I would do that if I thought they were violating the law, but to my knowledge, they're not. I believe they are being unethical though.
I am sending this to them and will post back if I ever get a response. If anyone else wants to correspond with them, please feel free to use parts of my letter if you wish, just be sure to edit out the parts that don't apply to you. I'm sure I could do a better job of research if I spent some more time on it, but anyways I think the letter will suffice.
[email protected]
Dear Sir or Madam:
I was recently viewing your web page located at http://www.fortworthgov.org/health/OR/mental2001.asp and noticed the following listing:
“Fort Worth Mental Health Resources
FAITH BASED AGENCIES IN FORT WORTH
Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall: Pastoral counseling-no fee. (817) 244-2326.”
As a former Jehovah’s Witness and mental health professional, I would like to share with you my concerns about the misleading nature of this listing. I am attaching a list of references which support my point of view.
The American Association of Pastoral Counselors offers the following definitions:
“Pastoral Counselor -- This term refers to a minister who practices pastoral counseling at an advanced level which integrates religious resources with insights from the behavioral sciences.
Pastoral Counseling -- This term refers to a process in which a pastoral counselor utilizes insights and principles derived from the disciplines of theology and the behavioral sciences in working with individuals, couples, families, groups and social systems toward the achievement of wholeness and health.”
—Source: http://www.aapc.org/membership.htm#definitions
Jehovah’s Witness ministers are not trained in the behavioral sciences. Its mother organization, the Watchtower Society, has been openly opposed to mental health care for decades. 1
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not provide mental health services to their members nor to non-members. Spiritual counseling is offered only to members and its goal is to support a person in his or her efforts to remain in good standing with the Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, not to provide mental health care. 2
Be aware that pastoral counseling is not offered to non-members. Bible studies are offered free to non-members as a recruitment tactic. 3 Counseling of any sort is not provided by Jehovah’s Witnesses and it is quite misleading for them to make this claim.
It is my understanding that Texas mandates reporting of child abuse and does not legally exempt clergy. ( http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/general/legal/statutes/clergymandated.cfm ) Be aware that the Watchtower Society has openly discouraged and prevented its members and clergy from reporting suspicions of child abuse. 4 It is therefore unlikely that they would comply with this law.
In fact, abuse within the Jehovah’s Witness organization is covered up—a policy I personally witnessed in action in the course of treating abused Jehovah’s Witnesses. A child advocacy organization indicates such abuse has been reported in your city. Please visit http://www.silentlambs.org/sllist.htm for more information about this.
Please reconsider including Jehovah’s Witnesses in your directory of mental health services. Thank you.
Sincerely,
1 See http://quotes.watchtower.ca/psychiatry.htm for quotes from Watchtower literature.
2 Quote from the Jehovah’s Witness elders’ manual:
“The Greek word for discipline (pai.dei'a) has the basic meaning of instruction, education, a course of training, chastisement. (Acts 7:22; 22:3) It includes the thought of there being restrictions or corrective measures available to cause the disciple to adhere to the course being taught. The word primarily relates to what is needed in bringing up and training children. Counsel or advice often includes commendation and corrective suggestions and is linked with discipline at Proverbs 19:20. Discipline from Jehovah is a proof of his love; when accepted and applied, it leads to everlasting life. (Heb. 12:5-9 )God disciplines his sons, even "scourges" them, which indicates severity, allowing them to undergo difficult trials.”
3 Quotes from the official web site of Jehovah’s Witnesses ( http://www.watchtower.org/library/jt/index.htm?article=article_08.htm ) describes the true purpose of their contact with non-members: “Why do the Witnesses call on people who have their own religion?
… It is vitally important for people to hold beliefs that conform to God's own Word, and the efforts of the Witnesses to assist them in doing this constitute a showing of neighbor love… Jesus commanded his followers: "Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, . . . teaching them." He also foretold that before the end, ‘this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations’… There are many ways of declaring this good news. Conversation with friends and acquaintances often opens the way to do so. Some do it by writing letters or by using the telephone. Others mail literature containing material that they think an acquaintance would be especially interested in. Out of a desire to miss no one, Witnesses go from door to door with the message.”
f http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/015/17.23.html
http://watchtower.observer.org/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040503/NEWS1/40503001
http://quotes.watchtower.ca/molestation.htm
http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/cover_stories/transcript_1789.asp
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/91945/1.ashx
http://www.silentlambs.org/answers/23720.cfm
