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Ruling favors Jehovah's Witnesses in Puerto Rico - Boston.com

admin — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:43:44 -0600

May 12, 2012|Associated Press

A U.S. court has ordered that all gated communities in Puerto Rico find a way to grant access to Jehovah’s Witnesses so they can proselytize.

Communities with guards already had to let them in. Now those without guards manning gates must provide access by Tuesday.

The American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement late Friday that the ruling benefits all religious, political and social groups.

In Puerto Rico, streets inside gated communities are considered public thoroughfares.

The Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Puerto Rico estimates that its members have been barred from 587 gated communities in 57 municipalities. They say that about half of the island’s gated communities have guards.

Puerto Rico has 318 Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations, with a total of about 25,000 members.

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Jehovah's Witness Harasses and Fires Worker for Leaving Religion - Gather.com

admin — Sun, 13 May 2012 04:50:53 -0600

A Kansas city woman had filed a lawsuit claiming discrimination after she claims she was fired from her job for allegedly leaving the Jehovah's Witness congregation in Kingman Kansas.

Amanda Qualls told a Federal Court about how she worked for Franchise Strategies as a bookkeeper, after having met the owner, Stanley Stover at a religious meeting at a Kingdom Hall. Qualls states she was told by Stover, whom is an Elder at the Witnesses Kingman church location, that her attending their religious meetings were required for her to get the job with his company.

Once employed, Miss Qualls alleges her former boss made repeated remarks about her being a "filthy fornicator", insisting that she "needed to keep her pants on," and that if she did not marry her fiancé and come to more meetings she would be disfellowshipped.

According to a recent article things at Amanda's workplace only became more difficult:

"Stover's treatment became more and more outrageous. At one point he told her that if she didn't get a job done on time, 'I will strip you naked and make you dance for the men in the shop.'"

Later, Qualls says that Stover told her his wife was upset at him for playing inappropriately with his foster children. Amanda states her fiancé reported the incident to DCF, and two days later she was fired from her job. Qualls is seeking damages for discrimination.

What are your thoughts on this situation with Amanda Qualls and her Jehovah's Witness boss? Do you think he fired her because she left the religion? Even if he didn't fire her for religious reasons, if the statements Qualls alleges Stover made are true, the outcome in this case will likely fall in her favor. It seems Mr Stover might want to review his judgmental attitude of others, and spend more time looking at himself.

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Ruling favors Jehovah's Witnesses in Puerto Rico - Fox News

admin — Sat, 12 May 2012 09:25:49 -0600

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A U.S. court has ordered that all gated communities in Puerto Rico find a way to grant access to Jehovah's Witnesses so they can proselytize.

Communities with guards already had to let them in. Now those without guards manning gates must provide access by Tuesday.

The American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement late Friday that the ruling benefits all religious, political and social groups.

In Puerto Rico, streets inside gated communities are considered public thoroughfares.

The Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Puerto Rico estimates that its members have been barred from 587 gated communities in 57 municipalities. They say that about half of the island's gated communities have guards.

Puerto Rico has 318 Jehovah's Witnesses congregations, with a total of about 25,000 members.

Lifestyle - Insight Into Maureen Mwanawasa's Life - AllAfrica.com

admin — Sun, 06 May 2012 08:09:01 -0600

FORMER first lady, Maureen Mwanawasa on April 28 celebrated her 49 th birthday and to that she gave an interview on some of her life experiences from childhood until the demise of her late husband Dr Levy Mwanawasa who was then sitting president.

To sum it up Mrs Mwanawasa who headed the Maureen Mwanawasa Community Initiative (MMCI) and also founder of the Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) president, Levy Mwanawasa Foundation board member and Levy Mwanawasa & Company senior partner, among other high achievers, seems to have reached her station in life travelling smoothly paved road or destined or even entitled to such life.

Born Maureen Kakubo, and raised in Chimanimani Township in Kabwe, she went to Raphael Kombe Primary School from where she recited poetry, learnt choral speaking and was prefect in Grade 5 ahead of her time in Grade 7.

She later went to St Mary's Secondary School in Livingstone, where she enjoyed history and English which put her on the path to her dream law career.

In her Grade 12 examinations results, she fell just below the cut off point and broke down at UNZA's selection office.

Of course, this is not a perfect narration of one who was born on 28th April, 1963 in Zambia's oldest mining town of Kabwe and perhaps not with a silver spoon in the mouth (zinc corrodes teeth).

It was a life of challenges and disruption, scares, ups and downs including Jehovah's Witnesses versus politics versus education at nine years, death of her father at 10, married to later vice- president Levy Mwanawasa at 25 for 20 years, and widowed at 45. And vice-president Mwanawasa's survival of a near-fatal car crash in 1992.

In 1993, at 30 years, five years in marriage, her birthday which falls on April 28 coincided with the tragedy of the Zambia National Football Team plane crash in Gabon which converted her into a soccer fan for Chelsea, Power Dynamos and Red Arrows.

As a result of the Gabon accident, she now spends her birthday anniversaries in reflection of both her life and the death of the team.

Therefore, in her 49th birthday conversation to find Maureen, the ordinary person without titles and offices, and other connections, Maureen Mwanawasa attempted to recount and to create one such ordinary at her residence in Rhodes-park in Lusaka.

"When I was in Grade Two and Three, it was at the time when parents of Jehovah's Witnesses' background were very serious about removing their children from school because they didn't want them to sing the national anthem.

My father came to school and spoke to the headmaster Mr Mutemwa Kweenda.

"Out of the siblings, I am the only one who remained because the headmaster said, 'this child is very small and she does not understand the faith so much.

She does not understand fully the implication of the national anthem. And if she grows up without education she will cry to you that you didn't give her the opportunity to learn.' So that is how I was left alone and I survived."she said.

She was not to survive for long as the church demanded congregants to marry within the church or within the faith.

"One of my friends I dreamt with that we must come out from where we are, she now lives in South Africa, Ethel Mambwe Kasalo. ...one of the things as far as our Christian back-ground was concerned you needed to get married from Jehovah's Witnesses flock, you have to find someone in...but we told ourselves in this congregation there is none that fits our dream.

Because we wanted to aim higher and for this we are going to defy our parents and it is only God who is going to forgive us."she said.

After Chimanimani and Raphael Kombe, she qualified to St Mary's Secondary School in Livingstone for Form One (Grade 8).

"In Livingstone, I went there when I qualified to go to form 1. I went to a Catholic school (St Mary's Secondary) the first question the head mistress asked me, 'you want to be admitted to this school, do you realise that this is a Catholic school? And are you going to be singing the national anthem?' It was a question of survival. I said,

'Yes, I will be singing.' But that was against the principles of my faith. But what I wanted was to get educated."Mrs Mwanwasa said.

"But I just want to say that you can succeed anywhere, wherever you are as long as you have the determination and the drive. And you tell yourself your purpose in life. Where do you want to go? And where do you want to be? And also that the challenges of being an orphan... they have two effects; either you are affected negatively or positively.

"I must say, for me, I was affected positively because that gave me the courage and determination to do better that despite being an orphan I wanted to do something for myself and for my younger siblings and for my mother.... I was 10 years old when my father died. So it is not easy to grow up in an ordinary life in a township, an orphan and not having so much resource(s) around yourself".

Maureen said she was available for mentorship of young people in schools and colleges before considering writing her autobiography.

In reference to her husband president Levy Mwanawasa's death in 2008, she said "as people say and which is true, time heals and it does, more especially if you put all your challenges in God's hands."

Later, in adult life as she developed a passion for politics with her husband left the Jehovah's Witnesses for the Baptist. She said, "We still miss him", adding it has not been easy for her to raise young children as a single parent.

Maureen, like her last daughter, was orphaned at 10 after her father died which she said taught her self determination.

Maureen, also said Amos Malupenga's biography, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, An Incentive for Posterity, could be revised to capture as much as possible the different sides of her husband's life as well as to cater for aspects raised since its publication.

"The books that have been written about him are not enough. He had a very big life which still needs to be captured," she said of her husband whose life includes hers'.

The writer is a Lusaka literary journalist and the feature is an exclusive adaptation of ZNBC Radio 2 Book Spectrum programme, Monday 20:30.

Copyright © 2012 The Times of Zambia. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

Dim star: Brownsville bobbles a civics lesson on the Pledge - Pittsburgh Post Gazette

admin — Sun, 06 May 2012 22:06:10 -0600

In 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court in a case from West Virginia issued a famous opinion that said students who were Jehovah's Witnesses could not be compelled to take part in school salute-the-flag rituals.

West Virginia v. Barnette was handed down in the midst of a world war, when it took judicial courage to uphold the First Amendment at a time of heightened patriotism. It was also eloquent, with the words of Justice Robert H. Jackson's majority opinion defending the principles of freedom:

"If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein."

But for the Brownsville Area School District in Fayette County, that fixed star was obscured by clouds -- perhaps of forgetfulness, maybe of ignorance. Whatever the reason, when an eighth-grade girl refused to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, she brought unwarranted trouble on herself.

At first her stand wasn't a problem, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh by the American Civil Liberties Union. She sat through the pledge for most of the year without incident, but on April 17 a teacher took exception and admonished her. The student didn't back down and the disciplinary measures increased, including lunch detentions and in-school suspension.

But then the ACLU sued. The district backed down and last week entered into a consent order to stop punishing the girl and expunge records of discipline against her on the pledge.

This shouldn't have taken a lawsuit. Perhaps the offended teacher could have had a quiet word with the girl's parents, gently suggesting that, while the girl was within her constitutional rights, it would be a courteous gesture to stand and be silent. If not, her right would still be respected.

As it was, this became a civics lesson that Brownsville's school administrators should have learned long ago.

First Published May 7, 2012 12:00 am

Today's Funeral Notices - Battle Creek Enquirer

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 22:07:33 -0600

SATURDAY, MAY 5

Wilma M. Birdsong: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 5, in Lakeview Baptist Church.

Larry G. Carlson: 1 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at Farley-Estes & Dowdle Funeral Home.

Charles A. Claybaugh: 2 p.m. Saturday, May 5, in St. Mark Lutheran Church.

Virginia M. Garberick: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 5, at Richard A. Henry Funeral Home.

Eleanor M. Gillespie: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 5, at Farley-Estes & Dowdle Richland Chapel.

Irene F. Richmond: 1 p.m. Saturday, May 5, in Riverside Cemetery, Union City.

Tressa L. Thorp Betz: 1 p.m. Saturday, May 5, in the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Coldwater.

Wayne G. Whittum: 1 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at the Erie Street Chapel, J. Kevin Tidd Funeral Home, Albion.

SUNDAY, MAY 6

Geraldine R. Metzger: 2 p.m. Sunday, May 6, in Bethel Baptist Church.

MONDAY, MAY 7

Mildred B. Bammer: 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 7, in Central Christian Church.

Mervin J. Crabill: 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 7, at Craig K. Kempf Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Marshall.

Jackie George: 1 p.m. Monday, May 7, at Erie Street Chapel, J. Kevin Tidd Funeral Home, Albion.

J.W. Northcutt: 11 a.m. Monday, May 7, at J. Kevin Tidd Funeral Home, Albion.

Alpha L. Spafford: 10 a.m. Monday, May 7, in St. Joseph Catholic Church.

Katherine M. Thayer: 10 a.m. Monday, May 7, at Royal Funeral Home.

TUESDAY, MAY 8

Joseph C. Czernaikowski: 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 8, in Lockwood Community Church, Coldwater.

Arthur Hamlin: 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, at Royal Funeral Home.

Elva Mann: 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, at J. Kevin Tidd Funeral Home, Albion.

Frank J. Reed: 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 8, in Fort Custer National Cemetery, Augusta.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9

Jacqueline K. Niver: 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 9, in Memorial Park Cemetery Chapel.

THURSDAY, MAY 10

Douglas R. Slack: 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 10, in Fort Custer National Cemetery, Augusta.

SATURDAY, MAY 12

Nellie E. Ely: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 12, in Riverside Cemetery, Union City.

Allen
T. Stewart Jr.: 1 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at Integrative Soatic Institute, Coldwater.

SATURDAY, MAY 19

Bethel A. and Micheal C. Rickle: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 19, in Potterville United Methodist Church, Potterville.

Orenburg Jehovah's Witnesses suspected of extremism - Interfax-Religion

admin — Sat, 05 May 2012 05:48:18 -0600

News

05 May 2012, 15:38

Orenburg Jehovah's Witnesses suspected of extremism

Moscow, May 5, Interfax - The Investigations Committee department for the Orenburg Region has opened a criminal case against the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses on the basis of extremist activities.

The religious organization has some 3,000 members, Vladimir Markin from the Investigations Committee told Interfax on Saturday.

According to the investigators, some Orenburg residents operated the local division of Jehovah's Witnesses in the period between June 1994 and April 2012.

"In this period, members of this religious community conducted mass religious events (public sermons) in Orenburg and the Orenburg Region, where statements fanned hatred and feud and belittled people's dignity based on religious affiliation," Markin said.

Jehovah's witnesses' convention - Manila Bulletin

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:33:55 -0600

April 30, 2012, 4:17pm

Let God's name be sanctified

Every year, the religious group of Jehovah’s Witnesses organizes assemblies that provide timely advices for the problems of the world.

This year, they will hold their two Assemblies on May 5 and 6 simultaneously. The Circuit Assembly in Tagalog language will be held at

Metro Manila Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses located at Kaligayahan, Fairview, Novaliches, Quezon City. The theme of their Circuit

Assembly is from Matthew 6:9, “Let God’s name be sanctified.” Aside from that, a Special Assembly in sign language for deaf and mute

will be held at Tanghalang Pasigueño on May 6 with the theme, “Let your will take place”. All interested are invited to attend. These will

start at around 9:00 a.m. and ends at around 4:00 p.m. This is a free event and there will be no collection.

Kingdom Hall ready for services - Today's News-Herald

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:10:50 -0600

Nearly two and a half months after it was torn down, a newly constructed Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is ready for its first services this weekend.

Tuesday, Lake Havasu City building inspectors gave congregation members the go-ahead to occupy the new building at 3200 S. Jamaica Blvd. The building was constructed from the ground up mostly during weekends in March and April.

“We were right on schedule,” said Calvin Proctor, an elder in the church’s Spanish congregation. “Everything went very smooth.”

While it might seem unusual to outsiders, it’s standard practice for church members to conduct what they call “quick builds” of tearing down their worship homes and rebuilding them in a relatively short time. The church uses Regional Building Committees that are made up of Jehovah’s Witnesses who are professionally skilled tradesman.

Regional Building Committee California 13 and local congregation members showed up with more than 300 workers at a time on some of the extended weekends.

The last weekend of major work was April 13-15 when the carpet, theater-style chairs and cabinetry were put in place, said Phil Boersma, an elder in the church.

Tuesday, aside from a small greeting room upfront with some leftover construction, the building was clean and ready for use.

Replacing the iron benches from the previous church with comfortable theater-style seats was one of the biggest improvements, the church elders said. Also, the main room for services has five designated spaces for handicapped individuals, Boersma pointed out on a brief tour Tuesday.

The women’s restroom will have baby changing stations that weren’t available in the previous building, Boersma said.

The new building adds 800 square feet to the previous building, bumping up the total to 3,800 square feet.

“The work was just a lot of fun,” Boersma said. “Everybody was smiling the whole time.”

Since most congregation members helped out during the construction process, they’ve seen the finished product and are pleased, Boersma said.

The 4 p.m. Spanish congregation service on Saturday will be the first one in the new building with two services — one at 10 a.m. and another at 1 p.m. — set for Sunday.

You may contact the reporter at gmoberly@havasunews.com.

Local Group Training Security Teams In Churches - KGTV San Diego

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 19:35:41 -0600

POSTED: 5:58 pm PDT April 28, 2012

UPDATED: 6:41 pm PDT April 28, 2012

SAN DIEGO -- Numerous churches across the country and in San Diego County have been hit by crime in recent months and now one local group is teaching religious groups how to protect themselves.

Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall in University Heights was hit three times in two weeks a few months ago. Someone stole from the place of worship, set fire to the building and spray painted "666" near the entrance."It's – to us – incomprehensible," said security volunteer Herb Smith.Luis Rudisell, who is with Sheepdog Ministries, said, "These things are real. They are occurring every day. It's important to understand that evil knows no boundaries, and what better place to attack than a house of worship."Rudisell – who has served his country – also wanted to serve his church. He and his wife started Sheepdog Ministries. They are training church leaders how to better protect their church by building security teams within the congregation."Unfortunately, it has become a reality," he said. "Years ago, we never would have thought or heard of churches having security teams within their congregations."Volunteers often have a background in law enforcement like Smith."We're aware, we're alert and we're prepared, and we'll take action if we have to," he said.Rudisell said his organization is not trying to scare people."We're simply trying to prepare people," he said.Smith said they are trained to do everything, including firing weapons, quieting an outburst and offering medical aid.They say bigger congregations need more visible patrols."We're a smaller church," said Smith. "For us, it suits us to be more invisible, more incognito. Much of the congregation doesn't even know who we are or that we're there, or how we're placed."Sheepdog Ministries suggests measures like locking the doors of the place of worship or leaving the doors open but securing valuables.They also recommended installing a security system and cameras as well as having good lighting.For more information, visit Sheepdogministries.com.

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Sturgis congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses attend assembly day - Rapid City Journal

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 08:34:12 -0600

The Sturgis congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses attended a Special Assembly Day at Cam-Plex in Gillette, Wyo. on April 22. “Let God’s Will Take Place,” based on Matthew 6:10 was the program’s theme. More than 850 people attended.

The program was under the direction of Henry Turner, circuit overseer for western South Dakota and northern Wyoming. Turner spoke on the subject, “God’s Will is that All Sorts of Men Should be Saved.” He based his talk on the opening words of 2 Timothy chapter two which encourages Christians to be concerned with all different segments of people without bias.

A visiting speaker from world headquarter of Jehovah’s Witnesses was Allen Schuster. He delivered the main address, “Encourage one another for this is the will of God.” Schuster pointed to the value of brotherly love and encouragement in order to cope with the many challenges of daily life and sources of discouragement that continually arise.

Regular weekly meetings will resume at the Kingdom Hall at 2255 Moose Drive in Sturgis.

Local Group Training Security Teams In Churches - KGTV San Diego

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 19:35:41 -0600

POSTED: 5:58 pm PDT April 28, 2012

UPDATED: 6:41 pm PDT April 28, 2012

Sturgis congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses attend assembly day - Rapid City Journal

admin — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 08:34:12 -0600

Regular weekly meetings will resume at the Kingdom Hall at 2255 Moose Drive in Sturgis.

Jehovah's Witnesses Attend Special Assembly Day - The Fulton County News

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:45:12 -0600

“Doing God’s will has to be our priority!” That was the determination expressed by Jehovah’s Witnesses locally after attending a daylong seminar at the Christian Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Grantville, Pa., east of Harrisburg.

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Man Who Torched Himself in Moscow Region Dies - RIA Novosti

admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:21:11 -0600

A member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who had proclaimed himself God and set himself on fire in Moscow region on Monday has died, local Investigative Committee reported on Thursday.

The incident took place in the village of Nakhabino 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) outside Moscow on Monday after the man bought fuel, poured it on himself and set himself ablaze.

“The burns the victim suffered were very serious and could not be survived. He died in intensive care at the regional hospital,” a source in law enforcement said.

The man's son said his 43-year-old father had been a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and considered himself to be God.

Investigators are probing the cause of the man’s suicide.

The Jehovah's Witnesses, which has some seven million followers worldwide and over 200,000 in Russia, have already been banned in a number of Russian regions and in some former Soviet republics.

The Jehovah's Witnesses branch in the Russian capital was dissolved by a district court ruling in 2004, but the European Court of Human Rights declared the decision illegal in 2011.

The religion is banned in China, North Korea, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and other countries.

Jehovah's Witness Patients Reject Transfusion - AllAfrica.com

admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:05:28 -0600

Two members of the Jehovah Witness denomination admitted to hospital because of severe anaemia have refused to undergo a blood transfusion saying it is against their faith's teachings.

Susan Wakio Mwangi, 27, and 68-year-old Martha Wanjiku were taken to hospital after they fell ill. Doctors recommended that they have a blood transfusion but they refused.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the Bible prohibits ingesting blood and that Christians should therefore not accept blood transfusions or donate or store their own blood for transfusion. In cases where a member is required to have a transfusion, they are expected to insist on non-blood alternatives. Any member who willingly accepts a blood transfusion-even in a life or death situation- is liable for expulsion from the religion.

Yesterday, doctors at the hospital said they were giving the two women drugs which will stimulate the production of red blood cells. However, they are concerned since the two are severly anaemic need a blood transfusion to save their lives.

Copyright © 2012 The Star. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

In our view / Holocaust Remembrance Day Humanity must never forget - HeraldNet

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:21:02 -0600

This is a day for remembering. It's a day to remember the best and worst of humanity. To remember that we must never become indifferent to the suffering of others.

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day reserved around the world to commemorate the victims of one of human history's most cataclysmic events: the systematic murder of 6 million Jews and millions of others targeted because Nazi Germany declared them racially, politically or socially inferior. Gypsies, gays, Jehovah's Witnesses and the disabled also were among the estimated 11 million who were persecuted and murdered by the Nazis.

Congress established a weeklong commemoration in the United States, during which the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum encourages and sponsors observances throughout the nation. In Snohomish County, Everett Community College engages students and the public in discussions with Holocaust survivors (three more are scheduled in May), arranged through the Holocaust Education Resource Center in Seattle.

Why all the attention to something that began more than 70 years ago?

Because it could happen again. In fact, genocide is part of the world's more recent history, having reared its hateful head in Bosnia, Rwanda and the Darfur region of Sudan. Humanity's darkest side lurks not so far below its civilized exterior.

It would be tempting, given the staggering horror of the Holocaust, to put it out of our minds, to simply relegate it to the pages of history books.

Yet only by keeping the Holocaust fresh in our collective memory can we hope to heed its lessons -- like resolving not to stand by and do nothing when others are being persecuted, and truly understanding that "I was simply following orders" is not an acceptable excuse for criminal behavior.

And as hateful leaders seeking political gain take to the world stage to deny the Holocaust ever happened, the thinking world must be prepared to stand up and counter their cynicism.

When Holocaust survivors share their experiences, they're modeling the very best of the human spirit. Henry Friedman's message of hope's power against evil, related by columnist Julie Muhlstein on Wednesday, is an inspiring example. So is the story of Holocaust survivor Fred Taucher of Everett, who tells of a German woman who helped his family hide in Berlin during the war, saving his life and his brother's.

Such stories must live on, long after the final survivors are gone. They must be retold, one generation to the next, to make sure the Holocaust is never forgotten.

Kingdom Hall gets OK to be built Sundays & Stat days - EMC Kingston

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 02:30:46 -0600

Posted Apr 19, 2012 By Bill Hutchins

EMC News - A local religious group has been granted rare permission to do construction work on Sundays and Statutory holidays this summer.

Councillors agreed to waive the city's noise bylaw to permit Jehovah's Witness to build a new Kingdom Hall on Joyce Street.

"We wish to avoid the impression we will do heavy construction work for months on end," said Jay Mifflin of the Kingston North congregation's request.

Jehovah's Witness sought a noise exemption to work on as many as 15 Sundays and Stat holidays between April 15 and November 4. Instead, councillors reduced the exemption to a maximum of 10 Sundays and holidays during the same period.

"I feel 15 days is excessive," said Coun. Liz Schell.

The religious group says the reason it wants to do some construction work on Sundays and holidays is because that's when most of its volunteer labour force is available from their regular day jobs.

"We have their limited availability," Mifflin explained to council April 3.

The group will rely on 1,600 volunteers to construct the place of worship over the next seven months. But Mifflin says the work will not be done seven days a week.

Neighbours have been informed of the construction schedule and most do not oppose the off-hours work. Jehovah's Witness says it hopes to complete the Kingdom Hall before Labour Day.

CLEAN WATER

Who needs to purchase bottled water when Kingston's municipal tap water is perfectly safe to drink?

Utilities Kingston has released its annual compliance report card for water treatment facilities in the central, east and west areas of the city.

"Our water is probably on the higher (quality) side than other municipalities," said Utilities president Jim Keech.

Provincial law requires municipalities to be publicly informed of the safety of their tap water every year. The city-owned water utility must also submit its report to the ministry of the environment.

However, the audit reveals that not all of the treated water ends up in homes. The utility says an average of 45 percent of the water supply was lost through the system, likely due to aging and leaky pipes, unauthorized consumption, fire hydrant use or customer meter inaccuracies. The percentage of lost 'non-revenue' water has remained the same for several years.

The utility also reported 14 sewer bypass events in 2011 due to heavy rain storms and spring snow melts. One of the biggest bypass events occurred on July 29, 2011 when 92 millimetres of rain fell during a two hour period. The storm and sanitary sewer system was overwhelmed, and the untreated waste water had to be pumped directly into local waterways.

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Clarkstown Board Approved Sign Removals, Surplus Municipal Property Sale (VIDEO) - Patch.com

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 06:02:17 -0600

The Clarkstown Town Board approved the abandonment of a portion of Rose Road in West Nyack and then followed that with a vote to sell the property. The purchaser is the Jehovah’s Witnesses Congregation of West Nyack. It is paying the town $50,000 to buy a small section of road that abuts its parking lot.

The only comments during the public hearing on the abandonment came from Steve Levin of Congers who agreed with the board’s actions.

“This is the right way to proceed,” he said. “It really is a road that goes to nowhere. I think that it is a win-win all around for everybody.”

There was more discussion on the second public hearing held Tuesday night on removal of a No Right Turn sign on Snake Hill Road at the intersection of Palisades Center Drive North and a No Left Turn sign on Palisades Center Drive at Snake Hill Road.

Town Attorney Amy Mele explained the town board directed the installation of the signs under discussion on 1998 at the request of residents living near the West Nyack intersection. She said the planning board’s engineer had reviewed the intersection for the town board and indicated there was no traffic engineering reason for them.

Levine advised caution in dealing with the mall and said he was concerned about traffic needs in the future that the mall could refuse to pay for because the town went ahead and removed the signs.

“What worries me is that down the road the taxpayers are going to be on the hook for this,” he said.

Mele said she did not believe the resolution for removal of the signs impacted any other agreement with the mall.

“I don’t think this resolution alter any terms of the covenant,” she said.

The planning board’s attorney recommended some wording changes in the resolution as a precaution. He said the town has the right to remove the sign on Snake Hill Road. He suggested the resolution be changed from should to could regarding the removal of the sign on Palisades Center Drive since it is private property.

“I’m not viewing this as an amendment to the covenant,” he said. “I’m viewing this and the resolution refers to it as an amendment to two resolutions which were adopted by the town board in 1998 to actually install the signs in the first place. “

A Bardonia resident said the signs serve no purpose and should be removed immediately. Another area resident said the signs make it more difficult to get to the commuter parking lot. Orrin Getz of New City said removal of the signs will have benefits for mass transit commuters and those using the Tappan Zee Bridge.

The highway department will remove the sign on Snake Hill Road. The board agreed to add to the resolution that the town will continue to monitor the intersection and approved the resolution. Town Supervisor Alex Gromack said that wording would allow either the highway department or the police department to check on the traffic flow in the area.

Marion County authorities seek suspect in knife attack - Chattanooga Times Free Press

admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:16:36 -0600

Marion County authorities are seeking a suspect in a stabbing attack Friday afternoon in which the man posed as a Jehovah’s Witness, detectives say.

Authorities are looking for a dark-haired man with a dark complexion, about 5 feet 8, weighing about 200 pounds with a “scruffy” beard, according to Marion County Sheriff’s Office Chief Detective Gene Hargis. The man is said to have “bad teeth” and was last seen wearing a dark shirt, khaki pants and a red baseball cap, he said.

At a home about four miles north of Powells Crossroads, the man approached the victim as a Jehovah’s Witness, Hargis said.

The victim, a 34-year-old woman who was at a home of an acquaintance off Alvin York Highway, was stabbed in the abdomen, groin, chest and face about 2 p.m. CDT Friday. The victim was able to phone for help after the man fled on foot, Hargis said.

She is still being treated at Erlanger, he said.

Anyone with any information about the suspect should call Hargis or Detective Beth Schindel at 423-942-2525.

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Bobby Clinton Booker - Times Record News

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:10:48 -0600

Booker

Bobby Clinton Booker, 75, of Wichita Falls died Friday, April 13, 2012.

The funeral service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, 2012, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses-Parkway Congregation, 1400 Archer City Highway, with Brother Dennis Ott officiating. Interment will follow in Burkburnett Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Owens and Brumley Funeral Home of Wichita Falls.

A son of the late Edna Gladys (Glover) and Lawrence Pete Booker, Bobby was born January 2, 1937, in Tishomingo, Mississippi.

After moving to Wichita Falls, Bobby worked in the moving and storage business for many years until he retired in 1998. He was a very hard-working man who was also talented in cabinet-building and carpentry.

He lovingly hand-built his family’s home in 1982. Bobby loved the outdoors, especially his gardens. He was a family-centered man, who was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather.

Bobby was also a baptized Jehovah’s Witness, who loved being a part of the preaching ministry there, including telephone witnessing.

Mr. Booker was also preceded in death by a daughter, Gina Bailey; and a brother and sister-in-law, L.C. and Elsa Booker. Survivors include his wife, Jean Booker; daughters, Carolyn Schrick and Barbra Lomax, all of Wichita Falls; grandchildren, Christopher Bailey, Aaron Schrick and wife, Erin, Stephanie Fonville, Danielle Torresillas and husband, John; Erica Fonville and Joseph Lomax; great-grandchildren, Ayden and Vanessa Torresillas; brother, Ronnie Booker of Red Bay, Alabama; niece, Doris Matthews of Wichita Falls; nephew, John Booker of Georgia.

The family will receive friends and family from 7 until 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, 2012, at the funeral home.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.owensandbrumley.com.

Funerals April 18 - Times Record News

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:10:14 -0600

BLACKBURN, Patty J., 46. Graveside services at 2 p.m. today in Restland Cemetery.

BOOKER, Bobby C., 75, of Wichita Falls. Funeral services at 1 p.m. today at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses-Parkway Congregation, 1400 Archer City Highway. Burial in Burkburnett Cemetery.

DAVIS, Betty A., 74, of Grandfield. Okla. Memorial services at 10 a.m. today at Gray Funeral Home Chapel.

DUFFIE, Luel, 85, of Vernon. Funeral services at 2 p.m. today at First Baptist Church.

GALINDEZ, Felix A., 59. Memorial services at 3 p.m. Saturday at New Life Worship Center, Rincon.

GRAVES, Anne, 78, of Powhatan. Visitation Thursday at the Huguenot Chapel of Woody Funeral Home, 1020 Huguenot Road. Services at 3 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial 11 a.m. Saturday in Highland Cemetery in Iowa Park.

MCCAFFITY, Randell R., 74. Funeral services at 3 p.m. today at chapel of Owens and Brumley Funeral Home. Burial in Crestview Memorial Park.

MCCOY, Mark L., 50, of Winters, Texas, formerly of Wichita Falls. Visitation 5-9 p.m. Saturday at the Iowa Park activity building on 3rd and Texas Streets in Iowa Park.

MORRIS, Betty J., 81, of Quanah. Services at 10 a.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church. Burial in Quanah Memorial Park. Visitation 7-8 p.m. today at Smith Funeral Home of Quanah.

ZAHN, Oliver T. “Tom,” 70, of Wichita Falls. Memorial services at 2 p.m. Friday at First Christian Church.

Jehovah's Witnesses circuit assembly slated in Cabatuan - Sun.Star

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 03:37:48 -0600

Thursday, April 12, 2012

CABATUAN, Iloilo -- The Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) will conduct its annual “Let Your Name Be Sanctified” circuit assembly on April 21-22 in this town.

Around 1,000 people are expected to attend the two-day event at the Cabatuan Cultural and Sports Center.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

The assembly will start in the morning of April 21 with topics on “Your Privilege to be a people for God's Name” and how to “Make God's name Known as Full-time Servants.”

In the afternoon, most of the programs will focus on how Christians should glorify God’s name even in their use of social networking, as well as by avoiding bad association and harmful gossip.

On Sunday morning, a symposium will focus on how to “Sanctify God's Name” in “our thoughts, speech, decisions and conduct” as revealed in the scriptures.

The public discourse “Jehovah Will Sanctify His Great Name at Armageddon” will be delivered in the afternoon as the highlight of the assembly.

Jehovah’s Witnesses invite everyone to attend and learn more about these topics. Sessions begin at 9:10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.

Worldwide, there are over 7,300,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in more than 109,000 congregations. (LM Carnaje)

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Jehovah's Witnesses to build Kingdom Hall11 - The Kingston Whig-Standard

admin — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 20:37:51 -0600

Doctor Helps Helpless Patients - Annenberg TV News

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:14:43 -0600

When 27-year-old newlywed Cristina Blouvan-Cervantes, a Jehovah’s Witness, was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, doctors told her she needed an immediate blood transfusion to survive. Cristina refused, because accepting blood is strictly against her religious beliefs.

“Even though they told me, you have 4 or 5 days left to live, it’s like I wasn’t going to do it because it’s a major, major sin,” Cristina said. “I consider it a major sin.”

The “Watchtower,” the religion’s official website, explains that the bible repeatedly warns against consuming blood. They believe that having a blood transfusion, where blood is given intravenously, has the same moral ramifications as eating or drinking it.

But, Cristina had heard of a doctor in Los Angeles who deals specifically with patients who hold her same beliefs – Dr. Michael Lill.

Although Dr. Lill’s treatment isn’t foolproof, and can be extremely risky, he believes it’s worth taking the chance.

“If you don’t treat them, this patient is 100% going to die in six weeks time,” Dr. Lill said. “If you do treat them, they may be 50% likely to die in four weeks time but you have a pretty good chance of getting them into remission and having them alive three years from now.”

He first builds the patients blood count with a mix of medications. Then chemotherapy destroys the cancerous cells. The blood is replenished through the use of stem cell transplants.

Stem cells are unspecialized cells, which can grow to become functional. During the treatment, they grow to become healthy blood cells.

As long as patients are aware of the risks, the treatment is medically ethical. Dr. Lill claims that most doctors don’t criticize, because even though his bloodless program is controversial, it’s better than nothing.

“When you’re treating a cancer patient who’s a Jehovah’s Witness, it’s possible that you may not be able to get the whole treatment in, so that’s substandard treatment,” said oncologist Dr. Patricia Gordon. “And I suspect that substandard treatment is better than no treatment.

Cynthia Hampton, who runs a support group for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Los Angeles that have left the faith, believes Dr. Lill is enabling an unreasonable belief.

“For a religion to ask their people to choose death instead of life?,” she questioned. “If I were him, I would do all that I could to educate patients on what the function of blood is and what it really does.”

However, without Dr. Lill’s treatment, Cristina would not be alive today.

“He respected my decision, and he found a way around it,” she said. “He doesn’t agree with it, but that doesn’t matter. I just want to be alive.”

As long as her treatment doesn’t interfere with her faith, Cristina will continue fighting.

Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide Observe Anniversary of Christ's Death - GhanaWeb

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:04:10 -0600

Religion of Wednesday, 4 April 2012

Source: GNA

More than 19 million people worldwide are expected to congregate on Thursday April 5, 2012, at Kingdom Halls of Jehovah's Witnesses and other locations, to commemorate the Lord’s Evening Meal.

The event, also known as the Memorial of Christ’s death, which is expected to be celebrated in more than 109,000 congregations and in many languages worldwide, would focus on how mankind can benefit from the ransom sacrifice by Jesus Christ.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday ahead of the event, Mr Samuel Gaskin, a News Service Coordinator of one of the recent District Conventions of Jehovah's Witnesses in Accra, said a Bible Talk would be given at this very important event.

He said the event would enable all in attendance to reflect on the value of the two greatest expressions of love shown in the universe.

“Firstly, the love shown to mankind by our heavenly father Jehovah God by allowing his only-begotten Son to die for us; and secondly the love Jesus showed in giving up his life willingly for our salvation.”

Mr Gaskin appealed to families, friends, relatives, acquaintances and the public to attend the event at the nearest Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witness.

Each year, the Witnesses gather to commemorate Jesus' death in obedience to the direct command to all Christians in Luke 22:19. Last year, a peak attendance of 19,374,737 was recorded.

Many who have attended the memorial have been impressed with the orderliness with which the meetings had been conducted and the way family members sat close to each other.

Admission to the meetings of the Witnesses is free, and no collections are taken. The meetings are commenced and closed with Christian songs and prayer.

Jesus Christ instituted this observance on the night of the Jewish Passover in 33 C.E. The Passover was an event celebrated once a year, on the 14th day of the Jewish month Nisan.

To calculate that date, the Jews evidently waited for the spring equinox. This is the day when there are approximately 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness.

The first observable new moon nearest to the spring equinox marked the beginning of Nisan. Passover came 14 days later, after sunset.

Jesus celebrated the Passover with his apostles, dismissed Judas Iscariot, and then instituted the Lord’s Evening Meal. This meal replaced the annual Jewish Passover and therefore Jehovah’s Witnesses rightfully observe the Memorial of Christ’s death once a year.**

Jehovah's Witnesses to sell buildings, move upstate - 7Online.com

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 05:34:37 -0600

Eyewitness News

NEW YORK (WABC) -- In the next few years, Brooklyn could see one of the largest turnovers in real estate, all thanks to one seller. The Jehovah's Witnesses are planning to sell all 34 of its buildings as they move their operations upstate.

The scope of the church's holdings is massive, 3.2 million square feet, more than the Empire State Building. It's being valued at more than $1 billion, and once the properties are turned over to private owners, the tax dollars will be flowing.

The Watchtower buildings in DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights have been a fixture since 1909, when the Jehovah's Witnesses began buying up properties, one by one. Church members have quietly lived and worked there for decades. But now, the church has outgrown its facilities and is planning to move upstate, leaving prime real estate up for grabs.

"It's a beautiful location," said Richard Devine, of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. "I very much enjoy living here. Brooklyn Heights is a wonderful place to be. And we enjoy the neighborhood. We enjoy our neighbors. New York is a vibrant city. I personally have very mixed emotions about leaving the city. I really love it here."

Part of the appeal of the buildings, aside from location, is their condition. The Jehovah's are known for their meticulous upkeep. The Leverich Towers Hotel was built in 1928, and it has been fully restored and used as apartments. The view from the roof is spectacular, and the possibilities are endless. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz knows what he would like to see.

"I, for one, hope that in the high-tech area, that the emphasis will be on alternative energy, as well as medical," he said. "Meaning scientific applications in terms of diseases. That's what I'm hoping we'll develop here."

The transition will take years to complete, with construction not yet underway for the Watchtower's new headquarters in Warwick. But once the buildings are sold, it could bring City Hall millions of dollars a year in tax revenue.

The move upstate has been under consideration for some time. Seven years ago, they moved their printing operations up to Wallkill to print Awake and Watchtower. The two monthly publications have a combined circulation of 70 million.

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Emailed thank-you note gives Pensacola lawyer a blast from past - Pensacola News Journal

admin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:01:20 -0600

Pensacola attorney Joel Cohen was just skimming his email when a sentence jumped out at him: "You saved my life when I was a baby."

He was a bit confused at first.

"I thought maybe they were trying to write to a Dr. Cohen," said Cohen, 65, a downtown attorney. "I don't remember saving any life. I hadn't jumped into any swimming pool and fished out any children."

Then he saw the name, and it came back.

"It raised the hair on my neck," he said.

The email was from Carolynn Ivey Evans, a 36-year-old Ohio woman who might have died as an infant without Cohen's legal efforts.

Twins Carolynn and Julia Ivey were born on Aug. 31, 1975, in Panama City. When their parents brought the girls, months premature and weighing less than 2 pounds each, to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola for treatment, doctors determined they needed blood transfusions to save their lives.

But the girls' parents were Jehovah's Witnesses whose faith, based on biblical interpretation, prohibits blood transfusions.

Very quickly, the Escambia County Circuit Court intervened, and a judge appointed Cohen, a young attorney in private practice, as the girls' guardian ad litem.

"Back then, if judges got into a situation that was a little bit dicey, they would look at the newbies in The Bar," Cohen explained. "I got a call that I needed to be in court that day."

He never went to the hospital to see the girls. He never talked to their parents. But he devoted himself wholeheartedly to the case, which was played out in local media.

"Once I saw the gravity of the situation, I jumped in with both feet," he said. "I had no reservations whatsoever. I had a baby who was 4 or 5 months old then. It wasn't many months before that I was in the nursery or maternity ward."

The court ruled that Cohen, as guardian ad litem, had the authority to sign a consent form authorizing Sacred Heart physicians to perform the transfusions. But the doctor declined to administer the transfusions if based solely on Cohen's consent without a direct court order.

(Page 2 of 2)

So Cohen hopped on a plane to Tallahassee, where the 1st District Court of Appeal immediately ordered the physician — who testified that he felt the transfusions were medically necessary — to perform the procedures on the week-old infants.

"We were back in Pensacola that night with appeal papers in hand," Cohen said. "At any moment, something could have happened (to the girls)."

That evening, the transfusions began. Julia, the smaller of the two, died the next day, but Carolynn's health gradually improved.

Over the years, the case of the twins drifted from Cohen's memory. Until recently, when he received the email.

"It was touching," Cohen said. "Touching that she recognized me working hard for her."

For Carolynn Ivey Evans — she is married now, living in Ohio — the email to Cohen was part of a search for identity.

"I'm 36 now and a mother of four," she wrote in an email to the Pensacola News Journal for this story. "For years, I have wondered what had happened to me and my twin sister. I started my search six months ago via Internet and was so surprised at how big the story really is. ...

"So I contacted Mr. Cohen (to thank him) for saving my life. If it was not for Mr. Cohen fighting for me, I would not be here today! It brought me to tears that he would try so hard."

Ivey Evans spent a bit more time in the hospital recovering and went home with her parents.

Her mother left the Jehovah's Witnesses faith a year later, and her father later went to prison, where he died in 1995.

"My relationship with my mother is great," Ivey Evans wrote. "Though this is something that we have not really discussed. I don't want to upset her."

Today, Ivey Evans works as a shipping and receiving clerk. She has four children, three stepchildren and three stepgrandchildren.

"I donated my children's cord blood at birth," she said. "I hope a child's life has been saved. If one of my children were in need, I would not think twice about getting the help they need to survive and get the fighting chance I have been given."

Jehovah's Witnesses to have special events - Hot Springs Village Voice

admin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:09:28 -0600

Jehovah’s Witnesses will commemorate Jesus death on Thursday, April 5 at the Ponce de Leon Center, 1101 DeSoto Blvd. “Scriptural answers” to the questions surrounding Jesus’ death and its meaning in a modern world. At 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 8, there will be a Bible-based discourse entitled “Is it Later than you Think?”

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PC student tests forbid dance, dinos & lots more - New York Post

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 02:28:27 -0600

In a bizarre case of political correctness run wild, educrats have banned references to “dinosaurs,” “birthdays,” “Halloween” and dozens of other topics on city-issued tests.

That’s because they fear such topics “could evoke unpleasant emotions in the students.”

Dinosaurs, for example, call to mind evolution, which might upset fundamentalists; birthdays aren’t celebrated by Jehovah’s Witnesses; and Halloween suggests paganism.

Even “dancing’’ is taboo, because some sects object. But the city did make an exception for ballet.

The forbidden topics were recently spelled out in a request for proposals provided to companies competing to revamp city English, math, science and social-studies tests given several times a year to measure student progress.

“Some of these topics may be perfectly acceptable in other contexts but do not belong in a city- or state-wide assessment,” the request reads.

Words that suggest wealth are excluded because they could make kids jealous. Poverty is likewise on the forbidden list.

Also banned are references to divorces and diseases, because kids taking the tests may have relatives who split from spouses or are ill.

Officials say such exclusions are normal procedure.

“This is standard language that has been used by test publishers for many years and allows our students to complete practice exams without distraction,” said a Department of Education spokeswoman, insisting it’s not censorship.

In fact, sensitivity guidelines recently published by a group of states creating new high-stakes exams also caution against mentioning luxuries, group dancing, junk food, homelessness or witches.

Yet a comparison shows the city’s list, at 50 topics, is nearly twice as long and has fewer exceptions.

The city asks test companies to exclude “creatures from outer space,” celebrities and excessive TV and video-game use — items that are OK elsewhere.

Homes with swimming pools and computers are also unmentionables here — because of economic sensitivities — while computers in the school or in libraries are acceptable.

City officials also specified that test makers shouldn’t include items that are potentially “disrespectful to authority or authority figures,” or give human characteristics to animals or inanimate objects.

Terrorism is deemed too scary. Slavery is also on the forbidden list.

Officials said there isn't an absolute ban on the items, in that they do get included on some exams on a case-by-case basis.

“The intent is to avoid giving offense or disadvantage any test takers by privileging prior knowledge,” said Robert Pondiscio, a spokesman for the Core Knowledge Foundation, an education group.

“But the irony is they’re eliminating some subjects, like junk food, holidays and popular music, that the broadest number of kids are likely to know quite a lot about.”

Columbia University Teachers College professor Deanna Kuhn said, “If the goal is to assess higher-order thinking skills, controversial topics, for example, ones that are the subject of political debate, are exactly what students should be reasoning about.”

yoav.gonen@nypost.com

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