morrisamb, I am sorry for the pain they put you through. I agree with you about the apology. I wonder what would have happened if all involve in our case would have come and apologized and tried to make up for all the pain and anguish at least. But instead we were antagonized, ostracized, demonized, and now if WT had their way we would be euthinized.
Seriously, those of us who have dealt with the sexual abuse issues with the Watchtower have all been threatened with discipinary measures to enforce silence. It does not even make sense with all that is occuring within the Catholic Church, and it's efforts to try to make good for all the years of covering sex abuse, that the Watchtower is bent on silencing the victims and exhonerating the perpetrators and elders who cover for them.
ARoarer
JoinedPosts by ARoarer
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24
Dateline
by ARoarer ini know everyone is disgusted that dateline has not aired yet, but i can promise you that it will be airing within the next 3 weeks.
we have been in touch almost daily with the producer calling to tie in last minute details.
our family was filmed for ten hours last july and that was just our family.
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ARoarer
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55
OUR LAWYER'S LETTER TO WATCHTOWER & THERE R...
by ARoarer inwhen an elder called us to "invite" us to the kh to meet with them to question us regarding accusations of apostasy, while another elder sneakily sat on another line as a "second witness", we, after not being active for several years, having no contact with anyone in the congregation, we felt their phone call was harrassing.
we called our lawyers who drew up a letter that say:.
watchtower bibel & tract society.
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ARoarer
laurelisa, thank you for your kind words.
Seeker, we got 2 more letters from them since I last posted. They are unbelievable in there arrogant stupidity. What is so pathetic they truly believe there pathetic religious legal rhetoric. It is too bad they have rights regarding getting away with such disgusting behavior in the name of religious freedom. Yet they don't allow for anyone else to have religious freedom without religous persecution. -
24
Dateline
by ARoarer ini know everyone is disgusted that dateline has not aired yet, but i can promise you that it will be airing within the next 3 weeks.
we have been in touch almost daily with the producer calling to tie in last minute details.
our family was filmed for ten hours last july and that was just our family.
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ARoarer
Alan, you are so right. In our own case my father in laws lawyers wanted us to settle out of court a few years before the civil trial. The settlement did not even amount to the expenses that we had with lawyers representing us and also the years of therapy bills that were paid to help our daughter deal with the trauma of the molestations. Also if we had settled, the pedophile would be able to keep his secret and actually acuse the victims of being in it only for the money. It was not about the money, it was about the justice of being able to bring the perpetrator to court. This in itself is very healing. There is also a gag order within the congregation.
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55
OUR LAWYER'S LETTER TO WATCHTOWER & THERE R...
by ARoarer inwhen an elder called us to "invite" us to the kh to meet with them to question us regarding accusations of apostasy, while another elder sneakily sat on another line as a "second witness", we, after not being active for several years, having no contact with anyone in the congregation, we felt their phone call was harrassing.
we called our lawyers who drew up a letter that say:.
watchtower bibel & tract society.
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ARoarer
Seeker, RG is well aware of this and all situation. I'm glad you mentioned Peter Smith. I know he will be interested in Watchtower stand. In regard to suing the elders in the local congregation, we verbally informed them when they tried to entrap us on the phone that if they do anything to tarnish our name in a public manor we would sue them individually and they should take this seriously because WT is not going to be eager to defend every elder who gets sued for defamation. It was so hurtful when we learned that the elder who was lurking on the phone as a "second witness" was a long time friend who we knew many years. Especially since we had always shown such kindness and generosity with them and all of our friends from the Hall. CO's would love coming to our home and having little vacations with us. I can't believe thise people could so turn on us like this. It is as if they have another cult personality that I never knew before. They should know however that my husband and I have never and don't intend to start now, to take any bullying without exposing them for what they really are.
Path, I know it is difficult for non Witnesses to understand why we dont want to be df'd or da'd, but the consequences of being shunned is far reaching that affects others in the family and close friends who risk much if they remain in a relationship with us. AS Seeker says to be Punished or Disciplined is something that is not an option and we will not accept being punished for something we are not guilty of without a fight. -
24
Dateline
by ARoarer ini know everyone is disgusted that dateline has not aired yet, but i can promise you that it will be airing within the next 3 weeks.
we have been in touch almost daily with the producer calling to tie in last minute details.
our family was filmed for ten hours last july and that was just our family.
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ARoarer
DevonMcBride, You are right about Sweeps Week. Awhile back they mentioned wanting to air the show at that time because of the ratings.
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55
OUR LAWYER'S LETTER TO WATCHTOWER & THERE R...
by ARoarer inwhen an elder called us to "invite" us to the kh to meet with them to question us regarding accusations of apostasy, while another elder sneakily sat on another line as a "second witness", we, after not being active for several years, having no contact with anyone in the congregation, we felt their phone call was harrassing.
we called our lawyers who drew up a letter that say:.
watchtower bibel & tract society.
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ARoarer
For legal reasons I don't want to say too much more. Right now we are looking into all the options with our law firm as far as dealing with these bastards.
Thankyou, all of you for the information and support. I am glad everything has come out about the Catholic Church and it's hiding pedophiles. When the media gets wind of WTS (the real apostates) the public will be knowledgeable and more sympathetic to the issues. -
50
Response to Pathofthorns
by silentlambs ini have watched the intentional effort by pathofthorns to defend wt policy and create misinformation regarding the silentlambs effort.
are you being paid by wt for your lies?
why do you create boundaries for silentlambs and question them when you know as well as i that we do not stand or take that position?.
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ARoarer
In my case the elders convinced us to do a plea bargain with the prosecutors office and not take it to a criminal trial. Instead he got 5 years probation with 5 years of therapy that only lasted about 2 years. When he got re-instated we and the other victims were warned not to say anything to unknowing members of the congregation or face judicial action. Those who did not know the story bought the lies of his family members protecting him when they would tell people "if he realy did anything he would have been put in jail". The elders let them get away with these comments so that people would look at the victims as making a big thing out of nothing. The elders and WT allowed these lies to continue so that no one would know a pedophile was in thier midst. I told people anyway because they were encouraging congregation families to talk to him and "forgive" him for his sin, not telling them the nature of what he had done to children.
Marvin, I still believe disclosure is always in the best interest of the child. It is a protection for other children. If someone came into your home in the middle of the night and tried to kill your child and physically injured that child would you worry about disclosing this to the authorities. A crime to a child should always be reported. No, I do respect what you feel but I disagree with you Marvin.
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50
Response to Pathofthorns
by silentlambs ini have watched the intentional effort by pathofthorns to defend wt policy and create misinformation regarding the silentlambs effort.
are you being paid by wt for your lies?
why do you create boundaries for silentlambs and question them when you know as well as i that we do not stand or take that position?.
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ARoarer
I would like to say that as the parent of a victim of sexual abuse, I truly believe that children must be protected by the adults in thier family, religous, school, and neighborhood communities. It is the responsiblity of the adults to take the initiative in reporting this horrendous crime. I understand the concerns about disclosure and how it may affect the victim. But in my experience with knowing the many victims I have come into contact with who were afraid to disclose that they were molested by my father-in-law, they later on suffered many many years into adulthood in many aspects of thier lives. My father in law had 3 generations of victims in the congregations in our circuit. He also had victims in the neighborhood who were not Witnesses. His sexual predatoring included children in his family when he himself was in his early 20's. He is now in his 70's. He molested children for all those years, and the ones in his family and the congregation were all timidly afraid to disclose because of thier fears of punishment by him, the elders, thier families, and also because of the threat that HE HIMSELF threatened him with. He would hurt thier parents. My daughter was the first one of all his gerations of victims to disclose. When she was 12 she had to face the corridors of the sexual abuse crimes unit and be questioned with humiliating questions. But she was treated with the utmost kindness and understanding and offered help from the victims witness advocate program. As I look back on those years that led up to the civil trial 2 years ago, I realize that the treatment she received from those in the congregation was apathy, judgmentalness, over righteousness with the attitude of "just put it behind you", sleep with your bible under your pillow if you have nightmares. I belived this lack of kindness and compassionate attitude was far more psychologically harmful than anything she might have faced in the legal system as a result of disclosure. Instead she recieved compassion, validation, therapy and justice of seeing her perpetrator have to deal with the legal consequenses of his actions. Instead, the Watchtower even though they have lip service in thier policies, did everything to discourage our family in taking legal action. My husband was told he would be removed as a ministeral servant if he did not do what they told him to do. We are "besmearching Jehovah's name". The battles all those years in the library of the kingdom hall from 1988 until 1998 was so very stressful on all of us. And yet the kindness and comapassion came from non witnesses. If I had it all to do over I would again encourage disclosure. The ones who did not never have recovered emtotionally from hiding their secret. It affects thier ability to live in a way of having trust, self worth, fear and many other problems. As for the victims who were adults who testified at our daughter's trial, were able to tell their story. The years of silence did not help them. Disclosure is painful but is always in the best interest of the child.
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55
OUR LAWYER'S LETTER TO WATCHTOWER & THERE R...
by ARoarer inwhen an elder called us to "invite" us to the kh to meet with them to question us regarding accusations of apostasy, while another elder sneakily sat on another line as a "second witness", we, after not being active for several years, having no contact with anyone in the congregation, we felt their phone call was harrassing.
we called our lawyers who drew up a letter that say:.
watchtower bibel & tract society.
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ARoarer
Thanks Ashi
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55
OUR LAWYER'S LETTER TO WATCHTOWER & THERE R...
by ARoarer inwhen an elder called us to "invite" us to the kh to meet with them to question us regarding accusations of apostasy, while another elder sneakily sat on another line as a "second witness", we, after not being active for several years, having no contact with anyone in the congregation, we felt their phone call was harrassing.
we called our lawyers who drew up a letter that say:.
watchtower bibel & tract society.
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ARoarer
Mulan, Everyone at the Service Desk in Patterson know us very well. It doesn't matter that we have not had any association at the Hall. I am positive the boys up in Patterson want to get rid of us for blowing the whistle on thier coverups. Apostacy is a good excuse as any for them to do it now.