Witnesses may be compelled to testify subject to the privilege against self-incrimination.

* June 25 – Wilmersdorfer Tennishallen delegates convene in Berlin to protest against the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany.

A rash of mob violence and intimidation against Jehovah's Witnesses followed the ruling.

Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that the Bible prohibits the consumption, storage and transfusion of blood, based on their understanding of scriptures such as Leviticus 17: 10, 11: " I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood ," and Acts 15: 29: " abstain from ...

Watch Tower Society publications teach that Witnesses are engaged in a " spiritual, theocratic warfare " against false teachings and wicked spirit forces they say try to impede them in their preaching work.

The Barnettes brought suit in the United States District Court for themselves and others similarly situated asking its injunction to restrain enforcement of these laws and regulations against Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Barnette decision overturned an earlier case, Minersville School District vs. Gobitis ( 1940 ), in which the court had held that Witnesses could be forced against their will to pay homage to the flag.

This echoes the perspective of a contemporary critic of the trials, Robert Calef, who claimed, " Giles Corey pleaded not Guilty to his Indictment, but would not put himself upon Tryal by the Jury ( they having cleared none upon Tryal ) and knowing there would be the same Witnesses against him, rather chose to undergo what Death they would put him to.

" The pamphlets charged that the Québec government, the police, the judges and the Roman Catholic Church had conspired together against Jehovah's Witnesses.

In 1938 he urged adherents to delay marriage and child-bearing until after Armageddon, which Wills claims prompted a strong community bias among Witnesses against marriage.

Murphy's support of African-Americans, aliens, criminals, dissenters, Jehovah's Witnesses, Native Americans, women, workers, and other outsiders evoked a pun: “ tempering justice with Murphy .” As he wrote in Falbo v. United States ( 1944 ), “ The law knows no finer hour than when it cuts through formal concepts and transitory emotions to protect unpopular citizens against discrimination and persecution .” ( p. 561 )

While it was applied frequently against a range of radical leftist groups, allegations that Duplessis used it against political opponents, including the left-wing United Jewish Peoples ' Order in 1950, reports that it was used against the Jehovah's Witnesses are incorrect.

Witnesses say they heard two loud explosions and saw the vehicle, already in flames, crash against the front of a nearby building.

Many communities directed laws against the Witnesses and their preaching work.

In 1939, the Supreme Court decided Schneider v. Town of Irvington, in which it struck down anti-littering laws that were enforced only against Jehovah's Witnesses who were handing out pamphlets.

Witnesses may be paid more, but the additional cost cannot be claimed against the losing party-only the tariff amount can be recovered.

On October 5, 2004, the Court of Cassation — the highest court in France for cases outside of administrative law — rejected the Witnesses ' recourse against taxation at 60 % of the value of some of their contributions, which the fiscal services assimilated to a legal category of donations close to that of inheritance and subject to the same taxes between non-parents.

Category: Witnesses against the Chicago Outfit

A nearby parking garage had discounted its services to those attending weekend services at this Assembly Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, until in 2009 the Freedom From Religion Foundation alleged a civil rights violation ( discriminating against non-Witnesses paying the full price ) and pursued their complaint.

Political and religious animosity against Jehovah's Witnesses has at times led to mob action and government oppression in various countries, including Cuba, the United States, Canada, Singapore and Nazi Germany.

Justice Frankfurter, speaking in behalf of the 8-to-1 majority view against the Witnesses, stated that the interests of " inculcating patriotism was of sufficient importance to justify a relatively minor infringement on religious belief.

As reports of these attacks against Jehovah's Witnesses continued, " several justices changed their minds, and in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette ( 1943 ), the Court declared that the state could not impinge on the First Amendment by compelling the observance of rituals.

Witnesses reported that Wyatt drew his revolver from his coat pocket and pistol whipped Tom McLaury with it twice, leaving him prostrate and bleeding on the street.

In that case, one of Jehovah's Witnesses had reportedly told a New Hampshire town marshal who was attempting to prevent him from preaching " You are a damned racketeer " and " a damned fascist " and was arrested.

They insist that their conception of the Godhead is true to early Christianity's strict monotheism, contrasting their views not only with Trinitarianism, but equally with the Arianism espoused by the Latter-day Saints ( who believe that Christ was a separate " god " from the Father and the Spirit ) and Jehovah's Witnesses ( who see him as a lesser deity than his Father ).

Witnesses said they were all afraid to intervene because Aguiar " might have something in his pocket ", although some people looked for rocks or boards hoping to find something to subdue him.

Baptized Witnesses are expected to seek counsel and correction from congregation elders for even a single commission of a " serious sin "; the sinner may be formally reproved or disfellowshipped if a judicial committee considers him unrepentant.

The Witnesses, though they do give relative " worship " or " obeisance " ( Greek: proskyneo ) to Jesus as God's Son and Messiah, and pray through Him as Mediator, do not give him the same degree of worship or service as they give to God the Father.

The Númenóreans called them " the Witnesses of Manwë " and believed that these eagles had been " sent by him from Aman to keep watch upon the Holy Mountain and upon all the land ".

Witnesses reported that she then stood in the aisle screaming and swearing at him until he managed to calm her down by grabbing hold of her wrist and yanking her back into her seat.

Witnesses included Yahyayev, the person in the town administration, who according to Budanov had given him the picture representing Chechen snipers.

Witnesses to the execution reported the dying words that gained him immortality ( a paraphrase of a line from Joseph Addison's play Cato ): " I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.

Yet despite the estrangement of the Whitmer family, there is little evidence that any of the Eight Witnesses denied his testimony to the authenticity of Book of Mormon or the golden plates — although one third-hand source, the former Mormon leader Stephen Burnett, said in 1838 that Martin Harris had told him that " the eight witnesses never saw plates & hesitated to sign that instrument for that reason, but were persuaded to do it.

Witnesses said the judge never knew Nichols was behind him.

Witnesses testified during the trial that she was his guard and had become friendly with him.

Witnesses testified in court that Dula had made the incriminating statement that he was going to " do in " whoever gave him " the Pock " ( syphilis ).

Witnesses confirmed that Patterson was not in Blyth ’ s tent when the shooting took place, and that it was in fact Blyth ’ s wife who was with him at the time, as she was reported as running ( screaming ) from the tent immediately following the shooting.

In 2006, one out of 221 people were Jehovah's Witnesses.

Witnesses who were not called to the Widgery Tribunal stated that Wray was calling out that he could not move his legs before he was shot the second time.

" Witnesses of her life and death, editors, and readers helped to finish her writings and several editions were published posthumously.

Members of certain religious groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, were persecuted and kicked around the country at one time.

Members of labor organizations and those perceived to be affiliated with groups ( religious, political, social and otherwise ) that opposed the regime, or were seen to have views contradictory to the goals of the Nazi government, were rounded up in large numbers ; these included clergy of all faiths, Jehovah's Witnesses, Freemasons, Communists, and Rotary Club members.

Witnesses attest that " flame queens ", hustlers, and gay " street kids "— the most outcast people in the gay community — were responsible for the first volley of projectiles, as well as the uprooting of a parking meter used as a battering ram on the doors of the Stonewall Inn.

Witnesses who were identified as victims of gross human rights violations were invited to give statements about their experiences, and some were selected for public hearings.

Witnesses stated that as it collapsed, there was a loud rumbling sound, like a machine gun as the rivets shot out of the tank, and that the ground shook as if a train were passing by.

While many of these moments were baseball-related — including World Series games, no-hitters, perfect games, and historic home runs — the stadium also hosted boxing matches, concerts, Conventions of Jehovah's Witnesses ( see record attendance ), and three Papal Masses.

Prominent legal challenges in the 1950s were brought by the Jehovah's Witnesses, a group whose beliefs preclude swearing loyalty to any power other than God, and who objected to policies in public schools requiring students to swear an oath to the flag.

Prominent Bible Students A. H. Macmillan and J. F. Rutherford were both appointed pilgrims before they joined the board of directors of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania ; the IBSA later adopted the name Jehovah's Witnesses and renamed pilgrims as traveling overseers.

Beginning in 1914, The Photo-Drama of Creation, promoting Jehovah's Witnesses ' conception of mankind's genesis, was screened around the United States: eight hours worth of projected visuals involving both slides and live action were synchronized with separately recorded lectures and musical performances played back on phonograph.

Witnesses to the event claim that the bodies were first removed in ambulances and later military officials came and piled up bodies, not knowing if they were dead or alive, into the military trucks, while some say that the bodies were piled up on garbage trucks and sent to unknown destinations.

The Watchtower has stated that the use of wedding rings by Witnesses is acceptable, even though wedding rings may have first been used by pagans, based on its conclusion that there is no definite evidence wedding rings were used " as part of false religious practices " ( emphasis from original ).

Medicine and clothing were provided to both Hutu and Tutsi Witnesses during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.

In the 1920s, a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, a Finnish Lutheran Church, and a Jewish synagogue were started, all three of which no longer exist.

This case dealt with a family whose children would not salute the flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance because of their religious beliefs ( they were Jehovah's Witnesses ).

Several members of the Jehovah's Witnesses challenged the constitutionality of the law but were defeated in Douglas v. City of Jeannette

Children of Jehovah's Witnesses had been expelled from school and were threatened with exclusion for no other cause.

Tensions were already high before this case arose and many viewed this as one way to get back at the troublesome Witnesses.