WT says child abuse can be given up!

by ozziepost 30 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

  • ozziepost
    ozziepost

    From the "official" WT site comes this gem:

    For a man who was a child molester before he was baptized, there may be another consequence. When he learns the truth, he repents and turns around, not bringing that cruel sin into the congregation. He may thereafter make fine progress, completely overcome his wrong impulses, and even be inclined to 'reach out' for a responsible position in the congregation. What, though, if he still has to live down notoriety in the community as a former child molester? Would he "be irreprehensible, . . . have a fine testimony from people on the outside, . . . [be] free from accusation"? (1 Timothy 3:1-7, 10; Titus 1:7) No, he would not. Hence, he would not qualify for congregation privileges.

    What of a Child Molester?

    What if a baptized adult Christian sexually molests a child? Is the sinner so wicked that Jehovah will never forgive him? Not necessarily so. Jesus said that 'blasphemy against the holy spirit' was unforgivable. And Paul said that there is no sacrifice for sins left for one who practices sin willfully despite knowing the truth. (Luke 12:10; Hebrews 10:26, 27) But nowhere does the Bible say that an adult Christian who sexually abuses a child—whether incestuously or otherwise—cannot be forgiven. Indeed, his sins can be washed clean if he repents sincerely from the heart and turns his conduct around. However, he may still have to struggle with the wrong fleshly impulses he cultivated. (Ephesians 1:7) And there may be consequences that he cannot avoid.

    Depending on the law of the land where he lives, the molester may well have to serve a prison term or face other sanctions from the State. The congregation will not protect him from this. Moreover, the man has revealed a serious weakness that henceforth will have to be taken into account. If he seems to be repentant, he will be encouraged to make spiritual progress, share in the field service, even have parts in the Theocratic Ministry School and nonteaching parts in the Service Meeting. This does not mean, though, that he will qualify to serve in a position of responsibility in the congregation. What are the Scriptural reasons for this?

    For one thing, an elder must be "self-controlled." (Titus 1:8) True, none of us have perfect self-control. (Romans 7:21-25) But a dedicated adult Christian who falls into the sin of child sexual abuse reveals an unnatural fleshly weakness. Experience has shown that such an adult may well molest other children. True, not every child molester repeats the sin, but many do. And the congregation cannot read hearts to tell who is and who is not liable to molest children again. (Jeremiah 17:9) Hence, Paul's counsel to Timothy applies with special force in the case of baptized adults who have molested children: "Never lay your hands hastily upon any man; neither be a sharer in the sins of others." (1 Timothy 5:22) For the protection of our children, a man known to have been a child molester does not qualify for a responsible position in the congregation. Moreover, he cannot be a pioneer or serve in any other special, full-time service.—Compare the principle at Exodus 21:28, 29.

    Some may ask, 'Have not some committed other types of sin and apparently repented, only to repeat their sin later?' Yes, that has happened, but there are other factors to consider. If, for example, an individual makes immoral advances to another adult, the adult should be able to resist his or her advances. Children are much easier to deceive, confuse, or terrorize. The Bible speaks of a child's lack of wisdom. (Proverbs 22:15; 1 Corinthians 13:11) Jesus used children as an example of humble innocence. (Matthew 18:4; Luke 18:16, 17) The innocence of a child includes a complete lack of experience. Most children are open, eager to please, and thus vulnerable to abuse by a scheming adult whom they know and trust. Therefore, the congregation has a responsibility before Jehovah to protect its children.

    Well-trained children learn to obey and honor their parents, the elders, and other adults. (Ephesians 6:1, 2; 1 Timothy 5:1, 2; Hebrews 13:7) It would be a shocking perversion if one of these authority figures were to misuse that child's innocent trust so as to seduce or force him or her to submit to sexual acts. Those who have been sexually molested in this way often struggle for years to overcome the resulting emotional trauma. Hence, a child molester is subject to severe congregational discipline and restrictions. It is not his status as an authority figure that should be of concern but, rather, the unblemished purity of the congregation.—1 Corinthians 5:6; 2 Peter 3:14.

    If a child molester sincerely repents, he will recognize the wisdom of applying Bible principles. If he truly learns to abhor what is wicked, he will despise what he did and struggle to avoid repeating his sin. (Proverbs 8:13; Romans 12:9) Further, he will surely thank Jehovah for the greatness of His love, as a result of which a repentant sinner, such as he is, can still worship our holy God and hope to be among "the upright" who will reside on earth forever.—Proverbs 2:21.

    Strange that they nowhere mention or acknowledge that the law of the land ("God's minister") may come into the picture, except for speaking of "some time in jail"! No sense of outrage, no mention of instructing the congregation to report to the authorities.

    Strange too that in the magical world of WT "repentance" is the damage done to the abused child taken into consideration, just read the WT pubs, go to meetings etc etc ad nauseum.

  • Fe2O3Girl
    Fe2O3Girl

    There is no way that paedophilia can be treated by men with no medical, psychiatric or psychological training. It is disingenuous and dangerous to pretend that "pray more, study more, knock on stranger's doors more (!)" can sort that type of perversion out.

  • JH
    JH
    WT says child abuse can be given up!

    Yeah, read the bible and study with the JW's and every problem will go away....

    .

  • freetosee
    freetosee

    The main criteria which disqualifies the molester is “if he still has to live down notoriety in the community as a former child molester” before becoming a JW and “a man known to have been a child molester does not qualify for a responsible position in the congregation”.

    What is a known child molester, when victims are threatened with D’F for speaking about the abuse to police and others? Why no mention of the “two witness” rule?

    Freetosee

  • DannyHaszard
    DannyHaszard

    The Roots of Pedophilia must read, linked at my main page and linked by silent lambs too

    A must read explains what goes on in the mind of a pedophile

  • wozadummy
    wozadummy

    Thanks for posting this Ozzie. Both my wife and I are victims, me outside the org and my wife inside by her Elder father at the time.

    We had been trying to get her matter settled for 12 years with no success. Recently we again approached the Elders to settle it but had to wait many weeks before we got a visit that we requested . I asked them to use what evidence we had and to question other family members just as the police do when a crime is committed, the police interrogate witnesses to get a proper view of the accusation. But not the Elders, when they came back a couple of weeks later they had not questioned any one ,not even the perpetrator who had a commitee case over this matter 12 years previous, they hedged around all my questions and admitted all they had done was ring Sydney Bethel again . The answers they were given were different from what my wife was told when she rang Bethel during this period.

    And it is true, they say just go to meetings ,field etc but this really only compounds the problem ,for you know that you are then sharing in the same work that your perpetrator is doing for the same Lord and no-one in his congregation is wise to the fact that a molester is in their midst. Very faith shattering!

    I pointed out to the Elders that I had a copy of a English letter to BOE stating it is OK to have some molesters as Elders and they declined to look at it even though I pointed out it was witnessed by a Solicitor!

    Then I critisized them for not questioning my wifes relatives for we know at least one of them was also molested but has not come forward for fear of the family and the congo ,and again they avoided my questioning ,and when I asked what if the police were called in ,the senior Elder said it would be best not to involve Jehovahs name!!!!

    Well I just blew up then and asked him if he thought Jehovah could not defend his own name and that God expected victims of pedophile to do that too for God!!!

    NO ANSWER

    Sick is'nt it? We are now left alone with any congregation members avoiding us like the plague............AND THEY ARE CHRISTIANS?!?

  • Elsewhere
  • Big Tex
    Big Tex

    Danny I don't mean to quibble, and Ozzie I'm sorry for temporarily hijacking your thread, but I read the link you posted and I noticed this passage:

    In extreme (mercifully uncommon) cases, the pedophile projects these torturous feelings and self-perceptions onto his victims. The children defiled and abused by his sexual attentions thus become "rotten", "bad objects", guilty and punishable. This leads to sexual sadism , lust rape, and snuff murders

    I am by no means a professional, but I do not agree that this behavior is uncommon. On the contrary, it has been my experience, both with myself and with other victims, that the opposite is true. Offenders most often do project their own misery, guilt and shame on to the child. As a result the child takes in this guilt, and naturally makes it about themselves. And so they grow up with a core feeling of feeling "bad" or "dirty" or "deserving of punishment" and so on.

    I do however, agree that sexual sadism, including murder, is at the edge of the Bell Curve of child abuse.

    I also agree with this passage:

    Pedophilia is, in essence, auto-erotic. The pedophile uses children's bodies to masturbate with. Hence the success of the Internet among pedophiles: it offers disembodied, anonymous, masturbatory sex. Children in cyberspace are mere representations - often nothing more than erotic photos and screen names.

    BTW, for victims of abuse, please be aware that this link is a very difficult read. It is graphic, and while I agree with much of what this person has to say, it is still a difficult thing to read.

  • wednesday
    wednesday

    no joke BT, I just about feel like vomiting after reading it. I know that there must be some help (for society's sake if nothing else) for the child molester but it just is so hard to read what goes on in their mind.

  • Big Tex
    Big Tex
    I know that there must be some help (for society's sake if nothing else) for the child molester but it just is so hard to read what goes on in their mind.

    I truly in my heart of hearts believe there is no help. Mainly because the sex offender believes there is nothing wrong with raping a child. Pedophilila has the highest rate of recidivism of any crime.

    I think 100 years from now, when society has learned a painful lesson, a mandatory life without parole sentence will be the only recourse for a pedophile.

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