Inside the packed stadium, the audience listens to a talk on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The international convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses is being held under the theme “Eternal Happiness.”
Lisa Sciuto from California is one of 7,000 international visitors who have travelled to Stockholm.
Being able to come from the USA and share common interests with my Swedish brothers and sisters has been very nice, she says.
“There are elements of coercion”
But the convention does not come without opposition. A short distance from the arena stands a crowd of protesters. All of them were raised as Jehovah's Witnesses but chose to leave, which has led to them losing contact with their families.
"We are not protesting against Jehovah's Witnesses, they are people and we are human rights activists. It is the leadership, the Watchtower, that violates human rights," says Jonas Skogstroll, who is leading the protest.
They hold up a banner with the message that “there is support if you want to leave”, aimed primarily at children and young people. They believe that the organization is characterized by exclusion, so-called “shunning”.
It's not freedom of religion if you're told every day as a child that your parents will stop talking to you if you leave. There's a big element of coercion there, says Skogstroll.
For them, it is important that the demonstration takes place in a peaceful spirit. Otherwise, they risk creating fear and being described as “demons.”
Everything is voluntary.
Raymond Beaini, spokesman for the gathering, says he has barely noticed the protests.
"We are a group that respects dissent and freedom of expression. We are happy that 30,000 people come here voluntarily. Young and old," he says.
How do you see the protesters encouraging young people to leave?
"We have an incredibly conscious group that comes here completely voluntarily and they have chosen that course in their lives. For our part, we focus on the positive," says Raymond Beaini.
Christian movement that emerged in the 1870s in the United States. Today has about 9.2 million followers worldwide. Rejects the Trinity and also rejects Christian holidays and birthdays.
Has faced criticism for its culture of ostracism when people leave, and has been repeatedly accused of being a cult because it rejects all cooperation with other religious groups.
Source: NE
