Britain | Jehovah's Witnesses hushed up child sex scandal | July 16, 2013

by jwleaks 172 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

  • Prime
    Prime
    In the UK laws and procedures have been put in place in an effort to protect children from sexual predators. In most settings people who come in contact with children are obliged to complete a CRB check and organisations and schools have to have polices for safeguarding children. The society will say that they don't need these checks or policies because children are in the care of parents but this is simply untrue.
    There are occasions when children are separated from parents on the service where a mother may be obliged to share her children amongst other publishers because there are too many to go on the door with her and her partner. Young teens may go on the service alone at weekends because their parents do service during the week or there is an unbelieving husband who objects to their spouse going out on the doors at the weekend. Spiritual widows are encouraged to get a mature brother to study with their sons alone and the list goes on. Children are vulnerable and yet the society sticks to their rights and the sensitivity of the perpetrator without giving any thought to the victim.
    These men followed instruction what a shame their instructions lacked any moral fibre or selfless appreciation of what it was like to be a victim. If the society is not prepared to follow guidance set up to protect children then it should be because they can offer something better not because they have too much to hide.

    The only organizations that screen volunteers and conduct criminal background checks associated with child protection are organizations that host activities where children are separated from their parents.

    Within the Jehovah's Witnesses faith, there is no "Sunday School," "church camp," or other children's activities in which children are separated from their parents. The parents of children in the congregation are expected to guide, direct and attend to the needs of their children. The elders are there to give spiritual guidance and direction and any other practical assistance possible, but the parents are there to monitor and discipline their children. Jehovah 's Witness children are not separated from their parents for any spiritual programs or activities.

    There are many nonprofit organizations that host volunteer activities where parents are welcome to bring their children, provided they're properly supervised. Hypothetically, a child could be temporarily separated from their parents, if a church hosts a recreational activity at a public park. Should an organization screen every adult that wishes to participate in something like this?

    If there are any organizations that do NOT host activities where there's a formal arrangement where children are separated from their parents, that DO screen volunteers for reasons related to child protection by conducting background checks, maybe you could reference one so I can see what it is. If there isn't one, it's obviously NOT practical to do this.

    Quit fear mongering. If people can't even participate in a door-to-door preaching assignment without everyone submitting to background checks because society is overrun with child rapists, if things are that perilous, what a lawless crime-ridden, trash society we live in. I don't think things are that bad yet.

  • Retrovirus
    Retrovirus

    The only organizations that screen volunteers and conduct criminal background checks associated with child protection are organizations that host activities where children are separated from their parents

    Prime, that is simply not true. Here in Victoria, Australia, I volunteer for a palliative care service. I need and have a Working With Children card (getting this requires a police check) in case I come into contact with children as part of voluntary work. There is no question at all of children being separated from parents.

    And yes, it's quite a practical arragement.

    Quit fear mongering. If people can't even participate in a door-to-door preaching assignment without everyone submitting to background checks because society is overrun with child rapists, if things are that perilous, what a lawless crime-ridden, trash society we live in

    Nonsense. As I've posted previously, door to door work is an excellent cover for a paedophile seeking new victims to groom.

    The wt's position on this is outdated, dishonest and untenable, as is yours.

    Retro

  • Prime
    Prime
    Prime, that is simply not true. Here in Victoria, Australia, I volunteer for a palliative care service. I need and have a Working With Children card (getting this requires a police check) in case I come into contact with children as part of voluntary work. There is no question at all of children being separated from parents.

    Palliative care - a branch of medicine that involves physical contact with others.

    I can understand this.

    Nonsense. As I've posted previously, door to door work is an excellent cover for a paedophile seeking new victims to groom.
    The wt's position on this is outdated, dishonest and untenable, as is yours.

    So if the Brady Campaign (a campaign to end gun violence) launched a door-to-door campaign to assist in spreading their message, they could incur liability if someone exploited their campaign for illicit purposes? There's always some piece of trash, ambulance chasing lawyer (crook) that will capitalize on anything and everything to siphon money from others. Most persons with a shred of common decency don't have such a warped perspective on things, that they can't see anything without an association fallacy.

    A person can exploit many things for illicit purposes, but the only persons who go to irrational extremes to make others responsible for the crimes of another are people like you.

  • Iown Mylife
    Iown Mylife

    Society IS overrun by child rapists! "Overrun" - seems to suggest that a few child rapists would be acceptable but if we have frequent reports of child rape then we're OVERRUN! Language is powerful.

    ONE child molester is intolerable, let alone the massive numbers threatening children in more ways than most people can imagine.

  • Iown Mylife
    Iown Mylife

    In many instances or perhaps MOST, the pedophile makes friends with the parents and in reality grooms THEM to gain access to children. They have patience and make plans that can take years to work out. By the time they finally get their hooks into the child and scare them into secrecy, the parents are so trusting and fond of the perpetrator they cannot BELIEVE they have been so thoroughly deceived and tricked. Pedophiles are the best actors living on earth. Also they are sociopaths which means they have NO CONSCIENCE and recognize no authority higher than themselves. If they decide to do something then in their mind there is nothing wrong with it.

    If a pedophile ever expresses remorse over anything, it is only to serve their own purposes. A pedophile believes it is perfectly right and beneficial to a child to perform sex with an adult. They do NOT believe they are doing any harm to the child whatsoever.

    Many people actually think that a pedophile can change, simply because of some verse in the Bible that mentions "that is what some of you were." However that just does not apply to pedophiles. They will never change, a pedophile does not see any reason to change because they think they are RIGHT!

  • Retrovirus
    Retrovirus

    Thanks for your reply, Prime.

    Palliative care - a branch of medicine that involves physical contact with others.

    I can understand this

    Er. . .no. I'm a volunteer, not a health care professional. I drive clients, help clean, fetch and carry, sometimes just listen. And could come into contact with minors in the affected family.

    So if the Brady Campaign (a campaign to end gun violence) launched a door-to-door campaign to assist in spreading their message, they could incur liability if someone exploited their campaign for illicit purposes

    I thought this thread was about the moral imperative to keep children as safe as possible from known predators rather than liability. If ANY ORGANISATION launched a door to door campaign their operatives would be required to carry WWC cards here. The efforts of the wt to exempt themselves from this law are an embarrassment; search the Steplen Unthank threads for more if you wish.

    but the only persons who go to irrational extremes to make others responsible for the crimes of another are people like you

    Perhaps you could explain how I've done this?

    Retro

  • Phizzy
    Phizzy

    Prime was replying to a post about the position in the U.K, and his comment that :

    " The only organizations that screen volunteers and conduct criminal background checks associated with child protection are organizations that host activities where children are separated from their parents. "

    is simply untrue, at least here in the U.K. I am a member of a small sports club, whenever children or the vulnerable are present we have to have CRB/DRB checked individuals present and active in protection. We have less than 50 members, but we achieve this.

    JW's could do the same, but no, they are happy to leave the vulnerable at more risk than in society at large.

  • nugget
    nugget

    I was a JW for forty years and in that time I was asigned to work alone on field service with other members of the congregation in rural settings regularly my mother never went on field service at the weekend and my father was not in the organisation. I was encouraged to study alone with another congregation member to "help make the truth my own". I attended study groups specifically for children held in private homes (it later turned out the father was molesting his daughters). JWs do on occasion separate children and parents and therefore they should have CRB checks done. After all for charities it is free to do and if there is nothing to hide there is nothing to fear. The Watchtower encourages mature christians to help out spiritual widows and provide role models by studying with children on their own.

    They say they are more moral, and have higher standards because they are in a spiritual paradise so to comply with a law shows good faith and reinforces their high standards.

    This fudging the issue and falsehood by stating that because there are no Sunday schools it is all ok is a fallacy. Things are not ok. Children have been molested by brothers they trusted, children have been molested on field service, children have been molested in kingdom halls. The purpose of the rules is not to persecute the innocent but to make it harder for the wicked. The present culture and rules DO NOT WORK. They have never worked except to protect the reputation of the society. The checks won't catch everyone but they will help.

  • besty
    besty
    JW's could do the same, but no, they are happy to leave the vulnerable at more risk than in society at large.

    correct - and further, elders children enjoy a higher level of protection than non-elders children.

  • nugget
    nugget

    Prime no one is fear mongering just anxious to see the society take a more proactive approach to safeguarding the vulnerable. After all they have influence over millions including the elderly, the vulnerable and children. They assign people to positions of oversight relying solely on the holy spirit and elders judgement to determine their fitness for office. I do not think that background checks for appointed men and pioneers would be inappropriate as these people come into the most contact with members of the congregation.

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