Comments from the Friends - ONLINE EDITION

<body> <H1>Comments from the Friends</H1><BR> <FONT SIZE=-1 COLOR="#F90000">NEWS ITEM:</FONT> <FONT SIZE=-1>In a legal settlement the Jehovah's Witness organization has agreed to give JWs <B>&QUOT;free choice</B> in the matter&QUOT; of <B>blood transfusions</B> &QUOT;for themselves and their children, <B>without any control or sanction</B> on the part of the association.&QUOT;<BR> See <A HREF="http://194.250.50.201/eng/E276INFO.148.html">http://194.250.50.201/eng/E276INFO.148.html</A> under &QUOT;II. Reports adopted&QUOT; - at the website of the European Commission of Human Rights.<BR> This means the organization has <B>agreed to stop</B> its longtime policy: &QUOT;the receiver of a blood transfusion must be cut off from God's people by <B>excommunication or disfellowshiping</B>.&QUOT; (<I>The Watchtower</I> January 15, 1961, page 64)<BR> But now the JW leadership are trying to hide the facts from members and the public.<BR> DETAILS in 8-page report in July-Sept. issue of Comments from the Friends <A HREF="http://www.abaweb.com/abaweb/Comments/ComBks5PERIODICALS.html#LinkFromOutside">printed edition</A> and <A HREF="1998JulSepp01.html">online edition below</A>.</FONT> <HR> <FONT SIZE=-1 COLOR="#F90000">NEWS ITEM:</FONT> <FONT SIZE=-1>France is demanding $50 million back taxes from the JW organization, according to a June 30, 1998 Watch Tower Society press release. &QUOT;If our religion is targeted unfairly and illegally for exorbitant taxes, then it has a right to protest," said Governing Body member Lyman A. Swingle, according to the press release. It announced that Witnesses from more than 15 countries were to meet outside the Esplanade of Human Rights at 3 p.m. on July 1 for such a protest. For background info see articles on French JWs in the July-Sept. issue of Comments from the Friends <A HREF="http://www.abaweb.com/abaweb/Comments/ComBks5PERIODICALS.html#LinkFromOutside">printed edition</A> and <A HREF="1998JulSepp01.html">online edition below</A>.</FONT> <HR> <FONT SIZE=2><B><A HREF="main.html">Home</A><BR> <A HREF="subscribe.html">Subscribe</A><BR> <A HREF="Feedback.html">Feedback</A><BR> <A HREF="http://www.abaweb.com/abaweb/Comments/welcome.html" >Bookstore</A> </B></FONT> <HR> <HR> <FONT FACE="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif" SIZE=2> <A HREF="1998JulSepp01.html"><FONT COLOR="#00FF00"><B>1998 July-Sep.</B></FONT></A><BR> <A HREF="1998JulSepp01.html">-&QUOT;Free choice&QUOT; on blood</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JulSepp02-05.html">-Euro. Human Rights</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JulSepp05-08.html">-WT hides agreement</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JulSepp09.html">-&QUOT;Free at last&QUOT;</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JulSepp10-11.html">-Bible Ans. Machine</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JulSepp12.html">-French JWs vote</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JulSepp13.html">-JWs, France, Germany</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JulSepp14.html">-Letters</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JulSepp15.html">-Documents CD-ROM</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JulSepp16.html">-Relationship with...</A> </FONT> <HR> <FONT FACE="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif" SIZE=2> <A HREF="1998AprJunp01.html"><FONT COLOR="#00FF00"><B>1998 Apr.-June</B></FONT></A><BR> <A HREF="1998AprJunp01.html">-The WT & Jos. Stalin</A><BR> <A HREF="1998AprJunp02-03.html">- both alter artwork</A><BR> <A HREF="1998AprJunp04-05.html">-Like &QUOT;Big Brother&QUOT;</A><BR> <A HREF="1998AprJunp06-07.html">-WT cover changed</A><BR> <A HREF="1998AprJunp08.html">-Russian Bible</A><BR> <A HREF="1998AprJunp09.html">-German JWs vote</A><BR> <A HREF="1998AprJunp10.html">-Our websites</A><BR> <A HREF="1998AprJunp11.html">-WT bans websites</A><BR> <A HREF="1998AprJunp12.html">-7th-Day Adventists</A><BR> <A HREF="1998AprJunp13.html">-2 New books</A><BR> <A HREF="1998AprJunp14-16.html">-WT paperbacks</A> </FONT> <HR> <FONT FACE="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif" SIZE=2> <A HREF="1998JanMarp01.html"><FONT COLOR="#00FF00"><B>1998 Jan.-March</B></FONT></A><BR> <A HREF="1998JanMarp01.html">-Don't leave Jehovah</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JanMarp02-04.html">- for an organization</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JanMarp05-06.html">-Churches Worse?</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JanMarp07-09.html">-How to Pray</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JanMarp10-11.html">-&QUOT;JEHOVAH-TALK&QUOT;</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JanMarp12-13.html">-Dissent at WT HQ</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JanMarp14-15.html">-Cross in WT Bklt.</A><BR> <A HREF="1998JanMarp16.html">-Secret from JWs</A><BR> </FONT> <HR> <FONT FACE="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif" SIZE=2> <A HREF="1997FALLp01.html"><FONT COLOR="#FFFF00"><B>1997 Fall</B></FONT></A><BR> <A HREF="1997FALLp01.html">-JW Reformers</A><BR> <A HREF="1997FALLp09.html">-Blood Fractions</A><BR> <A HREF="1997FALLp10.html">-WT Victims Memorial</A><BR> <A HREF="1997FALLp11.html">-Matt. 5:5 Reversed</A><BR> <A HREF="1997FALLp12-13.html">-Letters & Briefs</A><BR> <A HREF="1997FALLp14.html">-Awake re Internet</A><BR> <A HREF="1997FALLp15.html">-JW Website Dies</A><BR> <A HREF="1997FALLp16.html">-Claimed to Be God?</A> </FONT> <HR> <FONT FACE="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif" SIZE=2> <A HREF="1997SUMMERp01.html"><FONT COLOR="#FFFF00"><B>1997 Summer</B></FONT></A><BR> <A HREF="1997SUMMERp01.html">-Harmfully Deceptive</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SUMMERp02-03.html">-Evidence</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SUMMERp04.html">-Eph. 4:14 Flip-flops</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SUMMERp06.html">-Falsehoods in Print</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SUMMERp08.html">-Blood Enforcement</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SUMMERp09.html">-Mad Cow Disease?</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SUMMERp10.html">-Falsified Blood Risk</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SUMMERp12.html">-Witness to Mormons</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SUMMERp13.html">-Letters & Briefs</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SUMMERp15-16.html">-JWs, Heaven's Gate</A> </FONT> <HR> <FONT FACE="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif" SIZE=2> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp01.html"><FONT COLOR="#FFFF00"><B>1997 Spring</B></FONT></A><BR> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp01.html">-Pushing Jesus Aside</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp02.html">-Put Faith in an Org.?</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp03-06.html">-&QUOT;Come to me.&QUOT;-Jesus</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp06bot.html">-&QUOT;NO org. to join&QUOT;-WT</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp07.html">-Is It Idolatry?</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp08.html">-If a JW Takes Blood</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp09.html">-Support Groups List</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp10.html">-Official JW Website</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp11.html">-New: Online Edition</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp12.html">-WEB TIPS Booklet</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp13.html">-Web Design Service</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp14-15.html">-Letters & Briefs</A><BR> <A HREF="1997SPRINGp16.html">-YOU? Or a Copy?</A> </FONT> <HR> <FONT FACE="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif" SIZE=2> <A HREF="Winter1997p01.html"><FONT COLOR="#FFFF00"><B>1997 Winter</B></FONT></A><BR> <A HREF="Winter1997p01.html">-Cookie Cutter Xians</A><BR> <A HREF="Winter1997p02-03.html">-Blind Org. Loyalty</A><BR> <A HREF="Winter1997p04-05.html">-The New Covenant</A><BR> <A HREF="Winter1997p06.html">-Theology/Know God</A><BR> <A HREF="Winter1997p07.html">-Churches Scare JWs</A><BR> <A HREF="Winter1997p08.html">-New Books, Tapes</A><BR> <A HREF="Winter1997p09-11.html">-Letters & Briefs</A><BR> <A HREF="Winter1997p12-13.html">-Puzzling New Truths</A><BR> <A HREF="Winter1997p14-15.html">-Hi-Tech Ministry</A><BR> <A HREF="Winter1997p16.html">-Website Impact</A> </FONT><BR> </body>