Reprint, misspelled: deceit
For think41self:
Your quote:
"EVEN THOUGH IT IS THEIR POLICIES THAT WOULD ALLOW THE RAPIST TO REMAIN AN ELDER IN GOOD STANDING?":
Here is "word for word" what the the faithful and discreet slave class
says on the matter, to clear up any misconceptions and lies being expressed on this site.
You see I am also a victim of sexual molestation and so is my daughter, but guess what, we do not blame it on Jehovah, we do not try to heal our wounds with anger and lies and deceit.
Love and Jehovah's spirit is the only thing that makes life bearable.
YOU CANNOT MOVE FORWARD LOOKING BACk!
My daughter and I are moving forward with the help of the One who can make life. (explain that, if you can, the arrogant one)
I would not want to be so arrogant as to say anything in anyway to challenge our Creators decisions and timetables for vengeance.
Arrogance is the opposite of being humble.
I haven’t read anything on this site that even comes close to expressing anything humble.
Just arrogant,hateful,unproductive,death-dealing speech.
I do not think I will waste anymore of my time with such individuals.
Too negative...I want to grow and be positive and thankful that
I am alive and I have a future and so does my 21 year old daughter.
"word for word" what the the faithful and discreet slave class
says on the matter:
"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.
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.
Of course, children should also be warned
about—and
urged to report to authorities—any person making
improper advances toward them, including people
they
know.
Some legal experts advise reporting the abuse to
the
authorities as soon as possible. In some lands the
legal system may require this. But in other places
the
legal system may offer little hope of successful
prosecution.
What, though, when the abuser is one’s own beloved
mate? Sad to say, many women fail to take decisive
action. To be sure, it is never easy to face the
ugly
reality of a mate who is a child abuser. Emotional
ties, and even financial dependency, can be
overwhelmingly strong. The wronged wife may also
realize that taking action could cost her husband
his
family, his job, his reputation. The hard truth
is,
though, that he may just be reaping what he has
sown.
(Galatians 6:7) Innocent children, on the other
hand,
stand to lose much more if they are not believed
and
protected. Their whole future is at stake. They do
not
have the resources that adults have. Trauma can
scar
and shape them adversely for life. They are the
ones
who need and deserve tender treatment."
This is the truth of the matter and man am I ever glad to have my brain washed, washed clean, of all the negative, destructive, inaccurate speech being expressed here on this misrepresenting site!
