This letter was brought up maybe 10 days ago, and I commented then that while the brothers might not have a LEGAL OBLIGATION to report this murderer to the authorities, they certainly had a MORAL OBLIGATION to tell him that to really be right with God, he needed to repent, confess(to the authorities, not just to the elders), and to pay the consequences (civil, not just spiritual). Fearful though he (and THEY!!!) might be, works befitting repentance are NOT just meeting attendance and field service. If he "did the crime" he should "do the time." If that means his eventual execution -- Florida does have 'Old Sparky' -- at least he dies with a clean conscience and will wake up in paradise, right?
But what really just got me on THIS thread was Undecided's "Sort of like the Catholic confession rite."
It never ceases to amaze me how the WTBTS can talk out of both sides of its mouth! The above observation is correct. The WTBTS' Legal Dept. is using the clergy-penitent confidentiality law to excuse and recuse themselves from having to inform secular authorities of confessed crimes brought to their attention, and yet the Public Affairs Dept. is claiming that there IS no clergy class -- and that the elders are unpaid, untrained, voluntary shepherds, while the Service/Writing Dept. is urging Witnesses to give double honor to "those taking the lead among" them -- which translates into the elders, the P.O., the C.O., the D.O., the Zone and Branch Committees, and the Governing Body! (If these aren't clergy "classes" I don't know what is!) These "gifts in men" are special -- appointed by holy spirit!
All of [adult?] Jehovah's Witnesses are "ordained ministers" at baptism, yet only "qualified elders" are allowed to speak to researchers about the religion. (See the recent threads about the Chicago District Conventions posted by expatBrit and the Letter to the Body of Elders posted by Marvin Shilmer.)
It seems to me that courts of law everywhere need to be fully apprised that this "we are all brothers [and sisters - implied]" bulls t is just that: bunk, cow patties, etc.! There IS a heirarchy, despite everybody wearing the same "uniform". And the local judicial committee holds the power of life and death (spiritual and relationship-wise) over the rank and file. And women in the organization have NO power at all, except the pioneers/nuns who are an influence for good among us ("Sell more magazines like us!" "Is your WT studied yet?")!
The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society is dishonest and wicked when it uses clergy-penitent confidentiality as an excuse for harboring criminals within its Organization. If all baptized publishers are ministers, then ALL are clergy, ergo -- there IS no "confessional". OR, alternatively, if all elders are mere "brothers" on an equal footing with all other "brothers and sisters", then, there IS no "confessional".
So, 'fess up, Brooklyn, THERE IS A CLERGY CLASS! Stop lying to the public. Stop lying to yourselves. Stop lying to the publishers. You are no better than the other religionists and your legal defense makes MUCH more sense if you can just admit this to all!
outnfree
