Bowen in Christianity Today

Dogpatch

Article in latest Christianity Today:
http://christianitytoday.aol.com/ct/2001/004/23.html

http://www.freeminds.org
http://www.watchtowernews.org

Moxy

wow, what a quote.

Jeff Tucker, one of the Mount Shasta Kingdom Hall elders, says there were not enough eye-witnesses to go to the police. Tucker believes the family is just trying to cause trouble. "They were disfellowshipped," Tucker says. "They're just trying to create problems and bring reproach on Jehovah's name and his organization."

mox

waiting

Thanks for the click, Randy.

Partial Quote: Broken families

Dozens of court cases, both national and international, have surfaced in recent years that shed light on how seriously many people have been affected by the Watchtower's instruction regarding abuse. In lengthy interviews with Christianity Today, two former Witness families described how sexual abuse has shattered their lives. Don and Kim Clemens of Mount Shasta, California, say that in 1996 their son accused his babysitter, Alizum Varium—a neighbor and a fellow Witness—of molesting him frequently for six years, beginning when he was 5 years old.

The family informed local Witness leaders. "It was my son's words against her words," Kim Clemens remembers. "The elders filed it away and said there's nothing they can do."

When the Clemens family saw Varium volunteering at a daycare center, they hired a private investigator to gather information. "Our goal is to keep her completely away from all kids," Kim Clemens says. "If there are more children who come out of there having been abused, I don't want to say 15 or 20 years down the road that I didn't say anything."

Varium refused to speak with CT about the case and faces no official charges in connection with the abuse allegation.

Jeff Tucker, one of the Mount Shasta Kingdom Hall elders, says there were not enough eye-witnesses to go to the police. Tucker believes the family is just trying to cause trouble. "They were disfellowshipped," Tucker says. "They're just trying to create problems and bring reproach on Jehovah's name and his organization."

Although Witnesses comply with secular laws when necessary, Witness spokesman Brown says, the group prefers to deal with such matters spiritually. "We handle wrongdoing, sin, and transgression," he says. "This is what a religious organization is supposed to do. We're not getting into law enforcement. We're just going to handle the repentance." End partial quote.

Is Brown saying that the WTBTS is "a religious organization ..... we just handle the repentance" and then the molester is free and clear?

Seems like that. Nasty insinuation for the victims and their families.

Good article about the WTBTS and other religions. Thanks.

waiting

anewperson

Looks like tons of pedophilia cases are all over the United States. The article mentions this one in Utah:

In another instance, Sabrina Montgomery, a 37-year-old former Witness in Brigham City, Utah, alleges that her father, John Bohman, sexually abused her from when she was 14 until she was 19. When Witness elders found out, she says, Bohman simply resigned his position as an elder, and no further action was taken. Montgomery has asked local authorities to prevent any contact between her three daughters and Bohman. Montgomery's former husband is still a Witness, and maintains regular contact with Bohman. Bohman did not respond to CT's requests for an interview

Call them Confidential Files as the article does or call them Secret Sin Files, they are "Dirt Files." If the Watchtower Society thinks they must keep mud on people then the least they could do is let the rank-and-file see what the mud is so that it can be challenged and cleared away where it proves false. Currently these sin or dirt files are kept in hall and copies sent to Bethel branches and Brooklyn's Bethel down in the basement. They are full of distortions and lies harming not only child victims but adults. The U.S. Government should regulate such record-keeping for fairness as the European Union does.

Dateline NBC, other media, U.S. Govt., are you listening?!

Skimmer

Try searching for "Jehovah" at the Christianity Today web site referenced above. More than a few interesting articles; here's a short one:

-> http://www.christianitytoday.com/cl/2001/004/7.40.html

JanH

On a related note, from Salon Magazine:

Mormon church to pay $3M to sex abuse victim

The Mormon church has agreed to pay $3 million to an Oregon man who claims the church did too little to protect him from sexual abuse by a pedophile. ....
See http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2001/09/05/mormon/index.html

- Jan
--
"Doctor how can you diagnose someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and then act like I had some choice about barging in here right now?" -- As Good As It Gets

hawkaw

Keetch said the bishop had no knowledge of the sexual abuse. He also said he was disheartened by a ruling in the case that Curtis was a member of the church's clergy because he held the title of "high priest" -- which Keetch said is conferred on most Mormon men in their 40s and carries no leadership responsibility.

This is huge. Just like how a publisher is assigned in the WTS!!!!
I gotta get finding that court case!!!

hawk

Bowen in Christianity Today

Dogpatch

Moxy

waiting

anewperson

Skimmer

JanH

Mormon church to pay $3M to sex abuse victim

hawkaw

cynicus

barry

Dogpatch

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