Posts by Tahoe

19

Judgment Day in Russia

by Tahoe in

http://www.newsweek.com/jehovahs-witnesses-russia-are-having-their-homes-raided-even-remote-towns-934734.

law enforcement officials in birobidzhan, russia, a small town close to the border with china, raided 20 homes belonging to jehovah’s witnesses, according to members of the religious organization.. the raids were conducted by around 150 police officers, who nicknamed their operation “judgement day,” jarrod lopes, a member of the jehovah’s witnesses, told newsweek.

police confiscated photographs, bank cards, money and electronic devices from the houses they searched, said lopes.. a criminal case was opened against a man named alam aliev, who will be kept in pretrial detention until july, members of the religious group said.

Tahoe

http://www.newsweek.com/jehovahs-witnesses-russia-are-having-their-homes-raided-even-remote-towns-934734.

Law enforcement officials in Birobidzhan, Russia, a small town close to the border with China, raided 20 homes belonging to Jehovah’s Witnesses, according to members of the religious organization.

The raids were conducted by around 150 police officers, who nicknamed their operation “Judgement Day,” Jarrod Lopes, a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, told Newsweek. Police confiscated photographs, bank cards, money and electronic devices from the houses they searched, said Lopes.

A criminal case was opened against a man named Alam Aliev, who will be kept in pretrial detention until July, members of the religious group said.

The raids are part of an ongoing crackdown against the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In April 2017, a Russian court officially labeled the Jehovah’s Witnesses an extremist organization. The group’s administrative center in St. Petersburg has since been seized, and Jehovah’s Witnesses have been forced to practice their religion in secret.

Despite staying out of the public eye, members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses have had their houses raided on numerous occasions, and some have been charged with extremism. A similar raid took place a day earlier in the Orenburg region, in southwest Russia, where three people were allegedly brought into custody.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are calling on the international community to help them protect their right to worship freely.

“These raids are further evidence that Russia is brazenly persecuting Jehovah’s Witnesses, despite the fact that respected international human rights organizations have condemned their actions. These outright abuses of our religious freedom are not going unnoticed,” David Semonian, international spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses at their world headquarters in New York, told Newsweek.

“We hope that the harassment of our fellow worshippers will end and that those taken into custody will be released and returned to their families as soon as possible,” Semonian said.

At least 175,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses live in Russia, and an estimated 250 reside in Birobidzhan, which has three congregations. Birobidzhan is a historically Jewish town, but today, only a tiny fraction of the local population is Jewish.

21

"The last DAYS?"

by eyeuse2badub in

i was asked last sunday, after a meeting that i attended with my wife, by a good friend if i believed that these were indeed the "last days".

what prompted his question was the public talk given by a young man that i have known since he was 7 years old and is now an elder at 30.. the talk made mention several times that we are 'definitely' living in the "last days".

i assume that the expression "last days" was prominent in the outline.. i hope that he way i answered my friend's question jump started his thinking.

Tahoe

33

Can anyone name a single incident when bethel has fed the poor ever ?

by Chook in

charity is lacking from the house of god.

i remember reading once about some young pioneer sisters who needed emergency accommodation and where turn away from brooklyn because they weren’t special pioneers.

charity begins at home..

Tahoe

Years ago, brothers and sisters in an adjoining Country were hit by a massive hurricane. Some even losing their homes.

JWs from all over the US donated dry goods and clothing. The eighteen-wheeler carrying it all, backed up to our Kingdom Hall and the brothers unloaded the goods inside. They then called members with large families etc. to come and take what they wanted.

I was 9 years old at the time, and was amazed at all of the items and clothing stacked nearly to the ceiling! One of the elders was near by and feeling a little confused as the storm had passed over our city, I asked “What about the needy brothers and their children??” Clear as a bell, I can recall him answering “They will be okay. This is all extra.”

I did enjoy gathering a few things, guiltily wondering if this is how Christmas feels.

Reminiscing that experience as an adult, kind of makes me sick at my stomach. :/

25