bruceq

Implications of the Supreme Court's decision
175,000 PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE
by Anton Chivchalov
Radio Liberty, 25 April 2017
 
On 20 April, Hitler's birthday, Russia became the first European country to prohibit the religious confession of Jehovah's Witnesses. Hitler also tried to do this, but did not succeed. A bit later Stalin tried, with similar results. According to the decision of the Supreme Court, for the first time since 1918 in Russia the property of a whole religious confession with countrywide reach will be confiscated, and this is hundreds of buildings, built on the voluntary contributions of believers themselves. The confiscation is an important point of the plaintiff's declaration of the Ministry of Justice. People do not request money from the government and they build houses of worship at their own expense, but the government confiscates them because it does not like how they pray.
 
The cynicism of the situation simply cannot be comprehended. Back before the decision of the court, the police and FSB throughout the country conducted raids on houses of worship, searched believers, copied their passports, photographed them, and issued warnings about their criminal responsibility for "extremist" activity. I stress again: this began before the court's decision. Now that it has been announced, throughout the country hunting season has been declared.
 
Police, the FSB, as well as an infinite number of vandals and goons of all stripes, all are out on the hunt for believers, women, children, and babas [elderly women]. In Cheliabinsk the police have already dispersed a meeting of deaf persons. In Taganrog believers have already received criminal sentences for reading the Bible. Vandals have already broken windows and even tossed grenades into houses of worship. All of this has already happened, and all of this now will be multiplied.
 
We stand on the brink of a widespread religious genocide with unpredictable consequences. "The siege has now begun, since the confession has been 'liquidated,' but Jehovah's Witnesses will not renounce the faith," lawyer Anatoly Pchelintsev notes justifiably. Really, it is impossible to ban faith with the stroke of the pen. As a result the country simply has gained 175 thousand prisoners of conscience. In Pchelintsev's opinion, some will emigrate and some will go underground. Those who will not be able to do either will be imprisoned.
 
It is amazing, but the majority of journalists and practically 100% of the public do not understand the reasons for this trial nor its consequences. The situation is understood thus: a) the Jehovah's Witnesses are a dangerous sect that commits actions that are dangerous to society; b) when they are banned, they will cease to do these actions.
 
"It is the end of the world for Jehovah's Witnesses," RT writes naively. In reality the situation is as follows: a) the only basis for banning Jehovah's Witnesses is their "extremist," that is the incorrect, literature. Nothing concerning any other harmful acts has been discussed in court, except for questions of blood transfusion, but even on this issue the Ministry of Justice was not able to provide any evidence.
 
The only basis for a ban is the disputable, in the plaintiff's opinion, wording in the literature and biblical interpretation. "It is not quotations from the Bible that are considered extremist but the interpretation of what is written in the Bible," the justice ministry's lawyer, Svetlana Borisova, declared frankly in court.
 
Further: b) after the ban, in the future believers will believe just as they believed earlier. History does not know cases when Jehovah's Witnesses changed their convictions on order of the authorities. If someone thinks that with the aid of the ban believers can be "re-educated," remade to order, this is an extremely naïve prediction. It does not work.
 
The only thing that will change as the result of the court's decision: it is necessary to imprison people. And it is necessary to imprison not a rock group of three persons and not a single Pokemon hunter, but almost 200 thousand citizens of the country. It is an incredible number of people who no single civilized state has imprisoned in modern history. It will be necessary to build new prisons and a whole network of prisons. But in any case, a whole new page in the history of state-confessional relations is beginning.
 
Attorney Viktor Zhenkov told in court a morality tale: "In this courtroom there is a person who was born in prison. Because his mama, who was in the third month of pregnancy, was sentenced as an enemy of the people to eight years incarceration simply because she was a Jehovah's Witness. She gave birth in prison and the infant spent two years in the prison's children's home. His father could not take him because he had been exiled to Siberia. In 1991 the government acknowledged that the mother was a victim of political repressions, apologized to her, and assigned a pension. And now here in the court this man, born in prison, approached me and asked: 'Does the Ministry of Justice really want a repetition of this horrible history?' And I did not know what to answer. Even now I do not know what is motivating the representatives of the Ministry of Justice and those who are directing this trial."
 
Today several people continue to say: there will not be any imprisonments; simply a legal entity is being banned; personal rights remain with the citizens. This is a misconception deriving from bad information. Already warnings have begun for believers simply for reading the Bible and prayers in their own home (!) under threat of criminal prosecution. The FSB has already begun warning that all adherents of Jehovah's Witnesses will be prosecuted on criminal articles. Earlier in Taganrog, 16 believers already received criminal articles for simply reading the Bible, and not all of them were members of the banned legal entities. The Ministry of Justice itself frankly acknowledged at the hearings that criminal cases may be initiated against believers. Religious discrimination (forbidden by the constitution) has been officially introduced into Russia: believers of some religions may assemble for prayer, and others may not.
 
It is encouraging that ever more believers of other confessions understand that tomorrow they will come for them. Baptists, Pentecostals, and even Orthodox have spoken out openly in defense of Jehovah's Witnesses, and they have sent their appeals to the president. For many, their eyes have been opened to what is happening. It is necessary to open them faster; it may not make it.
 
Immediately after the decision of the Supreme Court there began to be discussed in the corridors of power which religion will be next. "All organizations who exist in our country, with the exception of traditional confessions, should be examined to find protection of the interests of traditional morality, traditional values of Russia, in institutions of respect for the family, concern for neighbors, and love of the fatherland. In my view, very many organizations today do not accord with this criterion," said the chairman of the State Duma Committee for Development of Civil Society and Affairs of Public and Religious Associations, Sergei Gavrilov.
 
Has everyone gotten the signal?
(tr. by PDS, posted 26 April 2017)

True there are also Political and press and many organizations undergoing restrictions for many years although interestingly USCIRF stated last week " it would mark the first time that Russia legally has banned a centrally-administered religious organization and would effectively criminalize all Jehovah’s Witnesses’. Of course freedom is not just religious but press and free speech are all being restricted. And those restrictions of freedom effect all that make up Jehovah's Witnesses : Press, Speech, Religion...Interesting that being "no part of the World" makes one  stand out to be picked on.
{of course a criminal organization as JW are now is quite different than a simple undesirable organization}.

POLITICAL ERROR OF COUNTRY'S LEADERSHIP
Interview with Vladimir Riakovsky, attorney and member of the presidential Council for Human Rights, about ban of Jehovah's Witnesses
by Roman Lunkin
Religiia i Pravo, 24 April 2017
 
On 20 April, the Russian Supreme Court ruled the Russian Jehovah's Witnesses to be an extremist organization and prohibited its activity on the territory of Russia. Thereby the lawsuit of the Russian Ministry of Justice for finding the religious organization "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" to be extremist, banning its activity, and liquidating it was granted. The Ministry of Justice demanded banning the activity of the Administrative Center and also 395 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. In their turn, lawyers for the Jehovah's Witnesses previously asked the Russian Supreme Court to receive from them a counter suit "for finding the religious organization to be victims of political repressions." The court refused to accept the lawsuit. Lawyers for the defendant complained that even before the issuance of the judicial decision, Jehovah's Witnesses were subjected to persecution. A lawyer for the organization also declared that "the majority of established incidents of distribution of forbidden materials are slander." "The fact is established that the forbidden materials were planted on us. All of the arguments of the Ministry of Justice are constructed on unfounded accusations, forgeries, and false testimonies," he said. The leader of the Russian Jehovah's Witnesses, Vasily Kalin, declared that the current judicial proceedings have attracted attention and evoked condemnation from the world community.
 
--Roman Lunkin: Esteemed Vladimir Vasilievich, how much does the decision about the ban of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia affect on the whole the situation of associations of other confessions and religions? How does one assess the religious policy of the government?
 
--Vladimir Riakhovsky:  For a stretch of nine months in our country, legislation has been in effect regulating missionary activity, that is, the well known Yarovaya Law. At the present time, judicial practice has accumulated from approximately 100 different kinds of cases that, one way or another, affect individual groups of believers and preachers. For the most part, decisions adopted regarding fines for alleged illegal evangelism have been unjust and unjustified. A purposeful attempt to strictly control missionary activity is evidenced by the fact that the first case against a believer on the basis of the Yarovaya Law occurred on just the second day after this law took effect.
 
In the Yarovaya Law itself there are many ambiguities and vague wordings, and the text itself and the approach chosen by law enforcement are contradictory. For the period of initial application of this law it was possible to ascribe decisions to incorrect understanding of the provisions of the law by judges. However after this decision of the Russian Supreme Court on the ban of the Jehovah's Witnesses, illusions have been dispelled. Now it is obvious that a definite order exists.
 
Today a harsh decision has been adopted with regard to Jehovah's Witnesses, but on the whole this decision and, it turns out, policy as a whole are aimed against nontraditional confessions in Russia.
 
It is not entirely clear, in this case, why it was necessary for the Russian Supreme Court to consider the case of the Jehovah's Witnesses on the merits and to devote several days to this. The hearings and arguments revealed with all obviousness the groundlessness of the arguments of the Russian Ministry of Justice.
 
I followed the proceedings attentively and attended the first judicial session in the capacity of an observer from the Council on Human Rights under the president of the Russian federation. In addition, believers produced a direct broadcast of the sessions from the courtroom, a video and text broadcast, and therefore everyone can be acquainted in detail with what happened in the Russian Supreme Court. I am well acquainted with the plaintiff's declaration and the defense objections of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
 
I am convinced that the justice ministry's lawsuit was built on assumptions that became clear in the course of the judicial session. Local religious organizations are not subdivisions of the Administrative Center, and therefore by law the decision regarding the liquidation of the center cannot be extended to them. At the same time, local organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses are members of the canonical structure of the Administrative Center, which is the internal arrangement of the religious association. And the government does not have the right to interfere in the internal arrangement of a religious organization, which is even noted in the law on freedom of conscience. A contradiction also consists in the fact that during judicial trials in the regions, the Russian Ministry of Justice and the courts refused to involve the Administrative Center in the consideration of cases for finding Jehovah's Witnesses' literature to be extremist; that is, it did not recognize local congregations to be subdivisions of the center, but the plaintiff's declaration insisted on the other way around, in order to ban all the other organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses.
 
--What will be the immediate consequences of the Russian Supreme Court's decision with regard to Jehovah's Witnesses?
 
--The Russian Supreme Court made the decision that the decision to terminate the activity of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses will take effect immediately. That means that even now, from the point of view of the plaintiff's declaration of the Russian Ministry of Justice, the activity of local religious organizations should stop and also any meetings of believers (the Jehovah's Witnesses state that besides the 395 organizations they also have 2,000 groups). The property of the Administrative Center is supposed to be confiscated for government use. With the liquidation of local religious organizations that are, in the opinion of the Russian Ministry of Justice, a part of an organization that has been found to be "extremist," their property also will be confiscated for government use. There also exists the possibility of an appeal within a month after the release of the rationale of the decision.
 
At the start of consideration of this case in the Russian Supreme Court there was still a glimmer of hope that the court would base its decision on the supremacy of the law and not on the momentary political conjunction. Moreover, it was evident that the lawyers for the Russian Ministry of Justice were not prepared for most of the questions and were unable to argue their position. The judges closed their eyes to this and granted the lawsuit of the Russian Ministry of Justice in full; that is, with the ban of all subdivisions of the Jehovah's Witnesses and with the confiscation of property.
 
All the efforts of the Russian Ministry of Justice and of law enforcement agencies were thrown into the preparation of this judicial trial. Throughout Russia, trials of congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses were conducted, which should rather be called "events" which did not comply with the framework of the law and contradicted common sense.
 
--In your view, will there be any political consequences of the decision of the Russian Supreme Court?
 
--The adoption of the decision to ban a whole religious movement is a political error of our country's leadership. Undoubtedly, rights advocates and international organizations will be given the standard answer that the government cannot influence the court's decision and the court is formally independent. However it is now obvious to everybody that this is not the case—a political order for the ban on believers is obvious to everybody.
 
I would like to know whether anybody among the representatives of the government analyzed the consequences of this decision. Will Jehovah's Witnesses really scatter to their homes and not assemble any more? As the experience of Germany and the Soviet Union shows, prohibitions will not stop the Jehovah's Witnesses. It turns out that the government itself is driving a large confession into the underground. Now this has to happen. Criminal cases are inevitable after the Russian Supreme Court's decision. If law enforcement agencies receive, for example, a denunciation that a meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses is happening somewhere, then the police will be bound to react; otherwise by law this would be covering up a crime. The very participation in Bible reading and prayer by Jehovah's Witnesses will be participation in the activity of a banned organization. This is the substance of a crime.
 
I would like to pose a question: who needs such problems and has history really not taught us anything? Russia's image is not very positive on the international stage and now our country will be identified as a state that persecutes believers. This is political short-sightedness that it is difficult to call anything other than a provocation.
 
--From your point of view, what is the meaning of the statements of approval by the leader of the Russian State Duma committee that is responsible, inter alia, for religious associations, Sergei Gavrilov, with respect to the Russian Supreme Court's decision?
 
--I suggest that the words of Deputy Sergei Gavrilov about the necessity of activating work for reassessing the activity of "non-traditional religious associations" in Russia may be considered to be the logical culmination of the campaign against the Jehovah's Witnesses. The member of parliament urged paying attention to how other associations relate to Orthodoxy, patriotism, and love for the fatherland. The deputy's statement is not accidental within the framework of the general context. Although it is unlikely that this will add votes for the deputies in elections. Does this mean that we now should reconsider the Russian constitution and the right to profess and disseminate one's religion? Or will the country continue along the present path and close its eyes to everything, to justice, to law, to common sense, and accept unjust decisions. In any case, faith in just decisions has already been undermined. The Russian Supreme Court itself has shown an example of the appearance of justice. Moreover, nobody sees and can even explain the logic of the present persecution of believers in Russia. (tr. by PDS, posted 26 April 2017)

Entire Senate being called to White House for North Korea briefing
Published April 24, 2017  All senators invited to WH briefing on North Korea
The entire U.S. Senate has been invited to the White House for a briefing Wednesday on the North Korea situation, amid escalating tensions over the country’s missile tests and bellicose rhetoric.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer confirmed the upcoming briefing, for all 100 senators, on Monday.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats plan to provide the update to lawmakers.
It is rare for the entire Senate to be invited to such a briefing. 
Spicer clarified that while the event will take place on the White House campus, it is technically a Senate briefing and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is the one who convened it.
The briefing, first reported by Reuters, was confirmed after President Trump earlier spoke to the leaders of both China and Japan.
Trump spoke by phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Xi told Trump that China strongly opposed North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and hoped “all parties will exercise restraint and avoid aggravating the situation,” according to Chinese broadcaster CCTV. Trump hopes China could increase pressure on its isolated ally instead of using military options or trying to overthrow Kim Jong Un’s regime.
Trump and Abe agreed to urge North Korea to refrain from provocative actions.
Meanwhile, U.S. commercial satellite images indicated increased activity around North Korea’s nuclear test site, while Kim has said that the country’s preparation for an ICBM launch is in its “final stage.”
South Korea’s Defense Ministry has said the North appears ready to conduct such "strategic provocations" at any time. South Korean Acting Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn has instructed his military to strengthen its "immediate response posture" in case North Korea does something significant on the April 25 anniversary of its military. North Korea often marks significant dates by displaying military capability.
On Monday, Trump also had lunch with ambassadors of countries on the U.N. Security Council. Ahead of the meeting, Trump called for “big reforms” at the U.N. and criticizing its handling of recent events in Syria and North Korea – but said it has “tremendous potential.”
"You just don't see the United Nations, like, solving conflicts. I think that's going to start happening now," he said. 
Something big {Nuclear test} is expected on the 25th in NK which they usually do on anniversaries  which is tonight eastern time so they may be preparing for how to respond.

I was just illustrating it in" English" what my thinking was. Many times I have had to change my plan to achieve my purpose.

@Anna @bruceq 
We are so grateful for all your hard work! We know propaganda will come. The opposers need to stir up false ideas. We must always think of Bible prophecy it will all come true. Man will try to be like Jesus said, blind guides they are, both will fall in the pit. Jehovah's Word is always true. He never lies. 
The father, or originator, of lying is Satan the Devil. (Joh 8:44) His lie conveyed by means of a serpent to the first woman Eve ultimately brought death to her and to her husband Adam. (Ge 3:1-5, 16-19) 
That first lie was rooted in selfishness and wrong desire. It was designed to divert the love and obedience of the first human pair to the liar, who had presented himself as an angel of light, a benefactor. (Compare 2Co 11:14.) 
All other malicious lies uttered since that time have likewise been a reflection of selfishness and wrong desire. People have told lies to escape deserved punishment, to profit at the expense of others, and to gain or maintain certain advantages, material rewards, or the praise of men.
Especially serious have been the religious lies, as they have endangered the future life of persons deceived by them. Said Jesus Christ: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you traverse sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one you make him a subject for Gehenna twice as much so as yourselves.” (Mt 23:15) 
The exchange of God’s truth for “the lie,” the falsehood of idolatry, can cause a person to become a practicer of what is degrading and vile.—Ro 1:24-32.
Jehovah God cannot lie (Nu 23:19; Heb 6:13-18), and he hates “a false tongue.” (Pr 6:16-19)
Thank you so much for helping others! The Truth will be known. 
Agape, Bible Speaks
?????????

What is incredible to me, is that fake news is allowed to pose as real news. This particular piece was very well disguised, posing as Fox News, and easily overlooked that it was not. It was a lot simpler in the days before the  internet to identify physical newspapers, because all papers were well known, and  tabloids in particular were know for sensationalism. I never forget the headline in one in the UK: "Man raped by giant cabbage". You know ANY kind of news from THAT newspaper is for entertainment only.
With online news it's a little bit more difficult if you are not familiar with all the news website as there are so many, and new ones are popping up all the time. This particular one had apparently only been in operation for a few months. So you can't be blamed for making a mistake @bruceq. I fell for it too at first.

Thank you very much

THE MOSCOW TIMES https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russia-bans-protest-movement-ahead-of-rallies-planned-for-saturday-57831
This Wednesday, three days before the political movement “Open Russia” hopes to mobilize nationwide protests against the Kremlin, Russia’s Prosecutor General blacklisted the group as an “undesirable organization,” banning all its activities.
This Saturday, Open Russia is planning anti-Putin demonstrations across Russia. 
Russian officials formally blacklisted three separate organizations: the Britain-registered “Open Russia” organization, the social movement “Open Russia,” and the U.S.-based Institute of Modern Russia. Open Russia was founded by exiled former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, whose son heads IMR in New York.
“Their activities are aimed at inciting protests and destabilizing [Russia’s] domestic political situation, presenting a threat to the constitutional foundations of the Russian Federation and the security of the state,” the Prosecutor General explained in a public statement.
Two American NGOs Declared 'Undesirable' in Russia The decision makes it a criminal offense in Russia to work for Open Russia or IMR.
Russia’s law against “undesirable organizations” took effect in May 2015. Any group added to the list is immediately banned in Russia, and anyone who continues to work for these organizations faces serious fines and possible incarceration.

Thank you  my Brothers and Sisters you warm my heart. We are all stressed and know the end is in Jehovah's perfect timing! We must be unified and strong to help others. Some live in fear everyday. You are proving yourselves children of your Father in Heaven and letting Christ now lead us. Are we not grateful we can speak so right now? Perhaps soon we might not be able to speak. Prayers around the earth we need for Satan is on a rampage and his "hooks" in his jaw make him angrier so speak the Love of the Christ and Jehovah for this we will prove ourselves children of a just and God of Loyal Love. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

You are welcome, dear brother.  Btw. I saw yesterday the same Fake-post from here above on FB too....  We all believed its a real photo with many JW letters !  Its really so sad with all these Fake-reports on the Internet ;-(  I will now be still more careful !  We all knowing the 'yellow - press'  since many many years,  but these Fakes in our current, bad time, example Trump and JW....  should be an alarm for us !   Satan is all around and playing very good against us. But Jehovah is watching over the Earth and has HIS perfect plan, also with Russia, Eritrea etc. Nobody is knowing HIS wise ways, but HE always was doing the best for HIS folk !  We not need these Fake-News,  bec. Jehovah is in our nearness and has really ALL under control ;-))  The best feeling we can have❤️  HE is our father and will fight for us.  Agape love to all Brothers and Sisters ???

Why are you bashing me? The heading says "fake news" which I changed a few minutes after I posted it to inform people of the truth. Are we not all brothers and sisters here. Well most of us. Anyway please show love for it is the perfect bond of union.
Fine I will go elsewhere since there are many apostates here anyway and we are not suppose to associate with them. Goodbye

Thank you very much

Pickets took place in Moscow in defense of Jehovah's Witnesses in front of the Ministry of Justice building. I understand we don't participate in such actions, but let's refrain from criticizing these people since they are not Jehovah's Witnesses.
Pickets read:
"Ban of Jehovah's Witnesses is a violation of the principle of freedom of belief."
"Jehovah's Witnesses were banned under Stalin and Hitler, and now Putin. Good company."
"Bibelforscher. What for? I don't agree with the ban of Jehovah's Witnesses on the territory of RF and think this is a wrong method."
"Freedom is always a risk and search. Banning is easier. 178,000 people - no problem."
"Jehovah's Witnesses are peaceful people, hands off their property."
"I'm not a Jehovah's Witness. Just don't want to go to North Korea."
"Christians against evil and repression."
"Stop repression against Jehovah's Witnesses!"
source https://twitter.com/Chivchalov?lang=en

Thank you very much

Thank you very much

@bruceq  I am sorry, maybe any misunderstanding here.....  I am a sister,  mostly showing alot love for us all,  ask our Librarian, he is knowing me since many years !  Yes, we must be careful with such of reports, thats normal.  Our website has so many topics / areas,  we can post alot things. Enjoy it my brother,  all is ok.    Agape love from Germany ❤️

http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/04/as_it_bans_jehovahs_witnesses.html   [ARTICLE BY A NON-WITNESS]
As it bans Jehovah's Witnesses, Russia is the same old evil empire
  PrintEmail By Frances Coleman 
on April 21, 2017 at 10:12 AM, updated April 21, 2017 at 10:33 AM       Ronald Reagan gave his 'evil empire' speech in 1983.Washington Times            Thank you, Vladimir Putin, for reminding Americans who you really are.
            Thank you for demonstrating anew - in case there were any of us naive enough to believe that your country and our country are not so different - that, in fact, Russia and the United States are fundamentally different.
            And thank you for the fresh evidence that -- although some people foolishly underestimated him and others just as foolishly idolized him - the late President Ronald Reagan was onto something when he called your country "the evil empire."
            Because you are evil. Despite the come-apart of the Soviet Union in the 1990s and some early indications back then that Russians would embrace democratic principles, your country is still repressive and authoritarian. Like the USSR of days gone by, it brutally punishes people for expressing anti-government beliefs. (And, of course, we've noticed that from time to time, you yourself like to have troublesome dissidents murdered.)
            In the past year, we've seen your government meddle in other countries' elections and we've come to understand that "meddle" is a euphemism for your wicked intent to manipulate governments and populations worldwide.
            Now we're seeing religious persecution, Russian style, and it as ugly and evil as it ever was.
            As you know, in recent days your government has banned Jehovah's Witnesses and criminalized their worship practices. The government can now seize their buildings and assets. They are forbidden to hold services or conduct door-to-door evangelizing. Their literature is deemed "extremist."
            People who ignore this ban will face fines of several thousand dollars and up to 10 years in prison.
            In our country, Mr. Putin, freedom of religion is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. We cherish it, but we also take it for granted. Sometimes, when we're being intellectually lazy, we assume that it's a value shared worldwide.
The more you persecute people for their religious beliefs, the more determined they will become.               Then the Russian government bans an entire religion, and we remember that it's not.
            I am not a Jehovah's Witness. I've never been to one of their services or done an extensive study of their beliefs. Like many American believers, I assume that I know more about other faiths than I actually do.
            But this I do know, sir, and you should know it as well: The more you persecute people for their religious beliefs -- the more you declare them seditionists and extremists and a threat to public order -- the more determined they will become. A certain number of them will be frightened and intimidated, but a core group will resist you every day, in every way they can, for as long as they draw breath.
            If you seize their buildings, then they will worship in one another's homes. If you ban their literature, then they will produce more, and if they can't produce more, then they'll share their beliefs verbally. If you say they cannot evangelize publicly, then they will evangelize privately, one-on-one, regardless of the risk of being outed.
            And the more you remind your countrymen that Jehovah's Witnesses' headquarters are in the United States, the more the Witnesses may remind you that the kingdom of the God they worship is not of this world.
            Truth is, Mr. Putin, the Russia of the 21st century is in many ways the Soviet Union of the 20th century. We need to have a politically useful and globally practical relationship with your country, but we don't need to forget that you are not us and we are not you.
            Remember the adage that says a leopard can't change its spots? Your country is that leopard, Mr. Putin, and you haven't changed a bit.
            By the way, if you're interested in reading that particular adage in full, you'll find it in the Old Testament, in the 13th chapter of the Book of Jeremiah.
            If you don't happen to have a Bible handy, ask a local Jehovah's Witness. I imagine he or she will be happy to share.
            Frances Coleman is a freelance writer living in Baldwin County. Email her at fcoleman1953@gmail.com and "like" her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prfrances.

Yes I have had the experience lately of informing my Bible Studies of the developments in Russia and two of them have come to the conclusion that Jehovah's Witnesses are the true religion. Both of them stated the fact that as such a small religion yet getting this kind of attention and the fact that the Witnesses being the first to be put under ban by decision of the Supreme Court in Russia.and then seeing the Bible prophecies [also had them watch the JW Broadcast video] and the fact that opposers and anti-cultist have been behind it all was enough to help them see that Jehovah's Witnesses must be the true religion. Praise Jehovah since he can turn even negative news into a Witness. 
 "And you will be brought before governors and kings  for my sake, for a witness to them and the nations". MATT. 10:18

Yes originally I did post it that way and thought it was from Fox news in the U.S. but within about 10 min after posting I realized something was wrong with the link for it and after more investigation discovered it was fake. Therefore in order not to have anyone report that "World News Media" is reporting "fake news" and give us a bad rep I decided to change the heading to read as it does now. Sorry for any misunderstandings and I will try and check sources better next time but I am not perfect. Bruce

Well my first indication was that the link was not acting right as I could not even copy and paste almost as if it did not exist on the net. I also noticed NO other news site was reporting this then I checked with #stopjwban and a few others and some were mentioning that this might be fake. Then I put checked the website itself on scam advisor and found out it is not even originating in the U.S. which fox news is located and it mentioned a very good possibility that it is from Ghana in Africa and it was fake.
   Regarding Kushner it is interesting that he bought about 80% of the Brooklyn properties over the past few years and now is living at the White House. So Trump his father-in-law certainly knows about Jehovah's Witnesses but probably cares less about their plight in Russia as The King of the South has other things on his agenda.
 

Why are you bashing me? The heading says "fake news" which I changed a few minutes after I posted it to inform people of the truth. Are we not all brothers and sisters here. Well most of us. Anyway please show love for it is the perfect bond of union.
Fine I will go elsewhere since there are many apostates here anyway and we are not suppose to associate with them. Goodbye

Why are you bashing me? The heading says "fake news" which I changed a few minutes after I posted it to inform people of the truth. Are we not all brothers and sisters here. Well most of us. Anyway please show love for it is the perfect bond of union.
Fine I will go elsewhere since there are many apostates here anyway and we are not suppose to associate with them. Goodbye

Remember my first comment yesterday,  I wrote you about  FAKE NEWS  by starting that theme here, @bruceq....  Be careful, yes !  You can bring Brothers and Sisters total confused with such of reports. 
Also @Bible Speaks Better you stop with that too !  We have JEHOVAH, that is more importend !!  HE has ALL under  HIS  control !!!!
@Peter Kutzer-Salm,  I agree again with you !  All quak quak or bla bla 
THANKS ✔️???

Well my first indication was that the link was not acting right as I could not even copy and paste almost as if it did not exist on the net. I also noticed NO other news site was reporting this then I checked with #stopjwban and a few others and some were mentioning that this might be fake. Then I put checked the website itself on scam advisor and found out it is not even originating in the U.S. which fox news is located and it mentioned a very good possibility that it is from Ghana in Africa and it was fake.
   Regarding Kushner it is interesting that he bought about 80% of the Brooklyn properties over the past few years and now is living at the White House. So Trump his father-in-law certainly knows about Jehovah's Witnesses but probably cares less about their plight in Russia as The King of the South has other things on his agenda.