Society instructions to elders about child abuse

by ozziepost 20 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  AlanF

  Excellent comments on this thread!

  The Society may well try to use elders as a scapegoat, but this would assuredly backfire. Elders are the low-level managers without which the JW organization could not function. Almost all available elder material is already in use. By using elders as a scapegoat, the Society would cause a great many to resign, thus worsening an already bad situation. Whatever elders remain will know for certain that if the going gets rough, the Society will abandon them, and so they will generally have far less loyalty to the Society than before, or enthusiasm for doing what they're told. The Society knows this, and so if they try this tack, they'll be walking a tightrope.

  An alternative is that there will be a schism at the top, and the faction that perceives itself as having been on the right side of the molestation issue will act against the opposite faction. Under this scenario, men like Ted Jaracz and his cronies would be ousted from power or even disfellowshipped. This is not an unlikely scenario, in my opinion, because it would lay the blame squarely where it truly lies, and in the eyes of true believer type JWs, would explain the many problems their organization has been having as due to lack of holy spirit due to God's withdrawing it because of rampant corruption at the top. I.e., this is a doctrinally plausible scenario, given the many biblical examples where corruption of leaders led to God's disapproval on the whole group.

  AlanF
• 

  Kent

  By using elders as a scapegoat, the Society would cause a great many to resign, thus worsening an already bad situation. Whatever elders remain will know for certain that if the going gets rough, the Society will abandon them, and so they will generally have far less loyalty to the Society than before, or enthusiasm for doing what they're told. The Society knows this, and so if they try this tack, they'll be walking a tightrope.

  Well, I don't think they really want to - but I agree with Seeker, since they may well HAVE TO try to save their own skin! I believe they will look upon the possible problems as a result of this policy as something they will have to deal with when the time comes - but they will do whatever needed to save their own ass.

  Remember Germany and Hitler. They were willing to do ANYTHING to save their money. Remember Mexico, they even sacrificed being "christians" - and pretended to be "cultural" - all to save their money.

  These excuses of humans will do anything, anything at all, to save their riches - and no elder needs to believe they won't sacrifice him on spot if they believe it will help them.

  How many JWs were sacrificed in Germany or Malawi?

  I'm afraid this is a case where money rules, and morals is something they add when possible. Else they just tell people to shut up or face the consequenses!

  Yakki Da

  Kent

  "The only difference between a fool and the JW legal department is that a fool might be sympathetic ."

  Daily News On The Watchtower and the Jehovah's Witnesses:
  http://watchtower.observer.org
• 

  AlanF

  I agree, Kent and Seeker, that they may well sacrifice the elders as a group, and shoot themselves in the balls. We'll have to wait and see.

  Sacrificing the elders as a group might save the individual asses of some WTS leaders, but at what cost? Most rank & file JWs are smart enough to understand that elders are what they are precisely because of their training by WTS leaders. They'll understand that the failure of elders as a group means the failure of WTS leaders. They'll end up with a massive crisis of confidence, both in elders and in the leaders who trained them. So sacrificing the elders would lead directly to an internal crisis of confidence in JW leaders as "the faithful and discreet slave".

  It's also the case that many R&F JWs have a lot of confidence in certain elders. If those elders wised up and turned against JW leaders for betraying them, they would certainly make a lot of public noise and take a lot of the R&F out with them.

  This is why I say that JW leaders are walking a tightrope here. Blaming elders for their own mistakes is a surefire way to severely damage their organization. Of course, when it comes to their own skin, they may well accept the sacrifice, much as Rutherford did in the late 1920s when his policy changes resulted in 3/4 of the Bible Students leaving.

  AlanF
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  SixofNine

  Just curious; is "sacrificing the elders" as group, even a real possibility? I mean, what would be the mechanism for even doing that? They can say what they want, but no one wants the elders money, or even their hide (ok, I guess I'd like some of their worthless hides).

  Seriously, how, specifically, can the higher ups "sacrifice" the elders and gain anything from it? Do you just mean shifting focus in court to the specific elders involved in a particular case?
• 

  somebody

  I believe that the society is out to protect their own backsides. I truly do not believe they care one bit about the elders. And if the elders get sued, I think their legal problems will be their own and the society will have an "it ain't our problem!" attitude.

  Anchor,

  Before you resign as an elder, can you tell me if any of the following comments are hand written in your elders manual regarding what NOT to put on disfellowshipping (s77 and s79) forms? i.e. the forms the judicial committee use to report disfellowshippings to the WBTS.

  Anything alluding to or naming one of the Society's attorneys

  Any mention of the Legal Department

  Any comments referring to direction from the Society

  Any comments mentioning anyone other than the committee itself as a possible influence in the decision reached

  Any comments that might suggest to someone with a critical eye that the committee did not reach its decision on its own but, instead, somehow yielded to the influence of an outside party

  Any comments indicating that the elders mishandled the case or committed any error in the investigation or the judicial committee process.

  -------------------
  If none of them are hand written, are they at least found anywhere in the manual?

  peace,
  somebody
• 

  Anchor

  I almost got paranoid at your question, somebody. I thought, "Do I tell her I went to school in November or December of 1994? I'll tell her I went in November rather than December so they can't track me down." Sick, isn't it!!!

  Yes, this was read twice at the school and is handwritten in every blessed book in the world. We will likely soon know what if anything the new Flock book says. Its full contents have not leaked out yet.

  As to blame, did you read the choice comment from Mario Moreno, the Watchtower lawyer, who says elders "screw up?" They even say elders should avoid calling or talking to any traveling overseers because THESE "screw up" so often. That is sure to go over well with COs and DOs. You are right on the money, they care for nobody but themselves and will sacrifice anyone as fast as a lightning strike.

  -A
• 

  somebody

  Anchor,

  Thanks for your reply.

  The paranoia you feel is very normal for all active (and some inactive even STILL, after being inactive for years) JWs. I'm fortunate that I'm free to not care who knows that I'm here. It's a freedom that I took for granted not so long ago. Now I'm realizing how much I value that kind of freedom. Someday,I hope you'll be able to enjoy the freedom yourself. It's a peacful freedom.

  anyhoo....

  As to blame, did you read the choice comment from Mario Moreno, the Watchtower lawyer, who says elders "screw up?" They even say elders should avoid calling or talking to any traveling overseers because THESE "screw up" so often. That is sure to go over well with COs and DOs. You are right on the money, they care for nobody but themselves and will sacrifice anyone as fast as a lightning strike.

  I think I may have heard him on tape. That sounds a little familiar. Can you give me an url, or link where I can read it?

  peace,
  somebody

  PS...when are the new flock books being handed out? Any idea to the approximate time?
• 

  Had Enough

  Hello Anchor:

  I've read the questions before that 'somebody' quoted in her post to you and wondered how the elders felt when they were read to them to copy into their books.

  May I ask you, as an elder, how did you feel when you were writing them down?

  Did you think 'Yes' I can see how this is necessary to protect the Society or the GB?

  Or did bells and whistles go off, making you realize how serious a situation could be for the elders in that the whole responsibility for any decision and action taken (or not taken) would be on the heads of the elders involved?

  Did any of the elders there discuss this privately afterwards and express concern or approval?

  I wonder because when I look at each one of them, I can see exactly what the WTS is saying.

  If ever in court, they can say the records show that the elders acted entirely on their own...no involvement from the WTS attorneys...or the Legal Dept...no direction from the WTS....no influence from the WTS etc.

  Did any of this cross your mind at the time? Please understand..no criticism is being made...I'm only curious how this went over.

  Thanks for your input and for your honesty in what your intentions are. I wish you the best.
• 

  ozziepost

  Had Enough,

  I remember these instructions well!

  how did you feel when you were writing them down?
  Did any of the elders there discuss this privately afterwards and express concern or approval?

  With the benefit of hindsight, yes we should've raised the alarm but, no, I never heard one word of disquiet about the instructions. The only concern I heard was the bad intent of worldly people who would make these instructions necessary.

  Sad, isn't it?

  Cheers,
  Ozzie

  "You can know the law by heart, without knowing the heart of it"
  Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace?
• 

  Anchor

  : May I ask you, as an elder, how did you feel when you were writing them down?

  Er, actually I was the one instructing, had already done so in my copy. My mental state was exactly like OzziePost - how devious were those whose acts necessitated such clandestine precautions.

  As Max says, followers following followers following followers.

  -A
  A follower of man no more who will take up OP on his offer to write.