An Important Note To All Serving Elders

by hillary_step 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  hillary_step

  Recently the WTS sent a letter to all bodies of elders in North America reminding them of how to proceed with the handling of cases involving Child Abuse. It stated the following:

  "Reminders Regarding The Handling Of Cases Involving Child Abuse": (1) As directed in the June 1, 1992, letter to all bodies of elders, you should immediately call the Legal Department for direction if you learn of a case of child abuse. Child abuse would include sexual abuse, self-evident physical abuse, and extreme neglect involving a minor. (2) If the alleged victim is now an adult but was a minor at the time of the abuse, please call the Legal Department. (3) If you become aware of a past case of child abuse and you are not certain whether the elders involved at the time called the Legal Department for direction, please call the Legal Department for assistance as soon as possible. (4) Child abuse is a crime. Never suggest to anyone that they should not report an allegation of child abuse to the police or other authorities. If you are asked, make it clear that whether to report the matter to the authorities or not is a personal decision for the individual to make and that there are no congregation sanctions for either decision. That is, no elder will criticize anyone who reports such an allegation to the authorities"

  What does this mean in practice for all you serving elders?

  Well, the WTS is legally serving you notice that if you have handled cases of child abuse since 1992 and did not closely follow the protocol outlined in the letter sent to the bodies of elders on June 1st 1992, and re-iterated in this letter, you stand a very good chance of being personally sued if the lawyers of an abuse victim serve papers to you. It also notifies you that the WTS is launching a planned agenda to distance themselves from you. Please look back in your files for the past ten years and recall your modus operandi if you have dealt with any of these types of cases. Please note that child abuse does *not* only involve sexual abuse.

  The WTS has driven a wedge between its own interests and yours. Quite obviously the Dateline program will lead to more cases of child abuse surfacing. No doubt a class action suit similar to that launched against the Hare Krishna movement ( 56 persons suing for $400,000,000 ) and that are on the verge of bankrupting the movement will be enjoined.

  It is not much fun being one of the ‘seven stars in Christ right hand’ is it? Especially given that those who placed you there have absolutely no loyalty toward you at all.

  HS
• 

  AlanF

  Excellent thoughts, Hillary!

  : ... the letter sent to the bodies of elders on June 1st 1992

  This was in the BOE letter for Canada. For the U.S., the reference is to the July 1, 1989 BOE letter.

  AlanF
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  one

  HS<

  "Please note that child abuse does *not* only involve sexual abuse."

  Thanks for the reminder...
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  OUTLAW

  Hey hillary,that WBTS double talk is so confusing I had to read it 3 times before I caught on...OUTLAW
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  LoyalLeon

  No real news in the letter, which was also sent to BOEs in Europe. The only problem ist, that hardcore elders for 40 yrs have difficulty to understand and apply matters as they are written, interpreting sth into letters, as they learned it to be decades ago (if the society says, they mean...).

  Why is it so hard for many to use ther God-given thinking capacities in a responsible way?

  LL
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  Pathofthorns

  A nice reminder for elders HS.

  I think elders should be personally sued when they don't follow protocol. There is little more frustrating when you have renegade elders that do their own thing. Many times these men seem to think that they are not only above the law, but above following the same rules as the r&f.

  Of course, the Society has sent so many mixed signals and made so many changes over the years that it is any wonder these men can make sense of them. Usually whatever they do was Society policy at one time, and often the old school mentality resists the change to the new.

  Path
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  hillary_step

  LoyalLeon,

  Why is it so hard for many to use ther God-given thinking capacities in a responsible way?

  I suspect the answer to this question is as simple as ‘exclusivity conditioning’. God talks to us, we talk for God and think for you, you act for us.

  The thinking very closely resembles the mentality expressed by the Jews in the C1st. As Daniel-Rops says in his book ‘Jesus In His Time",

  Against this more or less open contempt ( toward the Roman ruling power ) was ranged a pride which was never hidden, For this pride was in large measures the moral bastion of the Jewish community; the thing which had enabled them to resist pagan infiltration’s and temptations for hundreds of years. It was based on the certitude that the privileges of Israel were beyond human sovereignty and that political contingencies could not affect it in the least. When Jesus said to the Jews "The truth shall make you free" they replied "We be Abraham’s seed and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be free? (John viii 32,33 )

  Given the mix of a motley diet perpetually consisting of exclusivity and an the subsequent arrogant disregard for other points of view, even people in bondage think that they are free and are willing to hand over their thought processes to others.

  Knowledge is the bitter enemy of the GB, and it is gradually losing the battle to monopolize its control of information. That is why it’s foundations have cracked.

  Best regards - HS
• 

  IslandWoman

  Hi HS,

  ***If you are asked, make it clear that whether to report the matter to the authorities or not is a personal decision for the individual to make and that there are no congregation sanctions for either decision.***

  "If You Are Asked", ahh yes "IF"! For over thirty years it was ingrained in my mind and soul, KEEP THINGS IN THE CONGREGATION! We were not to take our brother to court, we were not to expose the congregation's "dirty laundry" to anyone on the outside, lest we bring reproach on Jehovah's name!

  It is similar to a child who has been taught a morbid fear of the ocean, will he really ask to go in? The parent who wants to cover up the fact that he has taught his child such morbid fear would just say to others: "Well, it's fine with me if he wants to play in the water, IF HE ASKS I would let him!"

  Thanks HS,
  IW
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  hawkaw

  Hi HS ....

  .. All parties including elders must be sued whether they are following policy or not. All parties not only include the local and head office coporations but also the individuals as well. Individuals include any corporate officers as well as local leaders such as MSs or Elders. The elders and MSs are lucky that counsel will be provided for them during these cases.

  The problem as Mad Apostate has pointed out and I tend to agree with is defining the "test" - in other words what type of negligence did the WTS and its local leaders breach to wrong the victims. Both Mad Apostate and I wonder just what type of neglience can be used in these cases. I think in Erica's case, seeing the bastard was an elder, Erica's lawyers can use the negligence that deals with an "employee" of a corporation (employee can be defined as an elder of the WTS) wronging another. But I didn't read that type of negligence being used in the Anderson's lawsuit brief to the Federal court. I don't know what is in the brief to the state court seeing the lawsuit got tossed from the Federal court. Of course the Berry case is somewhat different seeing the MS was also a parent. I still think that type of negligence can be used but Mad Apostate thinks another type of negligence will have to be used just to get it to trial.

  This is why Mad Apostate and I have been trying to find out what is going on with the pending lawsuits.

  hawk
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  hillary_step

  Hi Hawk,

  The elders and MSs are lucky that counsel will be provided for them during these cases.

  Well, this is now in dispute.

  CO's have been instructed to inform the elders that *if* they have not followed protocol they are "on their own" if sued. The WTS will not even bankroll their defence, let alone provide legal counsel.

  Best regards - HS