does the society help or hinder
by therevealer 20 Replies latest jw friends
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Spade
http://www.watchtower21.org/2010/09/answering-critics.html
Domestic Crime: Answering the Critics
As with other religious organizations, Jehovah's Witnesses have been obliged in recent years to make known their child protection policies that deal with cases of child abuse in their congregations to the general public. Critics have accused Jehovah's Witnesses of employing organizational policies that make the reporting of sexual abuse difficult for members.
An important question for any concerned person to ask, is why this matter has surfaced as a reality in association with the Christian Congregation. The principle reason for this societal problem making inroads in the Christian congregation is because of the increase of domestic crime in contemporary society.
An Examination of the History of Child AbuseThose that have spent much of their scholarly life examining primary sources such as diaries, autobiographies, doctor's reports, ethnographic reports and other documents that document what it must have felt like to have been a child--yesterday and today, in the East and the West, in literate and preliterate cultures reveal domestic crime as becoming more and more problematic as time moves along.
Statistics obtained from United States Office of Justice:
But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up [with pride], lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. 2 Timothy 3:1-5
This has much to do with why this complex problem is a recent phenomenon in association with Jehovah's Organization and not something that is likewise mired in the organization's history. In the United States, the further back in history one goes, the reports of neglect and cruelty of children that have been rejected, beaten, terrorized and sexually abused by their caretakers are less and less frequent.
The Sexual Abuse of Children Today
In America, the most accurate scientific studies, based on lengthy interviews, report a significant number of men and women remember having been sexually molested during childhood. About half of these are directly incestuous, the other half being with others. It's been observed by outside sources that the scandalous accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses are associated with domestic crime.
An Environmental Assessment
The New York Times commented: "The shape of the scandal [in Jehovah's Witnesses] is far different than in the Catholic church, where most of the people accused of abuse are priests and a vast majority of the victims were boys and young men. In the Jehovah's Witnesses, where congregations are often collections of extended families and church elders are chosen from among the laypeople, some of those accused are elders, but most are congregation members. The victims who have stepped forward are mostly girls and young women, and many accusations involve incest."
What organization in society can legitimately be blamed for domestic crime involving any given member? While other religions have been accused of hosting an unsafe environment for children in the facilities they're responsible for maintaining, the only organization in the spotlight associated with domestic abuse are Jehovah's Witnesses. -
jamiebowers
The Watchtower hinders the reporting of domestic violence with the threat of bringing reproach on Jehovah's name. All of the years that I was the victim, the elders responded by refusing my abuser "privilages" in the congregation. The only strong response I ever got from them was one of anger when I finally involved the authorities to save my life.
Spade, Barbara Anderson has court documents that prove that cover ups of child molestation go back to 1964. Whether or not the molester is related to the victim, the cover up remains the same. The Watchtower IS to blame even in the cases of incest, because two witnesses are required for the elders to take action.
Critics have accused Jehovah's Witnesses of employing organizational policies that make the reporting of sexual abuse difficult for members.
1. the two witness rule
2. Ted J. sent CO's out to threaten victims and their families with df'ing for coming forwad about child molestation.
This has much to do with why this complex problem is a recent phenomenon in association with Jehovah's Organization and not something that is likewise mired in the organization's history. In the United States, the further back in history one goes, the reports of neglect and cruelty of children that have been rejected, beaten, terrorized and sexually abused by their caretakers are less and less frequent.
1. Untrue. Again, Barbara Anderson has court documents dating back to at least 1964 that I remember reading.
2. Antecdotal evidence can be found i the stories on Silent Lambs that date back further than that.
What organization in society can legitimately be blamed for domestic crime involving any given member? While other religions have been accused of hosting an unsafe environment for children in the facilities they're responsible for maintaining, the only organization in the spotlight associated with domestic abuse are Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Watchtower can be blamed for all types of abuse, because of the two witness rule. It confuses sin with crime, repeatedly fails to report and/or cooperate with law enforcement professionals, and fosters an unsafe environment for its own chidren and those in th general public by not revealing even who the confessed and/or convicted molesters are, let alone those who have ben accused.
As late as 2008, elders in the Gilbert Simental trial refused to testify about Simental's confession to child molestation charges under clergy privilage.
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Spade
jamiebowers, the principle about two-witnesses is a Bible-based principle that applies to adults (not children) to protect congregation members from slander.
http://www.jw-media.org/aboutjw/article23.htm
As a Bible-based organization, we must adhere to what the Scriptures say, namely, “No single witness should rise up against a man respecting any error or any sin . . . At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses the matter should stand good.” (Deuteronomy 19:15) Jesus reaffirmed this principle as recorded at Matthew 18:15-17. However, if two persons are witnesses to separate incidents of the same kind of wrongdoing, their testimony may be deemed sufficient to take action.
All of Bill Bowens supporters that have been interviewed by the media informed the elders as older teens or adults. If physical or sexual assault is committed in any community, it's best you have something credible to present to the local authorities if you expect any formal action to be taken against a person.
Substantial evidence would be:- more than one eye-witness (unless the witness is a victim that's a child)
- physical evidence
- the abuse is an ongoing matter (meaning a person knows the same thing is going to happen again)
Otherwise, the complaint will simply go on record unless there's a confession or another complaint against the same person. Was your abuser ever charged?
The secular authorities also apply the two-witness rule to adults in a court of law unless there's physical evidence of rape or physical abuse. -
jamiebowers
All of Bill Bowens supporters that have been interviewed by the media informed the elders as older teens or adults. If physical or sexual assault is
committed in any community, it's best you have something credible to present to the local authorities if you expect any formal action to be taken against a
person.
Oh that makes perfect sense, because after all, sex offenders who prey on teens and young adults only do it when there's a second witness around. And of course it's" best" to have evidence of a sex crime, but any accusation should be reported to the police, and let them do their jobs. In the Simental case and so many others, these bastards CONFESSED to the elders, yet it was NOT reported to the police. California is a mandatory reporting state, by the way.
Was your abuser ever charged?
No, I never pursued criminal charges, because once the "worldly" authorities got involved, he was forcibly committed to a mental institution. And yes, even after judges and doctors said he was a serious threat to my life, (and I had witnesses to that fact), the elders still tried to pressure me into taking him back. And that was the second time he was forcibly committed to a mental institution. The first time I listened to the "spiritual" advice given and took him back.
Look, Spade, you can quote all of the bogus Watchtower bullshit you want I lived the nightmare. I know what happens to abused children and battered wives in the Wachtower. Funny how all of our stories are the same.
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TotallyADD
Dear jamiebowers, I did not know you went though this. I am so sorry for you. What you did was right for your situation and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Don't let the ignornace of some poeple get you so upset. They don't know or don't understand what it is like to be abused by a pervert in the congregation and what it does to your emotional well being. The elders in my daugter-in-laws congregation tried to make her forgive her abuser. It was just enough to make you sick. I understand how you feel. Thats why I hate this cult. Totally ADD
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moshe
JWs do a lot of things wrong when it comes to families- and a lot of things right. They don't waste there money on cigarettes, booze, dope, gambling, worldly fads, flashy cars- maybe their carpet cleaning salaries don't go as far as someone who went to college and got a professional degree, maybe they torture the kids with KH meetings, maybe they shun parent/teacher school organizations and other social welfare organizations, but for the most part they aren't getting arrested or beating up their kids or spouse. Their abuse falls into to arena of mental abuse.
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wobble
Using your wife as a punchbag is physical abuse Moshe.
It is also terrible mental abuse, the poor woman's mind should not have to cope with what has happened either.
The WT's record on handling all kinds of abuse is reprehensible, and they still do not implement a proper programme to protect the vulnerable, because they do not care.
"Widows and orphans" should look elsewhere for a haven
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Vidiot
moshe - "They don't waste there money on cigarettes, booze, dope, gambling, worldly fads, flashy cars..."
Oh, really? Dude, every "local needs" talk about all those things is made because those things are happening; that's what "local needs" talks are for.
And those talks were really on the rise shortly before my fade started...
moshe - "...for the most part, they aren't getting arrested or beating up their kids or spouse."
Just 'cause arrests aren't happening all that often, doesn't mean the abuse doesn't occurr, especially in a closed authoritarian system that - due to its organizational policies - has an overall effect of concealing said abuse.
People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Well, the WTS has been throwing rhetorical stones at Christendom, the "World", and virtually everything else outside its hermetic seal for a long, loooooong time. All the while, the Tower's walls have mostly been made of stone, but that's changing now; this is the Information Age, the WikiLeaks era.
Full transparency, and damn the consequences.
The Tower's walls are transmuting to glass faster and faster, and the stones it has thrown are rebounding and cracking that glass more and more.
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OUTLAW
The WBT$ is a lying,abusive organization..It protects its liars and abusers..
The WBT$ victimises,victims of abuse..
The WBT$ would have us believe JW congregations need to be protected..
From hoards of Lying JW Children who attend Kingdom halls..
Because..
JW Children cant be trusted..
The WBT$ protects pedophiles and leaves children open for more abuse..
Watchtower World is a Very,very Sick Place..
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...OUTLAW
