somebody might be on the right track, this was the second to the last message:
am one of Jehovah's Witnesses in southern California. I saw the Dateline show, and in fact I taped it and watchted it a couple of more times. I especailly was insteredted in the facial expressions and mannerisms of some of the persons interviewed, including Bill Bowen and Barbara Anderson and Erica.
Something that concerns me is the way it is being handled at my Kingdom Hall. It would be shocking to learn of such a situation at ANY Kingdom Hall, and so I didn't worry about the first reactions of the brothers and sisters, but after a while I did become curious.
Where was the concern for Erica? She is still our sister. She was hurt in SOME way, the court convicted Brother Beliz TWICE of hurting her. So why aren't we sending her letters of condolances and support? And for that matter her parents, who I think are still Witnesses, even if her father is no longer an elder.
And another thing, there is a brother who went to another Hall near me, he is a police officer (he was one before beoming a Witness) and I contacted him. He's been getting a lot of calls from the brothers and sisters!!! He said that in California, it is the law---in fact, all fifty states and the Federal Government--that parents MUST report if their child is assaulted. (Erica was 16, a minor chcild) This is not a choice, this is about being in subjection to Caesar.
So it seems to me he was treated rather roughly, not to be commenting on the 'rightness' of how he was handled by the congregation, but that it must have been painful to go through his daughter's situation and not get very much support from their spiritual family. I feel very bad for the Garzas and the Belizes, they all are still brothers and sisters.
I am trying to track down some mailing addresses for all of them, I will post them if I find any. I really think that 'true Christians' would try and offer emotional support for these two families, and pray for them to be healed somehow.
There are some other things that bother me, but that was the main one. As far as the 'Pedophile Paradise' comment made in the first showing, well, the Society said that they will report all accusations in the reporting states,of which there are 16, and it really is up to the voters and the politicians in the remaining states to change their laws, that should get all the religious organizations on the right road to cleaning up this blight. We could use a little help from Caesar on this.
As far as help for all the victims, and there must be a few if the court convicted the abusers, there must be victims/survivors. Something must be done for them, I do not know what. Perhaps the Society will come up with something soon, in the meantime perhaps letters of support for all of them?
And then maybe we Jehovah's Witnesses won't look like quite the lunatics....