I wonder if the wts is quietly removing those who have past issues with this or any sexual / crimes / accusations - even if denied ? The position of minister is one loaded with power and anyone who would use it for their own purposes should never be allowed to be an elder again.
Candace Conti v Watchtower Society | June 3, 2013 | Respondent's Brief - prepared by Rick Simons | A136641
by jwleaks 212 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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Prime
@PRIME-- "The only way Jonathon Kendrick would have been able to take the plaintiff to his home, is if the plaintiff's parents gave Kendrick explicit permission to take their daughter off in a car by himself. If this did indeed happen, such a thing had nothing to do with the door-to-door ministry." ..Whether it relates legally or technically to the 'door-to-door ministry' is irrelevant to me. Perhaps you would make a fine lawyer, if all that concerns you is legalities.. From a moral point of view it would be clear to most 'normal' (I love how you use this term to try to blame her parents for trusting Candace with someone they had no reason to be wary of) people that if you do not warn parents at all that someone may be worth keeping an eye on, no details necessary, the atmosphere of trust within most congregations will lead to dangerous scenarios if someone is a predator. For example, when I was a child, my parents wouldn't have batted an eyelid about me going off on a return call or getting a lift back from the territory alone with an adult member of the opposite sex.. Because we, as Jw's, generally trust each other, don't we? Surely you don't believe that all parents in most congregations would never allow their child to get a lift to/from the territory, or to work with an adult member of the opposite sex on the ministry? (and this question would still require ignoring the fact that members of the same sex could be a potential abuser that the elders know about, but I'm guessing that you wouldn't want to discuss anything outside of this case..) . I know that I did both frequently. The moral question remains: If YOU were an elder, would you have privately warned the parents in the congregation.. Or would YOU have merely hoped they would use the magical pedophile-detecting magazine that should have given everyone sufficient warning that Kendrick was dangerous? I know you won't reply, but just think about it.. (I'll leave discussion of Watchtower policy to someone else, to me.. at the very least.. a general warning talk regarding the issue should be given at all times that molestation has been so much as accused let alone confessed, to warn people to not leave their children alone with anyone for even a short car journey, coupled with privately warning parents about an individual.. which happened at a congregation I know of once (the informal private warnings not the talk), although the person they were warned about may not have been baptised, as if that matters.. rather than merely ignoring the problem and hoping nobody gets hurt.)
Legal statutes, "legalities" are generally based on some moral principle. Laws tend to evolve so as to address changes in society.
There has been an increase in crimes of a sexual nature in the last few decades. That's why a registry has been designed to allow government authorities to keep track of the residence and activities of sex offenders and inform/warn the public as of 1996. The superior authorities doesn't ask anyone to publicize the presence of a suspect, they mandate that a suspect be turned over to them and they'll make that determination.
There are churches that have adopted a registered sex offender policy, but not until the last ten years or so.
http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=4951419&ct=6833419
Methodist Church: Church Participation by a Registered Child Sex Offender - Adopted in 2004
Profit and nonprofit organizations where families may be present didn't publicize convictions in the early 1990's.
Organizations with a rigorous child protection policy have activities exclusively for children.
http://www.hebronchurch.org/resources/ChildProtectionPoliciesRevised%206202012.pdf
Hebron Baptist Church is committed to providing an environment which is as safe as possible for preschoolers, children and youth who attend the church or any sponsored programs or activities, and to take the necessary precautions to protect church leaders from accusations or suspicions.
1. Under no circumstances shall a volunteer or employee be alone with a child behind a closed door. Two adults must always be present in each room where children are present.
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Bonnie_Clyde
I wonder if the wts is quietly removing those who have past issues with this or any sexual / crimes / accusations - even if denied ? The position of minister is one loaded with power and anyone who would use it for their own purposes should never be allowed to be an elder again.
They made an "about-face" in our area. I have a relative who at age 15 molested a 7-year-old girl in the congregation. I won't go into all the details - it happened about 25 years ago--except the boy was accepted at Bethel after he graduated from HS with the blessing of his elder father. After he returned home, the BOE wanted to appoint him as an elder, but the mother of the molested girl threatened to go to the authorities. So the CO removed the dad as an elder because of his cover-up and refused to appoint the pedophile son.
A little over a year ago, a new CO came into the congregation, and guess what? Dad was re-appointed an elder, and the son is now a ministerial servant--I expect he will soon be an elder.
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The Quiet One
Prime said: "The superior authorities doesn't ask anyone to publicize the presence of a suspect, they mandate that a suspect be turned over to them and they'll make that determination." ... So, do you think that an elder is absolved of the moral responsibility to 'turn the suspect over to the superior authorities', to be dealt with by trained professionals, if they were not legally required to do so at that time? I await your evasive answer..
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The Quiet One
In case anyone doesn't know where I'm going with this, Prime earlier said: "The incident in this case took place before January 1, 1997, when religious leaders were declared mandated reporters ("professionals" applicable to child abuse reporting laws)."
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Prime
Prime said: "The superior authorities doesn't ask anyone to publicize the presence of a suspect, they mandate that a suspect be turned over to them and they'll make that determination." ... So, do you think that an elder is absolved of the moral responsibility to 'turn the suspect over to the superior authorities', to be dealt with by trained professionals, if they were not legally required to do so at that time? I await your evasive answer..
Yes.
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DATA-DOG
Misfeasance and nonfeasance. " Shepherd the flock.."
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The Quiet One
Prime.. So, if you were an elder, you would not warn any parents in the congregation or report a suspected molester to the police, if you were not legally required to?
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DATA-DOG
Prime's Matrix of Leadship program evidently does not allow for morality.. If Prime is an Elder, he is more than likely a young Elder, based on his choice of avatar. IF he is a young Elder, or MS, then he is such precisely because he follows orders blindly. How different from the noble-minded character on which his avatar is based.