Russian Officials Ban JW.OR

[Allabord4Jah]

Dear friends, I just got this email about 5 minutes ago.  Its from a brother in California. Brother said that the ban was instituted yesterday and not for the 22nd of January 2014.  He asked that we pray incessively for our brothers and for our beautiful site to find Spiritual FOOD!    This deserves our utmost prayers that this site not be banned!  

 

I just checked JW.ORG and here is the story from there:

 

JANUARY 21, 2014 | RUSSIA

Russian Officials Seek Court Ruling to Ban Popular Bible-Education Website

 

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia—On August 7, 2013, the Tsentralniy District Court of the city of Tver, located 100 mi (approx. 160 km) north of Moscow, ruled that the Bible-education website jw.org should be banned throughout the Russian Federation.

 

Although jw.org is consulted by hundreds of thousands around the world and is highly regarded by researchers, the court sided with officials seeking to ban the popular website. The court rendered its decision without notifying or taking any testimony from the publishers of the site, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York. Jehovah’s Witnesses are appealing the decision to the Tver Regional Court. The appeal is scheduled to be heard on January 22, 2014.

 

If the appeal is denied, the website will no longer be available to the over 160,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, who regularly use the website for religious services and in personal and family Bible study. Promoting the website will then become a criminal act in Russia. Additionally, some 142 million people living in Russia will be restricted from consulting jw.org for free information about the Bible. Commenting on the website, Yekaterina Elbakyan, Doctor of Philosophy and expert in religious studies who serves as a professor at the Academy of Labor and Social Relations in Moscow, says that jw.org is “a gift for anybody who is engaged in religious research. It provides comprehensive and understandable material. Significant spiritual and moral issues are presented in a simple way. When you use the website, you feel like you are being openly welcomed into the home of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

 

Speaking from St. Petersburg, Grigory Martynov, a spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, states: “The jw.org website is a wonderful tool for those in our country searching for information about the Bible and is not politically or commercially affiliated in any way. We hope that the Tver Regional Court will ensure that this popular educational resource remains available for all Russians.”

 

J. R. Brown, a spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses at their world headquarters in New York, comments: “The jw.org website is valued both as a research tool and as a trusted information source for families all over the world. It is so valued that an average of 900,000 people visit the site every day to access positive information available in some 600 languages. Censoring this material is clearly unwarranted.

[Jewelz]

This is so upsetting ! Praying Jehovah looks after this...soon!

[Allabord4Jah]

We will be praying all through our evening into the night because in Russia, its daybreak.

[inge]

At this point we can only pray for our dear brothers and sisters in Russia. Jehovah is in charge. It is a small thing for him to direct the matter. One thing is sure, this will draw attention to the jw.org website. People may just take a look to find out what this case is all about. Jehovah knows what is best. All we can do is pray.

Inge

Niagara Falls, ON

[Poly Ester]

The outworking of Jehovahs will is taking place....Satan thinks he is king but we know who is in control.

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[NSSewer]

Between those Russian Moslems and those Russian Catholics, Satan has a really strong grip on those people not in the Truth! But as always, our Jehovah proves stronger than anything Satan and his people dish out! I wonder if the Brothers can go to WOL...

[cricket246]

I have seen like 3 threads on here about this and I have a question. Are they going to trial the 21st or 22nd? I know it's like 6:15 a.m. in Moscow, Russia right now...

[Allabord4Jah]

The trial part is for January 22nd. So here its now 10:45pm U.S.A., and its after 6am in the morning in Russia.  I don't know what time in the morning or afternoon the brothers go before these judges.  So we have still have a couple of hours to pray for the brother's behalf. 

Edited January 22, 2014 by allabord4jah

[Sheep]

It says on jw.org that the decision to ban the site was made August 7, 2013, but "the court rendered its decision without notifying or taking any testimony from the publishers of the site." Furthermore, the brothers weren't even made aware of the appeal until yesterday! It doesn't even look like the GB knew about the original court ruling until now.

 

There's got to be something illegal about a court decision like that! No doubt the brothers will use that fact in today's appeal. But will a Russian court judge take that into consideration, or just ignore the unfair tactics of the opposers like many of the other judges before them? No wonder our prayers are needed!

Edited January 22, 2014 by Eric_Milton

[cricket246]

Not surprised....anything Satan does is never legal from God's standpoint......

[Abbyz]

I hear they want to BAN jwtalk.net too. lo..

 

Jesus is the head of the congregation, so he has a hand in the formation of jw.org. You can not fight him.what they are doing is just upsetting him and his father.

If they succeed in banning it, t will just be for a short time before Jah shows his power.

 

i feel so bad for my bros in Russia.

[cricket246]

Seriously I wouldn't be surprised if they try to ban anyone online from chatting with a Russian citizen if the person says there a Jehovah's Witness... Even if we're located In another country...

[cricket246]

Looks like thing are speeding up....

Edited January 22, 2014 by cricket246

[jidcman]

UPDATE: Attempt to Ban JW.ORG in Russia Fails http://www.jw.org/finder?locale=en&docid=702014102

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[anharrell]

Jehovah's hand was CLEARLY seen in this matter. I am so deeply overjoyed that our brothers and sisters in Russia can continue to use our website.

[MikeC]

A lovely young couple were on holiday here in Spain at the end of November and mentioned this back then.

They serve at the branch in Russia and said that this was scheduled for the end of January and that lawyers were being sent from Brooklyn.

They said that the excuse being used to ban the site was 'extremist' literature being on there, as a result the brothers have stopped any of these publications being shown if the site is visited from Russia and it appears to have worked as the news itm said they could find no grounds to ban the site.

Another thing they said is that the authorities regularly arrive at bethel and check things for Healy and safety or whatever, basically looking for excuses to shut the branch down.

Our brothers in Russia are still undergoing persecution even if this particular case was decided in our favour. We still need to pray for them regularly asking Jehovah to give them strength to endure.

[sunshine]

Thank you Mike for the additional information, I was wondering about the banned publications on the website... I'm sad that the Russian people don't have accesss to some of the pages but the same information is there in the thousands and thousands of other pages of jw.org.

Our brothers in these countries are so couragous and I pray for them often. Jehovah's hand is not short, what he allows we can all bear. My opinion is the brothers that have gone through such hardships and bans are helping us all by not only showing us what we can bear but also they are gaining valuable experience. During the tribulation its those countries that have experienced ban and severe persecution that will provide us with leading examples of how to continue to serve underground, under pressure and under persecution.

Edited February 6, 2014 by sunshine

[timpin]

UPDATE: Attempt to Ban JW.ORG in Russia Fails http://www.jw.org/finder?locale=en&docid=702014102

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... and just 3 months later ... http://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/russia/taganrog-criminal-case/ Russia seems to be the hot topic in the world.

[Dages]

Can't wait to see Jehovah smashing at full force these kings... o the rage 

[timpin]

... and just 3 months later ... http://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/russia/taganrog-criminal-case/

Russia seems to be the hot topic in the world.

in more ways than one ... http://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/russia/video-taganrog-court-case/

[Milan]

I wonder, could Russia be the last king of north?

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[trottigy]

Possibly, but I am still thinking it will turn out to be the UN. Russian isn't attacking religion to attack religion. Instead it is supporting the Orthodox Church and letting her ride and take the reigns.

[shali]

Possibly, but I am still thinking it will turn out to be the UN. Russian isn't attacking religion to attack religion. Instead it is supporting the Orthodox Church and letting her ride and take the reigns.

 

Very true!  Actually this makes Russia still a supporter of Babylon the Great, not someone who is turning against her.

[crazylee]

It would only take a second for Russia to change her mind though.

[MizPeg]

It would only take a second for Russia to change her mind though.

I believe when these gov'ts run short of money, B t G will look like a fat goose!