Discussed child molestation issue with my elder dad

by JimmyPage 8 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  JimmyPage

  Well I broached the subject of child molestation among JW's with my elder dad over the weekend.

  He knew of a brother that I grew up with named "Arthur" who apparently molested another boy in the congregation. Years later "Arthur" is still in good standing and was getting close to my in-laws. I warned them about the situation since they have a young boy and they thanked me for the info. They asked me, why was "Arthur" still in good standing? At the time, I was not aware of the JW molestation issue as I am now.

  So I talked to Dad this weekend about "Arthur". I said, "Is it because of the Society's rule that you have to have two witnesses to wrongdoing? Isn't it unlikely that there will be two witnesses to a molestation?"

  He said, "Well once a person has that brand of being a molester it follows him wherever he goes. The elders don't allow him to have any privileges."

  "But Dad," I said, "No one in the congregation knew that "Arthur" is a molester. Doesn't that still make him a danger to children?"

  "Well it's kind of a gray area," Dad said.

  "Do you think it would be a gray area to a child who got molested?" I asked.

  He didn't really have an answer so I suggested maybe it would be better if JW's reported such things to the authorities. I didn't go on and tell him that the Society had to pay out $12.5 million to molestation victims as I didn't want to tip my hand too much. But hopefully I got him thinking a little. He has been under the weather lately and missing meetings so hopefully this will help him out of the fog of mind control.
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  purplesofa

  I was recently visited by someone from my old congo. We sat around looking at pics of old get togethers, one of the pics was two brothers from the congo Bar-B-queing at a hotel after a District Convention.

  He said, Funny to see them two together like that after what's happened. They were best friends.

  They both have sons. One son(I am guessing about 13 at the time) molested the other son(around 5 or 6) on several occasions.

  It was terribly mishandled in the congo, the authorities were involved and the young 5 yr old did go to counselling.

  The MS of the older child gave out emblems at the next Memorial which just seemed very weird.

  The other brother moved his family to another congregation.

  So my friend and I that were looking at the pictures talked about the mishandling of the situation in the congo ( I do not know all the details) and how weird it was that the one brother lost no priveledges, it was like the brother that child was abused was looked down upon for making such a stink about it. And he also went to all the parents of small kids and told them, to PROTECT their kids! and was admonished for doing that. Even though this friend could see all the funk, he never once thought the Society had any responsiblity for any of it.

  This was only a few years ago.

  Some still do not believe the little boy was molested, even with his own telling of it and backing from the physciatrist.

  I suppose that is all gray to many.

  I hope people wake up to what's going on in their congos concerning this issue.

  purps
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  JimmyPage

  bttt
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  no more kool aid

  Jimmy, this is one of the few topics we have discussed with our parents. They responded much like that of your dad. Then said "we are not going to let Satan trick us into leaving the truth over something like this. Brainwashed!
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  Quotes

  JimmyPage:

  "Do you think it would be a gray area to a child who got molested?" I asked.

  Excellent. I must remember that one. Simple, and cuts to the heart of the matter.

  no more kool aid:

  Then said "we are not going to let Satan trick us into leaving the truth over something like this.

  I wonder if they'd accept that reasoning when talking to, say, a Catholic, about, say, the child abuse coverup. I doubt it.

  ~Q
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  kurtbethel

  Then said "we are not going to let Satan trick us into leaving the truth over something like this.

  They have it exactly backwards. "Satan" lures people into situations where the innocent can be easily corrupted without the perpetrators being brought to justice, and tricks them into calling that arrangement "truth".
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  JimmyPage

  Thank you, Quotes. I find my ability to reason on WT positions and cut through the BS has been greatly sharpened by reading the works of Ray Franz.
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  primitivegenius

  your dad took that very well, probably helped that "Arthur" was a local problem to make you ask those questions. if it came out of no where with no particular reason for the discussion it might not have gone as well. i love the "not a grey area to the molested" comment. no one can argue with that statement.

  unfortunately i cant see how mine would take it, as ive already revealed my hand. id probably go for the throat and ask if mine attended the elders meeting where they made them add the comments into the margins. the one regarding what happens when a molester goes to another cong and they want to appoint him.......... so they tell his old cong to what?............... BURN THE RECORDS.............. i know he would say that type of situation would be very rare.......... and i would have to say.......... if its that rare why would they put it out there and insead handle it individually lol.
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  besty

  He said, "Well once a person has that brand of being a molester it follows him wherever he goes. The elders don't allow him to have any privileges."

  thats simply not true - as Barb Andersons research has revealed.

  If someone is accused and does not confess and there is no other evidence - its business as usual for the alledged molestor.