YE BLIND GUIDES, WHICH STRAIN AT A GNAT, AND SWALLOW A CAMEL. Matt 23:24 (KJV)
Jesus' style of illustrations often employed the use of extremes. It made the point, but often I did not fully appreciate the impact of his use of extremes until I was faced with hard reality of what men do or fail to do. I am learning to appreciate the depth and wisdom of Jesus way of teaching.
An Elder(X) moved into our congregation to assist because we were short on Elders, and especially ones with considerable experience. This brother had been a JW about 30 years (I believe, but could have been longer) and held many positions of service. He often rubbed shoulders with COs and DOs for setting up Circuit and District Assemblies. He was among those Elders that are held in high esteem and have well known reputations throughout a large region.
While I was serving as an Elder, my father reached the point of needing assisted living. My non-JW brother and I agreed that I should be the one to care for my father. I brought my father into my home temporarily until I could arrange better accommodations for him.
This produced some unfortunate emotional turmoil for me because my father was abusive when I was growing up. He molested my sister from about age 6 until she was about 12 years old. Fortunately, he never bothered me in that way. But while I was very young, between 5 and 7 years old, I caught my father raping my sister on a couple of occasions. The resulting trauma was buried deep in my heart and did not come back to haunt me until I was in my mid-30s and taking on my Father's care.
Because of this issue and the resulting emotional problems, I called upon a couple of Elders for counseling. I selected one Elder(Kind) because of his compassionate demeanor and I selected Elder X who had just moved in because of his fresh perspective and experience. I felt that these two men could provide wise counsel and support while I sorting through the stress I was facing. Elder X provided some nice counsel and seem to try and be consoling. He felt that I should just put this stuff out of my mind and forget it. Neither Elder had any idea of how to properly counsel in these situations.
A few nights after my discussion with these two Elders, Elder Kind called to tell me that Elder X was now disfellowshipped. I was shocked and asked why. He said that normally he would not reveal a Judicial Committee confidence, but given that Elder X was involved in counseling me and given the nature of what I was going through with my father, he felt it only fair that I should know the details.
He said that Elder X was caught molesting some 'worldly' children in the area where he lived. He said that the Judicial Committee went back to several of Elder X's previous congregations and discovered various Judicial actions dating back many years which showed a pattern of child molestation.
He said that Elder X managed to receive light discipline and then would work his way back into positions of responsibility. Given his length of years in the organization and experience, he was readily accepted into more responsible positions and this created an appearance that he was in very good standing because of his position with the organization.
He went on to say how this issue bothered him for my sake because here a child molester looked me right in the eye providing counsel to me about my emotional grief over my sister. He felt that Elder X was seriously mentally ill to do that to me and to the children. Elder X separated from his wife, and that was the last I heard of him.
I was shocked and hurt that a molester would have the audacity to sit there and comfort me over my memories of my sister being raped knowing all the time that he himself was as guilty as my father for this crime. So a few days later I talked with a couple of Elders and asked the big $64,000 question. "Is someone going to contact the authorities?"
The answer came back to me that the congregation is not a civilian police force. That it is not the responsibility of the congregation to inform the authorities and that this could also harm the reputation of the congregation and the organization.
I was told that Elder X's wife or the victims had that option to call the authorities. But that Elder X's wife had decided to let the matter rest, and so there is nothing the congregation can do. And for some reason not revealed to me, the parents of the 'worldly' victims also did not call the authorities [or at least I am not aware that they did].
I said that I would be glad to take on the duty of calling the authorities because I feel that Elder X needs help and to face the consequences. I was strongly counseled that this would not really help Elder X, as the "world's" sense of justice is too strict. I was told that Elder X would never be able to recover if the "world" got involved. I was told to let it alone because Jehovah's organization has 'handled' the problem. I unfortunately abided by the Elders directions and let it alone.
When I look back at this issue now, I feel sick because this was not the first nor the last encounter I would have with regard to those who molest children within the ranks of Jehovah's Witnesses.
My concern is that on one hand someone may be disfellowshipped for celebrating a birthday or another classed as 'wicked' such as in Justice #3, or another be seriously disciplined for a minor item as in Justice #2, yet this Elder X, this excuse for a Homo-sapiens, was allowed time and again to remain among the congregation to carry out his despicable acts against the most vulnerable among us ... our children and the children not JWs.
While straining out the Gnats of offenses, they seem to swallow the Camels of criminals within their midst. I am not suggesting that this is always the case, nor that things continue in this way now [although given recent events emerging with SilentLambs and within my own family and several others, it appears that the problem is continuing]. I am making the point that the organization and the men it uses to lead the flock are often more concerned with its reputation than with the better good of all.
When many States started exempting molesters from what is termed the 'confessional privilege', and making the clergy accountable, and in some states criminally liable, then I began to see a shift among JW Elders toward reporting these crimes. [At the time I made this statement, this was my impression, but I am withdrawing that view in light of current events.]
Tomorrow, I will post Justice #4b to continue this topic for several posts. The last of Justice #4 will deal with an issue that should hit any of us hard in the face that there is a serious problem in the Watch Tower system of justice. - Amazing