Accordingly, they resolved to have nothing to do with false religion as they understood it. What position did the early Bible Students take regarding false religion as they understood it?Ģ In the decades leading up to World War I, Charles Taze Russell and his associates realized that the organizations of Christendom were not teaching Bible truth. The Jehovah's Witnesses say that although they don't take part in political activities, they do pay taxes and obey the law.2. "The court will decide," he says, "but I think from the point of view of the attorney general, those questions are quite legitimate." That, he says, means the group doesn't respect the constitution of the country and raises questions about whether it deserves legal religious status. Regional courts in Russia have also banned more than 30 pieces of the church's literature for the same reason.ĭvorkin says that the Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christian because they don't believe in the divinity of Christ.Īlthough they do not believe in the trinity, the Jehovah's Witnesses say they follow the teachings of Christ and consider him the leader of their church.ĭvorkin regards the organization as a cult that restricts its followers' human rights, because members may not vote, run for public office or serve in the military. The ban is based on allegedly extremist content. Russia is the only country that bans the Jehovah's Witnesses website, according to the church. "Of course, every religion has the right to criticize other faiths, but that should be done in a non-insulting manner, especially if you are talking about the faith of the majority." "In their literature, there are some very harsh statements and very insulting statements about other faiths," says Alexander Dvorkin, a former Russian Orthodox priest who now teaches the history of religion and cult studies at St. Some opponents of the Jehovah's Witnesses say their claims are more than just polite disagreement, though. This is the nature of any religion, otherwise, why are you following a false religion?" "And of course, it's totally wrong," Sivulsky says, "because every religion feels that they have the only true religion. They also talked about how to tell other people about their vision of Christianity and their version of the Bible. Petersburg on a recent evening to sing and discuss the meaning of Bible stories. A couple of hundred people gathered at a Kingdom Hall in St. One important activity for members is Bible study on weekday evenings. Jehovah's Witness leaders say a nationwide ban would affect some 175,000 church members but wouldn't stop their activities. Other denominations, such as the Mormons, are also under pressure. The religious denomination has faced growing pressure in Russia over the past several years, with church members arrested and confiscations of church property. Russia's top prosecutor is threatening to ban the Jehovah's Witnesses for alleged "extremism." The country's top prosecutor is threatening a nationwide ban for alleged "extremism."Īlexander Aksakov/The Washington Post/Getty Images Jehovah's Witnesses sing songs during a meeting in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, in November 2015.
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