The state administrator in Oslo and Viken withdraws Jehovah’s Witnesses’ registration as a religious community

The state administrator in Oslo and Viken withdraws Jehovah’s Witnesses’ registration as a religious community
The state administrator in Oslo and Viken withdraws Jehovah’s Witnesses’ registration as a religious community
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The state administrator in Oslo and Viken has decided to withdraw Jehovah’s Witnesses’ registration as a religious community under the Religious Communities Act.

Jehovah’s Witnesses run a meeting house called “Kingdom Hall”. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB

22 Dec. 2022 17:46

Last updated 9 minutes ago

– In our opinion, the religious community violates the members’ right to free expression. We believe this violates the members’ right to freedom of religion. We also believe that they violate children’s rights by allowing the exclusion of baptized minors, and by encouraging members to socially isolate children who do not follow the religious community’s rules, writes the State Administrator in Oslo and Viken in a press release.

Sent notice in October

The State Administrator sent a notice to Jehovah’s Witnesses about the possible loss of registration on 25 October this year.

– In the notice, we asked for feedback on whether they wanted to rectify the conditions that led to the refusal of state subsidies. The community has not wanted to rectify the conditions that led to the denial of state grants in 2021, and they express that they still disagree with the decision on the denial of grants, states the State Administrator.

Loss of registration means that Jehovah’s Witnesses no longer have the right to submit claims for government subsidies. It also means that society loses the authority to marry.

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– They are still free to practice their religion and their activities regardless of whether they have a public registration or not, as the Religious Communities Act is essentially a subsidy act, the press release further states.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are suing the state

Jehovah’s Witnesses informed Vårt Land earlier on Thursday that they are suing the state after they were denied state subsidies for 2021. The subpoena against the state, specifically the Ministry of Children and Families, was sent to the Oslo district court on December 21, Jehovah’s Witnesses confirm in an email to the newspaper.

– If the decision is left untested, the decision to deny Jehovah’s Witnesses state support, and possibly withdraw the registration as a religious community, will cause Norway to go in the opposite direction of international law, Jehovah’s Witnesses write in an e-mail to NTB.

The religious community further writes that a withdrawal of the registration would be a danger signal of a step backwards for religious freedom and human rights in Norway.

– Jehovah’s Witnesses have been part of Norwegian society for 130 years and have had the right to receive state support for more than 30 years, they state.

The subsidy for Jehovah’s Witnesses’ 12,686 members last year amounted to approximately NOK 16 million.

The article is in Norwegian

Norway

Tags: state administrator Oslo Viken withdraws Jehovahs Witnesses registration religious community

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