Silent Lambs or Who's Rejoicing Now?

by compound complex 5 Replies latest jw experiences

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  compound complex

  I was looking for current information on Silent Lambs and came upon what I thought to be recent information (but is nine years old).
  
  Strangely prescient ...

  Unity now amongst those "fighting against Jehovah" and shock and awe in Jehovah's "camp"?

  Having read the exchanges between Rev, Bill Bowen, and others involved in the Silent Lambs website, I honestly feel sickened.

  I remember when I first started to hear rumblings that "something big" was going down regarding the Society's handling of child abuse. I was overjoyed because I had first-hand knowledge of several atrocities in this regard and was hoping against all odds that a major upset would force them to change their policies.

  As time progressed, more and more became known about people moving within the system to expose the problems. With many of you, I held my breath waiting for the magic Dateline expose.

  After several long delays, we cheered when the episode finally aired, even though many thought it was not as strong as it might have been.

  All during the time between when we first had hints of what was to come and the viewing of Dateline (and later European and Australian programs), we kept hearing two prominent names - Bill Bowen, and Barbara Anderson. Bill, of course, took the more public role and did a great job of keeping the issue in front of the media. Barbara, working mainly behind the scenes, had the damning evidence.

  Most of us viewed this important event as the opening salvo which would lead to major changes in how the organization handled, or mishandled, cases of child abuse in the congregations. Score one for the good guys! Let's see them squirm now!

  Flash ahead...who's laughing now? Those who have taken the lead in opposing the WTS are publicly criticizing each other; disputes breaking out over a website devoted to supporting victims; the figure head of the Silentlambs organization lashing out against those who question him; and more.

  The entire situation makes me ill. This is exactly what a Witness would have predicted at the beginning, using scripture to substantiate their reasoning.

  "See what happens when people oppose Jehovah's Organization? They cannot have unity! If this cause was from Jehovah, it would not fail. See?? They fight amongst themselves! They seek prominence with men, not aid for victims."

  And on and on....

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/child-abuse/42831/1/Silent-Lambs-Bill-Bowen-Who-rejoices-now
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  Cacky

  I happens in all organizations where people are involved. I have an interest in the subject of Sasquatch, and you wouldn't believe the in-fighting that goes on among researchers in that field. And it happens in the org, from the top down, too. To put it simply, it happens.
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  wannaexit

  compound, I share your sentiments.
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  compound complex

  Thank you, Cacky and Wanna, for your welcomed posts!

  Here's more, from Hilary Step:

  Hawk,

  I am sure that Bill appreciates your loyalty very much, I certainly admire your desire to try to defuse what has become a larger issue that it should have. I am also well aware of the great work being achieved by those involved in protecting the future and bringing justice to the past of many JW children. This with all due respect is not the issue.

  In order to understand the psyche of the average XJW you need to understand what is truly unnerving people here.

  Our Governing Body abused us emotionally for years, dictating how we should dress, what we should converse about, what entertainment we should chose, even how we should smile when we met strangers in our 'preaching work'. We suffered this abuse, some like my own wife for four decades because we were told that they saw the 'bigger picture' and we did not. When we eventually came to realize that many agendas were at play and that our Governing Body were at best misguided and at worst a collection of cynical politicians who viewed our individual lives as fecal matter, it was a devastating blow to us.

  Many of the pronouncements, and much of the behind the scenes political activity that has taken place within SL strikes a sinister note with many who see an alarming similiarity in attitude emanating from SL.

  We must all learn as Nietzche once said that 'Those who fight monsters must not become monsters themselves'. I see no particular honor in abusing adults who have not seen the 'bigger picture' in order to further ones aims, whatever they might be. That is what we learned to do as Jehovah's Witnesses, and I for one can assure you that I will not regress that that type of thinking ever again. Remember Hawk, all many abused people need is an apology for the healing to begin. The power to heal the public rifts in SL valleys is firmly in Bills hands.

  My own feeling is that Bill is being played like a fiddle by those who are taking advantage of the fact that he is still not far enough removed from the WTS to be firmly standing on his own emotionally territory, and that they may eventually damage SL far more fatally than the WTS might hope for.

  Best regards Hawk - HS
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  WheelocksLatin

  Quite right, cacky. Infighting is a part of human nature. Saladin lost control of many of his own units during the Crusades after they helplessly watched Richard the Lionheart butcher the garrison of Acre including women and children all because Richard wanted the ransom delivered faster. Ironically, Richard was later imprisoned by his own allies in exchange for a hefty ransom. Disunity on both sides. General Sherman cut off all communication with Abraham Lincoln so that he could express his anger at Confederates more freely, more brutally as he scorched the earth all the way to Atlanta. Disunity. Last month, BBC reported a Somali defector taking a cell phone call from his former leader who could be overheard on the speaker calling the defector an "apostate" but the defector yelled back "someday you'll join us too!" Then there were Jesus' own apostles arguing about who deserved the most honorable seat in the Kingdom.

  However, at critical points in time, the disunity vanished even if briefly but long enough to get important tasks done. Saladin rallied his allies to oust the Crusaders. General Sherman forced several Confederate states to buckle and surrender at point of a sword. The apostles managed to put much of Jesus' work on record for the world to read about (though the Society obscenely claims credit for preaching it to the world, something other denominations such as the Catholics through backing of bloodthirsty empire building can rightly claim).

  Likewise here, among the many independent rebel groups taking pot shots at the WTS, there will come a time when we'll all be more concerned about our common enemy. Then every strike from every hand will be a welcome contribution to the downfall of the Apostate Circuit A4, the Apostate District 7, and the Apostate Sexually Deviant Governing Body and every Kingdom Church (sorry, cannot claim to be different enough from other churches to deserve a unique name for the place of worship) that baptizes in the name of The Father, The Son, and the Organization ("spirit-directed" is NOT the original noun in the Bible and began usage only as a legal technicality after WTS lost in US court during a mid-80s uprising). As the old song should have gone "Jehovah (no, let's cross that out) the Organization is our refuge, a haven for all the just (redo that too) a haven for pedophiles..."

  Every group has just cause to shut down this great evil, this one of the foremost member organizations of Babylon. God --- not being the blind moronic senile wimpy cross-eyed yes-man that Jehovah's Witnesses' actions (and inactions) show they believe him to be --- will at various key times end our infighting long enough to help us accomplish this one important task...... so don't lose hope. God is great. We are idiots, but thankfully God. Is. Great.
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  Heaven

  It is possible they are in the "Storming" stage of the Teamwork Roadmap.

  Storm

  As the initial politeness fades, people start to get more into the work and their roles and so start to argue about things that were left unsaid or not realized when they first met.

  Storming can be fiercer if one or more conditions exist:

  • More than one dominant person who wants to be the leader (formal and/or social).
  • Unclear formal roles
  • Unclear objectives
  • Little or large external threat

  Managing storming

  The manager here needs to assert their role and help draw out and resolve differences that might otherwise bubble along under the surface, causing continuing team cohesion problems.

  Storming can also be reduced by clarifying work goals and individual role and objectives. When people know what individual success means, they become more focused.

  External threat can be used to focus the team, but care is needed. When there is little external threat, people easily turn inwards. Extreme threat can also lead to conflict as revert to high-control behavior.

  Team rules such as collaboration and sharing may also start to be developed here, continuing into the next stage of developing group norms. At the very least, storming gives a clear indication as to why such rules are needed!

  ( http://changingminds.org/explanations/groups/form_storm_norm_perform.htm )