Controversies related to the Witnesses of Jéhovah

Several boards of inquiry parliamentary, various organizations of fights against the Sect S, of old faithful and others Religion S formulate critical against the movement of the Témoins of Jéhovah . This page counts some of the polemical aspects having milked to this confession.

Discussion on their sectarian character

See also: Pilot of Jéhovah and sectarian nature

The assimilation of the Witnesses of Jéhovah to a Secte is the debate object implying various disciplines (history, sociology, theology, right…), according to the definition used of this term:

etymological point of view, they can correspond at the Latin origin of the word ( sectare ) as a schismatic group separating on the doctrinal level from a well established movement, namely the second Adventisme, itself resulting from the Protestantisme.

From the theological point of view majority, the theologists of the large Churches consider that they disunite basic bases of Christianity, by disavowing for example the all-powerful divinity of Christ and the Trinité. Their translation of the Bible is regarded by those as directed, and several prophecies were not achieved last century.

The sociological direction in conformity with the Protestant typology webero-troeltschienne of Sect folded up on itself, in opposition to the coextensive Church at the company, seems most suitable. In a finer analysis, sociologists as Governed Dericquebourg or Nathalie Luca belong to the evolutions which would show that the Witnesses of Jéhovah routiniseraient themselves by losing a certain radicality and would correspond more and more to the denomination, stage of passage of the sect towards the Church. On another side, Bernard Blandre, historian specialized on this movement, analyzing the last resolution adopted at the assemblies of summer of 2006, wonder “if they will cross one day this step”.

Apart from these nonpejorative definitions, the classification of the Witnesses of Jéhovah as a Secte with the modern direction of dangerous spiritual group remains very polemical. Since years, they are denounced like sectarian movement by the principal organizations of fight against the Secte S, in particular by actors of the fight anti-sects in France, such as Didier Pachoud or Jean-Pierre Brard which denounces the dangerosity of the organization of the Witnesses of Jéhovah by evoking to them dogmatic refusal of the blood transfusion.

They were classified like sect by the Parliamentary commission on the sects in France, in a list gathering all the supposed groups to answer at least one of the ten criteria of dangerosity defined by the General informations. For Nathalie Luca, ethnologist and researcher at CNRS, and Frederic Lenoir, philosopher and sociologist, the Witnesses are included the category of the sects traditional of Christian ground and not in the category of the “new sects” which are defined mainly by the lie and the dangerosity, by specifying however that does not mean however that this group does not present any dangerosity. Frederic Lenoir, having inquired into the sectarian phenomenon in general and the Witnesses of Jéhovah in particular, denounces the problems involved in the consequent amalgams with the publication of such lists and the use of strongly connoted words, which include very diverse movements with different levels of dangerosity. Thereafter, the study of the behaviors of the sectarian movements led the MILLETS to classify those in three principal categories, which it defines in his report/ratio 2001, by clarifying the group in which it classifies the Témoins of Jéhovah, on page 10 of his report/ratio: The second category of movements gathers, with the eyes of the MILLETS, the groupings with very diverse ideological bases (denominational or philosophical, therapeutic or commercial) which cannot be comparable with sects absolute but dont certain aspects of the behavior are unacceptable insofar as they call into question of the basic rights of the human person. As much with the sects absolute the dialog is impossible since it would not consist that in an acceptance by the public authority of the globality of their exchange-values, as much with this whole of movements it appears acceptable: to distinguish what is contestable in their behavior, theirs to announce and not to cease claiming the respect of the common law, it is a difficult task which the Mission, since its institution, given up forever. (...) It is in this category that the Witnesses of Jéhovah are located who, alone form nearly the two-thirds of the followers counted in Metropolitan France and overseas (approximately 250.000 followers often recruited in mediums socially very modest by a systematic policy of house searches). In the continuity of this report/ratio, the former president of the ex- MILLETS Alain Vivien indicated that the Witnesses of Jéhovah do not belong to the category of the “sects absolute”, i.e. “movements which aim at substituting for the universal values of the exchange-values which call into question the principles founders of any democracy and the rights of the person devoted by the whole of the Declarations”, but for a “religious association which has aspects of sectarian drift”.

The Pilot of Jéhovah, as for them, refuse this name in all its forms. In 1983, the Tower of Guard was opposed so that this term is applied to the Witnesses “because they are not the disciples of a teacher or a human Master, nor the ramification of a Church or another confession” without however that the article wonders particularly about the historical origins of the movement. Then the number of the February 15th 1994 affirms that the Witnesses are not a Secte because they are “a known Religion”, “devote themselves to their next”, follow accurately “the Bible” and do not have “not human chiefs” but it is in its direction of dangerous group that the term of Secte is then rejected.

Standardization, lobbying, media and legal combat

Vis-a-vis the world phenomenon that represents the fight anti Secte S since the medium of the the Eighties, the movement has counter-attack.

“Standardization” of the Witnesses of Jéhovah

The Witnesses of Jéhovah modified a certain number of points in their behavior not to more lend side to criticisms, it is what the sociologist Régis Déricquebourg called the “standardization” of the Witnesses of Jéhovah:

1989, France: Stop of the preaching of the young Witnesses of Jéhovah in the enclosures of the schools to respect the Secularity. Abandonment of the policy of exclusion concerning the “approved companions”: the parents of young people raised at the Witnesses of Jéhovah can from now on have normal relations towards those their children who did not become Témoins of Jéhovah. Affiliation of the Company Watchtower with office DPI of UNO, nevertheless the same year the continuous motion to proclaim the satanic character of this international organization.
1995 : Creation of the CETJAD. The Witnesses finally agree to collaborate with the historians on their past in the concentration camps.
1996, International: Acceptance of the Civil service to replace the Military service.
1997, France: Briefings near the faithful Witnesses of Jéhovah working in teaching. In addition to it is recalled that it is possible to teach matters opposite with the Foi of the Witnesses of Jéhovah, it is evoked the fact that it is necessary to be flexible with regard to the Fête S. For example, one can now clink glasses with a colleague, to accept a fir tree in its class, to manage the organization of a tombola, etc
1997, 1999: Association French AMS, charged to exclusively make the promotion of not-transfusional medicine near the medical community, and made up of Witnesses of Jéhovah tries to receive the statute of consultant near the the Council of Europe.
1999 : Obligation is French made in faithful Témoins of Jéhovah of the territory take their voter registration card, which involves a massive surge of requests in the prefectures, such as for example in Outre-Mer. In the same way, they can go to the polling station, even when the Loi does not oblige them there.
2000 : Officialization in the Tower of Guard of June 15th, 2000 of the authorization to use products containing Hemoglobin drawn from blood (human or bovine), authorization initiated locally in 1998 by the specific acceptance of a product like hémopure.

Lobbying

Although in itself the activity of Lobbying is current, it is astonishing in the case of the Witnesses of Jéhovah who publicly state to be themselves always held with the variation of the Politique, contrary to the others Religion S which they would make the “spiritual fornication” which is sanctioned by the destruction coming from God, according to the Doctrine of the movement.

Declaration of facts to the Chancellor of Reich

See also: Letter of the Witnesses of Jéhovah to the Chancellor of Reich

In 1933, the Witnesses of Jéhovah sent a Déclaration of facts to the German Chancellor. This document is generally regarded as being a search for awkward ideological conciliation on behalf of the Witnesses of Jéhovah who, on their side, challenge this interpretation. In this declaration, the authors declare that “it there forever have the least money Juif which contributed to our work”, “the Juif S completely rejected Jesus Christ and deny with emphase that he is the Saver of the world sent by God for the good of humanity” and that “that is a reasonable evidence to show that we do not receive a support of the Juif S”, then stigmatize shovel-mixes the empire Anglo - American, the Société of the Nations, the Big-business, the Catholique S and the Juif S of New York and declare being of “burning defenders” of the “goals and high moral ideals promulgated by the national government of German Reich ”, with regard to the injustices made towards the German People and the relation holy and raised with God.

Association with UNO

See also: political Neutrality at the Witnesses of Jéhovah#Une distorsion to neutrality: the affiliation with UNO

The attitude of the leaders of the movement towards the United Nations (UNO) caused a violent one internal debate like external. UNO, qualified by their doctrines of “counterfeit of the Kingdom of God” founded by Satan to mislay the human ones, was the stake of a scandal when the affiliation of the Société Watchtower Bible and Tract Society was discovered, organization-mother of the Witnesses of Jéhovah all over the world, as a ONG near Office DPI of UNO starting from 1989. This polemic was all the more sharp as the faithful basic ones must keep a strict political neutrality, which sometimes their cost very expensive (as for the Witnesses of Jéhovah of the Malawi which, on order of the Société Watchtower, were not to buy the obligatory chart of a political party in the the Seventies, thus undergoing terrible persecutions, even death). Whereas in certain writings of the Witnesses of Jéhovah, it is declared “that no Christian must support this organization”, the world office agreed “to support the UNO and its actions” and “to mobilize the opinion in favor them the United Nations” to be able “to obtain the access to the vast library of the United Nations” (according to the British spokesperson of the movement), and “to distribute the humanitarian aid and to defend the human rights in several countries of the world” (according to the spokesperson Portuguese of the movement). So some found the attitude of the hypocritical organization, the more so as this affiliation was unknown majority of the Witnesses of Jéhovah. Opponents showed that the access to the documents of this bookstore could be done without being affiliated at office DPI of UNO. The Société Watchtower decided in precipitation to resign, only three days after the press, in particular the British Journal The Guardian , diffused the scandal. Many Witnesses of Jéhovah, not knowing if it were about a rumor or not, requested explanations from UNO, which pushed the latter to publish on its official site a letter dated March 4th 2004 recapitulating this business.

Certain sites of Witnesses of Jéhovah advance the argument recently that the conditions of collaboration of the ONG with office DPI of UNO would have changed and that at the beginning, it was not necessary to support the UNO and its activities while joining office DPI. In addition to these two sites do not agree on the date of change (1999 for one, 1994 for the other), they forget or criticize the declarations even of the person in charge of this office, Paul Hoeffel, and do not mention the documents of office DPI, presented by the critics to the beginning of the controversy in 2001 and who go back to 1992, confirming the remarks of Hoeffel, namely that the goal of a ONG while joining office DPI is to make positive publicity for the activities of UNO, to support it.

This association with UNO concerns nevertheless a strategy of Lobbying which is far from being single in the history of the Witnesses of Jéhovah.

Other political parcipations

Among the other examples of participations Political S of the Witnesses of Jéhovah, one can quote:

Their representation as a ONG, at the time of several conferences organized by the political organization Organization for safety and the co-operation in Europe (SOEC) (Vienna 1999, Cordoue 2006);
Their use with the the United States several lobbyists near the American Congress (that the Company Watchtower pay);
Their participation, in particular that of the persons in charge of the organization of the Witnesses of Jéhovah in Ireland, with a great oecumenical discussion with the Irish government on February 27th 2007.

Association with organizations defending the minority religious movements

In France, the report/ratio 2006 of MIVILUDES affirms that in 1992, the Witnesses of Jéhovah adhered to the International federation of the religions and minority philosophies (FIREPHIM), created on the initiative of the Église of Scientology, of the Église of the Unification (Moon) and of Mouvement raëlien. Nevertheless, this information was contradicted by representatives of the Witnesses of Jéhovah and the statutes of the FIREPHIM do not reveal personalities known jehovists. Only Christian Paturel, lawyer and faithful of the Witnesses of Jéhovah, posted sympathies to this association which it quoted in the works that it wrote, without however specifying if he were member. This ex- lawyer of the movement currently collaborates on the site of the CICNS, site which defends the “spiritual minorities”, to which it provided some of its documents and on which it gives an interview.

In 1998, the Société Watchtower appears in the official program of a conference of CESNUR, international association shown to defend the sectarian movements and considered near to Tradition Family Property (TFP), in a session entitled Jéhovah' S Witnesses: sociological and legal prospects . Two representatives of the Company Watchtower, one American and the other German (James NR. Pellechia Tower Society, Brooklyn, New York '' and Gajus Glockentin Bibel und Traktat-Gesellschaft, Selters, Germany '') as well as Pilot lawyers of Jéhovah Alain Garay and Carolyn R. Wah, must animate this section. However, the Witnesses of Jéhovah finally did not take part in this conference. He were recalled to the last minute by the Société Watchtower, the participation of this one in this conference having been made public by a former Witness of Jéhovah in his periodical Comments from the Friends , where this one wonders how the presence of the Témoins of Jéhovah to this conference of CESNUR, at the sides of the Église of Scientology, of the Église of the Unification (Moon), of the Église of Jesus-Christ of the Saints of the Last Days (Mormon) or of the movements Nouvel age, can be compatible with their Doctrine. Alain Garay, lawyer of the Witnesses of Jéhovah to which it adheres and whose activities of Lobbying are regularly denounced, figure among the speakers registered with another conference of the Center for the study of new religions (CESNUR), in May 1999. The site of CESNUR makes also the promotion of the book of Alain Garay: activism anti-sects. Assistance with the amalgam .

Albert D. Schrœder, member of the Central College of the Witnesses of Jéhovah, as for him invited in one of the most crested restaurants of Germany Doctor Gabriele Yonan and the voyage in Italy to take part in the conference of CESNUR being held in 1998 with Turin proposed to him to pay him (in 1999, Dr. Gabriele Yonan wrote a book treating of the difficult situation of the Witnesses of Jéhovah under the mode Nazi in communist Germany and of their legal battle then in progress in this country to obtain the statute of corporation of public law).

In 2002, Massimo Introvigne, the creator of CESNUR, wrote the work Testimoni di Geova: già E not will ancora which proposes to study the Témoins of Jéhovah. This book, purified of very critical towards the religious movement, constitutes the corrected version of a work previously written by Introvigne. Instructions were sent to the “correspondents service of information”, giving them specific information on the way of promoting the sales of the book inside the congregations.

Role of lawyers and doctors of the movement

The lawyers and Témoins doctors of Jéhovah constitute the most effective elements of the Lobbying of the Witnesses of Jéhovah. They are found where they can be useful for the Société Watchtower, to defend its interests (in particular to put forward its position on the blood transfusion). These trades can seem incompatible with certain dogmas of the Witnesses of Jéhovah, like the refusal of the blood transfusion. However, as they are very useful for the organization, they have a “specific scheme”, than is to facilitate the practice of it or to bring confidential informations useful for the organization and thus in a more general way, to conclude its theocratic war.

According to Raymond Franz, former member of the Central College of the Witnesses of Jéhovah, these professions have a preferential treatment enabling them to achieve acts which can seem incompatible with the beliefs of the Witnesses of Jéhovah, as to proceed to blood transfusions on patients who are not Témoins. It specifies that with the the United States and in Europe, the doctors and the lawyers who are Témoins of Jéhovah annually meet in order to discuss questions such as " confidentiality and privilège" , this topic being approached compared to their relations with their Témoins companions, which tends to show that they are not subjected to same the obligations as the Witness of basic Jéhovah.

Moreover, by the means of associations like the Association Médico-Scientist of information and assistance to the patients (AMS) , assembled by the Pilot lawyers of Jéhovah Alain Garay and Philippe Goni domiciled at the time in the offices of the Witnesses of Jéhovah of Boulogne-Billancourt, charged with disseminating medical informations and legal concerning the refusal of the blood transfusions, the movement tried to make hear its voice with the the Council of Europe, where this association required the advisory statute in 1997 and 1999.

In 2001, the interdepartmental Mission of fight against the sects (MILLETS) estimated that it was not unfounded to fear that certain aspects of the public debate on the rights of the patients did not develop on the basis of truncated concept, “knowing the aptitude of the sectarian movements to practice the misinformation, their skill to be introduced into the authorities and official publications”. In this respect, it quoted the work enlightened Consentement and blood transfusion , published in 1996 by the editions of the National school of the public health, under the direction of Sophie Gromb and Alain Garay (Pilot of Jéhovah itself and lawyer of the Witnesses of Jéhovah).

Moreover, the lawyer Alain Garay is now is one of the three experts chosen by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to represent the France on the questions of religious liberty to the Organization for safety and the European co-operation (SOEC). This panel is charged, inter alia, to propose models of Loi S on the religious liberty with the countries of SOEC. However, according to the Duck connected of November 2006, “this Master of the bar ensures that it has not had any more any bond with the sect for five years”.

Legal combat

In France, the Witnesses of Jéhovah say to undergo all kinds of discriminatory treatments directly related to their Croyance S: withdrawal of approval to maternal assistants, refusal of hiring of communal rooms, opposition to the construction of places of Worship, acts of Vandalism against pertaining to worship buildings (for example, their meeting room with Villefranche was set fire to and entirely destroyed on October 20th 2006 by an criminal act according to the first observations). Regularly for ten years, of the lawsuits have been engaged by the Witnesses of Jéhovah to defend their freedoms of conscience and Culte. A share of these lawsuits were remportés.

The European Cour of the human rights in particular intervened several times to protect the religious liberties from the Witnesses of Jéhovah in several other European countries in particular the Greece. In December 2003, in the business Palau-Martinez against France , the France was also condemned for attack to the right of applicant to the respect of its family life (Article 8 of Convention) and discrimination because of its religious convictions (Article 9), following the withdrawal of the residence of the children to the Témoin mother of Jéhovah to entrust them to the father. To justify this change of residence, the court had justified its decision on general information of an educational nature on the Witnesses of Jéhovah and while basing itself on the written declarations of the children claiming to want to live with the father, like on the report/ratio of a psychiatrist for one of the two children, documents all produced by the father, but it had rejected the request of the mother whom a social survey is carried out to specify the value of these documents. The court estimated that “the Court of Appeal decided in abstracto and according to considerations of general nature, without establishing bond between the living conditions of the children near their mother and their real interest”.

Nevertheless, other legal decisions concerning the guards of children do not make, on behalf of the Witnesses of Jéhovah, the object of recourse in front of higher jurisdictions, and do not profit from the same communication of the spokespersons of the Witnesses of Jéhovah, such as for example, that of December 19th 2000, where TGI of Niort removed the right of access of a Témoin father of Jéhovah as long as his children do not want any more to visit him, because of its refusal of the blood transfusions and “the enrollment” undergone by the children.

According to the parliamentary Board of inquiry into the sects of 1995, the litigious attitude is one of the criteria to identify a Secte. One can read in this report/ratio that “some Secte S are usual legal contentions” and “that the difficult reports/ratios that maintain some Secte S with justice can take two faces: the continuations of which they are the object because of the character punishable or prejudicial their acts; the actions which they bring themselves with regard to the people who have, according to them, tarnished their image. ”

For example, Charline Delporte and the deputy Jean-Pierre Brard, two militants antisectes opposed to the Witnesses of Jéhovah, are regularly attacked by this movement. According to Mrs. Delporte, its defense would have already cost him several tens of thousands of Euro S only with the procedures brought against it, by the Witnesses of Jéhovah.

Media combat

Although the movement always privileges information with the public by canvassing, like showed it the distributions in the street of several leaflets in connection with their payment of back taxes and the broad diffusion of a petition by this means, each congregation or regrouping of congregations now has its communication official with the press. The local managers are also involved to proscribe various terms of their vocabulary when they are in relation to the press. Regularly, the national press service of the Witnesses of Jéhovah diffuses official statements (like that of January 2006 in connection with certain legal victories) available on their official site.

In the editions of the newspaper Le Monde of the October 20th and 27th 2006, Xavier Ternisien wrote two articles where it is question of legitimacy which the statute of Religious organization would confer on the Témoins of Jéhovah and where discriminations are evoked of which they would be the object. The report/ratio 2006 of the Miviludes (interdepartmental Mission of vigilance and fight against the sectarian drifts) refers to these two articles, in a chapter where it indicates that the Witnesses of Jéhovah “profited from happy contests, reflected by the media”: Conscious despite everything of appearing in the number of the independent groups whose drifts are pointed by work of the Board of inquiry, rather than to defend oneself on the intrigues which is reproached to them, they could profit from happy contests, reflected by the media, which had the advantage of placing the debate on another ground. Thus it could be question of the standing and the legitimacy which are conferred to them by the pertaining to worship statute, often allotted locally to their associations by the prefects. In same time, discriminations of which they would make the object were denounced with presumedly appointed force, and their authors, in particular Members of the parliamentary Commission of inquiry and defense associations of the victims which dispute the pertaining to worship statute of associations jehovists because of drifts observed and considered by these observers as as many disorders to the law and order.

The most notable point of the new communication strategy of the Witnesses of Jéhovah lies in the creation of the European Cercle of the old Witnesses of Jéhovah off-set and interned (CETJAD) the purpose of which, as stipulates it its declaration in sub-prefecture of Boulogne-Billancourt in 1995, is in particular “to make known by any means the testimony of faith and courage left by these “Bibelforscher””.

Theological criticisms

Various religious movements, of old faithful as of the organizations of fight against the Sectes emit criticisms with respect to the Croyances of the Witnesses of Jéhovah. Among the Doctrines S discussed, one can quote:

the exclusiveness in the hello asserted by the movement and its virulent criticism of the others Religion S;
the use of its own translation of the Bible, the Translation of the New World (TMN) , sometimes judged partisane in its way of returning certain passages;
advertisement of Prédiction S which appeared erroneous as well as important doctrinal changes with the wire of time;
the teaching of died of Jesus on a post of torment, rather than on a cross;
dating in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Armed S with Babylon in 607 before our era;
belief in “made up sign” given by supposed Jesus to be carried out since 1914, date which would mark the beginning of the “last days”;
the immortal life expectancy in the skies for a restricted group people (144 000);
the eternal life expectancy on the ground for the other faithful ones;
etc

Medical problems

Mental health of the members

Several studies were carried out in order to precisely determine the mental health of faithful the Témoins of Jéhovah, and this particularly since 1975. This question was examined per many investigators who, most of the time, concluded that a good number of members suffer from various mental or psychological problems sometimes because of their membership of the religious movement.

Medical charlatanism before the years 1960

One of the aspects of the Company Watchtower ignored current general public and Witnesses is the support which it formerly brought to medical care referring to pseudo-science. Indeed, the organization introduced favorably certain XX century very known medical charlatans, and supported a big number of treatments or remedies very doubtful, as well as the invention, the promotion and the sale of gadgets concerned with pseudo-science.

Already in the Tower of Guard of January 15th 1912, Russell recommended a treatment against the Appendicite and the typhoid Fièvre, diseases caused according to him by “aggressive worms”, and in 1915, it recommended the Doctor Park salary against the Pneumonie informant “which it seems effective each time”. But it is especially starting from 1919 and until the Années 1960 that the Société Watchtower clearly stated its positions in the medical field.

Through its periodical the Golden age (become you Awake! thereafter), the Société Watchtower generally was hostile with the traditional Médecine, by posting in its connection a glance openly reprobatory. She in particular affirmed that scientific medicine was based on the Magie black Egyptian woman and was démoniaque . The American Association of Doctors (AMA) famous and its doctors were vigorously criticized besides. In same time, it also vigorously promoted Thérapie S and medical procedures known as alternative excluding Médicament S and Sérum S.D'ailleurs, of 1919 around 1960, the medical articles of its publications were written mainly by homeopaths, osteopaths, naturopathes, or chiropractors.

Here some of the medical positions of the Company Watchtower mainly before the Years 1960:

It has at a certain time condemned the Vaccination S, affirming that it was about a “direct violation of eternal alliance”, that the vaccines were responsible for all kinds of diseases, did not have any medical value, was comparable with a “bad pus” injected into the veins, and took part in the diffusion of the demonism and sexual immorality; this charge is refuted by faithful movement;
It also condemned the use of the majority of the drugs (for example, according to it, the Aspirine would cause in particular disorders cardiac);
In spite of the scientific evidence of the inoffensivity of the kitchen utensils in Aluminum, it as strongly discouraged the use of those, as it regarded as a démoniaque curse “” inspired by Satan, and who according to it would cause all kinds of diseases (mycosis of the foot, Cancer…) ;
Contrairement to the demonstrations of the scientific community relating to the microbial origin of certain diseases, the movement taught that the Microbe S arrived only after the appearance of the disease - those being caused by an incorrect food mode and the Constipation - and affirmed that no disease was caused by Microbe S and that Pasteur was a forger. So she advised to drink milk believed to absorb the nutritive substances which disappear with the Pasteurization;
It in particular recommended a treatment containing supposed grape to cure the Cancer: it was enough to eat only grapes with all the meals and during weeks, according to naturopathes. In addition to its origin occults (according to its founder, Johanna Brandt, the grapes were “magnetic” and reinvigorated the spirit thanks to the “vibrations” healers of the sun), the treatment could cause death since medication was stopped;
It also supported the Iridologie, although no scientific study validated such a medicine;
In the Years 1960, it favorably presented the “therapy of the zones” (or “Réflexologie”), method claiming that the ends of the body control and influence sectors different from our body, and consisting to diagnose and cure certain diseases. Thus, the relief of the pain, even the disappearance of diseases located elsewhere in the body can be obtained by handling the toes of the people;
It during decades promoted the nonscientific and occult technique of radionic or the ERA, which consists in using a “radionic” machine diagnosing and curing the patients by means of a photograph, handwritten letter, wick of hair… of the patients. This technique, which even generated the invention of a gadget sold by the means of the columns of the Golden age , is perceived now by the movement as being Spiritisme;
It made publicity in the Golden age for the sale of the radio-solar block by printing an article about it with a recommendation of this technique by Rutherford itself. This method being spiritistic, the periodical spoke in this case of “honest” demons apparently being expressed through small planks Ouija, affirming that “even the liars say sometimes the truth”. The movement however stopped its support for this technique after scientific discoveries highlighting the harmfulness of this one.

In addition, certain medical declarations considered to be inaccurate scientifically on behalf of the Société Watchtower are criticized by opponents, who reproach him moreover for having doubtless caused the death of those which took its advice.

Currently, the continuous Company Watchtower to publish articles having milked with the Medicine, but then it frequently specifies in a note that it does not recommend any treatment in particular, and that is with each Christian to choose in conscience his own medical care (since it is not a question of blood transfusions nor of techniques calling upon the Spiritisme).

Refusal of the transfusions

See also: Pilot of Jéhovah and blood transfusion

The refusal of the blood Transfusions is currently one of the greatest subjects of controversy concerning the Witnesses of Jéhovah. If the techniques not calling upon the transfusion of blood are increasingly reliable and current, it still remains nevertheless of many situations where a transfusion is the only therapeutic solution. The Société Watchtower prohibits the transfusions of total blood like certain fractions of this one like the plasma, the plate S or the Leucocyte S, but leaves with the conscience its followers the decision accept others of them, like the Albumine, the Immunoglobuline S or the preparations for Hémophile S including the factor VIII, whose production requires thousands of blood donations. Various sites of the fabric show the Witnesses of Jéhovah to be committed written in front of the secretary of the European commission of the Human rights more to exclude the members who would accept the blood Transfusions, this with an aim of obtaining the statute of Religion which would differently have been refused to them, and then of having sent a letter for the Bulgarian Witnesses stipulating the opposite.

In France, the Droit evolved/moved these last years in connection with the Relation doctor-patient. In particular, the Law of March 4th 2002 relating to the rights of the patients and the quality of the system of Health (known as “Law Kouchner” ) the respect of the will of the Patient establishes clearly: “The Médecin must respect the will of the person after having informed it of the consequences of its choices”. However, the Jurisprudence remains constant as regards authorizing the doctor to transfuse a patient against his liking, if the vital prognosis justifies it. In the case of the minors, the doctor must make the decisions which he considers necessary to the Santé of the child, even against the opinion of the parents. The Médecin is thus in front of a problem of conscience: must it respect the choice Thérapeutique of the free patient to let it die (autonomy of the patient), or pass in addition to its will to save to him the life (medical paternalism). The Droit French leaves him the responsibility choose. Indeed, a Doctor which carries out an medical act essential to the survival of the Patient, in spite of his expressed refusal, remains in its Droit according to the Jurisprudence, and no expert having respected the stubborn refusal of a patient after having very implemented to convince it to accept the recommended Thérapeutique and to have informed it vital consequences of its choice was condemned for “Non-assistance to nobody in danger”.

With regard to “medical paternalism” and “the lit assent”, a recent controversy started with the the United States by the publication of an article in the review The Newspaper off Church and State , by a lawyer E whose Témoin mother of Jéhovah died of severe Anémie in 2004 following a refusal of the blood Transfusions, claims that the movement could be held responsible juridically for vague medical informations the “even dishonest persons” whom it gives to his faithful. Indeed, one would not have to replace a medical “paternalism”, by a “paternalism” religious: the autonomy of the patient should not be blocked either by a movement claiming to speak in the name of God, threatening the contravener of excommunication and thus of eternal destruction by God, and providing incomplete or erroneous medical data.

Polemics of social order

Several positions of the Witnesses of Jéhovah on the social integration of faithful are prone to debate. Among those, one can quote:

Situation of the child, the woman and the homosexual ones

The education of the child in their center is criticized by opponents who reproach conditioning and the culpabilisation, the timetable charged with these children, the indirect proselytism at the school, the psychological disorders which “the separation of with the world would generate”, incapacity of the development of autonomy, risks of misprision of sexual abuses on minors, psychological difficulties of the exit of the movement, and the problem of the blood transfusions.

In addition, according to critics of the religious movement, the Femme is developed little within the religious movement: she is submitted in all to her husband and cannot reach a function of monitoring in the congregation.

In addition, the Witnesses of Jéhovah reject the Homosexualité categorically, which involves the excommunication of faithful having homosexual reports/ratios, and a life of loneliness for those which wish to remain Témoins of Jéhovah and abstain from some.

Excommunication

Their practice of excommunication is currently a subject of major controversies. On their premises, it consists in not attending one outgoing or excommunicated person more, not to engage of friendly conversation with it, nor, in theory, to even greet it, which returns the contacts of ex-faithful with their Témoin family of Jéhovah often very difficult.

Rejection of the social life

See also: Neutrality at the Witnesses of Jéhovah, Military service at the Witnesses of Jéhovah

The Witnesses of Jéhovah reject several social practices: traditional festivals (Christmas, Easter, birthdays…), it to vote for a human party, the military service and the civil service (until in 1995), the humane causes apart from the assistance granted to their co-religionists (until there is little), professions in the industry of armament, of the Tabac, the sex or the false religion. Moreover, they are highly encouraged to give up a profane career like with the continuation of the higher learning, must limit their frequentation of the people not-Witnesses to the reports/ratios in work or preaching, be very selective in the choice of their entertainments (all that milked with the Occultisme, with the sex, with the false religion, with violence, or which could introduce doubts as the Philosophie must be proscribed) and limit the use of Internet. According to criticisms of the Witnesses of Jéhovah, this social rupture is accentuated by the activities that faithful is supposed to achieve with minima: five hours of meetings, two to three hours on average of preaching per week, the preparation of all the meetings, etc In addition to the “profane activities” traditional (work, household, etc), a Witness of Jéhovah thus has little time for another thing.

Treatment of the pedophilia

The Pédophilie is contrary with the values morals of the Witnesses of Jéhovah. Nevertheless, criticisms on the treatment of the Pédophilie at the Witnesses of Jéhovah appeared a few years ago during several television programs all over the world (the United States, Sweden, Australia, the United Kingdom). However, according to Barbara Anderson, old enquiring on behalf of the Editorial board of the world seat, the debate took seat with the more high level in the beginning of the Années 1990. It is reproached to them for having treated for a long time in-house the businesses of Pédophilie, without to have informed the legal authorities of these countries of them, “not to throw the opprobrium on the Organization of Jéhovah”. In addition to the misprision of these crimes, the internal rules of punishment of the paedophiles raised criticisms:

* One needs two witnesses of the acts paedophiles, or the consents, so that the Témoin paedophile of Jéhovah is excommunicated, and that by basing on biblical verses such as Deutéronome 19:15 which declared: “Only one witness will not be able to draw up himself against a man in connection with a fault or of an unspecified sin, for an unspecified sin which it can make. It is only on saying it of two witnesses or saying it of three witnesses whom the business will hold. ”

* When two eyewitnesses are not found, which often arrives in a business of Pédophilie, a confrontation between the victim and the presumedly guilty one is necessary to prove the facts. It poses the problem of the psychological after-effects however that this confrontation can produce on the victim. On this subject, the Société Watchtower was condemned recently to the Canada to have obliged this confrontation.

*Si in spite of confrontation, the defendant does not recognize the facts, the business is classified. This fact is illustrated by the case of a young person of Brussels pertaining to a Témoin family of Jéhovah, which had been deceived during one year and half by one of them, when it was 9 years old. The old , informed, had organized a confrontation between the imposter and his victim, but as there were not two witnesses of the business, this one had been choked. In 2003, this young woman went to deposit felt sorry for with the police force against its torturer, right before the regulation.

* the guilty paedophiles recognized, but repenting, are not identified near the faithful ones, which involved repetitions. So certain dangers exist, the old are held to take the precautionary measures necessary: these precautionary measures would consist in advising with the paedophiles repenting to be more in liaison with children. On a purely comparative basis, a paedophile judged as such by a truth Tribunal is obviously known of all except if he moved for another area, he is put out of state to harm during a time by a custodial sentence and it is sometimes asked to him to follow a medical care.

* Of former Témoins paedophiles of Jéhovah can still make door-to-door if the old consider that they showed their amendment.

* the paedophiles found guilty by the committees of religious discipline and not showing a repentance were excommunicated of the movement; the old ones considering thus to have returned the justice of God. However, those not having denounced them with the authorities not to throw the opprobrium on the organization of Jéhovah, it happened that some of them continue to deceive children until they are denounced with the authorities by other people. In a business judged in Norway, a paedophile who had sexually maltreated children of his congregation during 23 years, ended up being excommunicated of the Witnesses of Jéhovah after an internal survey with the movement, but denounced forever with the authorities. It continued with to deceive children, after the revelation of its sexual abuses and its exclusion of the religious movement. He thereafter was denounced by the parents of boy a nine year old and was condemned on five facts of action obscene, but its old crimes, prescribed, could not be considered for the sentence.

It seems that with regard to the misprision with the legal authorities, the movement became aware of its errors in 1998, while continuing to publicly deny to have covered knowingly with the acts of Pédophilie. In France, according to the Witnesses of Jéhovah, since creation in 1994 of an office of the religious affairs, the Ministers for the Culte are obliged to deal with the denunciations with the justice of serious facts, if those would not be done by the parents. However, in the business of Pézenas (Herault), the facts of Pédophilie accused had taken place of 1985 with 1996; the old which had excommunicated the culprit had asserted “seal of confession” not to have denounced the facts and had been condemned to 3.000 francs of Amende by the Court of Appeal of Montpellier. Moreover, in the case of an other business judged by the Magistrates' court of Dijon, the old having learned in May 1995 that a member of their congregation imposed sexual relationships on his daughter it had considered to be in-house without denouncing it with the authorities. They had explained in front of the court why being Ministers for the Culte Witnesses of Jéhovah, they estimated to be held with the secrecy because of their state; they had been condemned for misprision of crime to three months of suspended sentence. One can nevertheless find surprising that a movement which does not practice the Confession precisely advances the argument of the secrecy of this one to justify the misprision with the police force.

The Witnesses of Jéhovah recognize following a called American emission Dateline , revealing their policy as regards Pédophilie, that their treatment of these businesses is not perfect and had to be refined with time, but they think of being always supported of their better on the Bible. This recent media recognition, given full details, and only on their Web site in English, for the moment was not followed acts at the legal level: each victim having required accounts of the Société Watchtower for its management of the businesses of Pédophilie vigorously was fought judicially and spiritually (excommunication) by the movement.

Strategy of the " war théocratique" ,

The Témoins of Jéhovah think of living in a bad, immoral and corrupted world, dominated by Satan, whereas them, recognize a Théocratie whose Jesus Christ is the king, established in an invisible way in 1914. They think of directly receiving the directives of this one via the Central Collège, the “faithful and advised slave”, who is for them his single representing on ground. To survive in such a hostile world, they must adopt a strategy which is called in the leader mediums of the movement the “theocratic strategy of war” (in the Années 1940, “strategy of Rahab”, Rahab being in the Bible a prostitute of Jericho having lied to make flee the spies Jews that it had hidden). This one is not a war in the direction running of the term, it consists in continuing to do all that is possible to promote the work of evangelization Témoins of Jéhovah, and this even when that an official opposition arises.

To carry out this combat, the Témoins of Jéhovah consider that they must obey rather God than with the men and rest, to be justified, on the biblical verse of Acts 5: 29 qu' they chose for Texte of the year 2006: We must obey God, in his capacity as chief, rather than with the hommes.

Not to reveal all the truth

According to UNADFI and old followers, when the Witnesses of Jéhovah estimate that what occurs inside the movement does not have to be known those which do not belong to it, they even have recourse to the half-truths with the lie, by not revealing all the truth with those which endanger the organization of the Witnesses of Jéhovah. They explain why the “theocratic war” does not cover the false witness, but rather the voluntary omission of certain facts and is justified each time it is necessary to protect the interests from the organization. According to them, certain publications of the Société Watchtower teach that the Témoins of Jéhovah are not obliged to reveal veracious information with people of which it estimates that they are not in right to know it, it by what it hears, any person who does not form part of the organization of the Witnesses of Jéhovah. One can read in the book Perspicacité , volume 2, page 255: If the Bible condemns the malevolent lie expressly, that does not mean that one is obliged to reveal veracious information with people who are not in right to know it. Jesus Christ advised: “Do not give what is holy with the dogs, and do not throw your pearls in front of the pigs, for fear they do not trample them with their feet and that, being turned over, they do not tear you. ” (MT 7:6). For this reason, on certain occasions, Jesus abstained from giving complete information or answering directly questions when that could cause unnecessarily wrong (MT 15:1 - 6; 21:23 - 27; Jn 7:3 - 10).

Consequently, according to the opponents of the movement, which is revealed outside by the Witnesses of Jéhovah is not inevitably the exact reflection from what occurs in their organization. According to them, the knowledge of this teaching makes it possible to understand that the version of the facts revealed with the public not-Witness of Jéhovah, by the members belonging to this movement, in sensitive topics concerning their organization, veils sometimes part of reality. They however point out that, in the organization, only the Société Watchtower and its representatives have the right to adapt this exemption, the faithful one at the individual level not having to have recourse to this method to protect its personal interests.

Examples of “theocratic lie”:

to obtain the statute of religion in Bulgaria, the Société Watchtower declared under oath that it would not take a disciplinary measure against a member accepting a blood Transfusion, whereas in fact, it always maintains this interdict, considering the fact of accepting it like a voluntary withdrawal on behalf of the transgressor (see the business of blood in Bulgaria).
With the Mexico, the Constitution of 1917 does not make it possible the religious congregations to be landowners. Also, as the real goods of the organization would have become the property of the nation, the Société Watchtower decided to challenge the name of Religion, affirming to be a cultural grouping. Thus, the Salles of the Kingdom were famous Salones farming (cuturelles Rooms), the Réunions of the congregation never opened by a canticle and a prayer, and the faithful ones did not preach by using the Bible.
In Swiss, the leaders of the Witnesses of Jéhovah, shown during the Second world war to prohibit the Military service with the followers, claimed in a letter written by a lawyer and addressed to the Swiss authorities “that at any time, they had not seen the achievement of the military obligations like an offense against the principles and the aspirations of the association of the Witnesses of Jéhovah”, and that “of the hundreds of our members and our sympathizers achieved their military obligation and continue to do it”; the goal of this lie was to still protect the last European office in activity at this time.
the use of the “theocratic lie” also was proposed in the emission Témoins silencer , diffused within the framework of the emission Temps Present on July 14th 2005 on the first chain of TSR, presenting an investigation into the silence which would reign within the Swedish organization of the Witnesses of Jéhovah when certain members are suspected of sexual abuses of nature paedophile.

These four examples show that it is especially with an aim of official recognition, for financial reasons or to choke some of its activities little reluisantes that the movement has recourse to this kind of tactics.

One can note that contrary, the Witnesses of Jéhovah practitioner of the trades where the Professional secrecy is of setting (doctors, lawyers), must pass in addition to this secrecy to denounce near the hierarchy of the movement, their brothers who would make faults according to the teaching of the Witnesses of Jéhovah.

Treatment differences for the famous Witnesses

Opponents with the organization notice that the famous Witnesses of Jéhovah or having an important statute would not be subject to the same rules as the faithful basic ones. According to them, the goal of this attitude would concern the strategy the “spiritual war” and would aim at showing with the public which the Witnesses of Jéhovah are people like everyone.

This situation would concern:

the lawyer S of high ranking (cf will infra); in this respect, one raises the case of Christian Paturel, ex- lawyer having taken part in the defense of his movement: it could continue to practice and teach the Boxe, (although it affirmed in a Réveillez you! to have to cease this activity), and supported other spiritual minorities within the framework of its profession. However, the Watchtower Company condemns the practice and the teaching of the sports of combat or violent one and rejects any support for the others Religion S which it estimates under the cut of the Diable.
the Doctor S in sight in the movement (cf will infra);
famous sportsmen; for example, the Venus sisters and Serena Williams, faithful of the professional movement and tenniswomen, do not hesitate to develop an aggressive behavior, to express the competitive spirit, to sing national anthems and to embrace their trophies (what would be idolatry), as many practices or frames of mind normally condemned by the movement.
preceded with a beauty contest; on this point, in 2000, the Miss Togo was a Witness of Jéhovah, and this whereas the writings of the group prohibit the beauty contests.

Financial aspects

Actions in a company related to the armament

During several years until in 2002, the Société Watchtower was owner to a total value of 50% of the private company Rand Camwood Corp Engine., which was specialized in the manufacture of engines for the fighter plans of the army of the the United States. It was about a gift which it had received, and which it did not refuse.

If it is true that this step is completely legal, of criticisms affirm on the other hand that this one is criticizable from a moral point of view, because:

On the one hand Watchtower denounces the placements of the Churches of Christendom in industries of armament or tobacco, whereas itself acted in this case in the same way but without the faithful ones being with the current of the implication of their religion in this company in bond with the armament;
In addition, faithful Témoins of Jéhovah should not work in a trade related to the armament or take part in the war including in totalitarian period of mode, and even if their life is threatened by this refusal.

Luxurious way of life of the international leaders

While being based on various biblical verses, the Société Watchtower encourages its members highly to carry out a simple life, a life of abnegation consisting in not seeking the material money or goods, but with being devoted within the movement. Moreover, the Société Watchtower does not hesitate to severely criticize the religious organizations whose leaders live in opulence, affirming that this luxurious way of life discredit them as faithful disciples of Christ.

However, of the detractors of the organization (whose Raymond Franz, former member of the Central College), point out that the international leaders of the Witnesses of Jéhovah - who state to have made wish of poverty - carry out a very comfortable way of life, profiting from many material advantages which contrast with the lifestyle of renouncement preached in the publications of the movement and of use at many Witnesses of Jéhovah including majority of the leaders.

It seems that the beginning of this behavior is to be allotted to the first president of the movement Charles Taze Russell. Indeed, vis-a-vis the success of its countryside of Sermon S by way of press, the editors and trade unions of press asked him to look after its image Média tick: it should get dressed more aristocratically, go on journeys around the world, and remain in luxurious hotels. Some of the readers of the Tower of Guard made him the reproach of it, but Russell argued that all was to be made so that its Sermon S is read the most possible.

Franklin Joseph Rutherford, the second President of the Société Watchtower followed the movement although the countryside of Sermon S by the newspapers was since abandoned. It benefitted from sumptuous apartments: it lived in stage complete with Béthel of Brooklyn with cook and private secretary, placed in continuation of hotel whose annual rent amounted to 10.000 $, was bénificiaire private apartments with Staten Island, like with Farm of Kingdom, with South Lansing (New York), and on end of its life, lived in villa roomy named Bethsarim in California (villa which was built with the money of faithful), and had two Cadillac S in full economic crisis of the Années 1930. It had moreover supplies for its comfort with the branches of the Company with the the United Kingdom, in France and Germany, and consumed great quantities of spirits which it received from the Canadian director of the Société Watchtower in spite of prohibition with the the United States; moreover, he highly encouraged the alcohol consumption to the Béthel and liked the vulgar jokes and the language obscene at the time of the meals. He in addition advised all the members of the Central Collège to travel in first class during their displacements. This behavior attracted criticisms of Olyn R. Moyle in 1939, lawyer of the Witnesses of Jéhovah in the Années 1930 which resigned of its functions to the Béthel, as well as William Salter in 1937, then directing movement with the Canada. In addition, in a letter of the April 27th 1926, Georges H. Fischer, writer of the book the accomplished Mystery and member of the Central College, will bring disciplinary proceedings against Rutherford, because he would have been seen with the arm of an young woman to Al Jolson' S winter Show , spectacle of the Années 1920 famous for his stripped wives, by a gatekeeper member of the Witnesses of Jéhovah. A close relation of Rutherford will deny this fact in the review Old Golden of May 4th 1927. The action will be without continuation because of the death three months later of Fischer. According to Alexander Hugh Macmillan, Rutherford was accustomed to attending these stripped spectacles, especially when it was out of the country.

Nathan H. Knorr, the following President, did not change the practices taken. As for Milton G. Henschel, it is attested that it on several occasions placed in a hotel five stars.

Payments of back taxes and Urssaf in France

During a checking of the accountancy of the Witnesses of Jéhovah following an industrial accident in the buildings of the organization, the tax department required of association the opening its journals, which gave place to several payments of back taxes:

Rectification on the transferable securities

Article 206-5 of the Code of the taxes imposes on the associations not subjected to the Impôt on the companies, to declare their incomes financial and to be imposed on their incomes of movable capital.

As it did not conform to this provision, association the Witnesses of Jéhovah (ATJ) , declared on September 1st 1947 (Association with nonlucrative goal, Loi of July 1st 1901) underwent a recall of Impôt S for the products perceived over the period of September 1992 at August 1996 of an amount of 7,3 franc million which it paid.

Infringement with the code of the Social security

Until 1996, the voluntary ones full-time of Béthel of the Witnesses of Jéhovah did not cotisaient with the Social security, the movement preferring to practice the self-insurance. Nevertheless, following a control of URSSAF of the Eure diligenté in May and June 1996 on " Christian community of Béthelites" , the activity on the site was comparable with work, since the workers received a remuneration of 475 francs per month, and of the advantages in kind (lodging, food). Consequently, association in question was rectified of 10,3 franc million, summons which was regulated.

The practice of the self-insurance posed in France and poses two problems always elsewhere:

Up to which point the movement was it ready to pay the medical care of its permanent? One can illustrate this question by a last legal affair in the United States: voluntary in Béthel of Brooklyn, old of 46 years, always Witness of Jéhovah, handicapped with life following an accident which has occurred in an enclosure of the movement, attacked this one which proposed to him to leave Béthel and 79.000$ of compensation once and for all, for the care which it would have to support with the length of its life. The judge granted to him in first authority 400$ per week, that is to say 19.200$ per annum. The Witnesses of Jéhovah thus proposed only 4 years of care to this faithful, handicapped whereas she worked for the movement. In the same order of idea, a voluntary worker wishing to give up the faith of the Witnesses of Jéhovah, or being constrained by a disciplinary measure to leave it, was not only without work, but without social security nor retirement of the day at the following day. One can quote for example the case of a member of the Central College excluded for apostasy, Raymond Franz who tells to be himself found outside without place where to go with its wife, with only 200$ out of pocket.
Which retirement for the béthelites? The self-insurance theoretically covered the old days of the béthelites. Certain cases of " brothers fidèles" living until their death in Béthel of Brooklyn are exposed in the review the Tower of Guard . Nevertheless, to date and this in spite of 120 years of existence and several tens of thousands of voluntary last in different the béthels from the world, no structure of style old people's home for old béthelite is known. That can be explained by the important turn-over voluntary different Béthels, the working life seems to be only a few years on average; thus once it left Béthel, thevoluntary one sees its years of service with the movement lost for the calculation of its retirement.

Tax on the manual gifts

See also: Pilot of Jéhovah and tax on the manual gifts in France

National association called Association the Witnesses of Jéhovah , associations with nonlucrative goal (law of July 1st, 1901) which managed the activities of impression, forwarding and delivery in France and abroad of religious publications, noted each gift of its faithful in its accountancy. On the basis of the documents presented during a one 18 months duration fiscal control over 1996-97, the tax services established an administrative statement of the accused operations which recovered the sums collected by the association of its faithful and which this one recorded in a revenue account entitled “offerings”. The law stipulates that, since the manual gifts “are revealed” with the tax authorities, they are subjected to gift taxes (60% if there are no family ties between the giver and the donee). The Association the Witnesses of Jéhovah (ATJ), whose seat was 11 rue de the Seine in Boulogne Billancourt, being a associations with nonlucrative goal (law of July 1st, 1901), could not profit from the tax incentives granted to the pertaining to worship Associations envisaged by the law of 1905, and " had not been able to justify personally at the day of the operative event, of a prefectoral authorization of exemption of the imposition on the gifts and legacy ". The Tax department thus condemned it to pay with the tax authorities the fees registration on the donations received between 1993 and 1996. Sums due to the State, such that they appear in the stop of the Court of Appeal of Versailles of February 28th, 2002, confirmed by the Court of appeal on October 5th, 2004, are of 22 920 382,10 euros on a purely principal basis, and of 22 418 484,48 euros under the penalties and post maturity interest.

Association disputed this decision and carried the business in front of the Court of Bankruptcy of Nanterre, which débouté the association of its request. This decision was confirmed in call, then in cassation. The grounds for appeal in internal rights being exhausted, the Witnesses of Jéhovah deposited a recourse in front of the European Cour of the human rights on February 25th, 2005, by calling upon the violation of the freedom of religion (article 9 of the European Convention of the human rights) and discrimination (article 14).

The Witnesses of Jéhovah consecutively launched a public awareness campaign of the opinion to the pointing of the faithful ones who make gifts (however the majority of the gifts of faithful Témoins of Jéhovah are anonymous), to the tax on the gifts to the worships and the discrimination whose Witnesses of Jéhovah think of being victims in this business. This national petition has reccueilli 874 130 signatures of people expressing their indignation. However, it is not the Religious organization the Witnesses of Jéhovah de France (ACTJF - Declared on May 7th, 1991 like Religious organization, law of December 9th, 1905, but not recognized as such at the time) on which carries the payment of back taxes, but on the Association Witnesses of Jéhovah (ATJ - Declared on September 1st, 1947 like association with nonlucrative goal, law of July 1st, 1901), which managed the activities of edition of the Witnesses of Jéhovah.

For lack of answer of the ministers Nicolas Sarkozy and Thierry Breton to the questions of the members of Parliament in connection with the covering of this credit, the deputy Jean-Pierre Brard deposited in October 2005 an amendment with the finance bill 2006 requiring that this organization pay its debts. The Witnesses of Jéhovah protested, seeing in this operation a refusal of the religious liberties. According to the report of the National Assembly, the deputy secretary answered that this file was the subject of a normal treatment as regards covering of the which had sums, that all the real guarantees had been taken, and that several payments had already taken place, but that the legal rule of the tax secrecy prohibited to him to say some more. Voted on, the amendment was not adopted.

Information recently published in the French press revealed that the French State envisages to find a solution friendly in this business which opposes it to the Witnesses of Jéhovah. Indeed, on October 23rd, 2006, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs wrote at the European Court Human rights: " The French government with the honor to inform you that it is favorable to the principle of an amicable settlement of this business, as with any offer of mediation of the Court (…) in order to support the search for an agreement between the " parts;.

Following this business which had caused the concern of the associative sector, on which a risk of arbitrary and retroactive taxation weighed, the amendment of article 2 of the law of August 1st, 2003 relating to the patronage introduced an exception to the rule of arbitrary assessment of the manual gifts revealed during a checking of accountancy, with the profit of the organizations of general interest mentioned in article 200 of the General Tax Code, to which the pertaining to worship associations recognized by the law belong of 1905.Cependant, Association " Witnesses of Jéhovah" to which the payment of back taxes (tax on the manual gifts) relates, is not a religious organization within the meaning of the law of December 9th, 1905, but simply an association with nonlucrative goal (law of July 1st, 1901).

Charges not achieving the unanimity at the opponents

Origins freemason of the movement

According to a ex-member, the organization of the Witnesses of Jéhovah would find his origin in the Franc-maçonnerie, Charles Taze Russell having according to him belongs to this obedience. The studies of this one, show that Work Card Russell maintained the bonds of proximity with freemasonry for the organization of its gatherings. Today the masonry of Pittsburgh built in the years 1990 its more important building on what was the house of farm of the Russell family. Very with dimensions is the Russellite cemetery where a monument in the shape of pyramid commemorates the founder of the Témoins of Jéhovah beside its tomb stone. This cemetery was a possession of the organization russelite and conceals the tombs of several members of the organization.

However, certain studies undertaken on the subject by other opponents advance that this idea would originate in the mediums Nazis of the Années 1930, that Russell carried a critical glance on masonry and that there is no trace of the maconnic membership of this one in the medium in the files of Pittsburgh, city where it lived the major part of its life.

Subliminal images

Certain opponents with the movement affirm that the publications of the Témoins of Jéhovah would contain images Subliminal are encrusted in the illustrations, assertion considered as unfounded by others critical of the movement which see there only pareidolia , like by the faithful ones of the movement.

See

Internal bonds

Pilot of Critical Jéhovah
of the beliefs of the Witnesses of Jéhovah
National coordination of the victims of the organization of the Witnesses of Jéhovah

References

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