Has anyone searched more recent literature to see if they have modified their stance? I am nauseous! This is clearly what I heard duirng the 1960s and early 1970s both at KH and within my immediate family. I recall when I was eitheen a female JW cousin and I were going through the main bus terminal in Manhattan with our gm. My cousin remarked with clear glee that a woman had recently been raped in the terminal and there was biref national attention. She said that the woman deserved it" 1. She was physically in NY and all NY women deserve rape. 2. She probably wore a miniskirt when almost all women under the age of fifty wore miniskirts.
She said this to me while I was wearing a miniskirt and commuting to Manhattan every day to attend college. Yep, another cause of rape -college.
Manhattan was far more than NYC to me. When there was so much chaos and violence, I earned enough money to escape for the day. I fled so often that I knew every dept in every store and every low cost musuem by heart. Watching people distracted me from my home situation.
I did not retort. My cousin was a decent person, overall.
The very sad part is that most JW women probably agree or see this stance as so trivial that who cares. Denial by women is also a strong factor. The "it can't ever happen to me. I am too virutous" helps a woman cope poorly with the risk of losing control over her body.
My father, who was a virulent antiCatholic, once remarked after a nun was raped in the local church, that she deserved it to Catholic neighbors and friends of my mother. Thank God, they realized my mom was stuck.
Every neutral source of rape educatin says there can never be one rule. Only a victim can assess so many intangible factors in her brain. Experts can never know all the circumstances and subtle hunches that make up this decision. Also, in law schoo, we were discussing rape. Our prof asked how many men were attempted rape victims? I was shockekd when almost all hands went up. He then asked if they felt that the students could have taken their assailants in a physical confrontation? Almost all hands remained up. Women have different physical strength from men. NYC had to hire women as firefighers and police officers under a court order. There was no problem finding women who qualified on the physical skills of being a police officer. It took many years for NOW and the ACLU to locate a single woman who could pass the rigorous fire department tests.
Life should have a value that surpasses taint. A taint that is culturally imposed.
Jesus valued life, as did all the apostles.
Anothe factoid: the vast majority of rapes in this country are male on male rapes in prisons. Aggression is the prime component. Most of the perps return to normal heterosexual activity outside of prison. Rape is about power, not sex. I've read that many rapists don't even ejaculate. It can't be sexually enjoyable.