The Smoking Gun!

Kent

ALL BODIES OF ELDERS IN BRITAIN - December 1, 2000

Maximus quoted this letter in another thread, and of course the letter is real. But it IS a smoking gun, and I have now posted the scan of that part Maximus quoted as evidence to the validity of the posting :)

I have asked people to send me scans of all kinds of mails and stuff we can use, and this time the supplier askeds me to add this:

"I'm very happy to share this with Maximus, who I know is a person of honor dedicated to truth."

In which I fully agree. The ones that do want the letter on their own websites, just klick the mail, and a new wondow pops up. Right-klick the window, and save the image as letterg.jpg

The jpg is important - because it's a jpg file (as is 99% of all files on the Observer)

The scan can be found here:

< http://watchtower.observer.org/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?NoCache=1&Dato=20010831&Kategori=SECRETBOOKS&Lopenr=10831011&Ref=AR

Yakki Da

Kent

Daily News On The Watchtower and the Jehovah's Witnesses:
http://watchtower.observer.org

(corrected the url)

Seeker

This deserves to be highlighted. Herewith are excerpts from that letter, with boldface added by me for empahsis. Note how different this is from what the Society has told the elders in the U.S.:

"As members of the community in which Caesar still acts as God’s minister and hence still has a certain authority, all in the Christian congregation will want to consider their personal and moral responsibility to alert the appropriate authorities in cases where a serious criminal offence of this type has been committed or there exists a risk that one may be committed. (See ks91, page 138.) It is natural that the Christian congregation finds such situations to be distressing. There is clearly a need to consider the principles of ‘paying back Caesar’s things to Caesar’ (Matthew 22:21) and those concerning the spiritual cleanness of the congregation, such as, 1 Corinthians 5: 11-13.
When an elder receives an allegation that a child has been abused the first essential is to listen. He should not interrupt until the complainant has finished but he may ask gentle, non-leading questions such as: "Is that everything?", or "Is there anything else you would like to tell me?" Do not ask probing or intimate questions. This is very important and has legal implications. However surprising the allegations, the elder should not indicate disbelief in any way. Nor should he express any criticism of the complainant. Elders are spiritual shepherds but are generally not qualified to evaluate the genuineness or the seriousness of an allegation of child abuse.
The elder may express deep and sincere concern and offer Bible-based counsel in harmony with what has been published by the Society. His counsel should always include advising the complainant that the congregation cannot take over the God-given responsibility of the ‘superior authorities’ in dealing with crime. Accordingly, the complainant should consider his or her responsibility to report the matter to the authorities without delay. (Compare Romans 13:4, James 4:17) Such authorities might include the family doctor, the head teacher of the child’s school, the social services, the NSPCC, or the police. The elder should explain to the complainant that he himself might have a duty to report the matter to the proper authorities.
If the complainant is a child the elder might offer to accompany him or her to discuss the situation with a parent (but not the alleged abuser) or to one of the above authorities. A child should not be placed under pressure to take such action, and an elder should not be alone with a child who complains of abuse. At an initial disclosure elders should avoid making promises, but they may indicate that they will need to give the matter very serious and urgent consideration. In any event they should treat the matter as a priority so that the complainant does not get the impression that nothing is being done.
As soon as possible thereafter contact the Society’s Legal Department. The presiding overseer should also be informed, but do not arrange to speak with any other person. The elders should not lose sight of the fact that victims urgently need to be protected from further abuse and abusers need to be prevented from finding additional victims."

Such hypocrisy! They tell the elders in the UK that they are not qualified to handle such child abuse matters, that they have an obligation to go to worldly authorities before reporting to the Legal Department. Meanwhile, the U.S. (and other places) still has the same outdated rules that allow children to be repeatedly abused by abusers who are never reported.

Maximus

Took the words right out of me mouth, Seeker.

Would you also bold WHO comprise the authority?

Concern for the child is clearly expressed, not just the reporting to police.

: Such authorities might include the family doctor, the head teacher of the child’s school, the social services, the NSPCC, or the police

I would appreciate any comments you might make on this point, as well.

From the other thread being developed:

How can the Governing Body countenance two policies? Elders in the United States have relied on the Service Department as they would on God himself. After all, the Governing Body resides here.

If the true Governing Body policy is the US policy, isn't the entire British Branch apostate?

What do you think? Who is apostate from Christian teaching here?

Maximus

Seeker

I have adjusted the bolding accordingly to show just who the Society is including as the "authorities" who should be notified.

It is remarkable to me to see two entirely different policies toward the handling of child abuse. I mean, I know that the Society has different policies on many things, such as the donation arrangment. And I know they do this to benefit themselves at every point, depending on local laws. But to think they are actually telling the U.S. elders NOT to give children the same protection that British elders are TOLD to give is astounding.

For the first time, I feel like borrowing someone else's handle and sign off by saying...

Simply Amazing.

UK Rector

This thunderous blast will be heard around the world.

I cannot wait for the repercussions to come.

UK Rector

bluesapphire

I am still trying to figure this out. Is this especially incriminating because the British Branch has gone AGAINST what the WTS really wanted in the way of procedures? To me, it seems to show that the US elders were FOLLOWING ORDERS, which would make the WTS liable and would be penalized legally. Am I getting it or am I way off?

Sam Beli

Sapphire,

You are close. The UK policy shows that the WTS knows that elders are unqualified to handle such cases. It also recognizes that Caesar is the proper authority in these matters. They are doing it reasonably in the UK, but very unreasonably in the USA.

Lawyers for the plaintiff should have little trouble establishing that the WTS in not ignorant of the proper method of handling such issues; they just didn’t do it in the USA.

Sam Beli

I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted. Solomon

Eusebius Hieronymus

I've tried to think of any possible way they could say that more stringent requirements in Great Britain dictated this policy.

Romans 13 and subjection to the superior authorities is a TEACHING--everyone knows that. Straight from God to the Faithful Slave.

These people in Brooklyn have to know that!

How do they get around this?

Kent, you sometimes have some wild ones, but this is the most devastating post you have made. Can you spell

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I do believe the Society understands the word: lawsuit.

Moxy

it seems to me that the actual 'smoking gun' would be the written evidence of a different standing policy outside the UK. does such exist? i suspect that while a different policy exists de facto, there is no clear written directive. ive read all of SL's BOE letters and i dont recall such. if it does, put them side by side and show the implication clearly.

mox

waiting

Hello y'all,

Still digesting all this two-faced WT politics. Since there is a letter to the US elders and a letter to the British elders.......the question begs to be asked.......do other different countries have different written policies on child abuse? And do they use the scriptures differently? Use the concept of untrained elders differently?

When elders get guideline letters about child abuse in Australia, do they come from the usa teaching, British teaching, or their own branch teachings? In Africa?

The reason for the different letters setting rules for child abuse? Because they thought they could get away with it, imho. Who would know? Why make it harder in the usa than necessary. Perhaps Britain made it necessary for the WTBTS to have stricter guidelines.

So, it wasn't about the kids - it was about how little they could do and get away with it?

waiting

The Smoking Gun!

ALL BODIES OF ELDERS IN BRITAIN - December 1, 2000

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