We will decide who is a predator! New Watchtower Instructions to Elders on Child Abuse (page 9)

sir82

The puzzling thing to me is, as others have posted - the WTS appears to be assuming more legal liability with this letter.

What if Brother McFeely is a serial abuser, and finally gets caught and goes to trial? What if the WTS branch had not made their determination that he was a "known molester / predator"?

By saying "we will determine who is a predator", isn't the WTS assuming responsibility for the cases where they did not make that designation on someone, and he goes ahead and does it anyway?

I'm no lawyer, but it seems to me to be a reasonable argument that if Joe Publisher is not identifed as a 'predator' by the WTS, he in effect carries a seal of approval that he is definitely not a predator.

If it is in writing that the WTS will identify all predators lurking within the congregations, and then someone who is not so identified molests children, well, it seems to me they've just opened up a huge can o' worms for themselves.

Anyone out there with more legal ability than myself (shouldn't be too hard) who can comment on that?

wannaexit

The arrogance of the watchtower leaders is palpatable. But I am not surprised. After all, they have now given themselves the title of "KINGDOM OF GOD" according to yesterday's watchtower study.

King Solomon

Sir82, read the bottom of my post on pg 4 and you'll see the policy states that the elders have the burden of reporting "suspected predators" to the Branch, who makes the final call; but if the elders fail to report, the liability still resides primarily at the KH level (although the Branch would have liability for instituting an error-prone process).

soft+gentle

my simple explanation is that the WTS understands very well the culture they have created and rely on amongst congregation members - the finger pointing, the witch hunts, policing one another and suchlike - all it takes is for one person to say something to another about the possibitly of a member being a pedophile and the gossip would go into overdrive especially as most people (not just JWs) view all pedophiles as predators. I think the society wants to avoid this at all costs because not only would it lead to disorder it may also lead to legal action by the one being gossiped about.

VM44

Watchtower writes:

"But God did not require congregation elders to enforce Caesar’s laws and codes."

But then The Watchtower feels the need to once a year remind young brothers turning 18 to register with the Selective Service!

So The Watchtower IS interested in the enforcement of some of Caesar's laws.

It just picks which ones it wants to "enforce."

Simon Morley

This is malevolent on the part of the GB. Here was a golden opportunity to perhaps set the matter straight and to reajust their thinking. This puts them above the law, the very existence of which exists in relative position to God. In turn they put themselves above the perfect law of God. They even have the audacity to crack open the door on future priveledges being extended? Damn them all - once a child abuser always a child abuser unless they have their genitals surgically removed and go on a steady diet of saltpeter. What would a R&F dub do if they saw or came to knowledge of a non Witness negighbour sexually abusing a child??? They would report them to the police!!!! how is this any different!! Now I am really angry.....

breakfast of champions

Yesterday morning before I even knew about this letter, my wife and I went out to breakfast and were talking. One topic that came up was child abuse. I told her there is absolutely nothing written that excludes child molesters from being appointed to a position of authority in the congregation. She was incredulous, Surely that is just for those falsely accused, not someone who was actually a child molester. . .

So. . . Showed this to my wife last night and her jaw dropped. What are they, stupid?! she asked me. Yup, I reckon they are! They publish this "secret" memo to all elders while in the midst of an appeal, and the damn thing contains two paragraphs ABOUT APPOINTING CHILD MOLESTERS INTO POSITIONS IN THE CONGREGATION!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and Governing Body!

I'm not the one who is going to prove to my wife that this cult is not the "truth"

YOU ARE!!!

sizemik

Rather, we are referring to situations in which it is established that an adult brother or sister has been guilty of sexually abusing a young child or has been sexually involved with a minor who is approaching adulthood and who was not a willing participant.

So if an accusation is made by the abuser that a minor was a "willing participant" . . . it's not child abuse?

These fuckers are just plain crazy.

NOLAW

No it is NOT child abuse. Your puritanism is PROVERBIAL. We live in the 21st century. The world is not like the sicko USA and their fanatic Xian laws of the middle ages.

We will decide who is a predator! New Watchtower Instructions to Elders on Child Abuse

stillajwexelder