http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/04/02/46882975.shtml?Element_ID=46882975
Middle Tennessee News & Information
2-13-04
Silentlambs conference to confront child abuse
Group says Jehovah's Witness policies limit complaints
By BRIAN LEWIS
Staff Writer
A support group for Jehovah's Witnesses who say they are victims of sexual abuse put a white stuffed toy lamb on the steps of a Kingdom Hall in west Nashville yesterday to call attention to its cause. It also announced plans for a conference next month to draw more attention to the problem of sexual abuse.
The group, Silentlambs, says it is the only support group for sexually abused Jehovah's Witnesses. Their conference, which will be March 27-28 at the Sheraton Music City Hotel, is open to the public, said Bill Bowen, a former Jehovah's Witness elder and national director of the organization. The issues are similar to those experienced by other people, he said.
The majority of abuse is of girls by older relatives or church members, the group says. Bowen said that since Silentlambs was started three years ago, more than 6,000 survivors have come forward.
Additionally, he said, Jehovah's Witness policies make it difficult for children to come forward if they are victims of abuse.
First, he said, elders must investigate any allegation of abuse, even though these church officials are not trained in such matters.
Second, children have to present two eyewitnesses before their testimony can be believed in church, said Bowen, who is from Calvert City , Ky.
''This effectively silences a child,'' he said. Also, children and their parents are not allowed to warn other people about abusers, he said.
Bowen said that the stuffed lamb placed on the steps of a Kingdom Hall yesterday was the 1,000th that the organization has placed on the steps of a Jehovah's Witness building. The first was done in September 2002 by Barbara Anderson of Manchester .
In a written statement from the Jehovah's Witness headquarters, the church said it condemns child abuse and does not tolerate such actions.
It continued: ''If the elders learn of an accusation of child molestation, they do all that they reasonably can to protect the safety of the victim and other children, including complying with laws that mandate ministers to report to the proper authorities. This is even done when a child is the only one to allege the abuse."
''The victim and the victim's family also have the absolute right to report the matter to the authorities. Therefore, parents and others who are aware of the abuse are not hindered by the elders from reporting the situation to the authorities.''
For more information on the upcoming Silentlamb Summit conference in late March, please visit: http://www.silentlambs.org:80/silentlambssummit.htm
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Please let the Tennessean know we appreciate them covering the press conference! You can zap a note to http://www.silentlambs.org:80/Javascript:letterstoeditor() (that link didn't work for me) or send email to: [email protected] mailto:[email protected]
Thanks!
grits
Silentlambs Report & News Article re: 2/12/04 Press Conference
by abbagail 7 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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abbagail
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abbagail
From: [email protected]
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 13:34:52 -0600
Subject: Success in Nashville
To reply to this newsletter send mail to [email protected].
silentlambs banner
The Kingdom Hall was located beside a busy freeway so we hung the banner on the fence facing traffic for the rest of the time we were talking to press. It made a nice advertisement for passing traffic.See photo of the group and the huge banner:
http://community.webshots.com/s/image5/8/13/8/118081308nVIdUM_ph.jpg
Success In Nashville!
The press conference in Nashville on Thursday 2/12/04, was a complete success! We were happy that seven abuse survivors and supporters were able to be present for the event. Four were Jehovah's Witnesses in good standing that had suffered abuse as children. We were able to distribute stuffed-lambs to several local Kingdom Halls in the area...
One thousandth lamb delivered!
This Kindom Hall is the happy recipient of the 1000th lamb and "service bulletin" presented to Kingdom Halls around the world, along with a local brochure for the public. See photo of this ground-breaking event here:
http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/8/17/2/118081702epWQCX_ph.jpg
... as well as put fliers out in local neighborhoods around each Hall, inviting the public to attend the upcoming Silentlambs Summit/conference March 27-28, 2004, at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville. We were able to put in about an eight hour day and some were concerned where to report their field service time.
We were happy to get support from local television media that stated they would be happy to do news stories for the upcoming conference.
(Above) is the local newspaper story that ran in the Nashville Tennessean Friday, 2/13/04. Please email the editor and reporter and let them know how much we appreciate their coverage as well as you might include what you think about Watchtower P.R.'s comments. You can email them at the following links:
Submit a letter to the editor http://www.silentlambs.org:80/Javascript:letterstoeditor() (that link didn't work for me/grits) or send email to: [email protected] mailto:[email protected]
You can view all 14 pictures of our day in Nashville, start here:
http://community.webshots.com/album/118079780xLhcat?822
Check out this one, really really CUTE (says grits): http://community.webshots.com/photo/118079780/118083531swyKth
Silentlamb'ers in the "door to door" work:http://community.webshots.com/photo/118079780/118084150inCfyK
Thanks to all that supported the conference. It was a very positive and happy meeting, we look forward to seeing many supporters and abuse survivors at the silentlambs Summit in March!
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Love the photo comments, lol, great sense of humor! Also, how'd BB lose ALL the WEIGHT? Wow! Lookin' good BB! Congrats on a successful press conference!
/grits -
abbagail
FWIW, here's what I zapped to the newspaper... funny how I never remember reading/combining vs. 9 & 10 of 1 Corinthians 6:6= the 'never take your brother to court' rule...
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From: (grits)
Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2004 1:07 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Silentlambs article 2/13/04
Dear Mr. Gibson:
Thank you for reporting on the Silentlambs press conference in the Tennessean on 2/13/04: http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/04/02/46882975.shtml?Element_ID=46882975 . Many of us are sincerely interested in the progress of the Silentlambs cause, even all the way down here in FLA.
Below are a few "reality check" comments regarding the section of the article quoting the Watchtower Society:
In a written statement from the Jehovah's Witness headquarters, the church said it condemns child abuse and does not tolerate such actions.
It continued: ''If the elders learn of an accusation of child molestation, they do all that they reasonably can to protect the safety of the victim and other children, including complying with laws that mandate ministers to report to the proper authorities. This is even done when a child is the only one to allege the abuse."
(REALITY CHECK: THE ELDERS will only consider REPORTING ABUSE in states that MANDATE/REQUIRE reporting. In states that do not require it, and there still are many, the elders will let the perv 'go free' and NEVER SAY A WORD to authorities nor anyone ELSE. They would rather risk the perv harming yet another child than "bring public reproach on Jehovah's organization" by telling authorities that there is a suspected perv in their midst and thus allow the authorities to determine if the allegations are true or not (lacking the 2nd eyewitness). And if the child did not have 'two eye witnesses' to her/his abuse, the child, or its parents, are not allowed to SAY A WORD to anyone in the congregation, as they will be disciplined, marked or even disfellowshipped for SLANDER against the PERV. This is how you have to 'read between the lines' of what the WT-PR Dept. is REALLY saying.)
''The victim and the victim's family also have the absolute right to report the matter to the authorities. Therefore, parents and others who are aware of the abuse are not hindered by the elders from reporting the situation to the authorities.''
(REALITY CHECK: The phrase "are not hindered" looks nice in print, but again, you have to know how to 'read between the lines' and know how things REALLY ARE 'on the INSIDE' of the WT org, and 'on the INSIDE' of the individual JW's brains, ie: JWs are a very insulated society and are heavily 'swayed' repeatedly in their publications not to "go to the world" for problems such as this, as doing so would (1) bring reproach on Jehovah's name and organization (ie, 'let the cat out of the bag that 'perfection' does not prevail in the Kingdom Halls); and (2) JWs are guilt-ridden in advance via the misapplication of the scripture at 1 Corinthians 6:6** (which applies to business & less serious dealings and other types of disagreements that should be worked out among 'mature brothers'). But when a 'mature brother' (or sister) molests a CHILD, that's a whole 'nother situation entirely... they need to read all the way to verses 9 & 10!)
**1 Corinthians 6:5-10 - The Message Bible:
5) I say this as bluntly as I can to wake you up to the stupidity of what you're doing. Is it possible that there isn't one levelheaded person among you who can make fair decisions when disagreements and disputes come up? I don't believe it. 6) And here you are taking each other to court before people who don't even believe in God! How can they render justice if they don't believe in the God of justice? 7) These [types of] court cases are an ugly blot on your community. Wouldn't it be far better to just take it, to let yourselves be wronged and forget it? 8) All you're doing is providing fuel for more wrong, more injustice, bringing more hurt to the people of your own spiritual family.
9) Don't you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, 10) use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don't qualify as citizens in God's kingdom.
Thanks again for your time and newspaper space, and for continuing to bring necessary exposure to child abuse, no matter where it is found.
Best regards,
GRITS' real name, lol
...FLA
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He did reply to say Thanks for the feedback! -
Room 215
Well done, Grits! Thanks!
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SYN
Great stuff, thanks for the update. The good work continues!
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Special K
YEAH !!!!!!
All good stuff Grit....
thanks you for this uplifting posting...perks up my day.
sincerely
Special K
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abbagail
Thanks folks! Glad to oblige! ;-) any time, any time! Grits
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shamus
Thanks to everyone at Silent Lambs!
Bill, thank you so much if you can read this.
