WTS Addresses Child Abuse - er, kind of...

by iiz2cool 139 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  Nosferatu

  This book will help open a channel of communication between parent and child.

  SOJ, that is a load of bullshit. I was afraid to communicate to my mother when I was a child, even though I was read "Listening to The Great Teacher", "Your Youth: Getting The Best Out Of It", and "My Book of Bible Studies". The thing is, whenever I said or did anything that upset "Jehovah", I was beaten or slapped for it. I also found that the publications were read to me some time after I recieved the slap or beating to further "council" me. Are these publications made to accompany abuse as punishment?

  It IS the parents responsability to warn their children about these sexual predators. The Watchtower are helping the parents do this.

  The Watchtower does a lot of things, however they are not always correct.

  I'm sure since you all are the wisest people in the world , that you have a better idea of how to educate parents and how to talk to your children, but this books helps the other millions of parents that don't.

  SOJ, go to the library (not your Theocratic one, a public one) or a bookstore, and ASK for a book on raising children. You will find many of them. The Watchtower has closed off all things worldly by classifying them as "evil", and the parents have to rely on whatever the society puts out becuase all worldly information is influenced by Satan the devil.
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  Room 215

  Amad, you're missing the point... this stuff happens in all religions, but few if any of these "other religions" claim to have such a monopoly on honesty decency, morality, etc. that they alone deserve to be saved while the rest of humanity gets iincinerated. Does sucn a "no-better-than-average" record of child abuse occurrences square with the WTBTS's carefully cultivated image of a "spiritual paradise?"
• 

  amac

  Amad, you're missing the point...

  I don't think I am. This thread was about a bit of advice in a JW book on kids handling child molestation, it is not about the problem of molestation and how it is handled in the WT org which is a totally different subject.

  You commented on this excerpt by saying...

  Of course, the very fact that they publish such advice, along with a fairly graphic illustration, is a tacit admission thagt the allegations of widspread child abuse with the "spiritual paradise" are all too sccurate.

  I responded by saying

  Hardly! It's more of an admission that these things happen, no matter WHAT religion.

  Unless I misunderstood you, it seemed as though you were saying that this excerpt is equal to admission that there is a WIDESPREAD problem in the WT org, as though it is a bigger problem in this religion as it is in others. Henceforth my response. I don't think molestation is more prevalent among JWs than it is among other religions. The problem is the wrong viewpoint the WT has on reporting these to the authorities. Either way, this seems completely off topic for this thread and more of a repeat of previous threads discussing this issue.
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  rocketman

  I thought that the first page of the two from the book was poorly written, with the third paragraph being downright ridiculous. They are telling kids that by being abused they themselves may turn around and do bad things with their sex organs. What kind of thinking is that to lay on a kid? And this stuff about putting them and their sex organs into the middle of the Jehovah vs Satan bout for universal domination is ludicrous.

  I have a child, and as I posted once before, when she was young she'd at times have trouble getting to sleep at night because she was afraid that satan would come in her room and make her do bad things like take drugs. This was because we, as jws, would teach her about Satan wanting us to do bad things. We saw the effect first-hand, and we didn't like it at all. It was harmful and unnecessary.
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  logansrun

  I haven't read through this entire thread but would like to share my view:

  Yes, the Society is rather looney about many things and their totally unsupported religious views (ie, "Jehovah is watching; will protect") causes children to grow up thinking a myriad of irrational things. But, I think people are being way to hard on the Society here. Even though SoJ is an utterly annoying twit, she/he makes a very good observation: whatever the Society does or prints, some "apostate" will find fault with it! They're in a "lose-lose" situation!

  I did a couple "google" searches on how to talk to your young children about child sexual abuse and practically all of them said to use the correct words for the genitalia. One site said that children should be taught these words as young as 18 months! I see absolutely nothing wrong with the publication using the words penis, vulva and sex. The problem is the context in which they use these words, not the words themselves. Even then, what they publish is not without some good advice on the matter.

  Furthermore, the Society's past history on the issue of molestation is stained with many errors, but I must say they have NEVER endorsed molestation and, bad policy or not, do want to look out for the welfare of their children. To say they just don't care is a gross mistake. I hope what they have written will protect some youth in the future. I also hope they see themselves out of this cult.

  Bradley
• 

  Nosferatu

  Even though SoJ is an utterly annoying twit, she/he makes a very good observation: whatever the Society does or prints, some "apostate" will find fault with it! They're in a "lose-lose" situation!

  This is somewhat true. However, there are many people's feathers ruffled over this book, including mine. How come nobody's attacking the new brochure like this?

  The problem is the society comes up with it's antecdotes on how to deal with life's problems according to the bible, but they discourage their members from reading "worldly" publications, or going out and getting professional "worldly" help with their problems. The problem is covered up with Watchtower publications saying "all will be perfect in paradise earth". While we're waiting for paradise earth, we need to deal with these problems NOW instead of putting them aside and letting them grow.
• 

  logansrun

  Nosferatu,

  This is somewhat true. However, there are many people's feathers ruffled over this book, including mine.

  This is an argumentum ad populum. Just because a lot of people don't like something doesn't mean they have a valid argument. That's like a JW saying, "We have 6 million members so we must be the truth!"

  How come nobody's attacking the new brochure like this?

  Because it's just a bunch of maps. Kind of hard to find much fault with that.

  The problem is the society comes up with it's antecdotes on how to deal with life's problems according to the bible,

  And I would say this is a problem since I view the Bible as being about as reliable as a watch that's been stepped on by a dinosaur. But, for a Bible-believer this is a plus...

  but they discourage their members from reading "worldly" publications, or going out and getting professional "worldly" help with their problems. The problem is covered up with Watchtower publications saying "all will be perfect in paradise earth". While we're waiting for paradise earth, we need to deal with these problems NOW instead of putting them aside and letting them grow.

  Good point, yet I don't think the Society is saying, "don't be worried about child molestation because it will be gone in the new system." If they held that view, why would they even print something like this in the first place? They want to help, yet are caught in a belief system and, more importantly, an organizational culture which makes dealing with this issue far more difficult. Basically, I don't see the "advice" the Society is offering here to be all that incredibly horrible. In fact, they make a couple good points.

  Bradley
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  logansrun

  Room 215,

  I thinks it's contemptible of the Society to place the onus/burden, whatever, on the innocent children to be vigilant and take action in cases of encounter with exploitative/molesting perverted adults.....

  Now, that's got to be one of the stupidest things I've read on this forum. It's a GOOD thing that the Society, parents or whoever warn children that there are perverted people out there and that the children should stand up for themselves if they are confronted. To say that this puts a "onus" on children is totally distorting the aims of the Society here. Get real.

  why not admonish the adults that such crimes will be severely dealt with rathr than depreive the chilren of their innocence by urging a paranoic vigliance on them? Sick, truly sick.

  Um, hello -- they have. Have you read anything the Society says about this matter? Although their past, possibly current, policies on molestation are flawed that does NOT mean the Society does nothing to warn it's members or highlight the gross "sin" involved here. I happen to know for a fact that there have been people who have been DFd for child abuse.

  Of course, the very fact that they publish such advice, along with a fairly graphic illustration, is a tacit admission thagt the allegations of widspread child abuse with the "spiritual paradise" are all too sccurate.

  Not neccessarily. Could it be a "worldly" teacher, babysitter or relative that confronts a JW child with molestation? What you say is true -- the Society is not the beautiful paradise they like to say they are, but it does not neccessarily follow that they are more imperfect than they admit simply because of this chapter in the "Learn" book. Bradley
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  Jessica Rabbit

  The society needs to look in the mirror on this one. Instead of scaring these kids with what could happen, they could take a step in the right direction when it comes to protecting these innocent children early on. Since they are experts at coming up with NEW ARRANGEMENTS, why can't they come out with a formal letter to all congregations that says "In all theocratic and social activities, children MUST be accompanied by more than one adult at all times. Whether it be during a bible study or even a trip to the store. I know that this wouldn't protect children in EVERY situation due to the fact that many are molested by family members, but what about making it a "new arrangement" that ANY adult witness should NOT be allowed to accompany ANY child without there being a second adult accompanying them in ANY situation, even during a bible study. So many of these molestations I have read about have happened during a bible study in the child's own bedroom. When I was a JW, it was standard policy that Elders should NOT visit a sister alone to give council.It was even frowned upon if a sister was seen working in field service with a brother alone in one car (if they weren't married). I would think children should be even more of a concern than an adult in that situation. Young couples who were dating were even supposed to have a chaperone when doing anything together, for God's sake! Yet an adult JW can conduct a bible study or go in field service alone with a child and no questions are ever asked or even thought about. I am surprised those old farts up in NY haven't thought of this one on their own. It wouldn't stop every abuse situation, but it could help prevent some. I doubt anything printed in a children's book is going to protect anyone's child. Whoever helped write that new book must not have children of their own.Just a thought.

  JR
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  mizpah

  Has it occured to anyone else that the comments of SOJ just doesn't ring true?

  If he or she is a loyal member of Jehovah's Witnesses why has this person ignored and/or disobeyed the counsel of the "faithful and wise servant" by joining in discussions (hence association) with disfellowshipped people on these "apostate sites?" Isn't that a disfellowshipping offense in itself?

  Can this person just be playing the "devil's advocate" (an appropriate term?) to get some response from those participating in these discussions? For what purpose?

  Or is it a sincere person that is seeking some answers to troubling questions about the Watchtower organization?

  Any thoughts?