I really dont' know enough about represses memories, to offer a good argument. Nonetheless, how dare these elders suggest that you write your offender a letter, or if they don't get a confession from the offender, then they would make the accusser and the offender come in at the same time and get to the bottom of it! You do not put someone whom has been physically, sexually or mentally abused by someone in the same room. Do they not understand, that offenders are controlling minupulators, and that their victim is scared of them! This is outrageous, and how I wish there was something legally we could do to these elders, and the governing body!!!!!!
Watchtower policy on child abuse...link to watchtower.org
by digderidoo 25 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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Leprechaun
"What Can Elders Do?" They cause more trouble than they ever have helped, stay away from these shysters, they are basicly cronies (%*-tards) looking for a way to control others, I'm sorry folks but I don't trust a one of them.
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Leprechaun
"What Can Elders Do?" They cause more trouble than they ever have helped, stay away from these shysters, they are basicly cronies (%*-tards) looking for a way to control others, I'm sorry folks but I don't trust a one of them.
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OnTheWayOut
Wow, I just read this thread. Disgusting
It is noteworthy, however, that a number of individuals have been unable to corroborate their "memories."
The article seems to be saying, "In the cases of priests [of that other religious belief], there are typically more than one victim. But if you, as a JW, cannot produce evidence from other victims, then perhaps the elders can offer comfort but you should probably decide to let the whole matter drop."
What if the sufferer decides that he wants to make an accusation?
Their advice on how to handle this- Then the two elders can advise him that, in line with the principle at Matthew 18:15, he should personally approach the accused about the matter, that is horrible horrible horrible advice. How about they advise the victim to go to professions that are trained to help, and they can stop playing unqualified therapists?
But no, WTS wants the accused to deny the charges. That way, they can say they did all they can for the victim, but have no evidence to form a JC and no obligation to warn the congregation or cooperate with authorities. -
Lady Lee
What I "remember" and what I "remember that was repressed" are two totally different things and the WTS lumps them into the same category.
I remember plenty. Never forgot it for one minute.
But I do know I have at least a few repressed memories but only one that finally came back to me. That one now-remembered repressed-memory fills in a gap that explains a scar and recurring dreams that stopped once I got the memory back - by myself and not through therapy. The other memories - well if they come back I'll deal with them. I have an idea what they are about.
When I talked to the elders about my sexual abuse by my step-father - who was studying - they got real memories - things that were happening in the present and by the way something my mother finally walked in on. (that by the way is something I don't remember).
It wasn't reported to the police. Just as he hadn't been reported to the police for abusing my mother's much younger sister. Social services were not called in for either of us. In both cases the "solution" arrived at with the PO was to send us away from the home to live elsewhere - my aunt went to live with another sister and I was sent into foster care while the abuser stayed in the home with my younger sister He was a sex addict who couldn't keep it in his pants when a female was around and he didn't care how old she was. My aunt was 14, I was 13 and my sister was 2. My mother knew he had sexually abused his own 3 daughters and brought this creep into the home.
People aren't running around thrilled to say they were sexually abused. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to disclose sexual abuse. Victims feel dirty, unclean, tainted, unworthy. They have been threatened to keep quiet or suffer more abuse or threats made towards loved ones. Sometimes it takes years until they are safely out of the house to come forward with the disclosure of abuse.
The idea that we are running around declaring that we were abused is absurd. Just as absurd that all our memories are "repressed"
It just shows how ignorant they are about the issue of sexual abuse.
And I use the term ignorant deliberately because it is not a word I use often
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OnTheWayOut
What I "remember" and what I "remember that was repressed" are two totally different things and the WTS lumps them into the same category.
Now there's an excellent point. WTS does a great job of not separating these. The victim's friends and family can treat the two the same when the victim comes out years later, despite the fact that she never repressed the memory, she just withheld the information and lived with the shame.