Posts by DT

this won't change, even if the case is later dismissed on a legal technicality.. the public is beginning to lump them in the same category as the catholic church and other institutions that are more concerned about their own reputation than the protection of children.. their "spiritual paradise" has been revealed to be a fraud.

their members can't feel safe in their organization.

DT

A jury has determined that the Watchtower Society is responsible for allowing child abuse to occur within its ranks. This won't change, even if the case is later dismissed on a legal technicality.

The public is beginning to lump them in the same category as the Catholic Church and other institutions that are more concerned about their own reputation than the protection of children.

Their "spiritual paradise" has been revealed to be a fraud. Their members can't feel safe in their organization. Some of their members have problems that can't be fixed by Bible teachings. The elders and other leaders have shown themselves to be unable and unwilling to protect the flock.

We have the letters from the Candace Conti trial that show a case of child abuse being treated as a minor case of "uncleanness", rather than as a crime.

Their public ministry relies on the illusion that they are harmless, even if they are a little annoying. How will the public react when they discover that the Watchtower society has been shielding sexual predators for years and sending them to their doors?

The statements of those who try to defend the Watchtower Society are desperate and indicate actual embarrassment and a level of cognitive dissonance that will be difficult to sustain for a significant period of time. Furthermore, they are easily answered with court records that have been made public. They also reflect a lack of compassion for the victims that only reinforces the accusation that the Watchtower Society is a cult.

This is only the beginning. More victims will have their stories heard, whether in the court system or elsewhere. The world rightly despises child abuse and those who cover it up. The reputation of the Watchtower society has been permanently damaged.

42

Emailing my sister RE: Child abuse conviction - NEED HELP!!

by What Now? in

so the other night, my family was together and my dad brought up the recent child abuse conviction for the society.

big surprise, my sister hadn't heard anything about it, so of course she got right on to the jw.org website and emailed me the link to the watchtowers official statement.

this is my reply:.

DT

I think you did a great job with this correspondance. You showed that some of her claims about the policies were lies. Either she lied intentionally or someone lied to her and she just passed on the information.

It shouldn't be surprizing that she reacted emotionally by diverting attention from the facts. She appears to be shaken by what you said. Her first instinct might be to defend the Society, but later she might think sriously about those policies.

42

Emailing my sister RE: Child abuse conviction - NEED HELP!!

by What Now? in

so the other night, my family was together and my dad brought up the recent child abuse conviction for the society.

big surprise, my sister hadn't heard anything about it, so of course she got right on to the jw.org website and emailed me the link to the watchtowers official statement.

this is my reply:.

DT

I would ask her where she got her information. It sounds like an elder may have misinformed her about the actual policies. It would then be a simple matter to direct her to the policy on jw-media.org and point out the numerous errors she made. Later, you could think about mentioning some of the elder's letters that contain unsavory details that the rank and file aren't allowed to know about.

97

I think the Society might drop its appeal over the Conti case

by cedars in

i've been giving some thought to the recent development in which the judge has ruled that the society is barred from completing any property transactions until the appeal is over, which could take up to two years or even more.. i've submitted an article to randy at freeminds in which i basically argue that it is no longer in the society's interests to appeal this case.

if i correctly understand the restrictions placed on the society by the judge, then the governing body has far more to lose by appealing than they could conceivably gain.. think about it.... by appealing, they buy themselves time in which to formulate a long-term strategy for dealing with the fallout of this case, but will be barred from liquidating $1 billion in property assets at a time of global economic uncertainty when their donations are dwindling.

there is also no guarantee that their appeal will be upheld.by dropping their appeal, they take a hit and pay $23.8 million but retain the freedom to see through their real estate projects; retain their financial flexibility to respond to dwindling donations, and get to pretend to their followers (as with the un scandal) that it never happened.of course, i am only saying that dropping the appeal would be the only intelligent option for the society, assuming they are aware of how legally precarious their child abuse policies are.

DT

Here is a quote from that link.

"Some litigants - particularly businesses - should consider whether or not they want to create a binding precedent in the disputed area of the law. Trial court decisions are not binding on other courts. Once a case goes to appeal, however, a legal precedent may be set that will be binding on trial courts faced with the same issue in the future."

I thought they were appealing to avoid setting a precedent. I didn't realize that they were at risk of setting a precedent by appealing. It makes me wonder why they are appealing. Maybe they are just trying to force a smaller settlement.

97

I think the Society might drop its appeal over the Conti case

by cedars in

i've been giving some thought to the recent development in which the judge has ruled that the society is barred from completing any property transactions until the appeal is over, which could take up to two years or even more.. i've submitted an article to randy at freeminds in which i basically argue that it is no longer in the society's interests to appeal this case.

if i correctly understand the restrictions placed on the society by the judge, then the governing body has far more to lose by appealing than they could conceivably gain.. think about it.... by appealing, they buy themselves time in which to formulate a long-term strategy for dealing with the fallout of this case, but will be barred from liquidating $1 billion in property assets at a time of global economic uncertainty when their donations are dwindling.

there is also no guarantee that their appeal will be upheld.by dropping their appeal, they take a hit and pay $23.8 million but retain the freedom to see through their real estate projects; retain their financial flexibility to respond to dwindling donations, and get to pretend to their followers (as with the un scandal) that it never happened.of course, i am only saying that dropping the appeal would be the only intelligent option for the society, assuming they are aware of how legally precarious their child abuse policies are.

DT

Here is that link made clickable.

http://www.californiaappeals.com/should-you-appeal.html

44

Letter from elders to WT about Jonathan Kendrick and the WT response

by wolfman85 in

.

i don't know if these letters were posted here before , so i'm sorry if is something that all of you have seen already..

DT

These letters really highlight the culpability of the Society. A man admits to child abuse yet there is no judicial committee or action to notify the police, child services or other parents. They just tell him to stop while allowing him to continue to be in situations where he will be tempted. I wish some of the Watchtower apologists would read those letters.

7

More sex scandals

by Decided in

jw
friends

my second cousin called me and told me some things that happend in my old congregation right after i left.

she was rapped at 15 yrs old by a brother and her father got the police involved but while they were discussing what to do the wt society called and told them to drop it.

they followed their advice.

DT

I'm glad she is taking some action. An apparently weak case could turn into a very strong case if additional evidence is uncovered. Even a settlement would be a victory and provide some justice for the victim and that much more pressure for the Society to change its policies.

34

Anyone Besides Me Have Difficulty Saying The Word "Jehovah"?

by Low-Key Lysmith in

jw
friends

even when i was a devout witless, i always winced a bit when i heard or especially had to utter "jehovah".

it's just one of those uncomfortable words to say like "colostomy", "vagina", or "erectile dysfunction"..

DT

I preferred to say God, especially if I was talking to someone who wasn't a Witness.

I remember people saying you should call out the name Jehovah if you were attacked by demons. I fet like that would make me seem like a wimp. I was more concerned about the demons laughing at me for yelling Jehovah than I was of them actually attacking me.