is it getting any better? or is it still happening at the same rate? was listening to o'reilly tonight as i was eating dinner and heard him say that virtual child porn is actually legal, that sort of blew my mind a bit.
With all the attention given to child molestation in the church now--
by cptkirk 13 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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Phizzy
The abuse of children and the vulnerable will continue in the JW religion until the GB gives orders for a proper programme of protection at all times to be in place.
A bit of paper with a "policy" written on it is useless. A responsible adult should be on duty each time they meet, even for FS, as abuse often occurs then.
The GB should also insist that as soon as an allegation is made reporting to the trained professionals , Police, Social Workers, etc is done BEFORE another step is taken.
The heartless bastards in charge of the WT only care about covering up the facts, not about the past victims or preventing future victims.
The rape, sodomising and violent assault of the defenseless is happening now in the JW organization as I write, with no word from the top.
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Pickler
Something puzzles me about this topic.
In the majority of the cases I read about, abuse is discovered, and parents go to the elders, who then avoid having to do anything by using the 2 witnesses rule or something like that.
BUT if child abuse is a CRIME isn't it compulsory to report it to the police? Don't parents HAVE to report it? Don't elders HAVE to report a crime if they learn of it?
Why do JWs go to the elders when a CRIME has been committed? It's got nothing to do with the elders?
I was raised in TT, but left before all this stuff came out so perhaps I'm missing an adult understanding of how the JW mindset works, BUT, we were taught to "give Caesars things to Ceasar" = be honest with taxes, obey all secular laws, Isn't this the same?
we still live in this system, never do I recall hearing that we are not subject to the laws of the land (unless they go against Jehovah's law)
also, if you know about a crime and cover it up, can you be charged with an offense?
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Big Mama
Pickler: You are correct on each and every point. That is exactly why the WTB&TS bears such a heavy burden of guilt. Your mindset is spot-on. The questions you ask are the ones we all ask, but get no satisfying answers to. Keep asking. Don't take anything at face value, and do your best to inform everyone you know....dubs or not.....about this. Non-Jehovah's Witnesses need to know about all of this also. Ask yourself: Do potential pedophiles have the right to go door-to-door putting the public's children at risk? Do you think a JW pedophile will only attack and abuse Witness children?
As the old spiritual folksong says: "go tell it on the Mountian". The whole world needs tobe aware of this.
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Lady Lee
They get around the reporting of crimes by calling them sins. Then they can use a scripture about what to do if a brother sins against you and that means this:
Trap # 1: If your brother sins against you:
- you should approach him and tell him
- If he doesn't listen take 2 or 3 witnesses (presumably to listen to your complaint while you confront the person who sinned against you).
- If he stills doesn't listen then go to the congregation Matthew 18: 15-21
Few children have the ability to confront their abuser on their own so they naturally go to their parent if they tell anyone.
Many parents are so horrified by this that they immediately go to the elders before they confront the accused. So they skip the first part and the second part drag the elders in. They mistakenly consider this crime to be a sin. And well it is but as a crime they need to go to the worldly authorities.
Trap #2 is this: Never, ever bring shame on Jehovah's name or on the congregation. Sexual abuse stirs up a lot of shame in people. If they go to the authorities then they mistakenly think they are bringing shame on Jehovah and the congregation. They don't want anyone to know and this goes doubly if the accused is a JW.
Trap # 3: If the accused denies the claims there isn't a thing the elders can or will do. Unless there are two witnesses to the abuse they claim they claim there is nothing they can do. They "can", in rare cases, accept that a "sin" has occurred if two different children claim the abuse happened by this person. But "can" and "must" are two very different things. Even so their "authority" lies solely on scriptural issues only. The mistake many JWs make is that scriptural and legal are not the same thing.
Interestingly there is no issue if the accused is not a JW. Then parents and the elders immediately go to the authorities. After all there is no shame if the accused isn't one of them. Elders can rightly claim they would send the parents to the authorities. But no where do they specify that this only happens when the accused isn't a JW.
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Lady Lee
Generally within the larger population sexual abuse is happening at about the same pace as it did 50 years ago. I see no reason why this wouldn't apply to the Witnesses. In fact it might occur more because perpetrators are not reported and therefore can continue to abuse whenever the opportunity arises.
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Phizzy
Indeed Lady Lee, not for nothing has the JW organization been labelled a "Paedophiles Paradise".
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Lady Lee
The kids I feel most sorry for are the ones who are being abused by someone in their home.
If a child is abused by a JW outside the home we could hope the parents would be determined enough to make sure he or she had no access to their child again.
But those kids who have to go home with their abuser - they are doubly in danger. The abuser knows nothing will be done and the child now believes there is no help.
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designs
They could announce what transgressions are increasing or decreasing each year, sort of like the government does with crime statistics.
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Pickler
Thanks for answering Lady Lee & Big Mama. Im trying to get my head around this way of thinking, it's just so against what is natural as a parent.......I guess it's a classic example of high control/cult think.
All I can say is.....start feeling sorry for the next JW who knocks on my door.....