Tennessee: The Tullahoma News and Guardian, Wednesday, September 11, 2002 Top Stories | ||
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| Couple plans to march against church denomination's policy | ||||||||
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| Barbara and Joe Anderson of Tullahoma claim sexual child abuse has been widespread among the Jehovah Witnesses denomination, and say they plan to do something about it. |
| The Andersons plan to participate in a nationwide march at the organization's headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Sept. 27. The Andersons are members of the Silentlambs which was organized to stop what they say has been repeated sexual abuse permitted because of Jehovah Witness bylaws. Mrs. Anderson said the denomination has a policy that does not require pedophile incidences to be reported to law enforcement authorities. She added that Jehovah Witnesses say they handle such matters in house. However, Mrs. Anderson said what in effect happens is pedophiles end up being protected by a cover-up which allows them to continue their illegal actions. She added they are often moved about through the denomination's many locations, which allows them to continue their actions. She said child sexual abuse cases have occurred in Coffee County. Mrs. Anderson summed up the reason why she and her husband plan to march in Brooklyn. "We want them to change the policy that protects pedophiles," she said. Mrs. Anderson said her and her husband's efforts to help change the system have resulted in retaliation from the denomination. The Andersons have been disfellowshipped by the Kingdom Hall in Tullahoma where they attended. Disfellowshipping, the equivalent of excommunication, is the harshest punishment handed down by the organization against members. Shunning is included as part of the punishment, which separates families. Mrs. Anderson said she is no longer able to see or communicate with her son or his family who live in Mishawaka, Ind. She added that he is a practicing Jehovah Witness and is bound by the denomination's rules. "They have shunned us," she said, referring to the church, then her son's family. "We'll never see them again." Her husband agreed. "You just can't imagine what this has been like for us. We can't see our grandchild any more. Our son and daughter-in-law won't allow it," he said. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson attended a Nashville news conference last week to explain their situation along with other Jehovah Witnesses who have spoken out against the alleged sexual child abuse. Two Nashville women were quoted in the media about their specific circumstances. They said they were abused as girls by members of their respective Kingdom Halls. "We're speaking out now, as young women in our 20s, because we realize that what happened to us was wrong and that we are not alone. There are many of us who are suffering," one woman said. A spokesman for the New York-based Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the umbrella organization that is headquarters for Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, said they were aware of the planned march later this month. A man who answered the phone in the press office at Watchtower headquarters was quoted in the media as saying that press statements would not be issued until the day of the march. He had asked that any statements be attributed to the organization's spokesman, J.R. Brown. |
| The Tullahoma News 2002 |