What Some Loyal JW's Are Saying About The Oakland Case.

by Bangalore 63 Replies latest jw friends

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  LongHairGal

  Bangalore:

  I sent the article to a JW friend (super zealous). I didn't say much and let the article speak for itself. As expected, it had no effect and I got "preached to" in return.

  This person responded with the usual finger pointing at the Catholic church (which is truly a disgusting mess with untold victims) and how all the priests never went to jail and how the pope did nothing and HOW the JWs have a policy that goes after pedophiles and that we are "in the last days" and the great tribulation is going to break out soon and I should not let bad news like this make me lose my faith, etc., etc., etc.

  The point being is that a faithful witness is not going to let any such news stories dissuade them from their faithfulness to the JW religion and their belief that the religion is doing the 'right' thing.
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  Doubting Bro

  BJR -

  I do not think there is any real benefit to this case but to make anyone on the sex offenders list unemployable and pariah to joining groups or organisations. Who would allow any one with even one minor sexual offence to be part of their group if they can be held responsible for his criminal activities by simply being aware of his criminal record!

  If they have any contact with children, I don't really have a problem with that. My true feelings are these folks are completely unable to be rehabilitated and should be locked away forever or turned over to the victims family ala the "blood avenger". But, I know that isn't something that will happen.

  I will say this, I regularly run a report from my state showing where all the sex offenders are registered in my area. I realize this will not protect my kids 100% but feel that I should use the tools I have available. I know if someone from my hall were to show up on the list, a print out would find it's way on every person's car at the meeting.

  With the exception of minors, all convictions are public record but you have to do some work to find it. Megan's law not only reported convictions but also required the offender to register so you could find out their current home and work address. That's the biggest advantage to that law in my opinion because you can easily search by name or zip code and find out where they are.

  I really think the jury's reaction was one of anger. These sort of huge judgements are not that uncommon in the US. I'm a little suprised that the judge didn't adjust the $$ especially since the majority of the compensatory damages were "pain and suffering".

  I'm sure we'll be talking about this case for awhile as it moves up the appeal chain.

  Don't you think though that the Society could do a better job in how these types of cases are handled? Don't you think that maybe parents can be warned when someone is accused of something so terrible as sexual abuse?

  Regardless of the appeal ruling, I really hope that the WTS takes a good hard look at their current policies and makes it so this problem has a solution that will shield children from these sick individuals. At the end of the day, doesn't everyone want children to be as safe as possible. But, maybe that's just a pipedream. Look at how many millions the Catholic Church as paid out and yet they still have issues. I don't know what the right answer is.
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  Bobjohnrob

  Despite what I have read on this site, the levels of pedophiles inside Jehovah's witnesses are only what you would expect to find with any religious or secular organisation where you get whole familes interacting. This case highlights the problem of most pedophiles being found within families and they target family members or children who are close friends with their family members. How can anything done in the kingdom hall prevent this?

  From what I know of current Jehovah's witness policy. When a sex offender has currently joined a congregation they give a public talk on it and quietly warn the parents of all the kids in the congregation, very likely telling them the name.

  Someone above you mention the ministry being dangerous but again this is a extremely unlikely place when you look into the fact that most attacks happen indoors when both parties are alone. I'm not saying it isn't impossible just the facts show an offender would not want to risk exposure in that way.

  I absolutely do think that world governments can do more! They need to allow for all offenders on the sex offender list to be known publically to everyone. More should be done than basic lists that are hard to search out. I know they are worried about vigilantism but the children need to be protected. On saying that in this case the man wasn't on the sex offenders list so even then he would have been free to continue offending.

  This is a truly horrifying and horrendous problem concerning the growing pedophile issues but I think targeting one group such as the Jehovah's witnesses actually stops people looking at the real issues and the real offenders. This really needs Police forces and politicians to make huge changes for our children's safety.
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  diana netherton

  I need a few good laughs...
• 

  sir82

  From what I know of current Jehovah's witness policy. When a sex offender has currently

  joined a congregation they give a public talk on it and quietly warn the parents of all the

  kids in the congregation, very likely telling them the name.

  From a current elder: That is absolutely NOT the policy. At all. Not even close.

  We had a child molester move in to our congregation many years ago, according to the thick introduction letter. He left a year or 2 later.

  No talk was given.

  No warnings were given.

  No names were mentioned.

  Contents of a "move in letter" are strictly confidential. Anyone revealing such confidential matters would at the very least get their "privileges" revoked, and quite possibly face more severe consequences, such as a judicial committee for "slander".
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  Bobjohnrob

  SIr 82 I did say current policy not years ago but as I said this would not have even applied to the case everyone is talking about...

  From the case notes.

  The offender was a trusted family friend. He was not on the sex register at all! He only had a misdemeaner from apparently accidental contact with his stepdaughter which the police didn't consider serious enough to take further thamselves. The elders could have known no more than the police at the time which was that he had only a misdemeaner and that would have been public knowledge to his family and friends since it involved his own stepdaughter. Also Megan's law didn't come into effect until 1996 after the events of this case and the elders would have been tied by the privacy laws at the time the same as the government was until Magan's law came into effect.

  Problems with the case..

  The girl says her parents would let her goto the offenders house after the sunday meaning every week alone which is apparently where the offenses happened.

  The girls parents completely deny this!

  It is on the above which is probably why this will never become a criminal case. Because of conflicted evidence given by the girl and her parents and other people that deny she ever went to the offenders house alone.

  Now if he had been a serial pedophile with a string of convictions behind him which the elders knew and hid. I would understand the 28 million dollar price tag but not for a case that doesn't have enough weight to get a conviction because of conflicting testimonies, seems rather suspect.

  Like I said earlier if this wasn't so clearly about money and tying an offence to an organisation that can afford to pay huge sums involved rather than getting a pedophile put into prison I would understand. But no one seems that bothered that he he free and clear to offend again least all those that are shouting loudest about this case.
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  life is to short

  (From what I know of current Jehovah's witness policy. When a sex offender has currently joined a congregation they give a public talk on it and quietly warn the parents of all the kids in the congregation, very likely telling them the name.)

  Bobjohnorb I do not know if you are a JW or what but you very clearly have your facts wrong here. NO PARENTS IS ALLOWED TO KNOW OF WHO A PEDOPHILE IS PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  I as an elders wife was threatened with being df'ed because I told a mom that one of the most loved brothers in the hall had been in prison for rapping a eight year old child.

  I was told by the elder the ONLY THE ELDERS ARE ALLOWED TO KNOW PEROID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  As far as a pedophile not molesting a child in field service one of my friends when I was in my late 20's was suffering from clear depression and upset with her mom. It seems that her mom was pioneering when she was five or six and her mom worked with a MS a lot in service, the mom would leave my friend alone with the MS while she went on a call and the MS molested my friend in the car.

  The policy of not informing parents needs to stop now!

  LITS
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  TheOldHippie

  I think there must be cultural differences from place to place.

  Here, it would be informally known very quickly if a member moving to the area had been in jail for some reason, and people would like to find out why in order to make sure they would not be targeted, be it economic matters he/she was jailed for, violence or whatever. Just as one is a bit careful when one knows another person has mental problems that might turn into violent behavior.

  Our friends told their congregation what had happened to the family member in question, who had done it, when, how etc. - and received 100 % support by everbody, from the "top" to the "bottom", not one negative comment (indeed, how could it be!), and so I am very much surprised to read that someone here claims she was threatened with df'ing because of telling. Our friends were hailed - and the friends of the offender were more or less frozen out because of their friendship, and also officially reacted against.

  The picture is varying from place to place. Generalizations are not that easy to make. And things are happening so fast in these matters that what was a general reaction a few years ago, are now only the reactions of a few sidetracked hardliners who have not given notice to what is happening in society or in the congregations, much like the East European leaders who fell in 1989/90. Any JW with a capability for thinking will react in the only decent way there is to react to such matters - and the hardliners will be sidetracked to where they can do no harm.

  But is the US different? It seems to me so ............. "old-fashioned".
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  life is to short

  TheOldHippie

  I have emails to back up what I am saying from elders in the hall. NO IS TO KNOW PEROID!

  LITS
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  TheOldHippie

  I see it is on jw-media.