Critiche ai Testimoni di Geova: differenze tra le versioni

The Society has described its intolerance of dissident and divergent doctrinal views within its ranks as "strict", but claims its stance is based on the scriptural precedent of 2 Timothy 2:17,18 in which the Apostle Paul condemns [[Christian heresy|heretics]] [[Hymenaeus (Ephesian)|Hymenaeus]] and [[Philetus (Ephesian)|Philetus]] who denied the [[resurrection of Jesus]]. It said: "Following such Scriptural patterns, if a Christian (who claims belief in God, the Bible, and Jesus) unrepentantly promotes false teachings, it may be necessary for him to be expelled from the congregation ... Hence, the true Christian congregation cannot rightly be accused of being harshly dogmatic."<ref>"Questions from readers", ''Watchtower'', April 1, 1986.</ref> Sociologist [[Rodney Stark]] says that Jehovah's Witness leaders are "not always very democratic" and members are expected to conform to "rather strict standards," but says enforcement tends to be informal, sustained by close bonds of friendship and that Jehovah's Witnesses see themselves as "part of the power structure rather than subject to it".<ref name="Stark">{{Cita pubblicazione|titolo=[[Journal of Contemporary Religion]]|capitolo=Why the Jehovah's Witnesses Grow So Rapidly: A Theoretical Application|url=http://www.theocraticlibrary.com/downloads/Why_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_Grow_So_Rapidly.pdf|anno=1997|pp=142–143|formato=PDF|accesso=30 dicembre 2008|autore=Stark and Iannoccone|cid=harv|postscript=.}}</ref> In a case involving Jehovah's Witnesses' activities in Russia, the [[European Court of Human Rights]] stated that the religion's requirements "are not fundamentally different from similar limitations that other religions impose on their followers' private lives" and that charges of "mind control" in that case were "based on conjecture and uncorroborated by fact."<ref>[http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?action=html&documentId=869647&portal=hbkm&source=externalbydocnumber&table=F69A27FD8FB86142BF01C1166DEA398649 ECHR Point 130, 118]</ref> Despite the intolerance of dissident views within the organisation, the Watch Tower Society and its affiliates have, through litigation, been instrumental in establishing civil liberties in many countries, including Canada and the United States.<ref>Gary Botting, ''Fundamental Freedoms and Jehovah's Witnesses,'' (Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 1993.</ref>

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=== Affiliazione dei testimoni di Geova all'ONU ===