I’m not African-American. I’m a white, working class male. While not a minority, I am among one of the most discriminated classes of people in the world. On top of that I grew up as a Cajun in a world that made as much fun of us as the black boys with which I played as a child. So I know discrimination as well. So, with that out of the way, I would like to address some of your comments.
“I have NEVER and NEVER will protect a child molester”
Good for you. Me neither.
“Calling me a protecter of a child molester because I am a JW is dumb.”
Agreed.
“Can any of you name one place or organization that does not have child molesters?” And in another post on the same thread: “Again, name one organization that does not have these problems? .............out of the cult and supports the government? some church group?”
Good point, since I don’t think that anyone can truthfully answer that question in the affirmative. However, this is the exact point that poses a problem for me as a witness. You see, I’ve been told, and persuaded to believe, that ours is NOT just any organization, not just a religion or church, and certainly not a cult. So when the organization that has persuaded me to conclude that it is God’s one and only servant here on earth experiences the same problems that are common to ALL organizations, it troubles me to no end.
When, as an elder, I receive a letter from God’s ‘faithful steward’ that tells me that in case a child is molested and it comes to our attention, the first thing that we must do is call the LEGAL DEPARTMENT of the Society, it causes me further concern. My criticism of the society is not based on it being like all other organizations but rather as being God’s visible organization that must, by it’s very claim, be held to a higher standard, one that has nothing to do with legalities.
You also say: “I see most people are using the child molester issues only because they want to take down the WT for some other personal reason.. They want to pretend they are doing it for the children but when I read their words their true intentions comes out. “ I would agree with that statement if the word ‘most’ could be changed to read ‘a number of’. “Most” may be an accurate term but I have no way of assessing that so I would prefer the latter term. There are people here who would use (I will temper this with the word, virtually) ANY means to bring down the WTBS. That’s true. That makes them the same as elders who will use (virtually) any means to df someone that is a constant ‘troublemaker’ in the congregation. That does not, however, negate or dilute a real and existing problem that exists in the congregations.
“People here are not to different from JWS that I know, I see the same attitudes at meetings.”
I would agree again if I would be allowed to preface that statement with the qualifier: “A number of”. The difference in the two classes of people, I believe, is that the latter do not claim to be exclusively God’s people and therefore better than anyone else. You may not personally make that claim nor even harbor that sentiment yourself but you and I do belong to a society that does exactly that.
All in all you bring up some fine points. There is no justifiable reason to go calling all witnesses protectors of child molesters. We must also evaluate our motives for what we are doing here if we would suppose, even to ourselves alone, that we are any better than that which we wish to leave. We must continually work toward exercising forbearance and tolerance toward our brothers and sisters who remain within the organization who are still fully convinced of what we ourselves fell prey to years previous but from which we are eternally grateful to have been released by the enlightenment, in full or in part, we received from fellow posters such as are here now.
