What has been the strong defense so far - it is 2006 but they dont appear to have had any significant impact?
skeptic2
JoinedPosts by skeptic2
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skeptic2
It seems there is a small number of J-dubbers in China.
Adherents of the Baha'i faith, of Mormonism, and of Jehovah's Witnesses exist in China in small numbers but are not allowed any legal existence. http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=740
Seems they are just not catching on there.
Interesting comment by the Watchtower:
Many people in China flock to the churches in hopes of finding something to fill the spiritual void that has resulted as capitalistic aspirations gradually displace Communist ideology. Every year, millions of copies of the Bible are printed and distributed in China, and people seem to be reading it the way they did Mao's little red book. http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2003/12/1/article_01.htm >
If we optimisticly assume 'millions' means 10 million. Population estimated by the CIA at 1,313,973,713. That's would be 1 bible for every 131 Chinese people.
If we pessimisticly assume 'millions' means 2 million. Population estimated by the CIA at 1,313,973,713. That's would be 1 bible for every 657 Chinese people.
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skeptic2
Having thought about it I've changed my mind. I think they would do ok, if they caught on, the kind of 'success' Falun Gong sees would be at the upper end of the 'whats possible' range I think.
This raises an interesting question: how does the process of spreading Jehooberism to a new country work? -
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skeptic2
"And look at Falun Gong indeed! Have they been wiped out yet? NO! "
I think it is safe to assume they are being kept at a controlled level, being persecuted and kept at a controlled level would not seem to agree with the implication of the question 'is China the next big field for JWs?'. It's maybe a small field, a very small field. -
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skeptic2
Here's why I refer to Falun Gong:
Falun Gong lays emphasis on its interpretation of good moral nature. Practitioners are required to emphasize virtue (de), be a good person in all environments, and always think of others before doing things.
Doesn't sound very threatening does it?
In July 1999, the Chinese government declared the practice of Falun Gong illegal. Several weeks earlier, for 12 hours on April 25, about 10,000 people gathered at the Central Appeal Office at Foyou street,[17] outside Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of Chinese government and lined up along a 2 km stretch. The practitioners dispersed peacefully after they received word that Premier of the People's Republic of China Zhu Rongji had agreed to their requests. Nevertheless, it was widely reported by the Chinese media that Falun Gong practitioners organizing a protest in the heart of the Communist Party of China alarmed many senior leaders, particularly Jiang Zemin.[17]
There has been international response to the suppression. According to the Falun Gong-run Falun Dafa Clearwisdom.net, there are, as of June 3, 2006, 2,898 reported cases of Falun Gong practitioners dying in police and government custody in mainland China[18], giving rise to allegations of torture and police brutality.[19][20] The report also alleges that hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been detained, with more than 100,000 sentenced to forced-labor camps. Moreover, there are more than 30,000 documented cases of persecution.
I'm sure the Chinese government would view the Christian Congregation of JWs as even more threatening than the Falun Gong. They could only survive if they kept very very quiet, which would mean no property ownership for the Watchtower.
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skeptic2
I say no too, China's government will be too threatened by the JWs, look how they cracked down on the Falun Gong.
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Gregg Stafford returning to the Big O
by Amazing ingreg stafford posted on july 1, 2006 that he is returning to the organization.
you can read his article at: http://www.elihubooks.com/greg-stafford/another.htm.
his rationale and logic are most interesting.
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skeptic2
When did this guy ever stop being a Jehovah's Witness? In the linked article he calls the WTS 'the organization bearing Gods name', he writes books like 'Jehovahs Witnesses Defended'. Sounds like a J-dub to me, whether or not he attends the meetings.
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Gregg Stafford returning to the Big O
by Amazing ingreg stafford posted on july 1, 2006 that he is returning to the organization.
you can read his article at: http://www.elihubooks.com/greg-stafford/another.htm.
his rationale and logic are most interesting.
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skeptic2
Let's take bets on how long before he leaves again.
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I think any religion can change some one's life to a positive way.
by free2beme ini remember as a witness, how we always were told account of people getting their life changed in a wonderful way, when they became witnesses.
we always thought, "that is what happens when jehovah comes into your life.
" yet if you think about it, every religion i have ever encountered, has similar account of lives being changed by religion.
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skeptic2
1. I decide my own purpose.
2. An honest and realistic view of the world leaves me with no necessity for 'hope'.
3. I organize myself. My own experience and the experience of others allows us to determine shared guidelines for our co-existence.
As other have said, religion might provide these things, but it certainly isn't necessary. -
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For you guys in the UK ... Tax Defaulting
by stevenyc in.
http://www.comisiwnelusennau.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?chyno=1067063
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skeptic2
From the wording of that paragraph, those rules may only apply from 2003 onwards (e.g. an update in the law). There may be other, or even no, penalties that apply before that time. Or do we know otherwise?