"Sex Scandal Destroys Watchtower Society"

by herk 4 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  herk

  The following article appeared in yesterday's National Post of Toronto. Could it be that someday we'll be reading a similar title and article about the WT Society? I've got my hopes up. How about you?

  Sex scandal destroys law firm

  Montreal careers wrecked: Court hears how lawyer's dinner with administrator ended in heavy drinking, sex attack allegations

  Graeme Hamilton
  National Post, Friday, May 09, 2003
  
  MONTREAL - Gaëtan Legris had a reputation as one of the city's hardest-working and highest-earning lawyers and in the spring of 2000, he was at the pinnacle of his career. In a few months he was scheduled to take over as head of Pepin Létourneau, the prestigious firm he had joined fresh out of law school.

  But instead of occupying a law office towering above Old Montreal, Mr. Legris, 51, has spent the past month in the courthouse two blocks away, fighting a legal battle to salvage his name and a career that disintegrated in one drunken night in May, 2000.

  The trial has laid bare a scandal in which, as Quebec Superior Court Justice J. Claude Larouche observed yesterday, "everyone loses." Mr. Legris's lucrative business, specializing in insurance law, has evaporated. Guy Pepin and Alain Létourneau, two highly respected members of the Montreal legal community, have seen their firm dissolve in disgrace after 34 years of existence.

  And Louise Trudeau, an administrator who worked at Pepin Létourneau for 30 years, remains tormented by the events of May 16, 2000, when she met Mr. Legris for dinner to discuss firm business. The two drank to excess, and Ms. Trudeau alleges the night ended with Mr. Legris sexually attacking her in the corridor outside the firm's Place d'Armes offices.

  Rarely does the Montreal tabloid the Journal de Montréal pay great attention to the inner workings of the city's law firms, but this case was irresistible. "Money, alcohol and sex," it summarized in a front-page headline.
• 

  herk

  This is what we possibly could see in the near future. I can dream, can't I?

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  Sex scandal destroys Watchtower Society

  Headquarters careers wrecked: Court hears how thousands of child abuse cases were covered up to keep the religion's name from becoming tarnished in the public eye

  George Jefferson
  New York Times, Wednesday, December 31, 2003
  
  BROOKLYN - Members of the Watchtower Society's Governing Body had a reputation as the most important spiritual leaders in the entire world. They were at the pinnacle of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization. In a matter of a few short years they were scheduled to lead the worldwide association into a new world where paradise conditions would replace the present system of things.

  But instead of occupying lavish offices in Brooklyn and Patterson, New York, all members of the Governing Body have spent the past month in the courthouse four blocks away, fighting a legal battle to salvage a name and a reputation that seem to have been irrevocably tarnished during the past few years.

  The trial has laid bare a scandal in which, as a Brooklyn Superior Court Justice observed yesterday, "everyone loses." The Watchtower Society's lucrative assets, used mainly to promote the interests of the Jehovah's Witnesses sect worldwide, have evaporated. The Governing Body has seen their corporation and authority dissolve in disgrace after 125 years of existence. Jehovah's Witnesses around the world, whose faith in the organization has disintegrated, are trying to re-establish themselves in their families and communities in order to start life all over again.

  All Governing Body members remain tormented by the events of 2001 to 2003, when many members of their organization began stepping forward to reveal how they were sexually abused as children and received no help at all from the elders to whom they reported such cruel and inhumane treatment. In fact, it has been learned that the elders covered over such incidents with the full endorsement of the Governing Body. The purpose was to shield the organization from bad publicity. Victims were discouraged, even forbidden, from reporting the abuse to proper law enforcement authorities.

  Rarely has the media paid great attention to the inner workings of the Governing Body of the Witnesses, but this case is so sad and despicable that it has become irresistible. We can expect this case to make front-page headlines around the world for weeks to come and no doubt much longer.
• 

  Gopher

  It's nice to dream. But their loyal (if somewhat blind) members believe this is an actual religion with God's blessing, and not merely a lucrative publishing society that controls its members' lives.

  Jehovah's Witnesses around the world, whose faith in the organization has disintegrated,

  It's been said on this board here before that the Governing Body could conduct an orgy, and still the JW's would go on believing they're God's channel of truth. How often have we heard "the organization is perfect, just the men in it are imperfect". That mantra, drummed into the heads of the dubs year after year, is what is driving the denial of the reality of the current pedophile/coverup scandal.

  Only a few who are sensitive and thinkers, and who are in a position to leave, have let their faith in the organization disintegrate over the pedophile issue.

  The blind loyalists will never see that their organization as the greedy, power-hungry, scandalous creature that it is. "Perfect organization, imperfect men", and "our organization, right or wrong" will be the thoughts that continue to inspire blind loyalty to the WT Society.
• 

  herk

  Gopher,

  I agree. But my focus is on the legal problems and loss of financial and property assets. Lawsuits similar to those levied against tobacco companies could put a big dent in the Society's reputation that could slow down and even reverse the organization's growth.

  But, alas!, as I stated above, I'm probably just dreaming. But it's a nice dream, and sometimes dreams do come true.
• 

  Gopher

  Herk,

  I can't blame you for dreaming! Like the song in the movie "South Pacific" said, if you don't have a dream, how are you going to make a dream come true?

  We can only hope that by deprivation of some of their vast financial resources, that the Watchtower Society will become less effective in its work of recruiting and fooling more people to become slaves for it.