In 2017 Russia designated the Jehovah Witness church as a “totalitarian sect” and labeled them as an “extremist organization”, ordering them to dissolve their religion in the country.
On Feb. 6 a Russian court sentenced Dennis Christen to six years in prison for “extremism”. His crime? Leading a prayer meeting.
Nearly 100 church members are currently facing charges and 20 are languishing in Russian prisons, waiting for trial. Last December, Trump’s buddy Putin declared that extremism charge against the organization are “nonsense”, a statement that is nonsensical in and of itself since those charges could not occur without his approval. Putin promised in December to look into the matter, but when asked, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov would not say whether Putin had fulfilled said pledge, and refused to comment on the Christensen’s sentence.
Russia’s main objections to the organization’s teachings are their belief that God is a higher authority than the state, and their refusal to participate in all things political.
My wife is a Jehovah Witness, and I have participated in many hours of theosophical discussion with church elders. While I disagree with some of their beliefs, I totally respect their devotion to God’s Word and their strict adherence to biblical principles.
Our p-resident’s pretense of belief in Christianity is especially ludicrous in light his refusal to condemn this extreme example of religious persecution.
Mainstream media reporting on this travesty is nearly non-existent, as is condemnation by other religious leaders. This is unsurprising to me in light of the conservative jihad against Muslims in our country. It seems to me that the Mevangelical movement is resentful of any religion whose members express their belief as a lifestyle rather than as fashion.
More can be found in Newsmax reporting here.