My Letter To The GB

by DakotaRed 14 Replies latest jw friends

DakotaRed

Below is a copy of the letter I wrote tonight and mailed to the Watchtower Society.
I even remembered to actually sign this one
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society
Attn: Governing Body
25 Columbia Heights
Brooklyn, New York 11201-2483
July 26, 2002
Lewis A. Waters
XXXX XX XX XX
XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX
Dear Watchtower Society
It is with much distress that I feel compelled to write you this. At one time, I viewed you as the only true religion and thought you to be the most kind and loving of all religious groups. Two years ago, I discovered different and was forced to disassociate myself from your ranks.
I was content, however, to just get on with my life and leave you all behind me. I was not even bitter, even though my marriage has fallen apart in a divorce, partly brought about due to your policy of shunning any who wish to leave your organization, even if peaceably. Still, I was content to just live the rest of my life; alone if need be, peaceably and without animosity between your organization and me.
Now, certain matters have come to light that force me to change my mind and speak out to you. That being, your continued denials of a pedophile cover-up and subsequent disfellowshipping of faithful members of your religion on trumped up charges of apostasy when they are really being expelled for speaking out against your continued cover-ups. Yes, I am speaking about the recent disfellowshippings of Barbara Anderson, The Pandelo family and Bill Bowen, the only ones to appear on the March 28 edition of Dateline NBC. All sought justice, scriptural justice, I might add, from your organization and received the boot instead.
The double speak coming from your spokesperson, J.R. Brown is as shallow as can be. He says you decline interviews with NBC because it is a spiritual matter handled between brothers. Yet, word is somehow leaked out to congregations all across this land that they were disgruntled exJWs who had been disfellowshipped, weeks before you actually did disfellowship them.
I have followed the case of Bill Bowen with much interest in the press and am appalled at how you continually violated your own publication, Pay Attention To Yourselves and to the Flock, the so called elders instruction manual. Is this book kept secret so no one will notice when the rules within your organization change temporarily to suit your whims and establish a kangaroo court to silence dissension?
After all the years of condemnation coming from your organization directed against the Catholic Church and their pedophile problem, wouldnt the Christian thing to do be stand up and correct the problem? The problem of pedophiles is spread across the entire religious spectrum; it is not unique to your organization. What is unique, however, is the extent that your organization has gone to remove the whistle blowers that failed to receive simple acts of Christian kindness and support when sought from you.
Jesus taught love and kindness, not silencing those who have been harmed. He never taught covering up a problem and silencing victims. Yet, he did forcibly expel the moneychangers from the temple, did he not? I submit that those moneychangers are todays Watchtower Society who tries to profit off of someone elses misery.
Why not do the right thing? Just admit what many already know. Admitting a problem and correcting it does not bring reproach on Jehovahs name. Lying about it and covering it up and subsequently, allowing it to continue definitely brings reproach on Jehovahs name.
In closing, may I direct your attention to the New World Translation Bible;
John 13:34 I am giving YOU a new commandment, that YOU love one another; just as I have loved YOU , that YOU also love one another. 35 By this all will know that YOU are my disciples, if YOU have love among yourselves.
Matthew 25:40 And in reply the king will say to them, Truly I say to YOU , To the extent that YOU did it to one of the least of these my brothers, YOU did it to me.
Romans 13:8 Do not YOU people be owing anybody a single thing, except to love one another; for he that loves his fellowman has fulfilled [the] law.
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous so as to forget YOUR work and the love YOU showed for his name, in that YOU have ministered to the holy ones and continue ministering.
I can only pray that Jehovah will soften your hearts and open your eyes of the harm you have done to your own organization.
Respectfully
Lewis A. Waters
Perry

Excellent letter Lewis!
I believe the average Jehovah's Witness has no idea how much this problem is being scrutinized by people ....globally. The BBC is broadcast in countries all over the world. I recently picked it up at a hotel 200 miles inside China in the town of Guanzhou. There could hardly be a more basic responsibility upon a parent, government, or religion than the protection of its children. I believe that informed people are sincererly interested in the fruits of those who claim to be God's sole channel of communuication on earth.
If the society thinks that stone-walling will make this problem go away just because that tactic has worked so well in other policies that needlessly harmed its members like in Malawi, Mexico and officially supporting UN objectives for the past ten years as an approved NGO; I believe them to be sadly mistatken.
I applaud you for being a stand up guy and rebuking the Society for blatently lying to the public and its members; and refusing to do the decent thing by simply working with governments and police forces on issues that are clearly criminal or outside the realm of spiritual shepherding.
My concern is that the average citizen will be better informed about the dangers of certain policies by Jehovah's Witness leadership than the average Witness.
Edited by - Perry on 27 July 2002 2:55:7
abbagail

Well written letter, Lew! Thanks for sharing it with us.
And Perry, your statements are right on, also.
There are several letter-writing threads going. I wish we could combine them, so I'll just put all their links here FYI:
LuckyLucy has a thread going: Bill deserves more from us!!!
< http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=33150&site=3>;
RubyTuesday has a thread going: Media Links (for NBC and MSNBC): < http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=33135&site=3>;
mikepence also has a thread going:Help to publicize the plight of Bowen
< http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=33154&site=3>;
OrangeFatCat has a thread going: Letters of Outrage to Governing Body: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/post.asp?id=437471&method=reply&site=3
Amazing has a similar thread going also: Need Help - New JW Pedophile Project < http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=33163&site=3>;
And MacHislopp scanned in an EXCELLENT run of all news reports and WT comments re: the Catholic Church's scandal over the past 10-15 years. We all should copy that list of remarks and attach it to our letters to WTS AND TO THE MEDIA so they can see what the WT has been saying all these years about the CC while covering up their own filthy sandbox. Mac's thread is here:
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=33077&site=3
YoursChelbie has a thread: Watchtower in NY By Law has to turn in Pedo-Files
< http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=33059&site=3>;
Again, great letter Lew! You're on the ball!
Grits
Edited by - grits on 27 July 2002 6:4:17
Mary

Very good letter Dakoka;
I've written one too,
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=33127&site=3&page=2
but I plan on modifying it a bit to include scriptures that shows where Jehovah punished the Israelites when they weren't following his commandments, plus more scriptures that show that they are acting exactly how the Pharisees did in Jesus' day. I would suggest that all letters be openly cc'd to all TV programs such as Dateline, NBC, 20/20, hell I'd even cc Oprah as she is a survivor of child abuse herself and might easily run a program about it.
I agree with whoever suggested that they put flyers in everyone's cars at the Hall, but I'm not sure how effective that would be. The elders would probably try and force everyone to throw them away right then and there. A more subtle way would be if you know anyone who has a copy of everyone's' name and address (I think all congregations have this) and send it in the mail to them.
I would also suggest that flyers be left in the laundramats, malls, in fact, you may want to try putting a flyer on the cars at your local mall. If 'worldly' people find out more and more about what's going on, that'd put a real nice damper when Witnesses are out in service if they have to try and answer accusations about cover-ups and pedophilia amongst Jehovah's Witnesses. How many magazines do you think any Witness is going to place if everyone but them knows what's going on?
Another method of getting this message out in your local area, (this is only for those that can afford it), would be to have a ton of flyers, complete with pertinent web sites, sent out bulk mail to areas where you live. As I say, this could get pricey, so it would be only for those that can afford it.
We owe this not only to those who stood up for what was right, like Bill Bowan and Barbara Anderson, but to all victims of child abuse too.
DakotaRed

Thank you for the comments on the letter.
Mary, I especially enjoyed reading yours. I would like to see the finished copy when you are done with it.
If we are going to engage in a letter writing campaign, as most of us have indicated we are, then I feel each of us should speak from the heart and show how we feel. We may copy ideas and such from each other, but maybe having so many different feelings expressed may break down the wall of silence. I certainly hope so.
If nothing else, maybe the poor sap assigned to look them over before they get trashed may have their eyes opened and come out with even more information critical to getting the WTS to clean up their act and actually start doing something real about the problem.
For all writing letters, please share your ideas and thoughts. The world reading these sites should see how people feel about this fiasco.
Lew W
Watchtower Decruit
gumby

D.R.
Don't you sometimes wonder HOW those at the service desk and legal dept. can turn a deaf ear to all the things within the borg that are exposed thru letters like yours? They get them all the time.
You would expect those that deal with these letters would act the same as those who frequent this site......learn the borg is bogus......and GET OUT!. What keeps them in????????????????/
DakotaRed

Gumby, it's called brainwashing and denial. But still, it amazes me that those who receive the letters and open them haven't seen the light. Maybe a few thousand letters from all of us will help them.
Lew W
Watchtower Decruit
gumby

D.R.
Maybe a few thousand letters from all of us will help them.
I agree. I think SOOOOOOOOO many seeds of doubt have been planted that... for some...they will need not too many more dub blunders and they too will leave.
It would be nice to have a few more (higher ups) leave. This also takes away credibility in the borg for many.
Thanks for your efforts......your a good dude!
maximumflash

D.R.
Great letter!
I agree that if enough people bring light onto the situation, something will be done to correct the issue. And people like me that have no ties to religion at all will support all of you out there that are trying to do what is right.
MacHislopp

Hello DakotaRed,
thanks for sharing your letter with us. A very interesting, factual
honest...and right to the core of the problem. I'm also thinking
of writing one and I'll post it on this forum.
Grits: good comments. Excellent idea about the links. Thanks.
Greetings, J.C.MacHislopp

My Letter To The GB

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