Russia’s religious persecution focuses almost exclusively on Jehovah’s Witnesses

[TrueTomHarley]

“Russia’s religious persecution focuses almost exclusively on Jehovah’s Witnesses,” said Denber. (See below article)

This is much stronger than I would have put it, but it is also from someone more in the know. Rachel Denbar is a spokesperson of Human Rights Watch. She spotlights human rights violations in Russia for all causes—not just religious, but also political, journalistic, persecution of gays, etc. When it comes to religion, there is only one worth mentioning, she reports.

I have said that all minority religion in Russia is harassed, but that JWs are in the vanguard; I said in Dear Mr. Putin - Jehovah’s Witnesses Write Russia that JWs are banned, but others are shaking in their boots that they will be next. Turns out I was wrong. They can rest easy. For all practical purposes, it is only Jehovah’s Witnesses. “You don’t see this kind of ban on other sorts of religious life,” Ms Denbar says.

https://www.christianpost.com/news/russia-sentences-66-y-o-jehovahs-witness-to-6-years-in-prison.html

“In the 2017 Supreme Court case, the actual verdict wasn’t about condemning beliefs, it was about liquidating legal entities. Whether or not someone is a believer, really has nothing to do with liquidating a legal entity,” he said. “They’re using that law as a weapon and misapplying it to attack Jehovah’s Witnesses religious beliefs.”

Of course! The notion of outlawing a religious organization but not the individuals of that religion is so duplicitous that ordinary people cannot get their heads around it and just carry on as though the people themselves were outlawed. It may have been planned that way. Or it may simply represent manipulation from devious ones, even a Devious One, who prefer to remain hidden.

The 66-year old just sentenced to prison, where he will rub shoulders with violent criminals and risk getting COVID-19, says: I have found myself being accused not of a crime, but of being a follower of the religious teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I have no enemies, and for my almost 67 years I have never been brought to administrative or criminal responsibility. I am against any form of violence, be it verbal, psychological or physical.” Everyone knows it is true, save for a few fringe anticultists who equate not hanging out with those who turn 180 degrees against you as “psychological violence.” Everyone else instantly realizes the truthfulness of his statement.

“The law targets those who are extremists or terrorists or dangerous. It’s a gross misapplication of the law.” Of course, again.

And what are the chances, in any kind of a sane world, that these are the persons who would be persecuted, when there are so many who in the blink of an eye will turn to violence, and a few that specialize in it? It makes no sense from a human point of view. Therefore, persons can be forgiven if they look for a superhuman point of view—and there they can find one.

“The Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short period of time....[He] became enraged at the woman [mommy, according to Alan] and went off to wage war with the remaining ones of her offspring, who observe the commandments of God and have the work of bearing witness concerning Jesus.”

I think of a local brother with a certain dramatic flair decades ago taking a globe onstage for his public talk. He quoted Matthew 24:14: “This good news of the kingdom will be be declared in all the earth for a witness and then the end will come,” and as he did so, he put his finger down upon this or that small area of the globe in which the area king said, “This good news of the kingdom WILL NOT be be declared in my part of the earth.” The unspoken question carried an implied answer: “Who will prevail—the maker of the globe or the one who would defy God on this small section of it?”

Sometimes those who don’t like Witnesses will carry on about how they overstate their “persecution complex.” We see here from the Christianpost.com that, in reality, Witnesses understate it. 

 

 

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

10 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

And what are the chances, in any kind of a sane world, that these are the persons who would be persecuted, when there are so many who in the blink of an eye will turn to violence, and a few that specialize in it? It makes no sense from a human point of view.

It does make sense actually, if you look at it from a governments viewpoint. If you have a large group of peaple in your country that do not support that governement then that government will be watchful. 

BUT add to that, if you have a large group of people in a country that will not fight to defend that country that could cause the government a problem. THEN add to that, that the large group of people not only will not fight to defend the country BUT they are telling everyone else not to fight to defend that country. 

WE know that war is wrong, WE know that killing is wrong, but 'worldly governments' are not interested in God's viewpont. 

Countries such as Russia want to appear strong. To appear strong they need massive Armed Forces.  But Russia has this 'group of people' that don't want Russia to appear strong, because this 'group of people'  won't join the Armed Forces and continue to tell others not to join the Armed Forcess. 

In simple words, Jehovah's Witnesses are a threat to Russia's strength.   Those people in Russia that 'specialize in violence'  are the ones the Russian government will be happy to have, because such people will fight for the country. 

Of course all persecusion is wrong, but seen from the side of the authorites running a country, it's possible to understand their perspective. 

I do laugh at your misuse of scripture about the devil coming down  .

 

[Matthew9969]

Too bad for them to be in jail, but I got to wonder why they are not having very much help from Jehovah in trying to get away with an underground church?

[Matthew9969]

10 minutes ago, 4Jah2me said:

It does make sense actually, if you look at it from a governments viewpoint. If you have a large group of peaple in your country that do not support that governement then that government will be watchful. 

BUT add to that, if you have a large group of people in a country that will not fight to defend that country that could cause the government a problem. THEN add to that, that the large group of people not only will not fight to defend the country BUT they are telling everyone else not to fight to defend that country. 

WE know that war is wrong, WE know that killing is wrong, but 'worldly governments' are not interested in God's viewpont. 

Countries such as Russia want to appear strong. To appear strong they need massive Armed Forces.  But Russia has this 'group of people' that don't want Russia to appear strong, because this 'group of people'  won't join the Armed Forces and continue to tell others not to join the Armed Forcess. 

In simple words, Jehovah's Witnesses are a threat to Russia's strength.   Those people in Russia that 'specialize in violence'  are the ones the Russian government will be happy to have, because such people will fight for the country. 

Of course all persecusion is wrong, but seen from the side of the authorites running a country, it's possible to understand their perspective. 

I do laugh at your misuse of scripture about the devil coming down  .

 

Add to that their extreme dangerous human sacrifice doctrine that weakens the Russian population. 

[TrueTomHarley]

2 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

It does make sense actually, if you look at it from a governments viewpoint....BUT add to that, if you have a large group of people in a country that will not fight to defend that country

Maybe not so much sense as you think.

Probably, Putin would know how to “look at it from a government’s viewpoint.” Yet, he is the one who said, “I don’t know why we persecute Jehovah’s Witnesses,’ since “they are Christians, too.”

2 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

I do laugh at your misuse of scripture about the devil coming down

Nonetheless, those are the verses that apply, particularly since your “answer” is so easily debunked.

Ignoring the obvious regarding spiritual things, you might even find that “the kingdom of God has overtaken you,” particularly since you offer NO substitute for the kingdom proclamation that they do. Why allow that to happen?

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

10 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

since you offer NO substitute for the kingdom proclamation that they do.

JWs only proclaim the GB and the Watchtower.  To stand with a cart / trolly which offers GB / Watchtower literature is hardly proclaiming the Kingdom.  It proclaims the GB as the F&DS and proclaims lies about when Armageddon will arrive. It still, after all these years, proclaims 1914.  It's like an old record stuck in the same old groove. 

10 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

particularly since your “answer” is so easily debunked.

The people in Russia doing the persecuting must have some political power, so my answer isn't debunked at all. My answer makes sense to sensible people. 

[TrueTomHarley]

11 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

My answer makes sense to sensible people. 

I didn’t want to spotlight that you know so little but you just push and push with each statement more ill-informed then then the next that you back me into a corner. In fact, nearly everything you say is wrong.

You were the one who insisted that all minority religions are persecuted in Russia. Nobody made that case louder than you. Now we see through Rachel that the targets are almost exclusively JWs.

You should at least make amends for your previous blunders before committing new ones.

[Matthew9969]

At least they aren't getting their heads chopped off, or shot in the head. Does that mean they aren't true martyrs? 

[TrueTomHarley]

9 hours ago, Matthew9969 said:

At least they aren't getting their heads chopped off, or shot in the head. Does that mean they aren't true martyrs? 

Not to that extent, and hopefully that extent will not come. However, those Witnesses who lived in Soviet times say the persecution today is worse than that of Soviet times. Beatings were uncommon then. Today they are routine. And torture was unheard of then. It has taken place in the modern day.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

So when Hitler persecuted the Jews does that mean that the Jews had the true religion and it was the devil causing the persecution of true religion ?   I don't think so. 

But you are right, I don't have real knowledge about the troubles in Russia.  Not being a JW I suppose Russia doesn't play on my mind. But the persecution is wicked and should of course stop. 

But I don't think it is a 'sign of the end', whereas you might. 

[Equivocation]

Human Sacrifice? That is a stretch Matt. 😬Seeing how long this has been going on, I doubt a small number of people is causing damage to the Russian population. This is more of, well, a specific group that doesn't want competition and said group has many many allies, even other religous leaders.

[Matthew9969]

1 hour ago, Equivocation said:

Human Sacrifice? That is a stretch Matt. 😬Seeing how long this has been going on, I doubt a small number of people is causing damage to the Russian population. This is more of, well, a specific group that doesn't want competition and said group has many many allies, even other religous leaders.

Refusing a blood transfusion to appease God, is human sacrifice:)