DISCUSS COURT CASE HERE JW.org - Jehovah’s Witnesses Mobilize Global Response to Threat of Ban in Russia

[New World Explorer]

7 minutes ago, Lance said:

Brothers and Sisters 

This is a very important request from "our" governing body, just follow the directions. We are not writing love letters, or protest letters. We are writing letters based on our love for our brothers and sisters. Write a standard, respectful letter that shows our Christian maturity. Every country has a standard format of written communication use it. Look at your information board you will see standard letter written by your branch office. Use that as an example if in doubt.

Can you count your time? Yes.. But who cares,  this is your brothers lives we are talking about.

Should you use Dear or not ... if that is what is used as sign of respectful letter writing in your country .. use it .

Will every letter arrive on time? Maybe maybe not ...So who cares .. Jehovah cares that you followed through ... "you did just so"

This is a request from "our" governing body, don't over think it ... just do it.

 

Lance

 

 

Can I give you 1000 likes!

I LOVE your comment, I have exactly same thoughts on the matter.

[Ahuvah]

1 minute ago, Gregexplore said:

Can I give you 1000 likes!

I LOVE your comment, I have exactly same thoughts on the matter.

I second that

 

It's about our feelings ... and everyone is going to have differing circumstances, so for a person to do 'just so' by following the instructions it would be to a different degree for someone in different circumstances.

 

If Noah had built the ark in NZ he would have been commanded to use Rimu wood probably ... still would have been 'just so'

Edited March 23, 2017 by Stormswift

[tekmantwo]

3 hours ago, Gregexplore said:

Kindly sending adjustment tool, please apply it gently

Ahhh, the old BFH Adjustameter......

[GeordieGirl]

1 hour ago, Lance said:

This is a request from "our" governing body, don't over think it ... just do it.

 

Lance

 

 

This is exactly how I approached my letter, brother Lance.  It needs to come from our heart and once the head starts pulling every minute detail apart we can get bogged down in unnecessary details.

Thank you for your great comment.  

[BibleSteve]

4 hours ago, Sally said:

I rewrote the letter that I found on this thread and corrected a few mistakes.

 

22 March 2017

 

Viacheslav Mikhailovich Lebedev (put the name of the official you are writing to)

 

 

 

Dear Sir,

 

 

 

As one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I write concerning the recent change in attitude by the legal authorities in Russia suggesting that Jehovah’s Witnesses are an extremist group and considered a threat to other people within your country. With the greatest respect I implore you that nothing could be further from the truth. We use the Holy Scriptures (Holy Bible) as our day to day guide, our manual for how to live. It teaches us to be peaceable to all people, to be humble, to respect authority and show unselfish love for one another and our neighbors. We strive to live by the laws of the land and pay our full dues and taxes with honesty.

 

 

 

We are known throughout the world as having great respect for others and being good citizens. We are  peaceful to all and love to help others adopt a similar God pleasing and humble attitude. It has often been said about us that if everyone were just like you Jehovah’s Witnesses what a happy world it would be.

 

 

 

We don't carry on or advocate any activity that could be considered extremist or criminal.  We condemn violence and criminality in all its forms. We don't even allow our children to play violent video games that are so popular among youths today. Jesus taught that all those that live by the sword will die by the sword so we don't take up arms. There are many accounts, especially in the last century where our brothers were killed by the authorities rather than take up military service and be forced to kill other humans in war. 

 

 

 

Our weekend meetings have a thirty minute talk which is called “a public talk” based on the Bible and is just that, a Bible based talk to help people live according to Bible standards which leads to a happier and more fulfilling life. It is open for all to attend free of charge. There is nothing that could be considered even remotely “extremist” about it.

 

 

 

The safety and welfare of all the people in Russia is, I am sure, a priority for your leadership and rightly so. Can banning the religious meetings and study of the Bible for 170,000 of your most respectful and peaceful citizens be justified?  More than 170,000 model citizens who pay their taxes, their dues, respect to the government rule and to the state surely should not be persecuted for living exemplary lives, should they?

 

 

 

It appears that Russia’s “Federal Law on Extremist Activity” is being misapplied to Jehovah’s Witnesses in your country. Jehovah’s Witnesses are known worldwide for our peaceable activities and under no circumstances would we ever resort to any activity that could be legitimately construed as “extremist” or criminal in nature.

 

 

 

I urge you please, to consider your personal intervention in these planned actions by your judiciary against a people that are kind, respectful and show love to all and are no threat to anyone. Please allow them to continue their Christian meetings and gathering together for what is simply pure worship of God.

 

 

 

Please accept my apologies for not being able to write in the Russian Language.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Thank you Sally, English grammar has never been my strongpoint due to my parents divorcing when I was 11 years old (very difficult in sixties Britain) which left me not concentrating at school and frequently playing truant to my regret in later life.

[Guri]

Brother Anderson gave talk in Russian. It was great! I do speak in Russian as it is my second language. The English is my third language. Brother Anderson's Russian is so nice to listen to. He has lovely accent.  I am sure his talk has and will encourage Russian brothers very much!

[timpin]

On 3/22/2017 at 0:46 AM, Tortuga said:

Here is a little history...

 

*** jv chap. 30 pp. 694-695 ‘Defending and Legally Establishing the Good News’ ***

Global Publicity Brings Some Relief

Other governments too have dealt harshly with Jehovah’s Witnesses, prohibiting their meetings and public preaching. In some cases these governments have caused the Witnesses to be forced out of secular employment and their children to be barred from the schools. A number of governments have also resorted to physical brutality. Yet, these same lands usually have constitutions that guarantee religious freedom. With a view to bringing relief to their persecuted brothers, the Watch Tower Society has frequently given worldwide publicity to details concerning such treatment. This is done by means of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines, and these reports are at times taken up by the public press. Many thousands of letters making appeals in behalf of the Witnesses then flood into the offices of government officials from all over the world.

 

As a result of such a campaign in 1937, the governor of Georgia, in the United States, received some 7,000 letters from four countries within a two-day period, and the mayor of La Grange, Georgia, was also deluged with thousands of letters. Such campaigns were likewise conducted in behalf of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Argentina in 1978 and 1979, Benin in 1976, Burundi in 1989, Cameroon in 1970, the Dominican Republic in 1950 and 1957, Ethiopia in 1957, Gabon in 1971, Greece in 1963 and 1966, Jordan in 1959, Malawi in 1968, 1972, 1975, and again in 1976, Malaya in 1952, Mozambique in 1976, Portugal in 1964 and 1966, Singapore in 1972, Spain in 1961 and again in 1962, also Swaziland in 1983.

As a recent example of what is done by Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide to bring relief to their oppressed brothers, consider the situation in Greece. Because of the intensity of persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses at the instigation of the Greek Orthodox clergy there, in 1986 both the Watchtower and Awake! magazines (with combined international circulation of over 22,000,000 copies) reported details of the persecution. Witnesses in other lands were invited to write to officials of the Greek government in behalf of their brothers. They did; and as reported in the Athens newspaper Vradyni, the minister of justice was deluged with over 200,000 letters from upwards of 200 lands and in 106 languages.
 

 

On 3/22/2017 at 0:53 AM, Tortuga said:

*** dx86-16 Letters ***
protest persecution of Witnesses: jv 315-317, 692-695
Burundi: w89 8/15 24
Germany (Nazi): w11 10/1 14; g03 1/8 31; g95 8/22 8; jv 315, 448-449, 552, 693-694
Greece: jv 695
lands where used: jv 695
Malawi: yb99 183-184, 198
Mozambique: yb96 144
Rwanda: yb12 184
 

 

12 hours ago, Tortuga said:

It's interesting how things have changed in Russia..

 

*** w11 5/1 p. 21 A Peaceable People Defend Their Good Name ***
Remembering the Oppressed
  During a recent observance of the day when Russians remember those who were oppressed under the Soviet regime, President Dmitri Medvedev made the following statements:
  “Today is the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repression. . . . It is impossible to grasp the scale of sheer terror that swept across the country . . . Whole sectors and classes of our nation were exterminated. . . . Followers of all religious confessions were persecuted. [This memorial is for the] millions of ruined lives—for people executed without trial or record; for people exiled and sent to concentration camps, deprived of civil rights for having the ‘wrong’ occupation or the ‘improper social origins.’ The label ‘enemies of the nation’ and their ‘abettors’ was applied to entire families. Let’s just think about it: Millions of people died as a result of terror and false accusations. They were deprived of all rights, even the right to a humane burial. For many years, their names were simply erased from history.
  “There is no excuse for repression.”
 

 

12 hours ago, Tortuga said:

This is an encouraging and realistic article to review.

 

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2011522

thank you for your quick level headed input yesterday   -   I used some of it to conduct our meetings for FS 

Edited March 23, 2017 by timpin

[hatcheckgirl]

4 hours ago, hatcheckgirl said:

Mailed my first 6.  Off to write some more!

FYI in Australia the stamp is $2.95 normal mail, takes around 14 business days.

Please remember the "airmail" stickers!

 

I forgot, so they apparently will go by sea now.....Grrr....

 

I'll be writing another batch anyway.

[JudyO]

I am thinking that after our midweek meeting tonight, more and more of my brothers and sisters will be sending out their letters in support of our family in Russia. Right now, they are trickling in already--on their way! But soon the letters will be flooding in! Thank you! The whole world will know about Russia's treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the general view of not upholding their own laws about democracy and freedom of religion. To see Bible prophecy fulfilled in front of our very eyes is exciting, especially when we are all on the edge of our seats wondering how this piece will fit into the puzzle!  Sorry for mixing the metaphors.

[Sally]

I'm confused about something and need input. I learned about this by email from someone from a different congregation who sent a link from JW.org to my husband who isn't a Witness. It seems to me that the someone in my hall would notify everyone about such an important issue.  Is there a channel for this type of information to be disseminated to those in all halls? Personally, I don't keep jw.org open all day although I frequently reference it.

 

I have no idea if anyone in my hall knows about this. Am I being left out? What will happen during the tribulation, will anyone contact me?  It's not like I miss meetings.  We were just there Tuesday night and no one said anything about this.

 

Completely baffled!!!

[Sally]

I have sent 5 letters to each of the 6 people on the list.  It feels so good for all of us to unite together to bring honor to Jehovah and His name!

 

Huggs to all of you 

[Sally]

I know that when I go to the post office the clerk there will ask about all the letters going to Russia. It will be a great time to witness to her and let her know about the worldwide effort by all of Jehovah's people. Imagine if all of us say something to the clerk when mailing our letters what a witness THAT will also be!

[JudyO]

6 minutes ago, Sally said:

I'm confused about something and need input. I learned about this by email from someone from a different congregation who sent a link from JW.org to my husband who isn't a Witness. It seems to me that the someone in my hall would notify everyone about such an important issue.  Is there a channel for this type of information to be disseminated to those in all halls? Personally, I don't keep jw.org open all day although I frequently reference it.

 

I have no idea if anyone in my hall knows about this. Am I being left out? What will happen during the tribulation, will anyone contact me?  It's not like I miss meetings.  We were just there Tuesday night and no one said anything about this.

 

Completely baffled!!!

Well, late Tuesday night is when I first saw the information myself. So, maybe that's what happened where you are. I know that yesterday, one of the elder's wives in our congregation here contacted me and said they were getting together to write letters and she wanted me to be a part of it. I had already written mine and that was just early on Wednesday.

[Intercore]

13 minutes ago, Sally said:

I'm confused about something and need input. I learned about this by email from someone from a different congregation who sent a link from JW.org to my husband who isn't a Witness. It seems to me that the someone in my hall would notify everyone about such an important issue.  Is there a channel for this type of information to be disseminated to those in all halls? Personally, I don't keep jw.org open all day although I frequently reference it.

 

I have no idea if anyone in my hall knows about this. Am I being left out? What will happen during the tribulation, will anyone contact me?  It's not like I miss meetings.  We were just there Tuesday night and no one said anything about this.

 

Completely baffled!!!

All the information what we need we can look at jw.org. It's very nice if we check our website regularly. I knew about it right from jw.org. Sister, you can be assured that all the information what we need we will get then when it will be the best time to know that. We won't be left out.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Intercore

[outwalkin]

14 minutes ago, Sally said:

We were just there Tuesday night and no one said anything about this.

Our meeting was Tuesday evening also and nothing was said. Apparently the info was posted Iater that day or early Wednesday. I look at the website every morning with coffee and it was on the front page Wednesday morning. A letter will be also read hopefully at your next meeting or assembly. 

In addition Bro. Sanderson made an announcement on JW Broadcasting. No one is being left out. 

[Patinage]

Further to Sister Ann's comment ID 226

Let's be positive, you/we will never be left out!

This is Jehovah's organization, not a human's organization.

In a way or another, sooner or later (but never too late, in this case until the 1st of April) we know the major information, what to do and how to conduct ourselves.

 

[Tortuga]

11 hours ago, Beggar for the Spirit said:

 

Hi Richard, good question. 

I was thinking about bulk mail today and I started wondering if it is a good decision or not?

The instructions don't mention this and likely the Governing Body may have considered if would be beneficial that each congregation should send them together. But I think there is a greater impact when 1000s or millions of individual letters are pouring in! 

What do you think? This is just an opinion

Our COBE announced last night for the friends to consider holding their letters for a couple of days while one of the elders contacts the postal service to see if there is a bulk rate available for international mail. I'm not familiar with how the bulk mail system works but I don't think  having a bundle of letters processed by the local postal service at a lower rate would  affect the volume of letters or the impact they have.  We'll see what the BOE decides.

[Sally]

I just got this information from a Brother in Portland, Oregon, USA. The rates may be different elsewhere. 

 

"I took my letters to the Tigard Post Office yesterday and learned they have "International Stamps" for $1.15

 

While I was buying mine, I met a brother next to me that was buying his too"!

[Tbs77]

What is bulk mail?
Business Mail 101

http://pe.usps.com/BusinessMail101?ViewName=WhatIsBulkMail

[Bluebell]

our 12 letters are on their way to Russia.......

 

.....feels good....

[Miss Bea]

1 hour ago, Sally said:

I'm confused about something and need input. I learned about this by email from someone from a different congregation who sent a link from JW.org to my husband who isn't a Witness. It seems to me that the someone in my hall would notify everyone about such an important issue.  Is there a channel for this type of information to be disseminated to those in all halls? Personally, I don't keep jw.org open all day although I frequently reference it.

 

I have no idea if anyone in my hall knows about this. Am I being left out? What will happen during the tribulation, will anyone contact me?  It's not like I miss meetings.  We were just there Tuesday night and no one said anything about this.

 

Completely baffled!!!

This is just, "off the press". A sister on FB mentioned it. Early Tuesday. At service yesterday, we had two elders and several brothers. Only one elder knew of it. I automatically came to this site because we have so many conscientious brothers and sisters  here. I imagine it will be discussed tonight at the meeting. 

I thought of printing up the  instructions for those who are not friends with the internet, but thought that would be presumptuous, that our brothers are so good about it. 

We stay  as close as we can to the organization, and it will all be okay. Rest assured. 

[Tortuga]

8 minutes ago, Tbs77 said:

What is bulk mail?
Business Mail 101

http://pe.usps.com/BusinessMail101?ViewName=WhatIsBulkMail

Yes, I read that yesterday. Basically you do some of the sorting for the postal service and they give you a lower rate. All the information that I found was for domestic mail, I couldn't find anything on International Bulk Rates. I'll let you know what the BOE finds. 

[Araujo JW]

Here in Brazil, because of how long the letters will take to be delivered in Russia, we were instructed to write to the Russian Embassy in Brazil, directly to the ambassador.

Mine is ready and will be sent today! If half the Witnesses in Brazil write, almost half a million letters will be sent!

 

 

[Bluebell]

3 minutes ago, Araujo JW said:

Here in Brazil, because of how long the letters will take to be delivered in Russia, we were instructed to write to the Russian Embassy in Brazil, directly to the ambassador.

Mine is ready and will be sent today! If half the Witnesses in Brazil write, almost half a million letters will be sent!

 

 

how will they cope?..........build an extension ....???

[kejedo]

I think i will wait until tonight's meeting before mailing anything.