PLEASE, JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE AND THEIR ADVOCATES IN THE UNITED STATES, SEND TO COLUMBUS, OHIO YOUR WRITTEN TESTIMONY.
TODAY, Nov. 21, SEND TESTIMONY TO: Barbara Dorris, [email protected]
I have done this. (See copy of my testimony at end of this post.)
On November 18, I posted on JWD the following information about a meeting of Ohio's legislators to hear child abuse victims' testimony on Tuesday, Nov. 22. SNAP was inviting all those interested in support of Senate Bill 17, and those who wanted to give testimony, to come to the hearing.
"Dear SNAP Members, Friends & Supporters:
This letter is about events in Ohio that have implications for all 50 states. As most of you know there is a bill pending in the Ohio House of Representatives that would change Ohio’s laws and the climate for victims across the US. Now, more than ever, we need you to help.
DETAILS:
Tuesday, November 22, 9:30 a.m. Hearing in Judiciary Committee, Ohio House of RepresentativesRoom 114 (Hayes Room) in Ohio State Capitol(We don’t know how long the meeting will last – please plan to stay all day!) If you must leave early and want to testify please tell Claudia or Christy what time you must leave. They will ensure that you get to speak before you must leave!)"
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Yesterday, Sunday, I received this e-mail from SNAP: "This is our last minute, one extra effort to ask you if you can come to Columbus on Tue, or if you know anyone who can come to Columbus on Tue. We are grateful to those of you who have already said you will be there. We are hoping more of you will be able to come.
IF YOU CAN'T COME, PLEASE SUBMIT WRITTEN TESTIMONY THAT WE CAN PRESENT ON YOUR BEHALF."
I had been told recently by a child abuse victim's advocate representative that legislators need to hear from child abuse victim's and their advocates who belong to religions other than Catholic. With this in mind, I sent the following testimony to SNAP'S Representative,Barbara Dorris, [email protected], and hoped it might be read Tuesday at the hearing in Columbus, Ohio. I received this reply last night:
"Thank you. I will make 30 copies of your letter and have it ready for Tuesday."
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"Please pass SB 17 as it is so that no kids will be hurt in Ohio such as those who are victims of Jehovah's Witnesses' molesters. Protecting kids should come first. It seems that the opposition is more interested in the image of churches than in keeping kids safe.
At the end of 1991, while I was part of the Writing staff at the world headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in Brooklyn, NY, I became aware of a cover-up of sexual child abuse in my religion. The scandal involved confessed or accused pedophiles (men) holding positions of authority within the Witness congregations throughout the world. Until 1996, I assisted some senior staff writers to see what could be done to change the policies that allowed a virtual "pedophile paradise" to exist.
In 1992, I put together a packet of evidence that was given to the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses to make them aware of just how serious the problem was. However, it took almost five years before they addressed the situation. In January of 1997, a statement appeared in the Watchtower magazine that “A man known to have been a child molester does not qualify for a responsible position in the congregation.” This organizational rule seemed to settle the issue; nevertheless, it was nocuous because within a confidential letter dated, March 14, 1997, Witness leaders explained to elders this: “An individual ‘known’ to be a former child molester has reference to the perception of that one in the community and in the Christian congregation.” In other words, if the community and congregation did not ‘know’ about the molester, then he remained in his position. If this seems unbelievable there were even more odious regulations. In place was a rule that there had to be two witnesses to molestation before the victim would be believed. Further, Witnesses were told that they were under scriptural obligation to go first to the elders about an accusation of molestation. Most often, to protect the organization’s image, an accuser was discouraged from going to the authorities.
I was interviewed on Dateline, May 28, 2002, along with three other whistleblowers about this situation, and we were all excommunicated by Jehovah's Witnesses' organization for “causing divisions.” To this day, we continue to be shunned by our Witness family and friends for going public. including my son. Consequently, I haven't seem my six year old grandson since 2002.
All the negative publicity the Witnesses have received since Dateline aired has caused Witness leaders to make sure the elders are aware of their liability if they discourage members from going to the authorities about molestation. However, elders are not permitted to encourage victims or caregivers to go to the police. Witnesses still have a long way to go before they truly protect children.
And since they won’t change their policies, the only way children will be protected is if legislative action in Ohio and in every state will force the Witnesses’ organization to mandate that all accusations of molestation bypass the elders and go directly to the authorities. When that happens, it will mean the organization’s two-witness policy (victims must produce a witness to the crime in order for validation), which elders use to judge criminal culpability, will be a thing of the past. The next thing to go must be the requirement that molesters (unbeknown to the public) must engage in the door to door ministry to prove their repentance.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are justifiably proud that they have probably done more to guarantee free speech than any other religion. They have won 47 U.S. Supreme Court cases assuring members freedom of speech and assembly and equal protection under the law. The sad irony is that this group abuses the human rights of over six million of its members by denying them the right of free speech by forbidding them to speak to former members who might complain about Witness doctrines, such as their sexual child assault polices.
New legislation has to be put in place in every state that will force religions to stop avoiding the law which therefore harms others. It is time religions are made accountable to the law for misusing their power through their policies which endangers children.
Thank you,
Barbara Anderson
Attn: Please write to OHIO Legislators TODAY
by AndersonsInfo 6 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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AndersonsInfo
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ICBehindtheCurtain
Thank you for doing so much to help change this tragic policy, I remember in my case, when my MS stepfather physically abused me, my mom was brainwashed into keeping it quite lest Jehovah's name be tainted, keep it quiet, and it will go away, but you know it never does.
When the Dateline show aired, I remember the brothers here talking about it and saying the WTS had a warning about watching this since there were going to be apostates on it. I didn't care, we watched it, and recorded it, and this really opened my eyes about the WTS, I could not believe that they could stand by and allow children to be harmed like this, that planted real doubts in my mind, then I went to the Silent Lambs website and could not believe the stories, so many of them, I told my totally brainwashed freind about it and the first thing she said was - "aren't thos people that are talking apostates? you know you can't believe anything they say" well, I told her no their not, before this show aired they were active witnesses, but the WTS made sure to DF them before the show aired to discredit them like you are doing! She was quiet for a moment, but then went back to her brainwashed state and said "well, the WTS knows what they are doing, we should leave it in Jehovah's hands", UGHHHH, sad, really sad.
Anyway, much continued success with this Barbara, thank you so much for what you are doing, I pray the Creator blesses you greatly for all your efforts.
IC
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Will Power
thank you for your continued hard work regarding this extremely important issue.
Would a letter from a Canadian be recognized or accepted? (or any other state or country)
I am not a victim of molestation, but would the Ohio court recognize the importance of their decision and how it could impact the rest of the country - or even NorthAmerica and beyond, since this is an international corporation and their policies affect children all over the world?
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AndersonsInfo
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AndersonsInfo
If you live in Canada and want to send an e-mail to Ohio legislators in support of new child abuse legislation that will influence legislative changes in the rest of the United States, please do so. It could cause the Ohio representatives to reflect that our U.S. neighbors are seriously concerned about this issue too.
Barbara -
AndersonsInfo
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lazyslob
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