The intent of my post was to acknowledge the results of the Silentlambs group in the sense of exposing the corruption of the WT as being surprisingly good, while expressing my uneasiness over how those results have been achieved.
I and many others realize that there is a certain amount of deception that is necessary in this "game" of trying to knock down the WT. It is not a deception in the sense of using misleading facts, but a deception of intent and motive.
If we are honest with ourselves, our true intention is to get as many people out of the WT and make it a safer place for friends and families who will remain in this cult until they die. The ultimate goal is the WT's destruction. I believe this is the true and honest agenda of most who keep ties with the WT. Pretending to care about the WT and pretending that we are "loyal Witnesses in good standing who just have a few concerns" is all part of the "game".
I posted what I did in the hopes that victims who have supported this cause can read between the lines and have a balanced expectation and view of the Silentlambs group. Victims associated with Silentlambs should understand that the agenda is not "all about the children". It is also about payback to the WT. I hope victims' primary focus is their own getting back on their feet and not primarily one of getting even with the WT.
I am not saying that many of the suggestions the Silentlambs group has put out are not good or should not be followed. I do think the important wording of the 02-02 BOE letter is a direct result of their efforts and likely more attention will be given to this matter primarily due to their efforts.
What I am saying is that because of their obvious position regarding the WT, they are limited to being effective with ex-JWs. If their true and honest concern is the welfare of Witness children who choose to remain Witnesses, they have to be more neutral. No active Witness who is a devout believer would be comfortable seeking help from the Silentlambs website.
If the Silentlambs group were to portray themselves as a neutral group that offered assistance to victims in a confidential environment, I think that would be more in the interests of children. Since the Silentlambs group is particularly concerned over making changes that help active JWs get help and the focus is supposedly on active JWs, changes that would encourage active JWs to seek them out regarding these matters should be considered.
If victims contact Silentlambs, they can be advised that they will not face sanctions if they go to the authorities or seek professional counselling. The Silentlambs group can then encourage these ones to go to the police first and that they are not obligated to go to the elders first. If difficulties arrise (ie. stubborn oldschool elders) qualified ones can write letters or make phone calls on their behalf.
There is much that can be done within the framework of the 02-02 BOE letter that satisfies the demands of Silentlambs. Most of your demands to the WT can be met if an individual is informed of what they are and chooses to act on your recommendations. If the Silentlambs group does not have an "anti-WT" agenda they are more likely to reach people with their message.
The resulting disfellowshippings, most likely due to the anti-WT agenda will further diminish the value of Silentlambs as a help to active Witnesses. Witnesses who are molested now face sanction if they have been known to contact Silentlambs because of enforced shunning policies in place. This is unfortunate but that is the way it goes when dealing with the WT.
Anyway... my hats off to everyone involved and their courageous stand against the Tower. I don't think anyone in the WT saw this thing coming and it will be interesting to see where this ends up a year from now.
Path
(PS .. Dana... I've followed your posts more since meeting you. You're one of the nicer people here Hope you are doing well )
