If you were a believing elder when the lawsuits were explained to you.....

by OnTheWayOut 12 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  OnTheWayOut

  If you were a believing elder when the lawsuits were explained to you, would you remain
  as an elder?

  What I am asking is this- If you understood that elders were named in the lawsuits, and
  that they could be found guilty of mishandling the cases, would that allow you to still
  do the biddings of the WT corporation? You would be aware that future lawsuits can
  easily come up?

  To further complicate this, you would understand that a judge might rule that YOU should
  have done many things, such as reporting the crime, but YOU chose to follow "Mother's
  Instructions" to the letter, even though YOU should have known better. I had to think about
  that, because JW's aren't prepared to violate Mother's instructions for the better good of
  helping victims.

  If I weren't already stepped aside, I would at the very least, contact an attorney if a
  child-abuse case came before me. I would (NOW) never trust that Mother has MY BEST
  INTERESTS in mind. Suppose they don't settle? Am I on my own?

  Lurking elders, RUN! You can stay if you want to, but the rug might be pulled out from
  under you.
• 

  KAYTEE

  This is why I have "no truck" (London expression!) with these elders, they are all aware NOW of the ongoings of the Organisation.

  How many times have we seen in past history, where atrocities have been committed, the answer to their acts is

  WE WERE ACTING UNDER ORDERS !!!

  No different to what the elders get up to.

  KT
• 

  Adolfius

  YOU should have done many things, such as reporting the crime, but YOU chose to follow "Mother's Instructions" to the letter, even though YOU should have known better. I had to think about that, because JW's aren't prepared to violate Mother's instructions for the better good of helping victims.

  I think this highlights the gaping holes in their dubious stance on the moral high ground. They like to say they are moral, as opposed to the rest of us who clearly have no morals. However, I'd like to think if I saw or was aware of any form of abuse or wrong doing as in these cases, I would follow my own concience and do something about it. I certainly wouldn't try to cover it up or protect the perpetrators. It's called moral courage........to stand up for what you know is right even though all those around you are doing otherwise.

  I have no doubt that many of the elders had a battle with their own concience because we all ultimately have an in built sense of right and wrong. But they are so subjegated, controlled and fearful of the WTS that they always go against their own reasoning, and follow the party line.....even though they know it is wrong.

  They will no doubt in years to come (when the end hasn't come and they realise they've been duped) be like the many ex-Nazis you see breaking down in tears, struggling to fight with the knowledge that they acted in a completely immoral way, willingly, after giving it much thought, all because they did what they were told - they followed orders.
• 

  fokyc

  This is why I have "no truck" (London expression!) with these elders, they are all aware NOW of the ongoings of the Organisation.

  Well said KT, although they are supposed to follow Jehovah's word, when problems arise they just want to save their own skin at any cost to others. They reject all the JW teachings to do this including lying about anything they feel is needed to achieve their own safety.

  I would NEVER trust either the organisation or ANY of the elders, they don't believe in Jehovah when the pressure comes on.

  It's just survival of the ones who can lie the best.

  This is NOT theory, this is from painful personal experience.

  fokyc
• 

  carla

  Would they really care what a judge said? Isn't he part of satans sytem and all that?
• 

  fokyc

  Carla

  The Elders thought the Judge and the police were absolutely wonderful, the police praised the elders, all mates together!!

  Can't quite understand how it all fits in with the scriptures. I am sure someone might enlighten me sometime.

  fokyc
• 

  sammielee24

  What I am asking is this- If you understood that elders were named in the lawsuits, and
  that they could be found guilty of mishandling the cases, would that allow you to still
  do the biddings of the WT corporation? You would be aware that future lawsuits can
  easily come up?

  To further complicate this, you would understand that a judge might rule that YOU should
  have done many things, such as reporting the crime, but YOU chose to follow "Mother's
  Instructions" to the letter, even though YOU should have known better. I had to think about
  that, because JW's aren't prepared to violate Mother's instructions for the better good of
  helping victims.

  Alas, I think, just as in being disfellowshipped, you cannot understand the devastation of the penalty until you experience it. There are those Elders who believe with all they are, that the WTS would never do anything that is wrong and have lived their lives with deep love and committment to them. Those same Elders have given up their entire lives for the organization so it is hard for them to imagine that Mother would turn and intentionally abandon them or beat them. I think that the majority of Elders would think but not perhaps act because they would be torn trying to make a decision that would put them in the position of doing something against the orders of the WTS and then have to endure the guilt of not believing fully - risk Jehovah's wrath as it were. sammieswife.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Welcome Adolfius, great comment.

  Great thoughts, also to Sammieswife, and to all.

  I tried to explain to my wife what the old procedure was, but then told her that
  it has probably changed since August (when I was in the know).

  I can imagine that they are still to get all their advice from Mother, but to leave
  out names until something is final, and keep less records. This spells bigger
  disaster for local elders IF IT IS POLICY- I am just guessing, though.

  I posted part of my conversation with the wife on another thread. This is what
  made me think of this topic:

  "When these things come to light, two elders interview the little girl or boy. Two guys just like me (a former elder).
  You know how much child psychology and expert counseling training for children I have? NONE.
  So two guys like me ask little 8 year old Suzy, "How did Uncle Fred touch you? Exactly how, again? How
  often did this happen? Nobody else ever saw this? Mommy isn't putting words in your mouth, is she?" We ruin
  the little child before they could ever speak to a professional. Wouldn't they be better off turning this over to a
  professional to start with, making their case after the child gets what they need? No, they seek to protect the reputation
  of the Jehovah's Witnesses Organization first, and helping the victim is way down the list. Plus, when there aren't two
  witnesses, they let Uncle Fred continue to work with the children, and preach to families with children."

  This scenario could allow family to sue the local elders (and it happens this way most of the time).
  This scenario could allow the corporation to say they instructed them in the law of the land, but the
  local elders botched the counseling on their own, so let them hang.
• 

  OUTLAW

  If I remember correctly..hillary_step wrote a thread predicting this very situation...OUTLAW
• 

  geevee

  I think that as an elder you would need to have some kind of indemnity insurance! What kind of insurance does the "mother" carry? They insure all the K Halls dont they? Perhaps they could then supply all the elders molestation indemnity policies. Required on accepting the great mantle of eldership.
  
  Scarey really.
  
  Follow the mothers instructions, deal with these "cases" as they tell you, do not allude to the "mothers" involvement in any correspondence, take it up the ass when it all goes belly up, lose you home, and probably family by that stage, there is now no such thing as "ecclesiastical privelege" and then mother WILL hang you out to dry, you lose your eldership, get treated like a leper by the loving congregation.............................................................