-instance court handed down a sentence within about five weeks.
Jehovah's Witnesses stress that their young men are prepared to perform an alternative civilian service. They also note that Jehovah's Witnesses in neighbouring Russia (where the community has been banned as "extremist") do not participate on grounds of conscience in Russia's war against Ukraine.

Gorb

Read the report:

https://risu.ua/en/jehovahs-witnesses-and-the-war-in-ukraine_n146457

G.

Gorb

Part of it:

"Although Jehovah's Witnesses do not participate in military operations, they do what they can to help rebuild buildings after the bombings. For example, several construction groups are currently operating in the country to help repair residential buildings, public institutions, and Kingdom Halls. To date, 37 projects have been completed, and work is underway on 48 more. If a house is destroyed, a garage or shed is converted into a modest dwelling. Even those who have lost their homes to rocket attack participate in the reconstruction work. Such construction groups even help repair public buildings. For example, in the city of Mykolaiv, a group of Witnesses assisted an international humanitarian organization in repairing and organizing a warehouse for clothing and other aid."

Bill Covert

the article said that in 1951 10,000 JW's were sent to Siberia. I don't remember that publicized in the Societies writings, as in the case of Germany. 1951 was in the Stalin era, so much different than the era prior to Putin and his partnership with the Orthodox Church.

Sea Breeze post on the 1963 UN resolution perhaps has a connection. That resolution was centered in the release of the "Babylon the Great" as much ado was being made of the "little horn" on the head of the "wild beast" the "whore" was riding. As if I remember right the "little horn" was the UN.

So if the church wanted to go back to writings in the "Revelation book" , the "Babylon book" they could say that the partnership between Putin and the Orthodox Church was accurately depicted in the "Babylon book" as the "whore" climbing back up on the back of the "wild beast"

But then they would have a problem with their resolutions during the 1960's where they were poking a sharp stick in the eye of the Catholic and Orthodox church's. So then what responsibility falls on the present day GB for the mouth of Fred Franz who provoked the "harlot" to where some really good people are now catching hell?

Any thoughts?

Anony Mous

The Ukrainian government has recently banned lots of religions it deems to go against its interests, especially going after evangelicals and other Christians the WEF deems dangerous to its progressive agenda. If JWs were still hardcore pacifist and anti-government, they would probably be in trouble.

Like everything else, I think the WTBTS is going to be talking out of both sides and split the baby, like it did when tons of black JW voted for Obama, they just kind of did a tisk tisk at the convention which was the first time I noticed a big change in their approach.

I’m sure there are JW swept up in the nationalist socialism prevalent in Ukraine or the Putin communist propaganda on the other side. The times of going hard against a cause like they did at the time of the Vietnam war and post WW2 mandatory service is over. I was trained from young age to go 2 years to jail for service with fiery speeches from CO and conventions and this was later converted to a possibility of public service and then rescinded just a few years before my 18th birthday, now, they can’t be bothered to draw a line, just speaking in platitudes.

road to nowhere

There are refugees here on USA. A sister hired one for handy work-said he was Russian, then Ukrainian. She follows the news closely.🤔

I don't know how they got here but I am sure who did NOT provide an airline ticket

Any news on JWs in the Ukraine?

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