The Librarian

At least seven of Jehovah’s Witnesses were subjected to torture—electric shocks, suffocation, and cruel beatings—on the first floor of the Russian Investigative Committee’s building at ul. Ostrovskogo, d. 47, in Surgut. While being tortured, officers interrogated the Witnesses, demanding to know: “Where are meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses held? Who attends the meetings? What are the elders’ last names? What is your mobile phone password?”

On February 15, 2019, mass searches in Surgut started in the early morning hours. Worshippers were taken to the Investigative Committee offices. Investigators began interrogating the Witnesses, who refused to disclose details about their fellow worshippers. After the only legal representative in the room left, victims report that the following occurred: agents put a bag over the victims’ heads, sealed it with tape, tied their hands behind their backs, and beat them. Then, after stripping the Witnesses naked and dousing them with water, the agents shocked them with stun guns. This sadistic torture lasted for about two hours.

At least three Witnesses are still behind bars.

Additionally, after the mass searches were completed, the Russian authorities initiated criminal cases against a total of 19 Witnesses for so-called “organizing an extremist organization.”

Those who have been released have had their injuries documented by medical professionals and have filed complaints with supervisory agencies.

The Witnesses will pursue all available legal remedies for this crime, since such an egregious abuse of authority is punishable under the Russian Criminal Code. Additionally, The Russian Federation is subject to several international bodies that protect individuals from torture.

https://www.jw-russia.org/en/news/19021923-622.html

Jehovah’s Witnesses, a U.S.-based religious denomination that Russia has branded extremist and banned, says that police in Russia's Khanty-Mansi region have tortured several members of the congregation.

In a February 19 statement, the religious group said that at least seven of its adherents were "subjected to torture -- electric shocks, suffocation, and cruel beatings" by the Investigative Committee's officers in the city of Surgut, in northwestern Siberia, after they were detained on February 15 on extremism charges.

The statement says that those detained refused to answer police questions about other members of the congregation and after the only legal representative left the interrogation room, the officers "tied the victims’ hands behind their backs, beat them, poured water on their naked bodies, and subjected them to electric shocks."

"The torture lasted for several hours," the statement said.

According to the statement, 19 members of the congregation were charged with the alleged organization of extremist activities and at least three of them remain behind bars.

The released members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses turned to medical institutions to document bodily harm sustained during torture, the statement says, adding that the group will seek justice in court.

The Investigative Committee rejected the Jehovah's Witnesses' statement.

Homes Raided 

A committee spokesman in the Khanty-Mansi region, Oleg Menshikh, told the TASS news agency on February 20 that no law was violated during the interrogations.

"Nobody tortured them. There was no physical or psychological pressure on them," TASS quoted Menshikh as saying.

Police have started raiding the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in that region and in the region of Mordovia on February 7, a day after a Russian court convicted Dennis Christensen, a Danish member of the religious group, on an extremism charge and sentenced him to six years in prison in the western city of Oryol.

Human rights organizations, the European Union, and United States officials have condemned Christensen’s conviction and called on Russia to respect freedom of religion.

Christensen was arrested in Oryol in May 2017, a month after Russia's Supreme Court labeled the religious group an extremist organization and banned it.

He was the first Jehovah’s Witness to be detained in Russia following the ban.

Since then, dozens of other members of the group in different Russian regions have been detained and face similar extremism charges.

With reporting by TASS

Source

A brother, who regularly attended meetings, stopped attending for no apparent reason. After a few weeks an elder visited him. It was a very cold night, and his brother found him at home alone, sitting in front of the fireplace, where a bright, warm fire burned.

Imagining the reason for his visit, the brother invited him in, led him to a seat near the fireplace, and stood there, quiet, silent, and talked with the old man, and the old man did not even talk to him.

There was a great silence, and they watched the dance of the burning flames, which burned around the logs.

After a few minutes, the old man examined the coals that had formed and carefully separated the most incandescent of all, away from the others, and sat down again, remaining silent and still.

While the host paid attention to everything, fascinated but still. After a little while, the flame of the solitary ember disappeared, until there was a faint glow, and it went out.
In a short time, what was once a flame of heat and light, became a piece of charcoal, cold, inert and covered with ashes.

No word had been said, between the two, since the initial greeting.

Before leaving, the old man used his pen to carry the cold and useless piece of charcoal back to the fireplace.

Almost immediately he rekindled an ardent flame fueled by the heat of the other ardent embers around him. The brother who was discouraged watched, without understanding.

However, when the elder withdrew, the host told him: Thank you for your visit and beautiful lesson. Until the next meeting.

Conclusion: God's congregation is like a "fire" in a blazing flame, and the burning coals are us, while we are active in the preaching service, reading the scriptures, and attending the meetings. Since experiences, comments, and presence at meetings, embraces, concern for our well-being, make our love and desire to serve God grow even more. Matthew 24:14 and Hebrews 10: 24, 25.

However, when we stop gathering, that fire-like heat is gradually disappearing, even to the point of avoiding our brothers. And in time, we became cold, lifeless, lifeless, like a piece of coal.

Because we are not letting Jehovah speak to us through Bible reading, we do not prepare and attend meetings, just as we do not speak to Jehovah through prayer. And so, that warmth and joy that we enjoy among our brethren fades, until we become like pieces of charcoal.

In this system, we all experience difficulties, and we often feel discouraged, especially in these last days, that our enemy "Satan" walks around us, like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5: 8.

Therefore, Jehovah appointed the elders to care for "His flock." For in times of difficulty "grazing visits," to encourage us not to fall into temptation, are magisterial to heal us from "discouragement," and not to miss meetings. For Jehovah looks upon his humble servants, as "a people for his pasture," and "the sheep of his hand." Hebrews 13:17, Psalms 95: 7

On January 27, 2019, a tornado hit Havana, the capital of Cuba. With wind gusts of up to 322 kilometers per hour (200 mph) - which makes it the strongest storm that hits the island in almost 80 years - the tornado carved a 11 km trail ( 7 miles) of destruction that damaged buildings and caused flooding. At least 4 people have died, and 195 were injured.

No brother or sister was injured or killed by the storm. However, 26 homes of our brothers suffered damage, 3 of which are used to hold congregation meetings. Arrangements are being carried out to take care of the necessary repair work.

Traveling Overseers have been providing spiritual support to other faithful who have endured the tornado and its side effects. We pray for the Lord to grant our brothers and sisters peace while recovering from this disaster. - numbers 6:26.

Heavy rains have caused severe flooding in Northeast Australia. Floods have displaced thousands of residents and have caused serious damage to property and power outages.

The Branch of Australasia reports that, as a result of the floods, 58 publishers of three congregations needed to move to family homes or other witnesses. A total of ten homes of our brothers were flooded, two of which were destroyed.

The Branch has set up a disaster relief committee, and the circuit overseer and local elders are supporting the affected publishers. We pray that our brothers and sisters continue to endure and be comforted under the care of these loving pastors. - 1 Peter 5:2.

Did anyone notice this today?

“Every American in every community and from every walk of life has a right to live in security and to live in peace. That is my highest priority as President.” pic.twitter.com/yjdVb4o7JD

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 13, 2019

Support didn't work: 😞

@Outta Here  Don't be so sure. There are actually quite a few @jw.org email addresses registered on this website. We would of course never reveal who they are so as to protect their identities. @admin handles all of that on the backend which I have seen.

https://www.theworldnewsmedia.org/gallery/category/31-images/

Please add images posts like these to the Images tab in the group instead.  

yb1943_E.pdf

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“More than conquerors through him that loved us”. (Romans 8: 37)
w-E * Watchtower
Your Word is Truth! - Watchtower from Canada during the war years. (we need more copies of this!)
g-E * Consolation
yb-43E * Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses
INFORMANT
fd * Freedom in the New World
fl43 * Fighting for Liberty on the Home Front
tf * “The Truth Shall Make You Free”
Report of the "Free Nation's Theocratic Assembly of Jehovah's Witnesses
The Truth Shall Make You Free Study Questions
Presenting "This Gospel of the Kingdom" - Australia

West Virginia State Board of Education vs. Barnette - United States Supreme Court Case

Side note:
Lacking the personal magnetism and charisma of Russell and Rutherford, Knorr focused followers' devotion on the 'Mother' organization rather than on himself.
After decades of publishing books and booklets authored by its presidents Russell and Rutherford, the Watchtower Society began producing literature that was written anonymously. But it was not impersonal, since the organization itself was virtually personified, and readers were directed to "show our respect for Jehovah's organization, for she is our mother and the beloved wife of our heavenly Father, Jehovah God." (The Watchtower, May 1, 1957, p. 285)

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w1943_E.pdf

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