December 4, 2001
For immediate release:

A national human rights organization is taking Jehovah's Witnesses to
task for claiming to support human rights while denying them to members.
Approaches to Education, Inc., a Arizona based human rights group, went
public this week about its concerns that the Jehovah's Witness religion
claims to support the UN Declaration of Human Rights while at the same
time that it denies those rights to its members
"While Jehovah's Witnesses claim to be crusaders for freedom of religion
and human rights, and in favor of religious tolerance, this is not what
they practice within the group," states John B. Brown, the executive
director of Approaches to Education, Inc, "Individual members of the
Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed to question their religious beliefs,
because this questioning may elicit a punitive response by the religion's
leaders. If the member decides to just resign his or her membership with
Jehovah's Witnesses, the response is also punitive. The only other way to
leave is quietly; hoping to be simply considered an 'inactive' Jehovah's
Witnesses."
These affronts to basic human rights need to be addressed
Call Approaches To Education, Inc. at (520) 661-8417 to obtain a copy of
our report.