LIVING AS CHRISTIANS: Week from July 3 to 9, 2023, "Defending and legally establishing the good news", Video: Get to know the Legal Affairs Department of the world headquarters, Analysis and Responses.

LIVING AS CHRISTIANS:July 3-9-2023, "Defending and legally establishing the good news", Video: Get to know the Legal Affairs Department of the world headquarters, Analysis and Responses.

“Defending and legally establishing the good news” (15 min.): Analysis with the audience and video.

What legal challenges have Jehovah's Witnesses faced?

To many challenges, for example, some people do not agree with our work and make accusations against us before the police, some teachers complain because Jehovah's Witness children do not sing the national anthem, and also some doctors do not respect the decision of not agree to give us blood.

The Legal Affairs Department of world headquarters works under the direction of the governing body and the United States branch. Non-stop providing legal aid to the brothers, they defend our right to preach publicly, they watch over our right to remain neutral in the political affairs of this world and to legally defend and establish the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

This benefits us because when problems arise with local authorities because of our work in Kingdom work, the legal department works to solve them. When they are not resolved by exhausting this avenue, then they appeal to the highest court of the country and if necessary, then they appeal to international courts such as the European Court of Human Rights for example. And as in many cases these courts have ruled in favor of the Jehovah's Witnesses, the work of the Kingdom has been able to continue and that jurisprudence is useful when new cases arise.

A legal challenge that Jehovah's Witnesses are facing, especially children and young people, is when school authorities pressure us and even try to force them to sing the national anthem, salute the flag or participate in ceremonies and patriotic acts even knowing that this will against our beliefs, because it violates Biblical principles and Jehovah's fair standards.

Another challenge is when we refuse to receive whole blood transfusions or any of its four main components. In many cases, the brothers have had to face pressure from non-witness relatives, doctors, and even from authorities and courts in order to refrain from violating Jehovah's just rules on blood.

Also another challenge that the brothers face in some places and countries are the attempts to suppress all our religious activities.

What legal victories have they won? Give an example.

Since 1919, there have been 50 victories in the United States Supreme Court, and more than 50 before the European Court of Human Rights.

For example, in Stratton, Ohio, they issued an ordinance that anyone who wanted to do a door-to-door activity had to get a permit from the mayor, this was meant to restrict the activities of our brothers, and the Ohio courts said that These ordinances were legal, which is why they appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States and this ruling in our favor, and said that applying this ordinance to the work of Jehovah's Witnesses was unconstitutional.

The use of this jurisprudence is very useful when similar cases are presented.

What can we do to uphold and legally establish the good news?

We can keep up with the news about legal matters published by the faithful and prudent slave, we can also ask Jehovah to give our brothers the power that goes beyond normal and that his will be done, and personally each of we can remain loyal to Jehovah even if we face opposition.

We can keep up with the news about legal matters published by the faithful and prudent slave.

How can you find news about legal cases involving God's people and a list of Witnesses imprisoned for their beliefs on our website?

In this news tab then everyone, and at the end the topic appears: Jehovah's Witnesses imprisoned for their beliefs, by country, or also put by region and select the country we want to see, and another option would be to put in the search engine tab the page legal cases or prisoners and we will get all the information.

We can access jw.org through an internet browser, then click on the top right of the home page and select the section: News. Thus we will find news and also a list by country of Jehovah's Witnesses who are imprisoned for their beliefs.

Another way is to access jw.org from an internet browser and on the home page click on the information link for government officials. When displaying the page we will see news and reports on legal cases related to the people of God.

ANALYSIS OF OTHER ADDITIONAL POINTS OF THE VIDEO.

All over the world today many witnesses are in prison for remaining neutral in the affairs of this world. In the legal affairs department of world headquarters, they work non-stop to provide legal aid to the brethren and to defend our right to preach publicly. 

To fulfill their responsibility to do God's will, Jehovah's Witnesses have faced legal challenges. For example, children in many places are forced to sing the national anthem. So the challenges have been many and sometimes very difficult.

For this reason, the Department of Legal Affairs, located at the Watchtower Educational Center in Paterson, New York, was created. This Department works under the direction of the governing body and the United States Branch Committee to defend our legal right to practice our religion when our activities are restricted. This Department strives to uphold and legally establish the Good News. 

In the town of Stratton Ohio, an order was issued requiring anyone wishing to conduct a door-to-door activity to obtain a permit from the mayor. Those ordinances were designed to restrict the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. 

The Witnesses tried to settle the matter with the local authorities, but they insisted that the brothers must obtain permission to go from house to house. 

The Ohio courts declared those ordinances legal so it was appealed to the United States Supreme Court, the Supreme Court ruled in our favor, stating that applying those ordinances to the public preaching of Jehovah's Witnesses was unconstitutional. 

Now when some local authority wants to force the brothers to obtain permits to go from house to house, our brothers cite the case of Stratton and the matter is resolved.

Since 1919 Jehovah's Witnesses have won 50 victories in the US Supreme Court, and the number of victories we have won before the European Court of Human Rights is just as impressive, more than 50.

Jehovah's Witnesses are not looking for legal battles, they just want to serve God in peace, but when circumstances force them to stand up and say I'm not going to do this or I have to do this because my Bible educated conscience tells me to. It is impressive to see the steely nerve with which they look judges, magistrates and police officers in the eye and simply tell them I have to obey God.

What can we do to help defend and legally establish the Good News, we can keep up with the news on legal matters published by the faithful and prudent slave, we can also ask Jehovah to give our brothers the power that Go beyond the norm and let your will be done.

And we ourselves can remain loyal to Jehovah, even if we face opposition. We are grateful to Jehovah for giving us the legal victories we need to be able to serve him freely. The legal affairs department is honored to work side by side with each of us in legally upholding and establishing the Good News.