Silentlambs: Letter from an Elder

by Nosferatu 14 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

  • Nosferatu
    Nosferatu

    Dear Bill

    Recently, we had our two-day circuit assembly. Some points for you to note.

    What information you can share is that which I now relate from our two-day circuit assembly. The C.O. talked about the spirit amongst the brothers within the congregations. He noted that there are problems between brothers and went on to suggest a few examples, the last of which will catch your attention. He asked the audience to "let go of resentment" and suggested "maybe a past where someone was abused as a child... can you let go of that..."

    He went on to add "it's no cause of real concern" and "God will right all the wrongs" very soon because the "end is so close now anyway". He suggested that it probably "may be a misunderstanding". There were several hundred in attendance to hear this.

    Keep in mind that his talk is on the backdrop of the discourse given by the district overseer who had indulged in an apostobash tirade. He talked about those who had left and said that they "had rebelled against the Bible" and they "oppose the slave". He said they are full of "half-truths" and the TV programs are "erroneous information". He compared the TV programs to "the National Enquirer".

    He wasn't finished there though. He said concerning these National Enquirer-like programs that "they don't say that we abhor sexual abuse" and "they don't say that every allegation is reported to authorities". He closed by saying that if you can see that the program is "designed to attack the slave" or "our mother-like organization", then change the channel.

    Now, I don't have to highlight the lies here, but oblige me. After all, I had to sit through all this nonsense BS session. First, the statement "they don't say that every allegation is reported to authorities". Of course they don't for God,s sake! Nether does the Watchtower, but rather that they do so only where it is required by law. That's a big difference! And that's at the heart of the issue. If they really did report every allegation then they wouldn't be getting so much criticism.

    Second, to compare the Fifth Estate to the National Enquirer was a real desparate slap. Just like the pharasees of Jesus' day, they attack blindly and slander. If the Fifth Estate had done a piece praising the Watchtower, then the Governing hypocrites would have made it required study material, licensed the rights to the piece and made thousands of copies to be sent to congregations all over the world.

    Third, the statement "they don't say that we abhor sexual abuse". This was another bald-faced lie! The Fifth Estate gave airtime to their stupid J.R. Brown tape from which this 'we abhor' statement was taken. The Watchtower also declined an on-air chance to speak their piece. Further, if they really did abhor abuse, then why do they only report it if required by Ceasar's law? I guess they don't abhor abuse where Ceasar says they can conceal it.

    Fourth, to say that the TV programs were full of "erroneous information" and "half-truths" yet not wanting to get into "specifics" was the pinacle of evil. That the Watchtower can tell so many lies and then point the finger at those who are telling the truth is proof positive that the Watchtower really is the offspring of Satan.

  • stillajwexelder
    stillajwexelder

    maybe a past where someone was abused as a child... can you let go of that..."

    Since when have the WTBTS been qualified phsychiatrists and know the damaging effect (for the rest of their lives) abuse can have on people. This really fu----g angers me - it really does -- it is fu----g sick. A glib answer from a DO/CO an organization man that has not a fu----g clue. Sorry for the bad language folks

  • morty
    morty

    Nos,

    Thanks for sharing this.....

    My a$$ every allegation is reported to the authorities.....

    I also want to know why the (jws) dont come public to back up their so called rights..( the rights meaning where they seem to feel that they are right and they are reporting ALL child abuse to the CORRECT authorities )

    Its funny how, now that the jws are getting more and more backed into a corner, that they have no where else to go now, so they start comparing The Fith Estate to the National Enquirer.....give me a break....just my 2 cents..

    Morty

  • undercover
    undercover
    He asked the audience to "let go of resentment" and suggested "maybe a past where someone was abused as a child... can you let go of that..."

    I've never been physically or sexually abused. But I was raised in the JW religion. I'm over 40 years old. My life is half over and I'm just discovering that I have been lied to and deceived all my life. Not to make light of those who have gone through some terrible ordeals physically, but I believe that I was mentally abused. I was brainwashed and controlled. We all were. I'm now getting to being able to function on my own will. I'm having a hard time dealing with all the feelings and anger that comes with knowing that you trusted someone or something and they used you, lied to you and deceived you.

    For this person(I will not call him a man) to suggest that a victim of some hideous crime against his person should "let go of that" is despicable and disgusting. How dare he stand on that stage and imply that the victims of these crimes can just turn off these feelings. Has he no compassion? Has he no fellow feeling? In so many words he is placing the whole child abuse problem on the victims. What a sorry excuse for a decent human being. Someone who is supposed to be a man of God, representing God's (so-called) organization and he dares insinuate that the problem lies with the victims. It disgusts me. It sickens me. I can only loathe someone who would dare think that way. Instead of further demoralilzing the victims, shouldn't the abusers be condemned and identified so that people can protect their families from these monsters? What a sorry state of affairs the WTS has gotten itself into. Not even God can get them out of this one.

  • blondie
    blondie
    He asked the audience to "let go of resentment" and suggested "maybe a past where someone was abused as a child... can you let go of that..."

    What the WTS doesn't say is what to do with your feelings when the:

    The abuser was a JW in good standing

    Lied about abusing you, so it was your word against his

    The abuser stayed in the congregation and went on to abuse other children

    And is still a JW in good standing

    Why can a prophet call out a bear to kill 32 children for calling God names, but a child abused by a JW "a prophet of Jehovah" must stuff their feelings and be quiet.

    *** Watchtower 1972 April 1 p.197 'They Shall Know that a Prophet Was Among Them' ***

    IDENTIFYING THE "PROPHET"

    These questions can be answered in the affirmative. Who is this prophet? ... This "prophet" was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah's Christian witnesses. ... Of course, it is easy to say that this group acts as a "prophet" of God. It is another thing to prove it. The only way that this can be done is to review the record.

    The WTS assumes that all abusers must be non-JWs or have been DF'd.

    The facts show differently.

    Blondie

  • Nosferatu
    Nosferatu

    I agree 100% with you undercover. I think the biggest problem is that JWs who were sexually abused are being taught to shut those feelings of anger off. They may be able to do it when they're getting councel from the platform, but they can't shut those feelings off when they're not in the Kingdom Hall. My mother is an excellent example. Those feelings just don't go away with continuous promises of Paradise Earth. When a person tries to surpress their true feelings that are reacting to a sensitive subject, it can have a very destructive effect on that person. I personally believe that is why my mother has this seemingly terrible memory. Either it's real memory loss, or it's an excuse to cover up the truth. It's hard to tell them apart.

    I personally got tired of "I'm not supposed to laugh at that", "I'm not supposed to be angry with him", "I'm not supposed to feel that way", etc. Noone can truly control the way they feel deep down inside.

    "maybe a past where someone was abused as a child... can you let go of that..."

    I remember times where I just wanted to walk out of the Kingdom Hall after hearing things similar to this regarding physical abuse. Getting that "Jehovah says "use the rod"" and then having my mother who is sitting beside me nudge and whisper "See?" It seemed to validate her beating me in the head with a wooden hairbrush because my father visited his ex-wife when he was in Vancouver.

  • DevonMcBride
    DevonMcBride

    When will they realize that its this gibberish that's making the elders question the WT and the JW's disgusted. They really do like putting their foot in their mouth.

    Devon

  • avishai
    avishai
    Further, if they really did abhor abuse, then why do they only report it if required by Ceasar's law? I guess they don't abhor abuse where Ceasar says they can conceal it.

    They don't even go that far. Non-reporting is a HUGE issue still. Even after last years "announcement" that they are to report it, Bethel is still saying not to report if they can get away with it, theres NEW cases coming out. And before last year, the precedent was to ignore caesars law & not report. Assholes. Accessories to molestation are just as bad as molesters.

  • hawkaw
    hawkaw

    I know of this person who had to sit through this particular talk.

    Very accurate and thanks for sharing.

    I hope it hits home with a few lurkers that the leadership of this group are more concerned with a "clean image" and would prefer to tell their flock that they are all being persecuted by worldly folks rather than helping survivors and being accountable for their actions.

    hawk

  • morrisamb
    morrisamb

    Nosferatu, thanks for sharing this...what bulloney! Wait until they see the W Network (across Canada)'s Family Secrets season two (our episode: When Nobody's Looking) early next year on my family's story. So tastefully done by a professional documentary maker woman, Maureen Judge in Toronto, who has won genie awards for her work. There is not one sensational moment in the half hour.

    She gave us a copy and my family can not believe how good it is. We are SO WARY of the press in my family, having been burned big time in the past (that story will be in my follow up memoir).

    The Witnesses so did NOTHING for me and my siblings from '73-76. From all the supposedly Inquirer like stories since, nothing much has changed.

    I do think the press can twist stories to the slant that they want; that's why my siblings and I have learned to control everything that includes our name. When someone misrepresents you, it can feel abusive all over again.

    We victims have to remember that the press is not always concerned with the truth as much as a good story.

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