For this thread, I am going to respond Flipper style, because well, y'all have already got me thinking again....
JAMIEBOWERS: Great point, and I think it does serve a purpose. If I might be allowed to amend the spirit of what I meant by that, it is simply to not sensationalize a story beyond what it is. That does happen every now and again. To a non JW, I know they don't' understand, and there is really nothing to be done about it. For JW's who stumble upon here, I guess it just depends on how honest they can be with themselves if they are willing to click on a link to a news article and see for themselves how the occupants of their spiritual paradise tend to act.
SCOTTIEBEAR77, that is a fair point you make. I have observed the breaking of laws when it is convenient for the local elders on more then one occasion. In each case, what is good for the organization trumps secular law.
YESIDID AND MICKEY MOUSE, I type this on a netbook computer, and as a result, the spellcheck function is something I occasionally screw up on. I find myself editing many posts after I post them. This is my JWN computer for better or for worse right now..... But I don't mind per se....
WOBBLE: Thanks for your words. I certainly don't want to prevent anyone from posting anything, but as an opinion piece, I did want to express that these things put out there in a reasonable manner would tend to work better, imo. It has to be admitted that most JW's are decent folks who are being exploited and are very misled. Having the belief and conviction that they do probably feeds undesirable personality traits for some. I know it did with me. So to me, being reasonable is important when these news stories come up. Of course, the pedophile issue should always be given the widest publicity, as it should with the Catholic Church, LDS, and other religions.
BLONDIE: The exposure of any crime that illustrates why JW's aren't what they claim to be has value. No doubt!
WTWIZARD, the way the GB has shamefully hidden and covered up what should be exposed was a major reason why I left. If there was any sliver of hope that things could change, I could see myself back then talking me into staying. But I knew things weren't going to change, I had seen elders leave/resign over pedophile issues and how horribly they were handled, how the victims families were treated, and I wanted no further part in that.
Thanks for the opinions expressed! (Mickey Mouse, I think the spelling is correct on this one.... )
