At dinner last night, I began telling my mother more about the silentlambs issue. I told her all about Bill Bowen and Barbara Anderson and the Pandelos and the 'witch hunt' to get them disfellowshipped. At first she was defensive of the policy, until I told her they live in 3 different states. I could tell it hit her conscience, that all 3 were given notice the same week, 3 weeks before the Dateline show is to air. When I told her the Society didn't accept the elder's decision not to DF Barb A., and that they submitted new charges, that was shocking to her.
Then she said this "I think I can speak for anyone who is a mother of one of the victims of a pedophile (she is), and say that they (pedophiles) should all be in prison. I don't care what the elders would tell me or do to me, the first one I would call is the police." She said the elders should be more concerned with the children than with their reputations in the community.
When I told her about them needing two witnesses to the offense, she was horrified.............I started to tell her about Erica, and the phone rang. It was her Presiding Overseer, and by the time I finished talking to him, she had to go back to her room to rest (we were talking about her and how she is STILL not getting visitors from the congregation............he really is a nice man). It took a lot out of her to hear all of that. But at least she is thinking again. Sometimes they are so mindless, repeating the WT rhetoric. Mom is a free spirit of sorts, even though she is 90, so I have hope for her.
Marilyn (aka Mulan)
"No one can take advantage of you, without your permission." Ann Landers