I don't know that I would call that respect. They use people. When they cause trouble or are no longer useful they are history. Just one more form of abuse
You are right of course.
Why don't they do more to protect the children from sexual abusers?
by Lady Lee 33 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
Big Tex
"If we reported to the police every time someone claimed sexual abuse - then there would be no way to protect the elders from false claims."
Change the phrase "sexual abuse" to murder; or manslaughter; or armed robbery. I've always found it interesting that this two witness rule applies only to sexual abuse claims and no other alleged crime.
-
Mary
Very good thread. When the child abuse cover-up first hit the news, I remember thinking "how stupid of them to cover it up" as it's a well known fact that child abuse can and does happen in alot of religions.
If the goons at the top had've been smart, they would had treated pedophiles the same way they do others who break the rules. In fact, the Society could have actually used it as a good opportunity to demonstrate that 'we don't tolerate that kind of behaviour here' by instructing the elders to always contact the police (whether or not it was required by law) and by disfellowshipping the pedophile.
Had these procedures been put in place years ago, it could have actually gotten them some respect from the public at large. Instead, they tried taking the path of least resistance and simply tried to pretend that there was no problem going on in the Organization---a stance that has greatly damaged their already bad reputation.
-
dinah
The WT is all about appearances.
How many of us were hauled into the back room because we did something that might give others the impression that we were doing something wrong?
Big Tex, I think you are right. Anything to sell litterature. If the pedophile is in jail, he can't very well sell Watchtowers. Anything that takes attention away from the "ministry" *insert eye roll* is not tolerated.
The WT wants to appear "different" at all costs. After decades of criticizing the Catholic Church, it would sure look bad if the world knew the Witnesses had the same problem with pedophiles. They would have gotten away with it too, if the victims had remained silent. Thankfully some of the victims spoke out about all the abuse.
-
verystupid77
Change the phrase "sexual abuse" to murder; or manslaughter; or armed robbery. I've always found it interesting that this two witness rule applies only to sexual abuse claims and no other alleged crime.
That is a excellent point. In my hall the elders were letting a level three who was dropped down to a level two sex offender take babies in the back room and outside alone. The elders had a stick policy that only elders could know who was a pedophile in the hall no parents were ever allowed to know so the parents of these children had not a clue that a sex offender was taking care of their babies. They just thought this brother was a wonderful helpful kind man.
When I found out I hit the roof. I was the one to get into huge trouble not the child molester for his holding children. I was called nothing but a per gossip, threatened with causing divisions in the hall, etc and was told this pedophile did not really do the crime. I went on the Internet and got his page with his picture printed off. I showed it to the elders. He served eight years in prison for rape of an child. They still claimed he did not do the crime. For the first four years we were in the hall this pedophile was holding children and doing what ever he wanted to do with babies.
The CO just told me a couple of weeks ago well he stopped holding children didn't he that is all you need to know. I was so mad. I started yelling at the CO. You have got to be kidding me, this child molesters was holding children and the only reason he stopped is because I found out when I was not supposed to have even known and that is the only reason he stopped otherwise he would still be holding children right now. And you feel that is OK.
I was thinking like you said BT what if he had murdered some people or if he had done armed robbery would the CO have said well he stopped that is all you need to know. He has not murdered someone for two years so he is fine. You are the one with the problem and you are the one who is causing the divisions.
The CO even said to me, how do you think you are making the child molester feel, you have made the whole hall aware of it by your emailing the elders, I was emailing asking for justice to be done to the children and I was only emailing the elders not the whole hall. The CO said the wives of the elders could very well read the emails and now the whole hall knows these men are child molesters. How do you think they the child molesters feel now that you have broad cast it to everyone?
Oh my God just writing this I am so pissed right now I have to stop otherwise I am going to explode.
This religion is so crazy I just want to scram.
Thank you Big Tex. You are and Flipper and Lady Lee for standing up to the pain that victims go through there whole life. I know that pain too well myself. Oh I am so mad. I have got to quit writing.
Who gives a care what the sticking baby rapists feel. vs77
-
OUTLAW
Dam good thread!!
If the WBT did more to protect the children they would have to admit there was a problem..
The WBT$ won`t admit there`s a Pedophile Problem..
Jehovah`s Witness`s won`t admit there is a Pedophile problem..
The only one complaining are the Victims..
And
The WBT$/Jehovah`s Witness`s are doing thier best to shut them up..
......................OUTLAW
-
Bangalore
I wonder if the WT has more per capita pedophiles than the Catholic Church.
Bangalore
-
AK - Jeff
Doctrine over Person.
Group ideology ALWAYS takes precedence over the individual. If a person questions the group ideology then the person is made to feel like there is something wrong with them. It is always turned around so that the individual is wrong and they are made to feel guilty.
There's your key. They cannot uphold the whole fear factor, disfellowshipping, shunning, etc., without keeping the two person rule intact. It gives the whole mess a nice, scriptural feeling. To exclude molestation or any other sin from this restriction would damage the construct. And they need this feature to maintain tight reigns. Ironically, their refusal to budge on this one has been an unravelling of some from the nest.
Jeff
-
Lady Lee
verystupid
No you aren't verystupid. Not at all. I don't blame you for being outraged. I feel sick just reading how they let this man hold babies and take them out of the hall OMG. How many more victims did this man have and probably still has access to?
I think I read that a pedophile will have upwards of 70 victims before he is caught. The elders are handing him his next victims.
Interesting too that they care more for the feelings and reputation of a pedophile.
You know in the real world the term pedophile is not often used when talking about the sexual abuse of children. It is mostly used as a legal term not a clinical one. But even then the word perpetrator is more often used. Children who are their victims are referred to as victims of sexual abuse, not as victims of pedophilia or victims of a pedophile.
For some odd reason within the WTS the term pedophilia is used constantly and I wonder that is because it removes the word "sexual" from the topic. When we use the word sex it leaves little doubt in the mind that these are sexual crimes. IN almost 20 years working with people who were victims of sexual abuse as children the term pedophile was rarely used. Very rarely.
Even the Catholic Church refers to it as sexual abuse. Here in Canada when the story broke about aboriginal children being sexually abused in the residential schools they were forced to go to it was still referred to as sexual abuse - never pedophilia.
This bothers me. That the WTS alone refers to this as pedophilia. It has bothered me from the beginning which is why I don't use the pedophile word too often. I want the crime, the act to say what it means - an act of sex with a child. Sexual Abuse
OK I'm off my soap box
-
Mary
There was this creepy guy in my old congregation who, although I have no evidence that he's molested any children, certainly tends to fit the profile. I was friends with his sister in law and she told me that her husband---this guys brother---found pictures that his brother had cut out and put in a photo album. They were mostly of little kids in underwear that he cut out of the Sears catologue. It really floored Mike and I'm not sure if he ever told the other elders, but why else would a grown man have pictures like these unless he was getting off on it somehow?
He was always 'helping' out a family in the Hall who had a ton of kids and everyone used to think how great it was that this guy was so helpful. He would carry the little ones around after the bookstudy and was ALWAYS over at their house.........