by metatron 65 Replies latest watchtower scandals
But just because a priest (or a number of them) violates his oath-----even if he lives in the rectory, it doesn't mean the whole religion is rotten. -- Minimus.
And the same can be said for the WTS: "Just because an elder (or a number of them) commits some gross sin-----even if he lives at Bethel, it doesn't mean the whole JW religion is rotten."
.
One bad apple? Did he decide to molest kids a year ago? Did he likely hide his behavior for many years? Isn't that symptomatic
of pedophiles? How can there be holy spirit active in rooting out a practise that likely went on for years? The same goes for countless
others , who clearly committed serious sins across years - or even decades - while holy spirit snoozed...... It makes little sense
to attribute this to some transient motivation, that can be easily excused - that's not the modus operandi of this aberration -
and that fact has implications. A brother might claim to have been "overcome" into committing adultery - would that same
excuse be credible in this? Did he see a good looking child and suddenly get "overcome"?
metatron
I anti-watchtower picketed the most busy intersection in Bangor Maine for months back in 2001 before 9-11 the motorist and passerbys cheered me they hate JW's and for good reason. -- DannyHaszard.
Yes, the world is fond of its own (so says the scripture).
.
I'm inclined to agree with Metatron.
I don't understand the rationale for "minimus-izing" the problem.
(Min,you know I love you, man! I can't quit you!)
The society says they hold to a higher standard. I say fine: let's hold them to it! When they cry "uncle" we'll let them off the hook; until then, it's open season on the WTB&TS.
A few years ago a brave and haunted woman named Pat Garza stood in front of the world HQ of the WTB&TS and accused Ted Jaracz of victimizing her when she was a child. People found such an accusation difficult to wrap their heads around.
What has the passage of time shown us? The Watchtower has NOT been exonerated! Instead, corruption and filth of all sorts continue to be exposed at higher and higher levels.
Let me remind you that Pat Garza, before she died of cancer, had two witnesses who refused to speak.
A pox on them!
May they experience social disgrace from untimely incontinence!
May their feet always smell like an over-ripe Brie!
May their children suffer for seven generations!
Sensationalizing is the problem. You get a bunch of hopeful people on the site and you let them think that these cases are the beginning of the end for the Watchtower. It doesn't happen, hasn't happened and won't happen unless something really monumental occurs. Interviewing J.R. Ewing won't make things change. Being gleeful is fun but it really doesn't do anything to change the reality of things. As Metatron suggested, you could see all of the GB diddling around and it will mean zippo to an average JW. If you think I'm pessimestic think more that I'm a realist. I hate seeing people get excited by isolated instances with the idea that this could be the beginning of the Watchtower's downfall. I do not minimize that abuses go on. But I do think that believing it's not supposed to happen with millions of people in any group is absurd. The fact is----many groups believe THEY are the channel to God. Before the Ecumenical Council in 1963, all Catholics believed that ONLY Catholics were going to heaven.....The only people that got excited by the Pat Garza/ Ted Jaracz situation were those of us that hoped this could be what breaks the Watchtower's back. We felt the same way when the girls from New Hampshire took the Society to court. We were equally excited with the Hughes case in Canada. I hate to say it but the Society always comes out of it. Personally, I believe that for some, child abuse issues is what they believe will eventually get the Society down. Others believe it will be some revelation of money laundering. I hope that SOMETHING big might help bring the Watchtower to ruin but I can't see it.
I still think this has the possibility of becoming as big as the Catholic abuse scandal. Does that mean it will mean the end of the religion? Not any more than the Catholic mess brought an end to them.
But, if it doesn't lead to anything more than this one freak getting caught, then at least it can show outsiders that JWs aren't any better at protecting children from predators than any other religion. Hopefully, it will wake up some parents inside the organization to watch their children closer and not be so trustful of anyone, no matter their position in the organization. If it can just change the mindset of parents from thinking that all the brothers are wonderful men who would never harm their child it's worth the attention that its causing.
M you are correct, however, the child abuse issue is very big. It speaks to all of us. Many people have been abused as children and are now adults and they want to see this end. Currently in the usa the constitution protects jws and many other bastardly religions. But if enough people put pressure on the people who make our laws, this too can change. I'm not talking about the end of religion. I'm talking about them having to follow the laws and not hide behind the cloak of religion. I believe this will happen. People have had it with these disgusting pervets who rape and molest children . If a religion can be held accountable for what it does, it will make changes.
I look forward to that day, and I believe it will come about. the child abuse issue is one that touches us all, no matter what race, religion we are. It is something we can all come together on. We can stop these people. We can make them very afraid.
I've been in this fight for some years now and I can tell you that there has only been one effective way to defeat the Watchtower Society
and it is this: keep chipping away and wear them down. In that regard, we are clearly winning the war. They can't defeat us, they can't
make us go away, they can't remove our sanctuary by any attack and we are draining them daily. Please consider a comment by a long
term Bethelite I know ( who hasn't been downsized). He told me that they know that opposers and apostates are watching them, waiting for
any mistake to pounce on and how horrible that is. I took great comfort in this candid admission since it means they are feeling the pressure
and it never lets up.
The Cano incident will have its effect - and all the more so if they find that this story has "legs". It won't end the Watchtower by itself but it
will add to their grief and spiritual exhaustion. The one thing that could bring them down quickly would be a massive collapse of contributions
and that's still possible, although less likely.
I watch the situation in Iraq and wonder how much worse the situation there would be if the US made no effort at all to compromise,
or have elections, or do anything at all to solve the situation politically. That, in a nutshell, is the mistake the Watchtower is making.
metatron
Yes, the true and faithful are going to get a version of, "this was Jehovah's way of dealing with this evil person in our midst"...or "isn't it amazing how Jehovah works to protect his people" blah blah blah.
This is how it played the 40 years i was exposed to them (baptized 1967) but Danny Jehovah is still using this organization what do you want to do go serve Babylon the great?
f**k em grow old and die all you die hard dubs.I am a dissident activist to keep people from joining recruitment interdiction.
I hope that SOMETHING big might help bring the Watchtower to ruin but I can't see it.
It's not the Big Thing, it's the countless little things. Drip, drip, drip. Every time someone walks away from the organization, especially if they devoted decades of their lives to it and were considered model witnesses, the sinking sensation ripples through the ranks. Everytime news like the Cano story makes the news, it causes doubts to spread among thinking dubs. It's all over for them. The train started slowing down years ago and soon will be dead in its tracks. There will still be a train, with people on board, but it won't be going anywhere.
