Jehova's Witnesses lose legal status in Moscow

Psycho Smiley · Post by **Psycho Smiley** » 2004-03-26 10:38pm

Russian court bans Jehovah's Witnesses
Last Updated Fri, 26 Mar 2004 17:53:39
MOSCOW - A Russian court has banned the Jehovah's Witnesses from Moscow. The ruling means the sect has lost its legal status and can be barred from holding organizing meetings.

A lawyer for the Jehovah's Witnesses said the ruling appeared to have been encouraged by Russia's Orthodox Church, which has complained about proselytizing by Jehovah's Witnesses and other religious groups.

During the six-year fight to ban the group, prosecutors argued that Jehovah's Witnesses had inflamed religious divisions, broken up families and pushed seriously ill people to refuse medical help on religious grounds.

Written by CBC News Online staff

While I'm no fan of the JWs, something smells about one religion getting the government to ban another. Is it the government cracking down on a dangerous cult, or the church pushing in the direction of a theocracy?

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-03-26 11:02pm

You're somewhat right. The Russian Orthodox Church is extremely protective of its 'flock' and lobbies the government to crack down on other religions proselytizing- especially Catholics. I wouldn't worry too much about theocracy though; the whole divine right thing went out with Nick II.

Pablo Sanchez · Post by **Pablo Sanchez** » 2004-03-26 11:29pm

Russia the nation and the Russian Orthodox Church have been usually been very tight. The early Tsars used it at as device to secure unification, later Tsars used the church to bind the state tighter and stabilize it, and even the Soviets were not above using it for the same purpose. A lot of the time, the church can be said to have been a subsidiary component of government. I'm not at all surprised to see the state acting to protect the church's interests.

But I will confidently say that the Russians are in no danger whatsoever of theocracy. The Russian Orthodox Church has never been the puppet master, only the puppet. Even if they should establish offices for the Metropolitan right there in the Kremlin and ask his advice on matters of state, they will only give a damn about his advice insofar as it advances their agenda.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2004-03-27 12:17am

Take that, you JW fucks.

And trust me, you don't want to know what they are like outside of the US. The JWs you know are mild compared to the ones in Russia.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-03-27 12:30am

Tell us what the Russian JWs do to piss you off that much.

(Next target the Scientologists)

Pablo Sanchez · Post by **Pablo Sanchez** » 2004-03-27 12:56am

Montcalm wrote:Tell us what the Russian JWs do to piss you off that much.

(Next target the Scientologists)

Outside of America I don't think those pricks have much steam; I believe this is because of the way that the USA's system of law favors the wealthy and organized plaintiff--thus the Scientologists can actually pose a strong legal challenge to anyone who tries to go after them. In Europe they don't do so well, the judges just mark them down as the bloodsucking confidence tricksters they are, I think.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-03-27 12:56am

Two cops beat the fuck out of two Mormon missionaries in Vladivostok.

If we're going to call fundies using the State to influence religious freedoms theocratic tendencies in the U.S., I think this is obvious abuse of civil rights by the increasingly authoritarian and abusive Russian government.