On May 3, 2024, the worldwide United Methodist Church apologized to survivors of clergy sexual abuse.

by was a new boy 22 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

  • was a new boy
    was a new boy

    'Many survivors of clergy sexual abuse have never received an apology or any acknowledgement of the harm they suffered. But at the May 3, 2024, meeting of the General Conference of the worldwide United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, the following resolution of apology to all survivors and their families was approved.

    “The United Methodist Church apologizes for the times we allowed our desire to protect the Church to outweigh our desire to care for victims and survivors of sexual misconduct. We have allowed polity and protection of the institutional Church to prevent us from holding persons accountable, thus perpetuating harm within our local churches and other ministry settings, and damaging the whole United Methodist connection.

    “We apologize for the times we have not listened to you, doubted your stories, ignored your wounds, and have not tended to your pain. We believe this has contributed to allowing an unsafe culture to exist.

    “An apology is worthless without a commitment to the challenging work which must follow. The United Methodist Church pledges to:

    1. Apologize in every annual conference across the connection.

    2. Educate Church leaders regarding sacred trust in ministerial relationships and power imbalance within those relationships.

    3. Provide healing resources to all affected in accordance with Complaint Procedures.

    4. Develop a trauma-informed response to complaints of sexual misconduct.

    “This apology alone is insufficient for healing. The United Methodist Church accepts our responsibility and publicly states our commitment to carry out the steps named to do no more harm. May God’s blessing and never-ending love guide our work and see it through.”

    The apology statement was read in its entirety during General Conference. Plus all United Methodist bishops around the world are to read the apology at their own upcoming annual conferences. Visit www.umsexualethics.org for resources to help people who are victims or survivors, and for information regarding the reporting process.

    The United Methodist News Service reported, “Delegates and other attendees at General Conference gathered outdoors on a terrace at the Charlotte Convention Center to lament damage done by sexual abuse involving the institution and some of its officials. The 150-200 attendees to the first of two lamentation services placed flameless candles in front of crosses adorned with broken pieces of glass to honor those who had been victimized.”



    Will Jehovah's Witnesses apologize?

    Jeff Winder gives the answer.



    I really wish Winder said what he was about to say... "Nor do we.. nor is an apology necessary." What was he going to reallyb say? Nor do we what?
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    Reply
    1 reply
    "Nor do WE need to apologize" sounds more highminded than "nor is an apology needed". He caught that before the words left his mouth.

    "Nor the apology is needed" is truly a pinnacle of JW narcissism. They could've just skipped that sentence but someone decided it's necessary to get some extra assholeness into the talk. To let the am-haaretz remember who's daddy.'

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    There’ve been rumblings that WT higher-ups half-expect CSA to actually sink the Org sooner rather than later, likely as a result of the Pedo database (and more importantly, the accused GB member names listed in it) being publicly exposed.

    IF that’s actually the case…

    …a vocal and steadfast refusal to apologize (for anything, really)* would absolutely factor into it.

    *…particularly in the face of other, far more prominent religions actually doing so…

  • Beth Sarim
    Beth Sarim

    Pedo Database with GB names on it & the list of pedophiles being exposed?

    I may seem ignorant or misinformed here,,, but I thought the Borg settled out of court 5 or so years ago. Remember when they had that,,,,,tens of thousands per day fine & it lasted many,, many months?? For each day the Borg withheld that list??? Totalled over $$2 milllion?? I thought the Borg somehow settled out of court so they wouldn't have to disclose that pedo list amongst the Borg. And,,,,,that,,,, tens of thousands of $$$$ per day fine for each day the Borg would not disclose that list,, would be over.??? Roughly 5 or so years back.

    Im just a little unclear here.

  • Beth Sarim
    Beth Sarim

    What is beyond ironic here. If the CSA cases topple the Borg,,,,the Borg has boasted for decades that Babylon the Great goes down,,,,and the Witnesses would be the last religion standing.

    The Borg would be gone first,, which says they dont owe an apology for anything!!

    These other religions have apologized. They would be around when the Borg is gone,,,which has never apologized,,& will not apologize.

    Its like poetic justice.

  • Phizzy
    Phizzy

    The Catch-22 for the Org. at present, even if they thought apologising a good idea, is that with CSA Cases ongoing, or on the horizon, Legal will tell them not to, as that would be an admission of Corporate Guilt, and worse, would ensure the Org. paid the full Compensation themselves , without any mitigation.

    $$$ dictates their every action,or inaction.

    Of course,they never apologise, it would remove what little Aura the G.B have left.

  • TonusOH
    TonusOH

    I'd be truly shocked if the GB offered even an acknowledgement of the scope of the problem, much less an apology. Too much ego for that to happen.

    As for "[e]ducate Church leaders regarding sacred trust in ministerial relationships and power imbalance within those relationships"? What education is needed? How do you become a 'leader' in any Christian church without somehow figuring out that you should not molest children? No one needs "educating" on this topic. They need to change policies so that the people doing this are reported to the authorities and removed from their positions right away. They need to stop protecting people who do something that you know is wrong and evil.

    How can any organization even begin to address this issue when they pretend not to understand the actual problem?

  • Beth Sarim
    Beth Sarim

    $4000.00/ day fine by the court to the WT. That's it.

    Now I remember. For each day the Borg refused to release the list of pedophiles..

    I recall the Borganization settled out of court somehow. So that $4000.00/day fine stopped.

    5 years ago-ish,, before the pandemic. Seems this took place.

  • NotFormer
    NotFormer

    TonusOH: "They need to stop protecting people who do something that you know is wrong and evil."

    I suppose that their supreme moral law is that the only thing that is wrong and evil is making the GB look bad. This was never about protection of and justice for the vulnerable.

  • blondie
    blondie

    The WTS looks at things very legalistically, "Pharisees" the lawyers per the WTS, 3 fingers pointing back at them. Since the WTS is fighting to establish the premise that they, the WTS, have no responsibility in their policy (behind the scenes they think) of hiding child sexual abuse (or any kind of child abuse) It's Deny, deny, deny. If the WTS hangs out the victims telling them and their parents, they should be willing to take the pain rather than make the WTS look bad to outsiders.

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    @ Beth…

    By all indications, they’re still constantly settling cases… over and over and over again…

    …and the database is still in the possession of outside legal parties… therefore, the odds of its public exposure sooner or later are pretty solid.

    The Org’s authoritarian ideology and policies are already placing their tax exemption at risk in more and more developed countries, and the public revelation of undeniable evidence - from confirmed internal WT documentation, no less - of widespread, institutionalized sex crimes and the systemic concealment of those crimes cannot help but increase that likelihood exponentially.

    And since more and more anecdotal evidence suggests the Org’s business model is - for all intents and purposes - dependent on its tax-exemption…

    …public exposure of the DB will, therefore, strike a financial blow they arguably stand almost no chance of recovering from.

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