Thursday, March 30, 2017

Worldwide Letter-writing Campaign Protests Proposed Religious Ban



A huge news story is being almost completely ignored by the media.

Post offices across the country are running out of international stamps. Facebook is blowing up with pictures of people writing letters. The Guinness people are watching to see if this letter-writing campaign will make it into their Book of World Records. (The current record-holder for a letter-writing campaign is 900,000 letters written for Amnesty International.) What’s the story?

While the news is busy arguing about to what extent Russia may have interfered in the recent American election, Russia has been quietly, dramatically restricting the freedoms of one specific group of their citizens.

Maybe you read that and say, ‘Well, it is Russia, after all; aren’t they always restricting their citizens?’ No, actually. After the Soviet Union ended, Russia became a democratic society, with a constitution and everything. Section One Chapter 2 of that document reads:
“Everyone shall be guaranteed the right to freedom of conscience, to freedom of religious worship, including the right to profess, individually or jointly with others, any religion, or to profess no religion, to freely choose, possess and disseminate religious or other beliefs, and to act in conformity with them.”
That’s even clearer than the freedom of religion guaranteed by the United States constitution.

In spite of that guarantee, the government of Russia has petitioned their Supreme Court to brand Jehovah’s Witnesses as extremists, in the same league as ISIS. If that move succeeds it will become illegal for the 170,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in that country to meet for worship, to discuss the bible with others, or even to read the bible in their own homes. The case is scheduled to be heard on April 5, 2017. 

In response, the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses has asked all 8,000,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide to write to six key officials in Moscow, including Vladimir Putin himself. 
From the United States, mailing those six letters to Moscow costs about $7. In some other countries, it could cost a family a significant portion of their monthly income. Yet, based on reports on Facebook, Jehovah’s Witnesses, their friends and business associates are pitching in with a will. Total cost of postage, according to one Facebooker, will be over $55 million, based just on the U.S. rate. 





If 8,000,000 people each send six letters, another Facebook mathematician calculated, the Moscow post office can expect a stack of mail nearly 19 miles high! 



A handful of other websites have circulated the news about the impending court decision and the letter-writing campaign against it:

Rochester, NY: Jehovah’s Witnesses plead for freedom, mercy, in Russia crackdown 

The University of Missouri’s Religion News Service: Jehovah’s Witnesses Fear Russian Government may Ban Them 






Ghana, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Zambia websites also reposted the news release from jw.org.

Headlines from pro-Russian news sources have a somewhat different outlook. Russia’s English-language Sputnik reads:
Enough is enough! Jehovah’s Witnesses face Ban
On Tuesday, the Helsinki Commission, which includes U.S. Senators and congressmen, condemned the planned Russian legal move. 

While their sentiments are appreciated, the millions of letters pouring in from around the world are far more likely to sway Moscow than a handful of American politicians. 

If your local news outlet hasn't covered this story, please feel free to send them the link to this column.

Feel free to leave a polite comment. To read another of my columns on a similar subject, click here. To return to the home page, click here


Bill K. Underwood is a free-lance columnist and the author of several novels and one non-fiction self-help book, all available at Amazon.com.You can help support this site by purchasing a book.

46 comments:

  1. Shows you what amazing international brotherhood Jehovah's Witnesses have. Peaceful law abiding citizens who just want what all people want, freedom of worship.

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    1. Exactly. Peaceful, kind, helpful.

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    2. 2Kings 6:16 - But he said: “Do not be afraid! For there are more who are with us than those who are with them.”

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  2. Stay strong Dear brothers and sisters,Jehovah feel you're pain and he will not forget your love for him,we pray for you all.<3

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    1. I don't think that's pain: Jesus said that if we are persecuted we are happy.

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    2. you doint understand

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    3. Simple fact:
      Heb. 6:10
      'God is not unrighteous so as to forget
      your works.....'
      And first of all, pray!!!

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  3. I'm 99% sure the record has already been broken.

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  4. Write a letter if you want your freedom because if on group can be banned, so can others. So, even if you are not a Witness, you have a stake in this!

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  5. Beautiful coverage on such an important event! Thank you!

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  6. Stop the ban in Russia against the Jehovah's witnesses please Its not good not loving to treat them this way from Hinera in New Zealand

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    1. Just think..The ones whom Mr Putin is trying to eliminate are the very ones who" will certainly give attention to his place and he will not be". Mr Putin and his cronies cannot stop Jehovah from turning Moscow into Paradise!

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  7. Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and will never fail you. The nations must know that I am Jehovah. Thank you to all the people who are not Witnesses for understanding our plight we love you because it is the second of the greatest commands. Love your neighbor. Thank you for your voice in this Jehovah does not forget the love you show.

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  8. Brothers and sisters, we are supporting you with our prayers. Jehovah will see u through. Just have faith in him. Freedom will reign.

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  9. or postal servants said anyone who knows Jehovah's Witnesses knows they are not extremists. This warmed my heart for this kind of thing is happening all over the world. We rarely get to meet our postal workers in service because they are allays working during the day. What a witness.

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  10. To the publisher of this blog... I'd like to offer a small recommendation. Whenever you embed a YouTube video, add the follow string to the end of the video link: ?rel=0

    When you do that, it makes it so that the video doesn't show any "related videos" after that. The problem with "related videos" is that it may show stuff that's completely unrelated or worse, apostate in nature.

    For example, the link to the current embedded video is:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak-RzuJqosk

    And when you embed it, simply add the token I mentioned above, so the embed link looks like this:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak-RzuJqosk?rel=0

    Then what will happen in the end, it will simply show the thumbnail with an option to "Replay".

    Make sense? :-)

    I hope this was helpful.

    Jaime

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    1. Very good info Thanks. I will be sharing this.

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    2. Historical event. Bible prophecy can never be thwarted. Thanks for sharing.

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    3. This is beautiful! Anyone following the case can see how the charges mirror those leveled against Jesus. John 15:19
      If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you.
      Here in Malawi the situation in Russia is an eerie reminder that the ruler of this world is still at work. How appropriate were the Great Tribulation videos of last years convention, and the Hezekiah drama!
      All proof that we truly have the Faithful and Discreet slave. The world today has many opinions and people feel if you are warned against certain opinions as bad you are being brainwashed or mind-controlled. There is an argument against anything we might consider to be common sense. People like to flaunt their intelligence as others do their looks or even power. Yet the power of the truth is not just in the strength of it's arguments, but rather it's in the fact that it's Source owns the universe! I was born at a refugee camp in Mozambique during the persecution of the brothers in Malawi. I know of a report regarding an official who used to read the letters that the brothers wrote around the world (he says over 20,000 a day) and now he is an appointed brother.
      Jehovah surely knows his people!

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  11. We are strong united we love one another and follow the example of jesus
    Please . When we have jehovah with us .who is afraid of man ?
    We respect governments. We are strong hang on in there my brithers sisters friends. All our prayers are strong .
    We love you all .
    Afape love
    Your italian beither and sister . Elisa . Gianni ...proverbs 18:10 The name of jehovah is a strong tower into it the rightous runs and seeks protection".
    Keep strong stay positive all over 8 million of us are together qith you all . We love you most of all jehovah ...

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  12. May Jehovah keep our Russian brothers and sisters strong and give them endurance during these stressful times. Our deliverance is nearer than before.

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  13. To all my dear brothers and sisters world- wide we salute you for all of your courage let us continue to show high regards for the laws of the land as well as the governmental officials and most importantly let us continue let the fruitage of God's spirit to lead us as we continue to show love for one another and our neighbors. By doing so we are sure to have Jehovah's smile of approval. Let us my dear brothers and sister continue to be kind and loving towards all. May our wonderful God Jehovah continue to pour down his blessing upon each of you until there is nothing lacking. We love you all. The fight isn't ours but it's Jehovah's.

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  14. We must remember that the Russian Government and the Russian Supreme Court are not our enemy but Satan the Devil is, therefore Satan goal is to destroy all of God's children all over this earth. We must remember the God that we serve Psalm 83:18 May people know that you whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the most high over all the earth. Yes my dear brothers and sister remember that we serve the most high God of the entire universe and his name is Jehovah.

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  15. 1 Peter 4:4 They are puzzled that you do not continue running with them in the same decadent course of debauchery, so they speak abusively of you.

    1 Peter 4: 8-11 Above all things, have intense love for one another,+ because love covers a multitude of sins.+ 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.+ 10 To the extent that each one has received a gift, use it in ministering to one another as fine stewards of God’s undeserved kindness that is expressed in various ways.+ 11 If anyone speaks, let him do so as speaking pronouncements from God; if anyone ministers, let him do so as depending on the strength that God supplies;+ so that in all things God may be glorified+ through Jesus Christ. The glory and the might are his forever and ever. Amen.

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  16. Thank you for this well written and unbiased article.

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  17. How quickly the Russians have forgotten that during WW1 not one of their soldiers were killed by a jehovah's Witness!

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  18. Brothers and sisters in Russia, don't give up! Jehovah is looking at the situation. This is part of the last day . Let it come!!

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  19. May Jehovah bless and keep you dear brothers and sisters in Russia. Whatever the results Jehovah will vindicate His Sovereignty and Sanctify His Name.

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  20. Our Heavenly Father Jehovah God will grant our request to allow you, our dear brothers and sisters in Russia, to continue to serve him freely and openly by means of the Russian government officials to whom we have written. So do not despair. We are praying for you.

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  21. To Jaime Ojeda, very good advice about how to post a blog without "related videos" being attached. That happens far too often....Better not to forward even interesting items, because of that very danger...spreading more rubbish. Thank you for caring about that important problem that threatens to stumble and damage brothers' and sisters' spirituality.

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  22. I look forward to the future of our Brothers & Sisters when I recall Rev. 21;4 "And he will wipe out every tear from
    heir eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be any more. The former things have
    passed away" Until then my prayers are with you to endure according to what Jehovah wants. Clayton Bigras

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  23. May Jehovah, our Heavenly Father strengthen the faith of all our brothers and sisters in Russia to maintain their integrity. May Jehovah, our God also open the heart of the Russian government authorities that Jehovah Witnesses around the world are law abiding citizens, and we never incite any violence nor hatred to anybody, just as the Bible say in John 15:12: "This is my commandment", that you love one another just as I have loved you." Our prayers are always be with the brothers and sisters in Russia during this difficult time. Benny M.

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  24. For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from Jehovah's love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38.

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  25. Whatever the outcome, we are sure that Jehovahs will is taking place.Thank you for making awareness of this situation.

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  26. Do not pay evil with evil to NO ONE!!! The mark of true Christianity is LOVE.

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  27. Jehovah will help his servants prayers for our faithful brother's

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  28. Why have we not heard anything on these letters Canada post stood to make 2.80 per letter and approx 116,000 x6. Even if only half that that's a lot of money gone to Canada post

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  29. Please can you share the source for the statement regarding Guinness? This statement is going viral but I have not been able to substantiate it. A source would be helpful. Thanks.

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    1. The line to which you are referring says: "The Guinness people are watching." I wrote that because I and several others wrote them asking that they watch; I received from Guinness (and perhaps the others who wrote did also, and hopefully a thousand others will write them and ask) a response to the effect that they'd received and taken note of my email. That's ALL. I did NOT say, as the copycat article going viral says, that 'Guinness has confirmed...'

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  30. John13:35 By this all will know that you are my disciples—if you have love among yourselves.” This verse is shown by JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES because are helping one another.Their letter writing campaign just simply shows that LOVE is in them.They are really amazing.I like them.

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