MOSCOW, April 21 - RIA Novosti, Anton Skripunov."This verdict could be the first step towards a ban on Jehovah's Witnesses in all territories of the Russian Federation," the media wrote in 2011. The Kogalym World Court convicted Natalia Podlozhevich for forbidding doctors to transfuse blood to her 5-year-old son. Doctors tried to save Seryozha Podlozhevich, but they did not have the authority to do so.

The headlines were prophetic. Six years later, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation recognized the activities of the "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" as extremist and banned its work. The Center of Jehovah's Witnesses can appeal this decision to the appellate instance; if a complaint is filed, the decision to ban the organization will not yet enter into force.

If the court decision comes into force, members of Jehovah's Witnesses may be held liable for extremism under part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "participation in the activities of a religious association in respect of which a court has adopted a decision that has entered into force to liquidate or ban activities in connection with carrying out extremist activities." Thus, adherents of "Jehovah's Witnesses" may face imprisonment for a term of two to six years.

Together with the head center, 395 organizations included in its structure are being liquidated. Of these, eight departments were prosecuted for extremism. Jehovah's Witnesses note that the court's decision directly affects about 400 registered local religious organizations in Russia, and also applies to all 2,277 religious groups throughout the country, uniting 175,000 followers of this religious movement.

During the trial, it became known that the Ministry of Justice, in particular, charged the Jehovah's Witnesses with refusing blood transfusions. The agency is also convinced that the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses pose a threat to the protection of the rights and interests of society and public safety. By decision Russian courts 95 brochures of the organization were recognized as extremist.

bloody taboo

The story of Serezha Podlozhevich was not the only one widely discussed in the media. In 2010, doctors fought both in court and on the operating table for the life of 10-year-old Vanya Orlukovich from Moscow. He was hit by a car, a blood transfusion was required, but the child's mother categorically refused to give consent to the operation. The doctors still won the right to transfuse the boy's blood, but, alas, such precious time in such cases was lost.

“I think that he died not because of this, but because of a severe head injury. It is unlikely that they could have saved him,” Lyudmila Orlukovich said then.

Jehovah's Witnesses are convinced that the "clear command" not to transfuse blood is found in the Bible. As an argument, they cite, for example, the following quotation from the Old Testament book of Genesis: "Only the flesh with its soul, with its blood, do not eat."

It turns out that Jehovah's Witnesses did not always have a ban on blood transfusions. In 1945, they only began to condemn him, although 20 years earlier everything was the opposite - blood transfusion was encouraged by the leadership of the organization. It was not until 1961 that donation became taboo. For this, the adherent of Jehovah's Witnesses is threatened with expulsion from the sect.

“If a citizen refuses a medical procedure of his own free will, then this is one thing. And if an organization forbids (in this case, this), then this is another. The situation is especially terrible when we are talking about children, because it is obvious that the sect makes the choice for him. The price for this is the life of a child," the president explained to RIA Novosti. Russian Association Centers for the Study of Religions and Sects (RATSIRS), Alexander Dvorkin, member of the Expert Council for State Religious Expertise under the Ministry of Justice.

What is extremism

According to sectarian Dvorkin, "Jehovah's Witnesses have a ban on voting and being elected. "There is also a ban on serving in the army, a ban on celebrating all holidays - state, personal, public, religious, etc. - a ban on saluting the anthem and flag of their country," he added.

The state, as Dvorkin noted, does not have the right to determine how and what to believe; this is not within the scope of its duties. In the case of the court decision, this is not about a ban on faith, as the Jehovists themselves say, but about the status of a religious organization. "In other words, can there be an organization in a country that does not actually recognize its constitutional system. In any case, should such an organization receive a privileged tax-free status?" the expert asks.

In turn, a member of the expert council for conducting state religious expertise under the Ministry of Justice, Roman Silantiev, notes that there were cases when adherents of the sect not only did not vote themselves, but also went door-to-door on election day and dissuaded them from voting. In addition, the organization, in his opinion, is very aggressive towards representatives of other religious movements.

“Extremist activity can be of two types: directed outward and inward. A destructive organization can mock its own members and call for hostile actions against other people. Jehovah’s Witnesses had both types of such activity,” Silantiev believes.

Litigation is not over

Almost immediately after the verdict, representatives of the Jehovah's Witnesses announced that they wanted to appeal judgment. During the process, the organization's lawyers argued that, for example, refusing blood transfusions is not extremism - there is no such act in the law on countering extremist activities. The believers have already begun to prepare an appeal, which should be considered by the Presidium of the RF Armed Forces within a month. But the next stage after it is well known.

“If they lose in the Presidium of the Supreme Court, then they go to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and there they almost certainly win, because the grounds for the ban are simply insignificant,” believes a member of the President’s Development Council civil society and Human Rights, Director of the Information and Analytical Center "Sova" Alexander Verkhovsky.

According to the expert, the bans of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were issued on the following basis: "Jehovah's Witnesses" in their doctrine, in their sermons, in their texts claim that their faith is the best, it is correct, and the rest are wrong. If this is translated into the language of Russian legislation, then it turns out that we are talking about the proclamation of religious superiority, and this is a direct path to inter-religious hatred.

The Ministry of Justice filed an administrative lawsuit with the Supreme Court (SC), in which it asks to recognize the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia (head office) as an extremist organization, to ban its activities and liquidate it. The department claims that this religious organization violates the law on countering extremist activity. On March 16, the organization filed an application with the Supreme Court with a request to dismiss the lawsuit, but the court scheduled the hearing for April 5.


On February 8-27, the Russian Ministry of Justice conducted an unscheduled inspection of the "compliance of the activities" of the religious organization "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" with the goals and objectives stated in its charter, Kommersant was told in the press service of the department. Based on the results of the audit, the experts concluded that “the activities of the organization are carried out in violation of the statutory goals and objectives, as well as the current legislation of the Russian Federation, including the federal law “On Counteracting Extremist Activities”.” What exactly the violation consists of was not indicated. On March 15, the Ministry of Justice filed an administrative lawsuit with the Supreme Court to ban its activities in Russia and liquidate the organization.

The website of the Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia notes that “millions of believers around the world consider the actions of the ministry big mistake”: “If the lawsuit is successful, it will have disastrous consequences for religious freedom in Russia, it will directly affect about 400 registered local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, and will also affect all 2277 religious groups across the country, uniting 175 thousand followers this religion." The report noted that "extremism is deeply alien to the Bible-based beliefs and morality of Jehovah's Witnesses."

Ivan Belenko, an employee of the press service of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses, told Kommersant that on March 2, 2016, the organization received a warning from the Prosecutor General's Office about the inadmissibility of extremist activity: “We, of course, knew that it could be fraught with serious consequences up to a lawsuit. The entire array of accusations against believers of extremist activity boils down to one single fact - the inclusion of several publications of a religious nature by Jehovah's Witnesses in the so-called federal list of extremist materials of the Ministry of Justice. He noted that the experts "found extremism", in particular, in the words of Leo Tolstoy, quoted in magazines, and in the statements of the Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno.

Mr. Belenko recalled that on this moment eight local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses were liquidated on the relevant charges: “It was on this basis that the Prosecutor General's Office issued a warning to us. We were told that if this happens again within 12 months, a liquidation claim may be filed.”

He noted that an unscheduled inspection of the Ministry of Justice of the administrative center was carried out on behalf of the Prosecutor General's Office.

“In the course of 12 months, there were 46 facts of planting extremist materials in our liturgical buildings throughout Russia,” says Ivan Belenko, a spokesman for the organization.

Ivan Belenko stated that the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia has not yet received any official information about the suit of the Ministry of Justice: “We learned about it from the media. Yesterday we filed an application with the Supreme Court with a request to dismiss this lawsuit due to non-compliance with the rules: the court is already working, and we have not even seen what we are accused of.”

“If the case is not left without progress, then of course we will try to defend ourselves,” he said. “Of course, we will object to the lawsuit, we will insist that we are infinitely far from extremism, and that justice was denied. Of course, we will fight in the courts to the very end.”

Close the parent organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. The accusations are old - extremism and other passions-faces," writes public figure in his blog .

"Jehovah's Witnesses belong to the so-called new religions. Neither traditional Christian denominations nor Protestants recognize them as their own. Like the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses included part of the Christian teaching, but then added a lot of their own. The greatest criticism is the moment that Jehovah's Witnesses are the only from large denominations, who simply took and rewrote the Bible for themselves.This is the so-called New World Translation, in which everything that did not fit into the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses is corny corrected.Well, the doctrinal difference with ordinary Christians among Jehovah's Witnesses is great.

At the same time, everyone admits that Jehovah's Witnesses, perhaps more than all religious movements, preach. Their life is generally pious, they don't drink, they don't smoke, they don't take drugs, they are faithful to their wives and husbands, they are good fathers and mothers."

"Problems with external environment and with the state, Jehovists have only two questions. First, they do not accept blood transfusions, because they believe that this is a variant of cannibalism. The second is that they do not engage in politics, do not serve in the army and do not celebrate holidays.

It is easiest to criticize the Jehovists for refusing blood transfusions. But let's be honest - there are thousands in the world different religions, and many of them with various strange restrictions. Jehovists do not mutilate the body, do not limit themselves and children in food, do not practice monasticism and withdrawal from the world. They work, study, live and preach. Plant them only for their faith - why?

Let me remind you that even during World War II, Hitler failed to break the Jehovah's Witnesses through torture and concentration camps. Many of them died in furnaces and gas chambers, but did not betray their faith, did not take up arms. I don't think the DOJ will be able to scare them if Hitler couldn't. We will get 170,000 (approximately as many Jehovists in Russia) prisoners of conscience, who have sat down only and exclusively for the faith. And maybe some more additional broken destinies.

Christians have a lot of complaints about Jehovah's Witnesses. But these are our "showdowns". Everything can be clarified through preaching, through criticism, through apologetics. Why involve the state? Moreover, someone who, but Jehovah's Witnesses is no longer some kind of dark forest. They have been in the world for many years, they are in almost all countries. Pretty common religion, to be honest. Yes, someone is annoyed that they ring the doorbell. But if we understand that among them there are both former drug addicts and alcoholics, who could call at our door for a completely different reason, then it’s better to call Jehovah’s Witnesses. For the fact that people strive for a righteous life, one cannot be punished for this.

There is another, rather mean, moment. Because of their faith, Jehovah's Witnesses cannot, in principle, defend themselves politically, since they do not participate in politics. These are not Mormons with their state of Utah, these are not disciples of Christ or Baptists with their presidents at the head of the United States. In principle, Jehovists do not political force that would protect them. And, of course, those Christian denominations who have such a representation and who have their own grudge against this trend like to use this.

I will not speak about other denominations. Maybe if they are banned, people from them will run away. But with Jehovah's Witnesses, we know what will happen. Most of them will not give up their faith. And what - send them to camps? Repeat what the Nazis did?

Think about whether we need to break the lives of 170,000 people."

Suspended the activities of the parent organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The organization, which represents a religious trend that emerged in the United States in the 19th century, was included in the list of public and religious associations whose activities were suspended due to their extremist activities. A week ago, the Ministry of Justice sent a corresponding lawsuit to the Supreme Court of Russia.

“The court received an administrative claim from the Ministry of Justice of Russia on recognizing the Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia as an extremist organization and banning its activities on the territory of Russia,” the court representative said.

On April 5, the Supreme Court will make a final decision on the work of the organization in Russia.

In response, the chairman of the center's steering committee issued a video message in which he called the current trial the most difficult time in the life of 175,000 followers of their church.

“They are asking for capital punishment for all three hundred and ninety-six of our organizations! A special point is to confiscate from believers all their prayer houses and other property! If the Ministry of Justice gets its way, believers will face up to 10 years in prison!” the religious leader pointed out.

In October last year, the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses were banned in Birobidzhan by a decision of the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region due to the distribution of extremist literature.

“According to the decision of the court, the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Birobidzhan are recognized as extremist, not meeting the requirements federal law"On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations", its activities are prohibited on the territory of Russia, it is liquidated with the exclusion from the United state register legal entities,” the text of the official statement says.

However, official representative organization noted that the publications included in the list of extremist materials, because of which this decision was made, did not belong to Jehovah's Witnesses.

“Evidence has accumulated that law enforcement officers and persons cooperating with them systematically plant printed publications included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials (FSEM) at worship services,” the church said in a statement.

Last summer, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court recognized the Witnesses' brochure as extremist material. The proceedings concerned January 2015, when in one of the shopping centers town of Serov, Witnesses distributed a pamphlet titled “How did life appear?”. In the course of the examinations, the experts found that the publication contains statements aimed at inciting hatred and enmity towards other religions. The representative of the religious organization filed an appeal against this decision, but the court left it without consideration.

The defenders of Jehovah's Witnesses are often members of US diplomatic missions. So,

American diplomats expressed concern about the ban on the Witnesses' activities in Taganrog in 2015.

The embassy then called on the Russian authorities to stop persecution for religious beliefs, and a spokesman for the American embassy said that in Russia "the state denies the rights of religious minorities."

Jehovah's Witnesses are not the first religious organization whose legality is challenged by the Ministry of Justice. On November 23, 2015, he considered the claim of this ministry for the liquidation of the "Church of Scientology of Moscow" and recognized the organization as not complying with federal law. Scientologists were given six months to shut down. The followers of the church tried to appeal the verdict in Supreme Court, however, he confirmed the decision of the Moscow City Court.

- "God's servant".

And then there is the Parable of the Return of the Prodigal Son,
and man already enters the Degree of Sonship.
Those. here - both Man and Nature - Adore!
(by the way - this is the function of spreading the Church,
and her missionary work).

"for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world."

While atheists logically follow the denial
both nature and man. And practice has already shown
- the destructive effect of atheism on Nature and Man.
Because in its essence - atheism is the destructive Heresy of Nihilism,
yet at the same time another heresy - belief in the existence of "independent matter".

"We will destroy the whole world to the ground, and then,"
We will build world terror, whoever was nothing will become everything!

What a bright illustration of these two Heresies.

They seem to be declaring materialism, and then
we read the Manifesto of the Communist Party: "a GHOST haunts Europe",
- belief in terry ghosts and fuzzy phantoms.
And also - "Virhi fuzzy fight over us ....", etc.
there - a lot of that, Whirlwinds, Ghosts, and even Hydras.

On the one hand, the God-Man-Nature system, which has been tested for thousands of years, is completely rejected; what is there and it is impossible to cross out something without denying this whole system as a whole. Negative hallucination.
And on the other hand, BELIEF is affirmed in something non-existent and hallucinated, eternal "independent matter", velvety Ghosts and terry Fantomas or Whirlwinds. positive hallucination.

Thus, fans of the heretical sect of "constructing atheism" are forced to constantly hallucinate, either a negative hallucination or a positive one. Simply put, cunning scammers - from free people, made dependent and captive labor zombies, or low-paid golems - with no freedom of choice. And by the way, in the same place, Human Rights are almost completely rejected and violated, which is very characteristic and illustrative, even in itself.

|

Eg. in the Church of the Holy Cats - we believe that cats exist!
And anyone - even just a sane person understands
that "A World Without Cats" is a fiction, a hallucination,
heresy or something a virtual reality,
opposed to the reality around us.

Likewise - the world without God, or - without Man, or - without Nature,
there is a type - "matrix" for the zombie population of the plundered colonies.

And the cries and slogans of "atheists"
- like "We are new - a world without cats, let's build ...",
will already be perceived - as obsessively galloping demoniac,
hostile to the reality around us.

"Whoever does not jump, he is for cats!", "To a kitten for a gilyak!"

Learn - the recent history of our country,
and also - these sectarians "turned back the rivers" and "translated time".

It will even be a deviation - from the human norm
- obsessively jumping demoniac,
hostile
the reality around us.

The result of the activity of these sectarians of atheism is deplorable,
Nature suffered greatly, many people,
and even the state itself - from the World Empire,
became - raw "gas station".

And of course - no "bright future",
and no Prosperity and no Enlightenment
- all these sectarian rogues did not build like that.
And where did the Marxist methodology go???
Oh yes - philosophers were also sent away
on "philosophical boats", remember your story.

The point is not even in cats, but in the madness and bestiality of a godless person.
In the denial of the very - the human principle, and human rights and freedoms.