The Last Days (July 10-16, 2023)
Issue No. 13
Welcome to the thirteenth edition of The Last Days newsletter.
The Last Days delivers a collection of curated JW-related news articles from around the world, and other entertaining information, straight into your inbox every weekend. You choose what you want to read, believe, download, listen to, watch, or subscribe to.
You can find the last edition of TLD covering July 3-9, 2023, here if you missed it. If you prefer to read The Last Days on our webpage click here.
This edition of The Last Days, covering the week of July 10-16, 2023, contains our leading Feature of the Week: Human Rights; a JW Protest article from Denmark, JW News from Britain and Azerbaijan; a JW News Fact Check following on from last week; and a short video from YouTuber Goatlike Personality on the recent JW Protest at Malmö, Sweden; and more!
Enjoy the Last Days! . . .
“The events unfolding around us, are making clearer than ever, that we’re living in the final part of the Last Days, undoubtedly the final part of the final part of the Last Days, shortly before the Last Day of the Last Days.” - Stephen Lett, member of the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses
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Human Rights
What are human rights?
Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination. - United Nations
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Human Rights
Jehovah’s Witnesses, as a group, are well known for seeking out and securing their own human rights, often in court.
In commenting on groups that fight for and finally obtain certain rights, the Awake! magazine of September 8, 1979, stated:
The rights of the child
UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child
Convention of the Rights of the Child
Did you know that Article 14 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child does not restrict States Parties from intervening in the ability of the Jehovah’s Witnesses institution to shun and discipline children?
Article 14
1. States Parties shall respect the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
2. States Parties shall respect the rights and duties of the parents and, when applicable, legal guardians, to provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or her right in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child.
This thought provoking subject will be explored in future issues of The Last Days newsletter.
It often happened that whenever a certain group fought for and finally obtained certain rights, they afterward had little regard for the rights of others. - Awake! magazine, September 8, 1979, page 7.
Hillerød, Denmark
July 16, 2023 | Reporting by JW News from Hillerød, Denmark, for The Last Days
On the weekend of July 15 and 16, 2023, a small but colourful and peaceful protest was held outside the Jehovah’s Witnesses convention in Hillerød, Denmark. The theme of the protest was human rights.
Countries represented by protestors included: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, and Australia.
What made this protest unique is that all the protestors were provided with personal invitations to attend the Vær tålmodig! (Exercise patience!) Jehovah Vidners stævne 2023. The only proviso being that we could not wear our colorful Smurf blue t-shirts inside the Royal Stage auditorium… not even if they we turned inside-out.
The last Jehovah’s Witnesses convention in Denmark was held in 2019 at the Brøndby Stadium.
The JW Protest Theme
Human rights and the rights of the child.
Over the next few weeks a number of YouTube videos and podcasts will be published about the protest.
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Britain - published on July 13, 2023
Azerbaijan - published on July 14, 2023
In the twelfth issue of The Last Days, JW News Fact Check reported on the plagiarism and copyright breach by the Jehovah’s Witnesses in the You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth book, published by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York in 1982, as depicted below.
This week we feature a JW News Fact Check that satisfies the “two-witness” rule for establishing wrongdoing, namely the practice of plagiarism and copyright breaches by the Jehovah’s Witnesses publishing company Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York.
Jehovah’s Witnesses and the spirit of the world
Many people have no scruples about breaking the law if they think they can get away with it. - The Watchtower magazine, June 15, 1992, page 31.
Did you know that the cover of the September 15, 1982 issue of The Watchtower magazine was plagiarised and copied from an advertisement for Johnnie Walker Red Label Scotch Whisky?
The ‘holy’ spirit scandal
Mistakes in publishing are made from time-to-time by all types of organisations and individuals.
In this case, upon becoming aware of the copyright infringement, the US importer and distributor of Johnnie Walker, Somerset Importers Ltd, raised the issue with Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York and sorted the matter out without the need for litigation.
In commenting on the copyright breach, Somerset wrote:
Somerset was also “dismayed” upon the discovery of a Johnnie Walker Red Label Scotch advertisement on the cover of the September Watchtower. The advertisement was originally published on June 29, 1981 in U.S. News and World Report and every major magazine thereafter, and was copyrighted at that time. Somerset has already concluded the matter with the Jehovah’s Witnesses and believes no further action is necessary.
- Somerset letter statement, December 1, 1982
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York changed the cover of The Watchtower magazine in all editions scheduled for foreign distribution, including English language editions.
The cover up: lies and deception
The following year, 1983, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York received a letter from Cecilia Scaggs who made an inquiry about the change in the magazine cover.
Rather than be honest and truthful about the copyright infringement, Watchtower New York issued a deflection letter in reply to Cecilia Scaggs. This letter stated:
Dear Friend:
We take this occasion to reply to your recent letter, in which you inquire about the cover illustration on the September 15, 1982, issue of The Watchtower.
From time to time adjustments are made in artwork appearing in our literature. This is generally done to produce a more appropriate and suitable illustration, which is the case regarding The Watchtower you mentioned. The cover illustration appearing on the issue in the 1982 bound volume is the same as that used in our foreign language editions.
- Watchtower New York letter, June 22, 1983
Was Watchtower New York being honest in their reply letter? No. The contents of its letter was false and misleading.
Evidence of this surfaced in December 1984 in a letter signed by the Assistant General Counsel of Somerset Importers Ltd. This letter stated:
In answer to your inquiries, please be advised that there was no litigation between Somerset and The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. (“WBTS”) with respect to the September 15, 1982 issue of The Watchtower. Somerset simply alerted WBTS to the problem and WBTS immediately agreed to change the cover of such edition in all editions scheduled for foreign distribution, including English language editions. Unfortunately, the United States edition was already in distribution and could not be cancelled.
. . . At any rate, it is our understanding that The Watchtower cover was run in error and since the error was corrected, Somerset considers the matter concluded.
- Somerset letter, December 21, 1984, signed by Michael T. Kelly, Assistant General Counsel
Verdict
With both a plagiarised magazine cover and a deceptive Jehovah’s Witnesses corporation, JW News Fact Check declares The Watchtower magazine titled “God’s Name What Is It?”, and Watchtower Bible and Tract society of New York as containing both:
Misinformation and Misleading.
Artwork in The Watchtower magazine
How is the artwork for The Watchtower magazine selected?
Each article in both The Watchtower and Awake! and every page, including the artwork, is scrutinized by selected members of the Governing Body before it is printed. - The Watchtower, March 1, 1987, page 15.
Protect Yourself from Misinformation and Misleading news
To stay safe and healthy, JW News Fact Check searched on JW.ORG for any warnings about protecting oneself from ‘misinformation’ or from accessing ‘misleading news’.
Our in depth research found the following ironic warning from the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses:
Protect Yourself From Misinformation
- Do not believe everything you see or hear
What the Bible says: “The naive person believes every word, but the shrewd one ponders each step.”—Proverbs 14:15.
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In this YouTube video Goatlike Personality gives an overview of the JW Protest at Malmö, Sweden on the weekend of July 8 and 9, 2023.
On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, it was announced at the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses that
“Brother Anthony Morris III is no longer serving as a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
Still no news on the reasons for the removal of Anthony Morris III from the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, or his whereabouts, although online speculation continues to abound.
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Maybe Tony M is held up in some Love Nest eiyh Shelly Miscavage?😉😉😂😂🤣🤣