Honest Questions About Child Abuse

by Richard Oliver 207 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

• 

  Funchback

  The OP is a tool. He thinks that if the law of consent is 14 then it's not abuse. Consent requires all participants to, you know, consent.

  The OP is counting his FS time. Must be trying to advance from carrying mics to becoming sound servant.
• 

  Vidiot

  flipper - "And here's the deal in an added thought about WT leaders doing mandatory background checks on potential elder appointees or ministerial servant appointees. Someone may say 'Oh'! This would be too expensive to do these checks!' And yet - WT Society has made over a Billion $$$$ on the sales of their New York facilities and even more selling off many kingdom halls - I think they have PLENTY of money to do these background checks."

  A more plausible - and much darker - explanation is, of course, that mandatory background checks would end up disqualifying far too many (otherwise qualified and willing) brothers to keep the Organization functioning at the congregational level...

  ...because make no mistake - without that, the WTS would be in real trouble.
• 

  OrphanCrow

  vidiot: A more plausible - and much darker - explanation is, of course, that mandatory background checks would end up disqualifying far too many (otherwise qualified and willing) brothers to keep the Organization functioning at the congregational level...
  ...because make no mistake - without that, the WTS would be in real trouble.

  And just think of the monkey wrench that would throw into the JW "rehabilitation program" - the one where the JW guys go into jail and hold bible studies. And the sisters write encouraging letters to felons.

  It wouldn't do for the org to come off as unfriendly towards criminals, would it? All that hard work in prisons would go for nothing.

  After all, the org's "expert" at the ARC was someone who works with the integration of sex offenders into church communities. That is Applewhite's background - working with offenders, not victims.
• 

  konceptual99

  I actually agree in principle with some of the what the OP argues in as much as it not that reasonable to place the blame for every single act of child abuse with the WTS and that there are difficult moral and legal issues around some specific scenarios, especially where local laws are concerned.

  The fundamental issue however is that the WTS has supplanted their self proclaimed pastoral role with that of a legalistically based culture of self-preservation. Over and over again victims have been let down by an organisation intent on covering it's own arse. Corporate and individual conscience and moral strength is trumped by the need to minimise any risks to the organisation. This is bad enough in itself but this corporate requirement is then wrapped up in the highly emotive clothing of "protecting Jehovah's name", further reducing the likelihood that individuals on the ground will follow their heart or question the instructions they are being giving.

  It's all about loyalty to the organisation rather then to the victim. Their rights, needs and health are at best third place behind the organisation and the alleged abuser.

  The WTS has suppressed critical thinking abilities so much that the organisation is plagued by a lack of skills in being able to weigh up difficult situations and make a call. They have no debating skills. They have a lack of logical processing. Individual cognative dissonance has escalated to an organisational level. They can only think in black and white terms which is why they resort to pouring over what their legal responsibilities are, using the law as a benchmark for right and wrong.

  In so doing they completely miss the point of the law and their responsibility as pastoral carers to make choices beyond the letter of the law.

  Apologists can whine all they like about the over emphasis of blame on the WTS and the conundrums it has to face with this very difficult situations but the WTS is not unique. These issues have not stopped other organisations from learning, improving and taking genuine steps to improve their handling of events yet the WTS seems intent on reverting to type and simply making things yet more legalistic and stepping away from any sort of intelligent thinking on the matter.
• 

  freddo

  K99 Nails it. Again.
• 

  Vidiot

  konceptual99 - "...The WTS has suppressed critical thinking abilities so much that the organisation is plagued by a lack of skills in being able to weigh up difficult situations and make a call. They have no debating skills. They have a lack of logical processing. Individual cognitive dissonance has escalated to an organisational level. They can only think in black and white terms..."

  All together, known in common vernacular as "stoopid".
• 

  Richard Oliver

  Honestly, I really doubt that even if Watchtower come out tomorrow and apologize for this and say that they will no longer practice the 2 witness rule, inform all members of every person ever accused of sexual assault and do everything else that the people on this site want, that it would be enough for you. Let's face it, a lot of people on here wouldn't be happy unless Watchtower is ended. So you have to ask yourself are you more concerned with if Watchtower is in existence or not or the protection of children. Honestly, I think if a lot of people on here actually thought about it, it would be the former rather than the later.
• 

  OUTLAW

  Let's face it, a lot of people on here wouldn't be happy unless Watchtower is ended.

  So you have to ask yourself are you more concerned with if Watchtower is in existence or not or the protection of children.....RO

  Another Strawman Argument ..

  It has nothing to do with the topic started in the OP..

  Diversion..Diversion..Diversion..

  WBT$/JW Apologists need to come up with a new game plan..

  ........................
  

  You`re Not Doing a Very Good Job..

  Of Protecting Mother WatchTower..

  
  
  
• 

  Finkelstein

  Honestly, I think if a lot of people on here actually thought about it, it would be the former rather than the later.

  Hardly ! the protection of children and their safety is paramountly more important than if the WTS exists or not, taken within the realization that the WTS vanishing off the face of the earth any time soon is not being realistic..
  

  The Catholic religion has recently taken very aggressive steps toward the protection of children associated within their faith .

  Why cant the WTS /JWS do likewise instead trying so ardently to protect its self imposing virtuous image of itself.
  
• 

  sparrowdown

  Other stuff I would love to see WT change

  blood policy

  shunning policy

  baptizing minors

  issues of political neutrality especiallyin countries where punishments involve jail or worse

  IOW how bout WT just gets the f*** out of peoples lives.

  As for anyone who would love to see WT crash and burn.... well guess what they're allowed to because WT and it's minions can't tell them what to think and feel anymore. Why don't you go sue them or better yet change the legislation to make thinking and feeling illegal.