Hvorfor har JV brug for FN? (2)
Som påvist i dette indlæg, udfører de upolitiske JV'ere et ret stort politiks lobbyarbejde http://debat.sol.dk/show.fcgi?category=6&conference=217&posting=1106192 Men hvorfor går JV i den grad "i seng med fjenden"? I første omgang virker det somom målet helliger midlet, dette indlæg ser ret favorabelt ud for JV. Som dokumentation vil jeg benytte en af artiklerne fra JV'enes egen hjemmeside. Denne hjemmeside nævner dog ikke samarbejdet med FN direkte, men det vil jeg dokumentere i et senere indlæg. Artiklen findes her http://www.testigosdejehova.org/e/19980115/article_01.htm
Af artiklen fremgår det, at JV udfører en del humanitært hjælpearbejde i Afrika. Det fremgår også, at hjælpen organiseres fra Europa (især Belgien og Frankrig). Hvem er det JV'erne hjælper, og hvorfor? Nogle citater om indsatsen i Rwanda belyser problematikken, set fra JV'ernes synsvinkel:
"During the genocide in Rwanda, some 400 Witnesses lost their lives. About 2,000 Witnesses and persons interested in the Kingdom message became refugees ...
Although Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide yearned to help their fellow believers facing the calamitous situation in Rwanda, coordination of the relief effort was assigned to Western Europe. In the summer of 1994, a team of Witness volunteers from Europe rushed to help their Christian brothers and sisters in Africa. Well-organized camps and field hospitals were set up for the Rwandan refugees. Huge quantities of clothing, blankets, food, and Bible literature were flown in or shipped to them by other means. More than 7,000 afflicted persons—nearly three times the number of Jehovah's Witnesses in Rwanda at the time—benefited from the relief effort ..."
Hjælpen var altså hovedsageligt stilet til JV'ere, men også til mennesker de lokale JV'ere var i kontakt med. Læg mærke til, at de også modtog "Bible litterature" - der står naturligvis ikke noget om, hvem der modtog hvilken hjælp, men det kan man jo selv overveje. Lidt senere i artiklen skriver JV'erne om følgen af den type hjælp i Afrika:
"The brothers from Europe, however, brought money that enabled us to buy food, which was scarce and very expensive. The food came at an important time, since many had nothing to eat in their homes. We distributed the food both to Witnesses and non-Witnesses. If the help had not come when it did, many more would have died, especially children. Jehovah saved his people. Non-Witnesses were very impressed. Many commented on our unity and love. Some acknowledged that ours is the true religion.
Though food was purchased locally and medicine was administered, more was required. There was a need for clothing and blankets, as well as greater supplies of food and medicine. Assistance was also needed to rebuild homes that had been destroyed."
En del af hjælpen bestod altså i, at sørge for, at JV'erne fik penge til at købe de dyre fødevarer (som andre så ikke kunne købe). Det hjælper jo, at have forbindelser til det pengestærke vesten. Vi har lige set, at JV'erne i mindre omfang også hjalp ikke-JV'ere, som i store tal kvitterede med at tro på JV. Det er mad for religion, vi taler om her! Og i dette tilfælde indrømmer JV altså selv, at de ikke medbragte fødevarer i større stil - de sørgede i stedet for at købe de smuler der var i det lokale marked.
Uagtet dette, var der jo altså en del mennesker der fik hjælp af JV. Hvad måtte de "betale" for hjælpen? Nogle citater fra artiklen belyser dette:
"We received many letters of appreciation. One poor sister gave me a malachite ornament. Others gave us pictures of themselves. As we were leaving, sisters kissed me, hugged me, and wept. I wept too. Many made such comments as, 'Jehovah is good. Jehovah thinks about us.' So they recognized that the credit for this giving belonged to God. When we were distributing food, the brothers and sisters praised Jehovah with Kingdom songs. It was very touching."
"Impressed by the generosity and by what he had read in the Bible literature he had been given, the director of the orphanage said that he was on the way to becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses. And were the children given a football? "No," answered Claude, the coordinator of the relief team from France. "We gave them two footballs."
JV'ernes motiv for at hjælpe skinner altså ret tydeligt igennem. I artiklen præciseres det ovenikøbet, at JV'erne kun ibegrænset omfang er interesserede i, at hjælpe ikke-JV'ere:
"This humanitarian aid was not given exclusively to Jehovah's Witnesses. Others also benefited, just as many did in 1994. This is in harmony with Galatians 6:10, which states: "Really, then, as long as we have time favorable for it, let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith."
Vi ser altså, at JV'erne hjælper deres egne i nød i Afrika. Og i mindre grad også folk der vil modtage deres litteratur. Det genererer interesse for JV'erne blandt de heldige der modtager hjælp (hvem mindes "den rige onkel"?). Men hvordan får JV'erne hjælpen til Afrika? Artiklen nævner noget om nogle fly osv, men hvem der fløj maskinerne fremgår ikke af artiklen. I et senere indlæg vil jeg dokumentere, at der var tale om FN fly. Her har vi altså nøglen til at forstå, hvad det er JV har brug for FN til, nemlig til at hjælpe deres egne i katastrofeområder, samt at hjælpe folk der viser interesse for deres "bibellitteratur".
Først er der dog lige endnu et hængeparti fra den første artikel - nemlig den politiske høring i det Australske Parlament JV'erne deltog i. Det fulde referat er tilgængeligt, så vi ved, hvorfor JV'erne søgte foretræde i parlamentet, og hvad de søgte at opnå derved. Og den historie er så utrolig, at den nok er værd at se nærmere på, så det bliver emnet for det næste indlæg i denne serie...
Af artiklen fremgår det, at JV udfører en del humanitært hjælpearbejde i Afrika. Det fremgår også, at hjælpen organiseres fra Europa (især Belgien og Frankrig). Hvem er det JV'erne hjælper, og hvorfor? Nogle citater om indsatsen i Rwanda belyser problematikken, set fra JV'ernes synsvinkel:
"During the genocide in Rwanda, some 400 Witnesses lost their lives. About 2,000 Witnesses and persons interested in the Kingdom message became refugees ...
Although Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide yearned to help their fellow believers facing the calamitous situation in Rwanda, coordination of the relief effort was assigned to Western Europe. In the summer of 1994, a team of Witness volunteers from Europe rushed to help their Christian brothers and sisters in Africa. Well-organized camps and field hospitals were set up for the Rwandan refugees. Huge quantities of clothing, blankets, food, and Bible literature were flown in or shipped to them by other means. More than 7,000 afflicted persons—nearly three times the number of Jehovah's Witnesses in Rwanda at the time—benefited from the relief effort ..."
Hjælpen var altså hovedsageligt stilet til JV'ere, men også til mennesker de lokale JV'ere var i kontakt med. Læg mærke til, at de også modtog "Bible litterature" - der står naturligvis ikke noget om, hvem der modtog hvilken hjælp, men det kan man jo selv overveje. Lidt senere i artiklen skriver JV'erne om følgen af den type hjælp i Afrika:
"The brothers from Europe, however, brought money that enabled us to buy food, which was scarce and very expensive. The food came at an important time, since many had nothing to eat in their homes. We distributed the food both to Witnesses and non-Witnesses. If the help had not come when it did, many more would have died, especially children. Jehovah saved his people. Non-Witnesses were very impressed. Many commented on our unity and love. Some acknowledged that ours is the true religion.
Though food was purchased locally and medicine was administered, more was required. There was a need for clothing and blankets, as well as greater supplies of food and medicine. Assistance was also needed to rebuild homes that had been destroyed."
En del af hjælpen bestod altså i, at sørge for, at JV'erne fik penge til at købe de dyre fødevarer (som andre så ikke kunne købe). Det hjælper jo, at have forbindelser til det pengestærke vesten. Vi har lige set, at JV'erne i mindre omfang også hjalp ikke-JV'ere, som i store tal kvitterede med at tro på JV. Det er mad for religion, vi taler om her! Og i dette tilfælde indrømmer JV altså selv, at de ikke medbragte fødevarer i større stil - de sørgede i stedet for at købe de smuler der var i det lokale marked.
Uagtet dette, var der jo altså en del mennesker der fik hjælp af JV. Hvad måtte de "betale" for hjælpen? Nogle citater fra artiklen belyser dette:
"We received many letters of appreciation. One poor sister gave me a malachite ornament. Others gave us pictures of themselves. As we were leaving, sisters kissed me, hugged me, and wept. I wept too. Many made such comments as, 'Jehovah is good. Jehovah thinks about us.' So they recognized that the credit for this giving belonged to God. When we were distributing food, the brothers and sisters praised Jehovah with Kingdom songs. It was very touching."
"Impressed by the generosity and by what he had read in the Bible literature he had been given, the director of the orphanage said that he was on the way to becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses. And were the children given a football? "No," answered Claude, the coordinator of the relief team from France. "We gave them two footballs."
JV'ernes motiv for at hjælpe skinner altså ret tydeligt igennem. I artiklen præciseres det ovenikøbet, at JV'erne kun ibegrænset omfang er interesserede i, at hjælpe ikke-JV'ere:
"This humanitarian aid was not given exclusively to Jehovah's Witnesses. Others also benefited, just as many did in 1994. This is in harmony with Galatians 6:10, which states: "Really, then, as long as we have time favorable for it, let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith."
Vi ser altså, at JV'erne hjælper deres egne i nød i Afrika. Og i mindre grad også folk der vil modtage deres litteratur. Det genererer interesse for JV'erne blandt de heldige der modtager hjælp (hvem mindes "den rige onkel"?). Men hvordan får JV'erne hjælpen til Afrika? Artiklen nævner noget om nogle fly osv, men hvem der fløj maskinerne fremgår ikke af artiklen. I et senere indlæg vil jeg dokumentere, at der var tale om FN fly. Her har vi altså nøglen til at forstå, hvad det er JV har brug for FN til, nemlig til at hjælpe deres egne i katastrofeområder, samt at hjælpe folk der viser interesse for deres "bibellitteratur".
Først er der dog lige endnu et hængeparti fra den første artikel - nemlig den politiske høring i det Australske Parlament JV'erne deltog i. Det fulde referat er tilgængeligt, så vi ved, hvorfor JV'erne søgte foretræde i parlamentet, og hvad de søgte at opnå derved. Og den historie er så utrolig, at den nok er værd at se nærmere på, så det bliver emnet for det næste indlæg i denne serie...