Cedars another great article, I hope will find it's ways to women dealing with domestic violence. The Watchtower Organization claims to be progressive, on the cutting edge of Bible understanding, yet they drop the ball on such a heavy issue.
In Santa Maria, California a sister was being beaten regularly, her husband suffered from psychiatric problems which excused his anger and pure rage. This went on for over a decade, as elders were not trained to deal with domestic abuse, other than tell this sister "to be a better wife.". He threw her down stairs, dragged her by her hair, punched her face in. "Poor little "R" is suffering from depression, his anti-psychotic medication is not working the way it should. "Please don't call the police on my little boy (33 years old)" long-time elder begged. How did this sister get out of this nightmare, finally he commited adultry and she left him. He hounded her, parked out in front of her house, brothers begged "Don't call the police, it will bring Jehovah's name into reproach!"
These inept men may or may not have cared about this child, but their conduct displayed they were concerned about appearances and preceptions the police had about Jehovah's happy family!. There are strong elders who have wanted to come to blows with spineless wife beaters, they are the few in my experiences. Strong courageous elders might call the police, or might take a two-by-four to these vectors skulls. I don't miss having to make decessions with no authority, or scarred body memebers afraid of they might sully the Watchtower's good name.
The same excuses that keep women unsafe from wife beaters, is the same that kept pedophiles deeply entrenched in the Org. Victims become the problem, when victims cry out for help, we were told "not to counsel, to avoid police involvement". Keeping a white washed appearance is the ultimate goal, not help for the victims!
