I have a question. If for instant Bro.ingoodstanding comes to an Elder and says he wants to confess a serious sin, and says " I raped and murdered 6 boys 15 years ago and they're buried in the backyard. would the elder(s) report it to the police wether or not the Bro. tearfully says he's asked god to forgive him? I pose this senerio in light of the various threads I've read on the pedophile issue.......Allen
Coming Clean
by wokeup 5 Replies latest jw friends
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jurs
Obviously I'm not an elder and I don't know much about the inner workings on what elders disclose to police ect. But I feel certain elders would not hesitate in turning this sort of person in immediately. Sadly, pedophiles aren't considered as big as a threat to MEN (elders). Perhaps because some of them even are. Serial killers get huge amounts of coverage from the press. Certainly they would not want the horrific press of hiding a serial killer and there is also the bones (evidence in the back yard) to link him. With pedophiles its often the word of the victim against the word of the pedophile. There's often not physical proof. They'd turn him in to cover their butts.
Jurs
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wokeup
What if there's a lack of physical evidence, say perhaps he dumped the bodies in the ocean and says to the elder he asked for gods' forgiveness years ago but his conscience has been eating at him and would deny the allogation if ever confronted by the police. What would the elder or body of elders do in that senerio? Let it go? Have a JC meeting? Revoke privledges? Just curious. Maybe this would be more fitting.......Allen
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Seeker
There would be a judicial committee for sure, and no doubt the elders would encourage him to report himself to the police. There is no statute of limitations on murder, so the police need to know. Recall all those examples in the WT about, say, a former jewel thief who becomes a JW. Once he does, he is "encouraged" to turn himself into the police, and do his time. The same would be true of murder cases. Lack of bodies is no problem when you have a confession. And asking for forgiveness doesn't erase the debt to society that is owed.
And yes, this should be the case with child abuse, but obviously isn't, and that's part of the problem.
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TR
There was a "murder letter" posted here recently. I believe it discussed the nature a the criminal past of a certain individual. Can someone find it? I tried but don't have any more time right now.
TR
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
—Edmund Burke -
Amazing
Hi Wokeup: Your scenario,
"Bro. ingoodstanding comes to an Elder and says he wants to confess a serious sin, and says " I raped and murdered 6 boys 15 years ago and they're buried in the backyard. would the elder(s) report it to the police wether or not the Bro. tearfully says he's asked god to forgive him?"
In my Elder days, I would have immediately gotten the other Elders, and held a JC meeting with Mr. Ingoodstanding. He would be immediately DF'd. Knowing myself as I do, I would have wanted to contact the authorities right away, but I have no idea what the other Elders would have wanted. Given my experience, some would have felt that we need not contact the authorities, and would defer to the Society. My guess is that the Society would have had us contact the authorities. (Yes, even given their letter on murder to the Florida congregation.) Because it would be a fairly recent event with physical evidence in the back yard, in your scenario.
I might add that a sexual sin is viewed differently by most people. For example, one can get the death penalty for murder, but not rape. So, that is one reason why pedophiles have been more easily protected among JWs than murderers. - Amazing