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Assemblee dei Testimoni di Geova a Montréal
«Liberazione da che cosa e come?» è il quesito che i Testimoni di Geova si porranno nelle assemblee di distretto del 2006 che avranno come tema “La liberazione è vicina” al fine di ponderare sulla risposta biblica a queste domande.
Da venerdì 7 a domenica 9 luglio si terrà il raduno dei testimoni di Geova di lingua italiana dell’Ontario, di Montreal e degli Stati Uniti: gli incontri avranno luogo nella Assembly Hall of Jeho-vah’s Witnesses sita al 12700 Boul. Mètropolitain Est, Pointe-aux-Trembles di Montreal.
Punti salienti del programma saranno inoltre la domanda “A quale autorità vi sottomettete?” e i discorsi “Come avere una famiglia felice”, “In che modo i giovani possono resistere alle tentazioni immorali” e “La liberazione mediante il Regno di Dio è vicina”.
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Raduno dei Testimoni di Geova a Forchia e a Foggia
2006-06-29 14:00:00
Migliaia di persone affluiranno nei prossimi giorni a Forchia, nel beneventano, e a Foggia per l’inizio dell’assemblea di distretto 2006 dei Testimoni di Geova “La liberazione è vicina!”.
Nelle ultime tre settimane gli abitanti del Molise, della Campania e della Puglia (le tre regioni che parteciperanno ai suddetti congressi) hanno ricevuto personalmente uno speciale invito dai Testimoni di Geova per assistere alla loro assemblea di distretto che durerà tre giorni; il medesimo invito che è stato consegnato anche nel resto d’Italia e in altri 155 paesi nel mondo. I delegati residenti nella provincia di Isernia terranno per primi il raduno a Forchia, nell’ampia struttura esterna della Sala delle Assemblee dal 30 giugno fino al 02 luglio insieme ai compagni di fede e simpatizzanti di buona parte della Campania. I Testimoni della provincia di Campobasso, invece, avranno qualche giorno in più per poter organizzarsi e tenere il loro maxi congresso presso lo stadio “Zaccheria” di Foggia dal 21 al 23 luglio insieme a migliaia di Testimoni provenienti dalla Puglia.
Perché questo enorme sforzo congiunto di milioni di Testimoni in tutto il mondo per annunciare l’assemblea di quest’anno? I Testimoni ritengono che l’umanità abbia un estremo bisogno di ottenere la liberazione dal peccato ereditato e da ciò che ne consegue; credono inoltre che solo Dio può portare questa liberazione. I discorsi in programma prenderanno in esame il ruolo di Gesù nel liberare l’umanità e analizzeranno vari episodi narrati nella Bibbia legati al tema della liberazione. Si darà anche risalto a brani biblici che descrivono la speranza di sopravvivere durante il futuro giorno di giudizio di Dio che libererà definitivamente gli essere umani dalla malvagità e dalle sofferenze dell’attuale società.
I Testimoni del Molise , di parte della Campania e della Puglia si attendono una grande affluenza a queste assemblee (si prevede un’affluenza di circa 10.000 persone), due delle 79 previste in Italia questa estate. La speciale campagna di distribuzione dell’invito per le proprie assemblee riguarderà anche i grandi raduni internazionali che si terranno in Germania, nella Repubblica Ceca e in Polonia nei mesi di luglio e agosto, ai quali parteciperanno delegazioni di tutto il mondo, incluse quelle provenienti dall’Italia.
Ogni giorno il programma trarrà spunto da un passo della Bibbia che sottolinea l’importanza della fiducia in Dio quale principale Liberatore dei giusti. L’assemblea si propone di fornire valide ragioni, fondate sulla Bibbia, per agire con decisione quando si fanno scelte di vita.
Fra gli altri aspetti salienti del programma ci saranno sabato la cerimonia del battesimo, e domenica un dramma biblico in costume. Il dramma mostrerà che per ottenere la salvezza è necessario ubbidire a Dio. Domenica pomeriggio è previsto il discorso pubblico “La liberazione mediante il Regno di Dio è vicina!”. L’oratore spiegherà perché il bisogno di liberazione è più sentito che mai e in che modo Dio concederà la salvezza per mezzo del Suo Regno retto da Cristo Gesù. I Testimoni fanno notare che milioni di persone conoscono la preghiera modello del “Padre nostro”, in cui Gesù insegnò ai discepoli a pregare per quel Regno.
Il pubblico è invitato ad assistere alle sessioni, che inizieranno alle ore 9,30. L’ingresso è libero e non si faranno collette.
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Jehovah’s Witnesses invite public to convention
DEE HILLYER,
BLOOMINGTON — The Jehovah’s Witnesses annual convention will be Friday through July 2 at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum, 101 S. Madison St, Bloomington. The program will begin at 9:30 a.m. every day and the public is invited.
Starting this weekend and continuing the next three weeks, Jehovah’s Witnesses will launch a campaign to extend a invitation to everyone in Central Illinois, Eastern Iowa and Western Indiana to attend the 2006 “Deliverance at Hand!” district convention.
Admission is free and no monetary or information collections will be taken. Starting in May 2006 through September, Jehovah’s Witnesses will hold 266 conventions in 73 cities throughout the United States.
The convention theme highlights “God’s promised deliverance from this wicked system.”
This volunteer effort will take place around the world. The Bloomington area has 70 witness congregations, which are taking part in the campaign. Included will be witness congregations in this area: Ottawa, Streator, La Salle-Peru, Mendota and Morris. La Salle-Peru is unique in that they have both Spanish and English publishers, said Aaron Purvis of Jehovah’s news service.
Other congregations are in Princeton, Morris and DeKalb. A convention will be in DeKalb Aug. 11 to 14.
Each congregation has a number of publishers and a different number of people who attend Sunday services. In this area, there are more than 600 publishers and about 900 people attend Sunday services.
“A publisher is someone who goes door-to-door to minister. Active Jehovah’s Witnesses dedicate their time free of charge. No one gets paid — not even the president of our legal organization in New York,” said Purvis.
About 6,000 delegates are expected at the convention in Bloomington. Projected attendance from across the United States is 1,500,000.
The concerted effort to promote the convention program this year was explained by the Jehovah’s Witnesses office of public information as follows: “Witnesses believe that mankind sorely needs deliverance from the effects of inherited sin and its consequence, death; they feel that only God can bring about that kind of deliverance. Program parts will examine Jesus’ role in delivering mankind and will review various accounts of deliverance.”
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Monza: il 30 il 1° raduno dei testimoni di Geova
Il comitato assemblea Monza 1. Da sinistra Santo Nicastro, Giorgio Caminiti e Valter Nicolig
Domani, 30 giugno, inizia il primo dei due grandi raduni dei testimoni di Geova a Monza. Migliaia di persone affluiranno, venerdì 30 giugno ’06 allo Stadio “Brianteo” per l’inizio della prima assemblea di distretto 2006 dei Testimoni di Geova “La liberazione è vicina!”. La seconda si terrà la settimana successiva dal 7 al 9 luglio. Per rendere possibile questi congressi, una folla eterogenea per età e condizione sociale, composta di circa duemila volontari, si è “armata” di pennelli, vernice e attrezzi per la pulizia e si è ritrovata domenica scorsa al “Brianteo” con un unico scopo: rendere lo stadio “idoneo per un congresso cristiano”. Sono arrivati da ogni parte; diversi da Sondrio, Lecco, Como oltre che da tutta la Brianza. Ad alcuni di loro è stato chiesto cosa li avesse spinti a offrirsi volontari. Questi i commenti:
Maurizio Nicolini, 37 anni di Sovico, ha detto: “Sono qui oggi perché amo Geova Dio: questa è la ragione per cui mi rendo disponibile per dare una mano ai miei fratelli nel compiere questo lavoro necessario, cioè rendere il ‘Brianteo’ un luogo degno del nome di Geova”.
 
I volontari durante la pulizia
Debora Giacci, 11 anni di Desio, si è espresso in questo modo: “Sono qui perché penso di dare una buona testimonianza della nostra fede”.
Antonio Albertini impiegato di Seregno, ha detto:”Siamo venuti in diversi da Seregno e dalle altre congregazioni vicine, abbiamo addirittura anticipato l’adunanza domenicale a sabato, per non perderci questo importante lavoro”.
“La pulizia è solo uno degli ultimi lavori di allestimento di questi due congressi”, riferisce Giorgio Caminiti, sorvegliante del congresso Monza 1 e ministro viaggiante dei testimoni di Geova.
E’ infatti dal mese di gennaio che il comitato dell’assemblea, formato da Valter Nicolig di Lecco, Santo Nicastro di Bollate e lo stesso Caminiti, stanno organizzando i lavori preparatori per l’occasione. – “E’ certamente un compito impegnativo – prosegue Caminiti – rendere uno stadio adatto a una assemblea di diverse migliaia di persone, e questo nel pieno rispetto delle normative vigenti, specie quelle sulla prevenzione di infortuni o incidenti”.
I numerosi presenti all`incontro
“Nelle ultime tre settimane – riferiscono Renato Onesti e Giuseppe Di Biasi responsabili stampa dei due congressi – gli abitanti di Monza, Lecco, Como, Sondrio, Lodi e buona parte di Milano e provincia, hanno ricevuto personalmente uno speciale invito dai testimoni di Geova per assistere alla loro assemblea di distretto di tre giorni. La campagna è andata sicuramente bene, siamo fiduciosi che diversi interessati accetteranno il nostro invito e saranno presenti sabato mattina al battesimo o domenica, in particolare per vedere il dramma e per ascoltare il discorso preparato apposta per il pubblico”.
Il programma dell’assemblea – ha detto Valter Nicolig, sorvegliante del programma – metterà in risalto che l’umanità ha bisogno della liberazione dagli effetti del peccato ereditato e dalle sue conseguenze, fra cui la morte. I discorsi daranno rilievo a passi biblici confortanti che illustrano l’amorevole provvedimento di Dio per la salvezza eterna, il sacrificio di suo Figlio, Gesù Cristo. I Testimoni ritengono che gli avvenimenti attuali adempiano le profezie della Bibbia riguardo a un evento che si avvicina rapidamente, il giorno del giudizio, attraverso cui Dio libererà gli esseri umani dalle sofferenze e dalla malvagità della nostra società. Ogni giorno il programma trarrà spunto da un passo della Bibbia che sottolinea l’importanza della fiducia in Dio quale principale Liberatore dei giusti. L’assemblea si propone di fornire valide ragioni, fondate sulle Sacre Scritture, per agire con decisione quando si fanno scelte di vita”.
 
Alcuni momenti delle prove del Dramma
Fra gli altri aspetti salienti del programma ci saranno sabato la cerimonia del battesimo, e domenica un dramma biblico in costume.
da sinistra il regista Ernesto Donini, Rocco Pasquetti presidente del congresso e Valter Nicolig
Il dramma – diretto da Ernesto Donini, anziano della congregazione di Carate – mostrerà che per ottenere la salvezza è necessario ubbidire a Dio. Donini riferisce: “ Sono circa una cinquantina gli attori non professionisti e le comparse per questa rappresentazione. Abbiamo dedicato tutti i fine settimana per provare e riprovare il dramma. I protagonisti sono stati presi da diverse congregazioni della Brianza, tra cui Carate, Lissone, Desio eccetera”.
Domenica pomeriggio è previsto il discorso pubblico “La liberazione mediante il Regno di Dio è vicina!” L’oratore spiegherà perché il bisogno di liberazione è più sentito che mai e in che modo Dio concederà la salvezza per mezzo del Suo Regno, retto da Cristo. I Testimoni fanno notare che milioni di persone conoscono la preghiera modello del “Padre nostro”, riportata nel Vangelo di Matteo 6:9-13, in cui Gesù insegnò ai discepoli a pregare proprio per quel Regno.
Il pubblico è invitato ad assistere alle sessioni, che inizieranno alle ore 9,30. L’ingresso è libero e non si faranno collette.
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UZBEKISTAN: Religious literature censorship tightened
By Igor Rotar, Forum 18 News Service
Uzbekistan has introduced new penalties for the “illegal” production, storage, import and distribution of all forms of religious literature. One Protestant told Forum 18 News Service that “all religious communities already need permission from the government’s Religious Affairs Committee for each publication or import.” Some Muslims stressed to Forum 18 that the changes merely gave a “legal” basis to what was already going on, one Muslim noting – as the authorities confirmed to Forum 18 – that since the crushing of the Andijan uprising, all imports of Muslim literature have halted. The chair of the state Religious Affairs Committee, Shoazim Minovarov, told Forum 18 that the “illegal” production and distribution of religious literature are “home-produced materials. In any state a publisher must receive a licence to conduct publishing activity and pay taxes.” The changes are the latest in a series cracking down on activities the government does not totally control.
Religious believers in Uzbekistan have reacted with resignation to new changes to the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Offences which came into force on 23 June instituting new penalties for the “illegal” production, storage, import and distribution of all forms of religious literature. “This is nothing new – we’ve always had problems with literature,” one Protestant who preferred not to be identified told Forum 18 News Service on 27 June. “All religious communities already need permission from the government’s Religious Affairs Committee for each publication or import. Publication within Uzbekistan is impossible for us and imports have long been very difficult.”
Muslim sources expressed deep concern to Forum 18 over these changes to the Criminal and Administrative Codes, though some stressed that the changes to the Administrative Code merely gave a “legal” basis to what was already going on in practice. One Muslim who did not wish to be identified told Forum 18 that, since the crushing of the Andijan uprising in May 2005, the authorities have halted entirely the import of Muslim literature into Uzbekistan.
Jehovah’s Witness representative Sergei Artyushkov said it was difficult to say how dangerous the amendments will turn out to be for his fellow-believers. “What is more important in Uzbekistan is not the law but the practice,” he told Forum 18 from the capital Tashkent on 28 June. “Time will be needed to see how the law enforcement agencies intend to apply these amendments to the Criminal and Administrative Codes.”
A new article of the Administrative Code, Article 184-2, punishes “illegal production, storage, import or distribution of materials of religious content”, with punishment of a fine of 20 to 100 times the minimum monthly wage for individuals, while officials (presumably of religious organisations) guilty of the same offence can be punished with a fine of 50 to 150 times the minimum monthly wage, together with confiscation of the materials and the “corresponding means of producing and distributing them”.
A new article of the Criminal Code, Article 244-3, punishes “illegal production, storage, import or distribution of materials of religious content”, with punishment for those already convicted under the parallel article of the Administrative Code of a fine of 100 to 200 times the minimum monthly wage or “corrective labour” of up to three years.
Also among the changes was a new article of the Criminal Code, Article 156, punishing the production and distribution of literature promoting racial and religious hatred, with a similar new article, Article 184-3, of the Administrative Code. Both of these build on punishments that already existed for literature promoting hatred and religious extremism.
The chair of the government’s Religious Affairs Committee, Shoazim Minovarov, explained what the authorities define as “illegal” production and distribution of religious literature. “We are talking here about home-produced materials,” he told Forum 18 from Tashkent on 29 June. “In any state a publisher must receive a licence to conduct publishing activity and pay taxes.”
Minovarov insisted that individuals are allowed to import any religious literature into Uzbekistan for personal use. “As for imports of religious literature for mass distribution, a religious community must first of all receive permission from our committee. If this literature has already arrived in Uzbekistan, we immediately give permission for its entry. If not, then first we conduct an expert analysis to check that the literature doesn’t contain calls to ethnic or inter-religious hatred.”
Minovarov implicitly confirmed that the import of Muslim literature from abroad has come to a halt. “We produce sufficient quantities of Muslim literature ourselves,” he maintained. “In those rarest of occasions when a Muslim educational establishment suddenly needs to receive religious literature, it contacts us and – if this literature contains no calls to inter-ethnic or inter-religious hatred – we give permission for its import.”
The changes to the Criminal and Administrative Codes were approved by the Legislative Chamber on 20 April and the Senate on 9 June and were signed into law by President Islam Karimov on 22 June. They came into force on their publication in the state-run media on 23 June (the amendments were published in the Russian-language newspaper Narodnoe Slovo and are available at http://narodnoeslovo.uz/cgi-bin/index.cgi?a=rules&c=show&id=34).
An official of the Justice Ministry named Shukhrat, who refused to give his surname, told Forum 18 on 28 June that his ministry had not been involved in preparing these amendments, which were the work of the Uzbek general prosecutor’s office. However, no-one at the general prosecutor’s office was prepared to explain why these amendments have been adopted and why they are needed. An official who answered the telephone there on 28 June told Forum 18 that such information is not given out.
The legal changes are the latest in a series cracking down on activities the government does not totally control, including religious belief and practice. Massively increased fines for unregistered religious activity came into force at the end of 2005 with changes to the Administrative and Criminal Codes (see F18News 27 January 2006 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=720). Against international human rights standards, unregistered religious activity is illegal.
The state-controlled Muslim Board is able to publish some books and newspapers, while the independent Muslim and former chief mufti Muhamad Sadyk Muhamad Yusuf is able to publish Muslim books. The Russian Orthodox Church is able to publish a newspaper Word of Life and a journal (both in Russian) and maintains a website http://www.pravoslavie.uz. The Catholic Church in the capital Tashkent also maintains an internet information resource and news agency http://www.agnuz.info. Various Christian Churches have set up a Bible Society in Tashkent, which can produce limited supplies of Christian books provided it receive Religious Affairs Committee approval for each edition.
Other religious minorities are almost entirely banned from producing religious literature within Uzbekistan, especially in Uzbek (although it is the state language). “Official publication of Christian literature in the country is practically impossible, though the need and the demand are great,” one Protestant with wide contacts across the country told Forum 18.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses complain that they are completely unable to print or import their religious literature in Uzbek, while the Religious Affairs Committee strictly limits the quantity of Russian-language literature they can import to their two registered congregations. Imports to their many unregistered communities are not allowed. One Jehovah’s Witness told Forum 18 on 27 June that the committee allows shipments about five or six times a year, usually of several hundred copies of a Russian-language publication. “On 4 May we received permission for 500 Bibles and 500 books “What does the Bible really teach?” both in Russian, and at the beginning of June the same.”
The Jehovah’s Witness said the number of copies of literature is hardly sufficient for the local Jehovah’s Witnesses. “So they don’t really have the possibility to distribute them. Even now, just the possession of those books or brochures is viewed by some police officers, judges and other officials as illegal and can be the reason for starting administrative cases.”
The Jehovah’s Witness added that private import of religious literature by individuals is almost impossible. “It is so usual for literature to be confiscated. If borderguards find it they confiscate it. If an individual Witness manages to bring in one copy of the Bible or a copy of the Watchtower magazine, he or she is happy. We would love to be able to import our literature, including for Uzbek-speaking people.”
Publication and imports of religious literature have been under tight control since the late 1990s. Article 19 of the 1998 Religion Law bans “manufacture, storage and distribution of printed items, films, photographs, audio and video recordings and other materials containing ideas of religious extremism, separatism and fundamentalism”. Article 241-1 of the Criminal Code makes “harbouring and distributing” such documents punishable by up to three years in jail. The definition of whether material falls into these categories is carried out by the state’s Religious Affairs Committee or – in provincial areas – by teachers at local university philosophy departments. Mainstream Islamic theological tracts are often deemed to be extremist (see F18News 12 July 2004 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=361).
The Religious Affairs Committee also controls the import of such material. Material, including the Bible, imported without permission or confiscated by the authorities – from Muslims, Christians, Hare Krishna devotees or Jehovah’s Witnesses – has often been burnt (see F18News 6 September 2005 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=643).
Postal censorship is strictly enforced, in close collaboration with the Religious Affairs Committee. Sometimes, material is sent back to the foreign sender, with a letter specifying why it has been refused and instructing the sender not to post more copies to Uzbekistan (see F18News 14 November 2005 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=687).
“Believers across the country would like to be able to receive Christian journals by post, but in recent months most religious literature has stopped arriving by post,” the Protestant with wide contacts across the country told Forum 18. (END)
Jehovah’s Witness conference to begin today
Cleveland convention expected to draw 15,000
By Colette M. Jenkins
Beacon Journal religion writer
The 2006 district convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses begins at 9:30 a.m. today at the Cleveland State University Convention Center.
The three-day convention is expected to attract about 15,000 delegates from the greater Cleveland area. This year’s theme is “Deliverance at Hand.”
Morning sessions begin at 9:30 each day, and afternoon sessions begin at 2 p.m. today and Saturday and 1:40 p.m. on Sunday. All sessions are free and open to the public.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are part of a worldwide religion that views first-century Christianity as its model. They actively share information about God, whom they call Jehovah, and about Jesus Christ. Their official journal is called The Watchtower.
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GRANDE RADUNO DEI TESTIMONI DI GEOVA A BITONTO
Nelle ultime tre settimane gli abitanti della provincia Lucana hanno ricevuto personalmente uno speciale invito dai Testimoni di Geova per assistere alla loro assemblea di distretto che durerà tre gio
Potenza [29/06/2006 - 10:21]
I Testimoni hanno distribuito uno speciale invito a tutte le famiglie a
MATERA — Migliaia di persone affluiranno domani alla Sala delle Assemblee di Bitonto per l’inizio dell’assemblea di distretto 2006 dei Testimoni di Geova “La liberazione è vicina!”.
Nelle ultime tre settimane gli abitanti della provincia Lucana hanno ricevuto personalmente uno speciale invito dai Testimoni di Geova per assistere alla loro assemblea di distretto che durerà tre giorni. Il programma dell’assemblea metterà in risalto che l’umanità ha bisogno della liberazione dagli effetti del peccato ereditato e da ciò che ne consegue, la morte. I discorsi daranno rilievo a passi biblici confortanti che spiegano l’amorevole provvedimento di Dio per la salvezza eterna resa possibile dal sacrificio di suo Figlio, Gesù Cristo. L’assemblea si propone di fornire valide ragioni, fondate sulla Bibbia, per agire con decisione quando si fanno scelte di vita.
Fra gli altri aspetti salienti del programma ci saranno sabato la cerimonia del battesimo, e domenica un dramma biblico in costume. Il dramma mostrerà che per ottenere la salvezza è necessario ubbidire a Dio. Domenica pomeriggio è previsto il discorso pubblico “La liberazione mediante il Regno di Dio è vicina!”. L’oratore spiegherà perché il bisogno di liberazione è più sentito che mai e in che modo Dio concederà la salvezza per mezzo del Suo Regno retto da Cristo Gesù. I Testimoni fanno notare che milioni di persone conoscono la preghiera modello del “Padre nostro”, riportata nel vangelo di Matteo 6:9-13, in cui Gesù insegnò ai discepoli a pregare per quel Regno.
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First of three Witnesses’ conventions starts Friday
Diana Louise Carter
Staff writer
(June 28, 2006) — Local Jehovah’s Witnesses have redoubled their door-to-door work in the past few weeks, but shortened their visits.
Anticipating three district conventions downtown this summer — the first begins Friday — Jehovah’s Witnesses have been inviting everyone they can to the “Deliverance at Hand!” sessions by distributing leaflets.
“People are seeing more of us, in shorter stints,” said Julian Smith, a member of a Rochester congregation who is handling public relations for the local conventions. Witnesses normally ask the people they call on to embark on Bible studies with them.
This weekend’s convention and the others scheduled July 7-9 and July 28-30 are expected to draw a total of 18,000 faithful to the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. These are three of 266 Jehovah’s Witnesses conventions scheduled across the United States this year.
The conventions begin at 9:30 a.m. daily and are free — no collections are taken. Details, including locations and times of Spanish-language and American Sign Language conventions, are available by clicking on the “266 conventions link” at www.jw-media.org. Convention information is also available by phone at (718) 560-5000.
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Jehovah’s Witnesses prepare for end
30,000 people invited to annual convention
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
BY ANDREA FRAMPTON
OF THE JOURNAL STAR
BLOOMINGTON – Even with more than 6,000 people expected to flow into Bloomington for an annual Jehovah’s Witnesses convention that starts Friday, organizers are still inviting more guests.
As part of a new canvassing effort, more than 30,000 central Illinois residents received invitations over the last three weeks to the Friday through Sunday convention, and more invitations are still being handed out by volunteers, convention spokesman Aaron Purvis said.
“We’re trying to invite every person to the convention,” said Purvis, adding this is the first time the convention has actually gone out and given personal invitations. “The convention is free of charge . . . people can come hear some good news.”
The “Deliverance at Hand!” District Convention at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum is just one of 266 Jehovah’s Witnesses conventions that will be held across the country welcoming an estimated 1.5 million people until September. The coliseum can hold up to 8,000 people.
Jehovah’s Witnesses from central Illinois as well as parts of Iowa and Indiana are scheduled to attend the convention.
“We all follow the Bible and are united in this brotherhood. Jehovah’s Witnesses cross all boundaries,” Purvis said. “Every race of mankind is represented, and it’s a good mixture.”
Purvis said the “good news” being announced door to door is that the “day of reckoning” is “fast approaching.”
The day of reckoning for a Jehovah’s Witness is the belief that God or Jehovah will bring an end to all evil and will leave all living Jehovah’s Witnesses to exist forever on a “cleansed earth.”
“It will be as if Adam and Eve never had sinned,” Purvis said. “Just because they sinned doesn’t mean God changed his purpose.”
Sessions at the convention will address current events, dealing with death, resurrection and aging, Purvis said.
The event marks the first large-scale conference for the U.S. Cellular Coliseum, and city officials and coliseum employees have been focusing on being a good host, Mayor Steve Stockton said.
Since Jehovah’s Witnesses frequently schedule conventions, coliseum general manager Mike Nelson said there hasn’t been much to do to prepare for their visit. The event’s organizers will be handling all of the janitorial services and some additional setup, Nelson said.
“They’re great to work with. They have the convention business down to a science,” Nelson said.
Crystal Howard, director of the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the event is expected to bring more than $500,000 to the area. Almost all of the Twin Cities’ 2,900 hotel rooms are booked for the weekend.
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Wednesday, June 28, 2006
The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Kingdom Hall in Gualo Rai will host a three-day “Deliverance at Hand!” District Convention beginning tomorrow.
Large numbers of residents and visitors from the CNMI and Guam will converge at The Kingdom Hall, Gualo Rai, tomorrow for the start of the 2006 “Deliverance at Hand!” District Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
For the past three weeks, households on Saipan, Tinian and Rota have been offered attractive invitations about the convention as the Witnesses invited them to attend the three-day event.
The program will emphasize that mankind needs deliverance from the effects of inherited sin and its consequence, death. Talks and symposiums will emphasize comforting scriptures that detail God’s loving provision for everlasting deliverance made possible by the sacrifices of his Son, Jesus Christ. Witnesses believe that current events fulfill Bible prophecies indicating that God’s day of reckoning is fast approaching. The need for deliverance will be explored as well, infusing the program with a tone of urgency.
Each day’s program will be based on a Bible passage that emphasizes reliance on God as the preeminent deliverer of the righteous. The convention promises to stress compelling scriptural reasons for taking decisive action when pondering the direction of one’s life.
Other outstanding features of the program include a baptism ceremony on Saturday and a Bible-based drama presentation on Sunday. The drama will show how godly obedience is required in order for one to gain deliverance. The public discourse “Deliverance of God’s Kingdom is at Hand!” will be presented on Sunday afternoon. The speaker will discuss why there is a greater need for deliverance now than ever before and how God will provide salvation by means of His Kingdom in the hands of Christ Jesus. Witnesses note that millions of people are acquainted with the model prayer recorded at Matthew 6:9-13, in which Jesus taught his disciples to pray for that Kingdom,
Program sessions start at 9:30am each of the three days of the convention. Admission is free and no collection will be taken.
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WITNESS VISIT: Edgar Acosta (left) and Leonard Nickson, both Jehovah’s Witnesses, stopped by GTR Newspaper offices recently as a part of an extensive campaign by the Witnesses to offer personal invitations to their ‘Deliverance at Hand’ 2006 convention to everyone in the area. The event is expected to draw some 13,000 persons from the four-state area to Tulsa, and is scheduled to be held at the Tulsa Convention Center.
GTR Newspapers photo
Jehovah’s Witnesses will be working double-time this month, as they launch an intensive campaign to extend a personal invitation to everyone in Tulsa and 83 other cities in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri to attend the two 2006 “Deliverance at Hand!” district conventions, slated for June 23-25, and June 30-July 2, 2006.
The group intends to provide each household with a specially printed invitation that gives information about each of the three-day events, scheduled to be held at the Tulsa Convention Center.
Presented by the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, approximately 6,600 delegates from the four-state area will be attending each of the conventions, for a total attendance of more than 13,000 persons.
This massive volunteer effort to invite people to these and similar conventions will take place not only in Tulsa and the four-state area, but also around the United States and indeed the world. The region’s 118 Jehovah’s Witness congregations are uniting to take part in a distinctive global campaign now under way to advertise the “Deliverance at Hand!” convention programs that will be held in some 155 different lands.
Building on the scriptural basis for their house-to-house work of Bible education, the Witnesses believe that millions of their neighbors worldwide would benefit from the invitation to the program, where they will have the opportunity to hear a message of, what Jehovah Witnesses themselves describe as comfort and hope.
The concerted global effort to advertise for the convention this year is directly linked to the Witnesses’ belief that mankind sorely needs deliverance from the effects of inherited sin and its consequence. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that current events are elements of a composite sign indicating that a day of reckoning, which will bring an end to all wickedness, crime and oppression, is quickly approaching.
With the convention theme highlighting what Witness literature calls “God’s promised deliverance from this wicked system,” program parts will subsequently examine Jesus’ role in delivering mankind and will review various Biblical accounts of deliverance. The program will also focus on passages describing how to maintain hope and survive the period before, what Jehovah’s Witnesses call, God’s fast-approaching day of reckoning.
To cater to the varying needs of its 6.6 million constituency, the program will be presented in a staggering variety of languages: Spanish, Greek, Armenian, Russian, Polish, Vietnamese, Korean, American Sign Language and Tagalog, among countless others. The total projected attendance for programs in the United States alone is a whopping 1.5 million.
Jehovah’s Witnesses in Tulsa expect a record turnout for each of the three-day programs, two of over 260 to be presented by Witnesses throughout the United States. International conventions are scheduled for Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland during July and August as well.
Two, three-day events are scheduled for June 23-25 and June 30-July 2 at the Tulsa Convention Center. Morning sessions will begin at 9:30 each day, and Friday and Saturday afternoon services will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday’s afternoon session will begin at 1:40 p.m.
The public is invited to attend any session or the entire program and admission to the conventions is free and no collections will be taken.
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Investigaciones en abuso de niño – Respuesta de los Testigos de Jehová
“El abuso de niño es un mal. Es un mal de nuestro tiempo… La biblia dice que usted debe odiar cuál es malo, y ése incluiría ciertamente abuso de niño… Nuestra prioridad superior es proteger a las víctimas.”
J. R. Brown, portavoz de la organización de los testigos de Jehová;
Philip Brumley, general Counsel para los testigos de Jehová
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Inquiries on Child Abuse
Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Response
“Child abuse is an evil. It is an evil of our time. … The Bible says you should hate what is bad, and that certainly would include child abuse. … Our top priority is to protect the victims.”
J. R. Brown, Organizational Spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses;
Philip Brumley, General Counsel for Jehovah’s Witnesses
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Transcript of Video News Release
J. R. Brown, Organizational Spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses
Philip Brumley, General Counsel for Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Response to Inquiries on Child Abuse
Mr. Brown: Child abuse is an evil. It’s an evil of our time; it’s an evil in our society. And so
we abhor it. The Bible says you should “hate what is bad” and that certainly
would include child abuse.
We have a number of initiatives we’ve taken to make sure children are protected.
And one is to make sure parents are educated. And over the past 10 to 15 years,
we’ve published numerous articles and other materials, especially for the elders,
telling them what needs to be done to help those who have been victimized in this
way.
Mr. Brumley: Our top priority is to protect the victims. And we want to make sure that
whatever steps need to be taken are taken, both by the elders, by the relatives, and
by the congregation in general. Our second priority has to do with the
perpetrators. We are concerned about their receiving the help they need. Our
third priority is to see to it that secular authorities are indeed informed of the
accusation.
Mr. Brown: We have no objection to the laws of the land that come into play to be enforced
on whatever has taken place there. Crime is crime. And we recognize there are
penalties for crimes committed.
When we speak of child abuse, we have to look at society as a whole. This has
become a burning issue in the last 20 or 30 years. And so society in general has
been, more or less, plagued with this problem. And all sorts of organizations and
agencies are grappling with how to best handle this.
District Convention – Assamblea de Distrito
Civic Center Arena 400 4th St. Columbus, GA
July 7-9, 2006
Que se dira en la assamblea?
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Crecen fieles a Testigos Jehová
12:00 AM CDT on Monday, June 26, 2006
Por VANESA SALINAS / Al Día
Fort Worth – El número de hispanos que se están afiliando a los Testigos de Jehová va en crecimiento, algo que quedó de manifiesto este fin de semana durante la convención anual de congregaciones del Norte de Texas.
Los latinos abundaban entre las más de 10,000 personas que se dieron cita el domingo en el Centro de Convenciones de Fort Worth. Tanto las gradas como el piso del centro estaban repletas de familias, desde bebés hasta abuelitos que asistieron al programa que culminó el domingo y que atrajo a un total de 25,000 almas en los últimos tres días.
“Sí hemos visto un crecimiento bastante grande en los Estados Unidos y en el área del metroplex. Cada año se ven más y más” personas, dijo Alberto Hernández, ministro de los Testigos de Jehová.
Organizadores de la convención informaron que hace 15 años no había más de 40 congregaciones hispanas en el área de Dallas-Fort Worth, siendo que ahora hay más de 120. Además, la convención este año se alargó a dos fines de semana para poder acomodar a todos los invitados que llegaron de ciudades como Arlington, Grand Prairie, Dallas, Carrollton-Farmers Branch y hasta de Oklahoma.
El número de latinos que asiste a las conferencias se ha incrementado tanto que los organizadores están considerando ofrecer la asamblea en español.
Los Testigos de Jehová se incorporaron en 1884 en Estados Unidos y posteriormente se expandieron a Europa y otras regiones. Entre sus prácticas y creencias se encuentra utilizar el nombre hebreo de Dios (Jehová), no participar en la política o en las guerras, llevar la palabra de Dios personalmente a todas las personas, y estudiar constantemente la Biblia, según la sociedad Watchtower, el sitio oficial de Internet de los testigos.
Durante la convención de este fin de semana, los testigos pregonaron mensajes de la Biblia a jóvenes y adultos por medio de lecturas, convivencia y dramas. El énfasis estuvo en los jóvenes y el matrimonio.
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Arson damages Jehovah’s Witnesses building
Blaze set in basement of worship hall
Monday, June 26, 2006
The fire that damaged a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses building in Clinton Township early yesterday was deliberately set, investigators say.
Federal and local authorities are now searching for the arsonist or arsonists who broke into the hall at 4151 N. Hickman Rd., about a half-mile south of Morse Road.
Firefighters were summoned to the hall at 1:36 a.m. by an automatic fire alarm, said Lt. Doug Brown of the Clinton Township Fire Department.
The fire, in the basement, was extinguished within 30 minutes.
None of the roughly 100 firefighters to respond was injured. Tom Wiley, a presiding overseer at the hall, estimated the damage to be at least $30,000.
A motive was unclear. No arrests were made yesterday, and the fire is under investigation by township authorities and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which typically helps investigate fires at places of worship.
Wiley said three congregations totaling about 350 people regularly worship at the hall. The building houses the main meeting hall and other rooms, including two libraries.
Though the brick building appears intact from the outside, Wiley said the basement sustained heavy fire, smoke and water damage. Religious literature and computer equipment were lost to the flames, he said.
“Most of the upstairs wasn’t damaged, except for maybe the smell of smoke,” he said.
He said it appeared those responsible rifled through cabinets as though looking for money or valuables. Nothing appeared to have been taken.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses began building the hall in 1958 and finished two years later. They have had few problems with crime since then, with a break-in to a tool shed on the property about the worst incident that Wiley could recall.
“It’s a sign of the times,” he said. Witnesses are taught not to be vindictive and to place trust in Jehovah, he said.
“He’ll take care of it,” Wiley said. “If he sees fit to take action, he will.”
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