Don't Speak Against The Elders

by toladest 7 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  toladest

  I can still remember my mother telling me that. I had gone to her to tell her the truth. I tried to tell her that Daniel Fitzwater was not the man he pretended to be. I was safe to do so now because he had moved out of state. But he was not only a regular pioneer and ministerial servant. He had become an elder. My mother shut me down before I got started. She said "Don't Speak Against the Elders". After all, Jehovah had chosen him. So I put the thoughts away. I maintained my hate and disdain for the monster, but pushed all memories aside. Years later, after hearing he "stepped down" as an elder, I knew why. And I knew it was not to "spend more time with his family". I told my husband why he "stepped down" before we ever heard the truth. The truth that Dan had abused an 8 year old girl who had later (at age 10 or 11) tried to kill herself. The truth that his step-daughter had accused him of the same thing, before he ever met me. In fact she was removed from the home by social services and placed in foster care.The truth the the WTS knew of 17 allegations of abuse.

  To this day my mother will not speak against the elders.....
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  SheilaM

  I will never understand a parent that will put any adult over their child. My children knew if they came and told me God himself hurt them....he would be in for a world of hurt I am so sorry that your Mother choses to silence you
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  FlyingHighNow

  Toladest,

  I was not a child who grew up inside the organization.Thank God. I was however the victim of that kind of abuse. I feel your pain. It angers me to point of no words, that the WTBTS tries to sweep all of this kind of abuse under the rug. How very sad for you. How very sad for your mother. How very sad for the children who lost their innocence to that demon masquerading as a human being who preys on the most helpless victims.Edited to add: a demon who is helped along by supposed men of God. It's all so horribly sobering.
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  Incense_and_Peppermints

  It angers me to point of no words, that the WTBTS tries to sweep all of this kind of abuse under the rug. How very sad for you. How very sad for your mother. How very sad for the children who lost their innocence to that demon masquerading as a human being who preys on the most helpless victims.Edited to add: a demon who is helped along by supposed men of God. It's all so horribly sobering.

  i couldn't have said it better myself.

  8 years old... what a pig. i'm so sorry.

  The truth the the WTS knew of 17 allegations of abuse.
  To this day my mother will not speak against the elders.....

  well, that's just wrong, that they can condition people that way. it just goes to show you the awful power of the WTS-- that they could intrude on the most sacred of bonds, that of a mother and child. how... horrible.

  (((toladest)))
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  toladest

  Thanks for the support. I was feeling particularly bad yestersday and could not seem to get past it. It was nice to hear from all of you. I am doing better today and I do well for the most part, but somtimes I really miss my mom. She is very faithful about not speaking to me. I have contacted her a few times in the past 6 years, but she is very short with me and makes it clear that she is uncomfortable talking to me. She cries, and I know she sincerely believes that what she is doing is right, but that doesn't help much. I really feel sorry for her. She has been baptized since 1975 and had started studing in 1973. She is 63 now. She never thought she would need a retirement plan or life insurance. My dad never became a JW and divorced her about 10 years ago. She was getting shild support for my younger siblings but never asked for alomony. (they were married 29 years and she had never worked outside the home) Thankfully my father , whose is on mental disabilty himself (screwed up by the vietnam war and he finally broke down) decided to pay her alomony out of the goodness of his heart after the kids had all grown up. She gets very little though and barely scrapes by. Do you think that this faithful women who pioneered for years has ever gotten ANY help from the congergation? Of course not!
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  Incense_and_Peppermints

  so much for fellowship and love... i wish she at least had someone in there who she could count on :(

  that made me think of this one "sister" that goes to my sister's kingdom hall. i met her one time when she came over to my sister's house. she looked very down and sad and i asked why she looked that way and my sister said her husband had died two weeks prior to that! he had been mauled by the family dog! i asked why is no one speaking to her and my sister said she wanted to be left alone and i said has anyone gone to see her and she said no it's better that she be left alone at a time like this. i was like um yeahhhh....i'm sure i'd like to be left all alone too at a time like this. sheesh...
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  stillconcerned

  ...at ALL costs avoid "the evils of independent thinking"...!

  kdn
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  JustTickledPink

  Isn't it sad when the cops and the government act more honorably towards a child than a religious organization that is supposed to represent god?