by John Aquila 29 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
How much do you want to bet that the Organization has already started preparing articles for the Watchtower magazines, convention talks, Circuit Overseers talk’s and letters to bodies of elders, to refute what is happening in Australia?
Right now the most important thing for the WT to do is
protect their image that they are God’s visible organization.Especially in the U.S. and Latin American Countries.
What can they do except claim persecution, proof that the end is near, etc.?
Never mind that the evidence is coming from their own elders...
I think they (the Almightly Org) take themselves extremely seriously.
So I would imagine they take any negative publicity extremely seriously. After all they are
Gods brethren, Jesus body, well lets just say it "god on earth" (in their minds).
To the degree they "react" to this will be to the degree their disillusion is functioning.
If they were smart (which they cant be because their ego is crowding out the room where intelligence would reside) they wouldnt react. Instead they would act.
Something new and shiny, some bells and whistles that people can ohh and ahh over.
another thing they could do, although this would be too shrewd and I dont think cooler heads will prevail to actually get it done...is to turn themselves in to a pedophile crushing machine. Saturate their literature, clean out their congs, form support groups and liason committees for the molested.
In short, jump in front of things to such a degree that they act as though they invented pedophile protection for the world.
You know, kind of the like the way they are acting like they invented web sites, television and the internet now?
The WTBTS doesn't really care. They rely on the fact that the vast majority of JWs either will be completely unaware of the reports or will simply dismiss them as "apostate propaganda".
I remember when there was a Panorama program in the UK about child abuse hardly any JWs watched it. A few weeks later I was on the ministry with an elder & the householder mentioned the program & the elder wasn't even aware that such a program had been broadcast.
One thing I'm sure the WTBTS will do , though , is have teams of specially trained elders who will be shipped in to conduct JCs on paedophile / child abuse cases. Guys who know all the pitfalls & are comfortable with all the legal obligations. Each country would perhaps need 10 or 20 ( allowing for appeals. ) The average elder is OK at handling the usual JCs involving adultery , drunken teens etc but it's totally obvious from the testimony of these elders that most of them are totally out of their depth in handling child abuse cases.
John Aquila
How much do you want to bet that the Organization has already started preparing articles for the Watchtower magazines, convention talks, Circuit Overseers talk’s and letters to bodies of elders, to refute what is happening in Australia?
The GB has only 1 chance - they have to apologize.
One example is my elderly mother. If I say anything about 1975, she always say: "look into the 1980 WT, they have said sorry for this" and does not say another word about 1975.
If the GB apologize about the child abuse, every JW can say, "they have said sorry for that - and now let us speak about something spiritually beneficial".
just my 2 cents
*** w80 3/15 p. 17 par. 5 Choosing the Best Way of Life ***
There were statements made then, and thereafter, stressing that this was only a possibility. Unfortunately, however, along with such cautionary information, there were other statements published that implied that such realization of hopes by that year was more of a probability than a mere possibility. It is to be regretted that these latter statements apparently overshadowed the cautionary ones and contributed to a buildup of the expectation already initiated.
D J JACKSON was the former CO/DO – here the snippets from the transcript:
Question: And in 1990 you were appointed by the Australia branch to serve as a circuit overseer?
D J JACKSON Answer: Correct.
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Question: And you then served as circuit overseer until 1998; is that right?
D J JACKSON Answer: correct - not on that circuit, though.
Question: And then as district overseer until 2014?
D J JACKSON Answer: Correct.
Question: Do you hold any position of responsibility in the currently?
D J JACKSON Answer: Only serving as an elder.
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Question: You say: [BCB]'s case is the only case involving child sexual abuse in which I have ever involved. The records available to the Royal Commission suggest there has been another case. You are going to be shown a name. I am not wanting you to say the name out aloud, because I'd rather keep it confidential, but it's to see whether that perhaps jogs your memory as to another case that you were involved in?
D J JACKSON Answer: No, sorry.
Question: It doesn't jog your memory? So as far as you can, sitting there now, there was just this one case of child sexual abuse in your years that you had to deal with?
D J JACKSON Answer: Yes.
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I highlighted "only" ;-)
8 years a CO
16 years a DO
What that former CO/DO and current elder said just can't be true.
It also can't be true considering Australia is averaging at least one known pedophile per congregation. He's had to have encountered more based on the numbers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if we extrapolate those numbers world wide, would JWs actually be the worst religion on average with child abuse?
I believe that if the GB had any real idea that the Commission proceedings would be such a debacle they would have taken far more pre-emptive action. I am gutted there is a day off for them to have some time to get their s**t together for the next run of testimony.
I can see this going one of two ways:
Option 1 - they do nothing, just wait for the findings of the Commission and then spin it on the basis that most of the R&F will stay loyal and the public have short memories.
Option 2 - rapid changes in advance of the Commission to try and pre-empt the worst criticism. Possible changes would include:
- child abuse allegations being handled by a SWAT team of specially trained elders (as per the comments above)
- victims interviewed with support people (e.g. friends, relatives, SWAT team sisters)
- victims positively encouraged to report to the authorities and supported in this
- judicial action withheld until the authorities have investigated
- no requirement for a victim to face the accused
- any accused person having restrictions placed on them right away in terms of their privileges in the congregation and participation in activities such as the ministry
- pro-active steps taken to ensure children are not left in a potentially dangerous environment (this is already part of policy but how well it is enforced currently is another thing)
I am cautious of suggesting that the WTS will go on the offensive and start making open apologies and the like. They are still a very self-serving organisation when it comes to managing any liability. I suspect they will not do anything that would allow a glut of law suits to be presented world-wide as the implications on finances is huge.
I do have a feeling they will realise that this Commission will expose the chasm between what other organisations have done to implement child protection best practice and where they are now. I don't think they are so stupid as to think they can ride the storm essentially unscathed. Prepare for some rapid changes that apparently have always been the case and for a ridiculous amount of spin...
