I wish we had excellent pr and marketing people active as former Witnesses. Control of the media seems to be our failing. It is salacious material. Do we really care about a few girls in UT or is it some form of entertainment. Those prairie dresses and the practice of polygamy immediately show that they are the other.
I believe the Catholic Church's policy of deference, at least as bad as the Witnesses, and celibacy attracts pedophiles more than other religions. Every religion, school, and group must have plenty. The issue to me is what policies are adopted to deal with it when it happens. The Catholic Church's woes are a cheap template for other groups to follow. The Catholic Church has lost so much power and funds precisely b/c they sought to save priests and not the children.
Does anyone have any statistics that JWs err more than other groups?
The two witness rule drives me crazy. First, the WT has no competence as to secular crimes. They can have a zillion witness rule and it matters little to a court. Two parties must be protected in the process: the alleged peophile who is innocent until proven guilty and the child. It makes sense that a defenseless child deserves greater protection. Rape law, in the male chauvinist day, protected men. Women had to show much corroboration. The legal rule was taken up by society who believed the woman had to ask for it. Yes, kill me, please. Tear apart my body. The women's movement changed these silly rules. A woman could conceivably make it up. Children don't have the knowledge of the power of the accusation.
The Witness could encourage someone reporting abuse to prosecutors immediately and also follow an internal religious policy. No, It makes me sick b/c all I ever heard as a Witness was what filth Catholics were. Now I clearly see parallels between the Witnesses and the Catholics. They are only jealous that the Catholics have so much more power.
The laws for pedophiles have changed to encourage prosecution without depriving anyone of due process rights. The laws can only work if parents report the abuse. My mom was friendly w/ apedophile. She babysat his daughter. The govt was deeply involved. As soon as she could speak, she was very vocal about not touching her if she did not like it. The schools have to teach that to every kid. Laws are useless unless they can be used. Stigma must dissuade children in the first place. Imagine the stigma for Witness born-ins.
