I don't have AOL, but let me give it a whirl:
I have since had a chance to look into this matter. The numbers are way off beam and appear to have been exaggerated by someone.
And how do you arrive at this conclusion?
In the USA apparently the society are required by law to document any reports of child abuse. This is why the list is kept.
Excellent, since the USA requires the list to be kept, I would assume there is no reason NOT to turn the list over to the authorites that are requiring the list, right? The society does report every incident on this master list, as the law requires, correct?
These records include allegations made on the basis of so called 'repressed memories' where it is very difficult for any authority to validate whether a crime has been committed or not.
Ok, but because YOU feel it is difficult to validate if a crime has been committed or not does NOT give you the right to keep Caesar from attempting the same, does it?
There are also names of persons who have been accused of abusing children before becoming witnesses, as well as individuals who have never been baptised witnesses but whose names they are obliged to keep because of their association with witnesses.
For example this could include a non-witness father, step-father, uncle etc who is accused by his Witness children of abusing them.
Uh, wait a minute.. There is no way you have any jurisdiction at all over non-witnesses.. These people surely have been reported to the police, haven't they?
Also included on the list are those who have had underage sex, for example two consenting teenagers. Also all those who have been accused of voyeurism or looking at child pornography would be included on the list.
And these people surely have been reported to the police, correct? Even if YOU cannot prove it, don't you think it would help the authorities to have this information?
Those who have been accused of child abuse would also be kept.
Ah, it's nice to know the list of potential child abuse perpetrators also includes, well, child abuse cases in addition to everything else that "big brother" seems to want to keep track of, even for people that have nothing to do with being a witness.
The list would include many whose guilt or innocence has never been established, but the record would be of use if the person had a second accusation and could therefore help to protect children.
This list has been turned over to the authorites, as they are the ones requiring the list, no?
If it has, it should be very easy to substantiate the actual number on that list... (No named, but the number should be easy to obtain)
If it has not, I have a few questions:
A.) If the list is being kept because it is required by law, why hasn't it been turned over.. The Society obviously acknoledges a list exists, and now they need to turn it over.. Surely the law would not state to 'keep' a list, and then do nothing with it.
B.)
The list would include many whose guilt or innocence has never been established, but the record would be of use if the person had a second accusation and could therefore help to protect children
Ok, which is it, the list is kept to satisfy USA laws, or to be used if a second accusation occured, and is therefor used to protect children?
C.)
In child abuse cases, it is a fact that the perpetrator of these horrible crimes usually attacks more than one victim before being caught.. Why doesn't the society care about any other children then their own? Wouldn't the proper thing to do to protect all children be to turn over the list, so if/when the authorities are notified of additional allegations against a perpetrator, they too have the original allegation.
The list includes many whose guilt or innocence cannot be proven, but the record would be of use if the person had a second accusation and could therefor help protect children. What if a second allegation does occur, but that person is NOT a witness, and instead of going to the elders (Which they don't even know about) they goto the proper authorities, like 99.999999% of society would do (Only 6 million world wide would goto an elder, the rest of the 6 Billion inhabitants would goto their local police).. If your society is the only one that has this list, with an allegation, the police then would have only 1 allegation, and you would have only 1 allegation in your respective databases.. By not turning over the list, you are not protecting the rest of society, and your lack of concern for the children is leaving a mark of reproach on Jehovah's name! TURN over the list, and protect ALL CHILDREN, not just your own!!!!
However, the figure of 23,000 has no basis in fact and would appear to be of malicious origin."
Ok, that means you obviously know what the real figure is.. What is the real figure, and what is your source for this information..
Making such a statement without any fact to back it up is slanderous to the person(s) who made the opposing statement.. So, prove that the other person is in fact lying, or making up figures.. Present your evidence for all of us to judge for ourselves.. For that matter, just turn over the list, and be done with the whole problem!