Mephis

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Posts by Mephis

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  45

  Governing Body, painted in a corner, now what?

  by Wasanelder Once in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the governing body have painted themselves in a corner, so to speak.

  if they acknowledge their response to abuse claims was insensitive, unloving and inadequate they are denying the belief that "god's way" is best and risk losing abuse cases.

  if they stick with it and say it is "god's way according to the bible" they will be seen as cult leaders and risk losing abuse cases.

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  Mephis

  So someone who has been failed by their parents goes to men she trusts, and that excuses them for failing her too? Excuses them for inflicting even more trauma upon her with their judicial process? Excuses them for absolute inaction knowing that they were sending her home to a violent man who was sexually abusing her and her sisters? Excuses them for ignoring her sisters? Excuses them for ignoring the man's own confession? Excuses them for not even having the basic common sense to report this to the police?

  Remember that this is a religion where the elders are your first place to go to when in need. That you have an obligation to report 'serious sin' to them. That to 'drag Jehovah's name through the mud' is frowned upon in the extreme and so presents a major obstacle to reporting to the police.

  Yes, things should go to the police. That's the point. One failure does not excuse another. It is not good enough to try and shirk the responsibility which is taken on when you become an authority in someone's life.
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  84

  Wednesday Hearings LIVE LINK NOW

  by Mad Sweeney in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-study/636f01a5-50db-4b59-a35e-a24ae07fb0ad/case-study-29,-july-2015,-sydney.

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  Mephis

  3 members of the branch are scheduled as witnesses. They're building up the facts and the evidence of what happens.
• 
  40

  Is the two-witness rule really unreasonable?

  by stillin in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i'm picturing a situation in which a savvy 12 year old doesn't like the house rules that mom's new husband has put into place.

  or something along that line.

  i can certainly agree that protection of children is paramount, but who protects the real victim in those cases?

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  Mephis

  johnamos, that case is of adults making false allegations, not children. Even the niece herself, someone with a mental health problem, was 26 when she went to the police with her allegation - which was disproved by a DNA test.
• 
  40

  Is the two-witness rule really unreasonable?

  by stillin in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i'm picturing a situation in which a savvy 12 year old doesn't like the house rules that mom's new husband has put into place.

  or something along that line.

  i can certainly agree that protection of children is paramount, but who protects the real victim in those cases?

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  Mephis

  Surely that's why such things should be passed to child protection agencies and the police as the default? They're equipped and trained to deal with these cases. The elders are not.

  Just for the record and because it needs to be said, false accusations of child abuse by children are very rare. Very rare. In fact, the opposite is true. Children are much more likely to minimise what has happened to them, or even not to disclose at all.

  I am a qualified secondary school teacher, and part of my training was that if a child came to me and even hinted that they had been abused that I should take it seriously and pass it to someone more qualified to help the child directly. I also had a responsibility to make sure appropriate agencies were informed. The one thing which is an absolute 'no' is to suggest in any way you fail to believe a child, because if they've found the strength to talk to you about something like this, then it's your responsibility as a sensible adult to make sure that they are safe and get help.
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  84

  Wednesday Hearings LIVE LINK NOW

  by Mad Sweeney in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-study/636f01a5-50db-4b59-a35e-a24ae07fb0ad/case-study-29,-july-2015,-sydney.

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  Mephis

  The implication I took from that is that the commission will come down on how they isolate themselves from reality as well as label everything negative as 'apostate lies'. There's been a few occasions when they've pressed witnesses on that aspect. The culture of the religion is a huge factor here, and it's going to be hammered.

  @FadingTruth - some things have made me question some assumptions which are still there in me too.
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  84

  Wednesday Hearings LIVE LINK NOW

  by Mad Sweeney in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-study/636f01a5-50db-4b59-a35e-a24ae07fb0ad/case-study-29,-july-2015,-sydney.

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  Mephis

  Kevin Bowditch's silence speaks louder than any words when asked whether any consideration of those outside the congregation was made when deciding to just JW 'discipline' sex offenders who may reoffend in the community. Absolutely nailing that issue. Who exactly is my neighbour Lord?
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  4

  Inside the famous Denisova cave in Siberia

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  when our ancestors first migrated out of africa around 60,000 years ago, they were not alone.

  at that time, at least two other species of hominid cousins walked the eurasian landmassneanderthals and denisovans.

  as our modern human ancestors migrated through eurasia, they encountered the neanderthals and interbred.

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  Mephis

  If you want some good talks about Neanderthal man, and also evolutionary stuff in genetics, John Hawks is an engaging speaker and has a fair amount on youtube. Some of it is related to the open online course and is interviews with some of the leading experts in anthropology. Absolutely fascinating insights into how man has adapted to his environment and also in turn how we've adapted our environment to ourselves.
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  84

  Wednesday Hearings LIVE LINK NOW

  by Mad Sweeney in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-study/636f01a5-50db-4b59-a35e-a24ae07fb0ad/case-study-29,-july-2015,-sydney.

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  Mephis

  They turn off the sound when they're discussing people by name who should not be named openly because it may help directly identify the victim.
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  84

  Wednesday Hearings LIVE LINK NOW

  by Mad Sweeney in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-study/636f01a5-50db-4b59-a35e-a24ae07fb0ad/case-study-29,-july-2015,-sydney.

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  Mephis

  He can't think away from what the governing body has told him is the right way to do things. It really is that simple, and that dangerous. Horley yesterday could, and it rocked him. Ali's absolutely blind to it.
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  84

  Wednesday Hearings LIVE LINK NOW

  by Mad Sweeney in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-study/636f01a5-50db-4b59-a35e-a24ae07fb0ad/case-study-29,-july-2015,-sydney.

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  Mephis

  Just in all the craycray Ali stuff, the idea that the pressure of being interrogated by three elders is sufficient to pull out a false confession from a Ministerial Servant but still isn't inappropriate to put children and young women through...?!

  There are times when an exdub would be handy for them sitting on their shoulders. So many instances of Ali (and others) vanishing into WT doublespeak to imply one thing when reality is different. eg Elders/MS not a position of honour in congos? So why are they called 'privileges' then?