Court Case in Germany

GermanXJW

The WebSite of the German branch says there will be another announcement on March 24th, 2005 in the court case that has been lasting for more than a decade now in which they try get granted the status of a public body.

I will keep you informed.

Celia

they try get granted the status of a public body.

I will keep you informed.

What does having this status allow them to do ?

Waiting for mor info....

GermanXJW

Theoretically they could get a tax from their members collected by the state. And they could teach their religion at school and sending a delegate to the media committees.

The more important things to them is excemtion from certain taxes and easier way of buying real estate.

And a better image in society of course.

IT Support

Hi GermanXJW ,

Any recent news from the Enquette Commission?

What's happening regarding the state requiring WT to pay pensions to ex-Bethelites?

Thanks.

GermanXJW

The Enquete Commission published their results and ceased to exist (as Enquete Commissions usually do). They said most cults are not dangerous to the state but to individuals.

Talking about pensions: for some years now, the WTS has been paying insurances for those at Bethel or for Special Pioneers when they leave. But they have to apply for it. And of course it is the smallest insurance possible.

GermanXJW

I am not sure if anybody has brought this up (I was not at home for some days) but on March 24th (memorial date) the court in Berlin declared the victory of the WTS against the land of Berlin. So, now they have to be recognized as a public body. No revision allowed but the Land of Berlin checks if they can go to court again. If the verdict becomes valid the WTS will start to gain recognition in all other lands of Germany.

The main point of the court was that the Land of Berlin did not succeed in showing that JW were violating certain laws - and this case is running for more than a decade

Once, I was in the courtroom (as audience) and I can tell you this is less a WTS victory than the loss of the Land of Berlin. They just did not do their job.

blondie

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1530197,00.html

Jehovah's Witnesses Granted Legal Status

A Jehovah's Witness displays brochures of the group

A Berlin court ruled on Thursday that Jehovah's Witnesses are entitled to the same privileges enjoyed by Germany's major Catholic and Protestant churches, ending a 15-year legal fight about the group's status.

The administrative court in the city-state of Berlin granted Jehovah's Witnesses the right to collect taxes and construct buildings after rejecting the arguments of lawyers that they were not a lawful group as they prevented children from receiving blood transfusions, endangered children's well-being through rigid educational practices, and damaged family relations.

But Berlin judges said the city-state authorities had been unable to substantiate the accusations with evidence from family courts or youth social workers. The court supported the position taken by lawyers for Jehovah's Witnesses that reports from people who had left that society were unreliable.

?If you have out of a hundred or two hundred thousand Jehovah?s Witnesses, 10 or 15 who say something like that, well you can go to any of the churches, the Catholic Church or others too, and ask was there anything you were discontented with?" said Richard Kelsey, an American who for years has been part of the Jehovah's Witnesses' leadership in Germany.

The head of Germany's Evangelical Council, Bishop Wolfgang Huber, criticized the court's decision in an interview with German radio station Info Radio.

"I am very surprised that the court did not give more weight to the arguments put by the Berlin senate," he said.

Legal rights, tax breaks

The court decision allows Jehovah's Witnesses to employ clergy, collect church tax, and establish charitable organizations. It also gives them tax breaks.

Despite the favorable ruling, the church said it won?t fundamentally change its activities.

?We have the right to preach, we have the right to assemble, and that?s what we?ll continue to do, but we will not be wanting to collect taxes,? Kelsey said.

Under the Nazi regime, Jehovah?s Witnesses were sent to concentration camps. They were also banned by East Germany's Communists.

Jehovah's Witnesses assume a position of complete political neutrality, will not join the armed forces, and refuse even to salute a flag, considering their only allegiance to be to God.

The Berlin ruling has wider national implications as this is the first time Jehovah's Witnesses, whose German headquarters are in Berlin, have fought for recognition in the country. The group may now seek a similar status in Germany's 15 other states. There are around 166,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany today.

DW staff (dc)

GermanXJW

deleted, see same text below

GermanXJW

>Jehovah's Witnesses, whose German headquarters are in Berlin

Their headquarters is in Selters/Ts. which is in Hessen, another land of Germany. They went to Berlin and founded a letterbox company for this lawsuit.

>There are around 166,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany today.

This is corresponding to the number published in the Watchtower, that is publishers. Normally, the official number of 210,000 is given. But the Watchtower os reporting around 160,000 publishers.

GermanXJW

This is the official verdict:

http://www.berlin.de/senjust/gerichte/ovg/presse/archiv/24409/index.html

Maybe you can translate it here: http://babelfish.altavista.com

Court Case in Germany

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