You are visitor number:

since 01/02/01

When Is The Truth Not The Truth?

You may be surprised to know, as I was, that the answer to this question is.... .......... when it suits the Watchtower Society!!

You may or may not be aware, that the Society has been to the European Court of Human Rights over recognition in Bulgaria. That country has refused to recognise Jehovah's Witnesses, apparantly citing them as being a danger to public health and safety. It seems that they have been concerned about children becoming members of the organisation, and the fact that Witnesses are not allowed to accept blood transfusions, using the reasoning that this then constitutes a threat to public health when members of the public become Witnesses and are then unable to accept and possibly die as a consequence.

The interesting thing is how the Society has responded to these charges. Here is an extract from a press release from the European Court of Human Rights dated July 1997, highlighting the Societies response:

As regards the alleged involvement of children the applicant association submits that children cannot become members of the association but only participate, together with their parents, in the religious activities of the community. In respect of the refusal of blood transfusion, the applicant association submits that there are no religious sanctions for a Jehovah's Witness who chooses to accept blood transfusion and that, therefore, the fact that the religious doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is against blood transfusion cannot amount to a threat to "public health". (Italics mine)

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I would consider someone under the age of 16 to be considered a child in the official sense.

Do you know any "children" who have been baptised below the age of 16 and, therefore, have become members of the organisation, and accountable to the Society for their own actions as such? I'm sure you do. Plenty in fact.

And if Witness accepted a blood transfusion, do you think there would be no sanctions against them? According to the 15th Jan '61 Watchtower, anyone taking a blood transfusion is to be disfellowshipped.

So how can the Society say these things, in print, to the European Court of Human Rights?

To see copies of the documents pertaining to this case visit http://www.ajwrb.org/bulgaria/index.shtml

For a more detailed dicussion of this whole affair visit http://www.ajwrb.org/basics/abandon.shtml

Updated 17/04/01

Click here to join a discussion or post your own message

Tell someone else about this information

Tell me what you think of this site or any other matter