respectful_observer

Joined

• started 28 topics
• posted 1,004 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by respectful_observer

• 
  16

  Attorney General: JW congregation didn't report child abuse

  by betterdaze in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  delaware attorney general: sussex co. jehovah's witnesses congregation didn't report child abuse.

  by associated press 1:47pm, august 5, 2015. the delaware attorney general's office is suing a jehovah's witnesses congregation in sussex county, claiming that elders failed to report an unlawful sexual relationship between a woman and a 14-year-old boy, both of whom were congregation members.. oral arguments in the civil action are set for november.. authorities say elders learned in january 2013 that katheryn harris carmean white was having sex with the boy and failed to immediately call a child abuse hotline.. the congregation's attorney argues that the elders are protected by clergy privilege from the reporting requirements, similar to the confidentiality of a church confessional.. carmean white, who worked as a teacher's aide at seaford middle school, was later convicted of rape and child endangerment and sentenced to six years in prison..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  respectful_observer

  When it rains, it pours, huh?

  Talk about a bad week for the WT Legal Dept.
• 
  33

  The Australian: Women to 'Never Rule' in Jehovah's church

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/women-to-never-rule-in-jehovahs-church/story-fn3dxiwe-1227470092202.

  august 4, 2015 annette blackwell.

  a jehovah's witness official says the church's stance to never let women hold decision-making roles compares to muslim and aboriginal people adhering to their own ancient beliefs.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  respectful_observer

  Counsel for the commission, Angus Stewart SC, said the problem for the commission was trying to pin down the source of the policies was like trying to "put your finger on a ball of mercury".

  Haha...too funny. The WT lawyers are trying very hard to avoid confirming any direct link between the creation and management of the Organization's policies (including child abuse) and the GB. If that happens, then Jackson will immediately be on the hook to testify. Their argument that Jackson's testimony as a GB member would be of little value because he's responsible for language translation is beyond laughable. I'm sure the Legal Dept does all the legwork of building the policies, but I don't think a single JW-- no matter how much Kool-Aid they drink-- would imagine that the GB hasn't reviewed and approved the policies and procedures for something as serious and judicial as child abuse.

  Based on what I've heard so far from the RC hearings, the WT lawyers received the direction: "Inveigle and obfuscate. Inveigle and obfuscate."
• 
  15

  Another Elder has developed amnesia.

  by umbertoecho in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the elder just being questioned is yet another sly manufacturer of deceit and the use of theocratic warfare.. how can these men say the can't remember when it's their own letters, their own implemented policies.

  hell, it's their own books and magazines the commission is using, along with internal letters etc.

  another dry mouth there........as he sat up all alone and experienced first hand the faith building experience of ....speaking with a thick tongue as all his juices dried up.........

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  respectful_observer

  How can these men say the can't remember when it's their own letters, their own implemented policies. Hell, it's their own books and magazines the commission is using, along with internal letters etc

  To give them the benefit of the doubt, they probably can't explain "1914" or the current understanding of "this generation" without printed help...and how many articles, talks, etc., have they heard or read over the years?
• 
  64

  Dr Monica Applewhite!

  by username in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i'm just listening to this so called doctors testimony.

  where did the watchtower dig her up from.

  her answers have mostly been maybe's and i think!.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  respectful_observer

  http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/2015/07/31/expert-admits-jehovah-s-witnesses-flawed.html

  Expert admits Jehovah's Witnesses flawed
  

  The treatment of child abuse victims by the Jehovah's Witness church is seriously flawed, a national inquiry has heard from a consultant hired by the church.

  Monica Applewhite, a US-based consultant specialising in child abuse risk analysis and education programs for institutions, mostly churches, was employed by Watchtower Australia to evaluate the Witnesses' policies for the royal commission hearing.

  Watchtower Australia is the legal entity of the Jehovah's Witness church.

  Dr Applewhite, who has been an expert witness in abuse trials in Britain and the US, submitted a report in which she noted the Jehovah's Witnesses were a cut above other religious organisations in Australia.

  The doctor, who has listed work with the Catholic archdioceses of Melbourne and Adelaide on her extensive CV, said she had not found examples in Australia of a religious organisation that provided better information than the Witnesses on how to support abuse victims.

  But she confessed her research was based on Jehovah's Witness publications, not on empirical studies.

  Her knowledge of every religious organisation was also limited and she was unable to immediately identify the other religious organisations to which she was referring.

  When asked by Angus Stewart SC, counsel for the commission, whether Jehovah's Witness procedure was 'deficient when measured against current best practice', Dr Applewhite replied: 'Does it meet all current best practices? It probably doesn't.'

  Jehovah's Witness procedure is based on biblical teachings.

  The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard this week from two women who had gone through the Jehovah's Witness process for handling child sex abuse allegations.

  In both cases the church did not uphold the allegations because, under church law, two witnesses are required to prove any wrongdoing.

  This rule is based on the Witnesses' interpretation of scripture and the handling of wrongdoers.

  The women told the commission how an internal judicial hearing required them to detail the abuse to three church elders, all men, in front of the alleged abuser.

  Justice Peter McClellan asked Dr Applewhite if she thought this process was appropriate.

  Dr Applewhite said there were better ways.

  She also agreed that under the two witnesses rule, abuse victims could be further traumatised because they were not being believed.

  Justice McClellan said: 'It is by no means an ideal place for someone's psychological wellbeing to be placed?'

  Dr Applewhite replied: 'That's true.'

  When Andrew Tokley SC, counsel for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia, suggested Dr Applewhite be allowed to submit a supplementary report, Justice McClellan said it needed to be more than an expression of opinion.

  He pointed out the commission needed information that would help address the obvious flaws in the Witnesses' procedures.

  If Dr Applewhite was going to supply further information, Justice McClellan said it should be done within the next few weeks.

  - See more at: http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/2015/07/31/expert-admits-jehovah-s-witnesses-flawed.html#sthash.U3iEVcV5.dpuf
  
• 
  35

  Article: Reveal News Organization: JWs Cover-Up of Child Sex Abuse and Oust a Victim

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  https://www.revealnews.org/article/jehovahs-witnesses-cover-up-child-sex-abuse-and-oust-a-victim/.

  jehovahs witnesses cover up child sex abuse and oust a victim.

  topics: criminal justice / religion .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  respectful_observer

  Thanks for sharing. It will be interesting to see if PBS or NPR pick up this Reveal piece, as they did with the first one.

  Between this powerful story, and so many others, it seems to provide more than enough content for a true Frontline-style documentary.
• 
  7

  What would a JW do if their none JW neighbor molested their 9 year old daughter???

  by James Mixon in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  have anyone heard of a case where they (jw) turn the person over.

  to the law???

  ?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  respectful_observer

  I proposed that same question to my elder dad one time when we were discussing all the child abuse lawsuits being faced by the Society. I asked him "Would you call the authorities if a child in the hall was being abused?" His response: "Only if the Legal Dept. told me I should, yes." "Would you call the authorities if you discovered the little girl next door was being abused by her father?" His response: "Of course!!!" CD was kicking in big time.
• 
  5

  Another case of information control!

  by username in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i decided to have a look at jwtalk to see if there might be any news on the australian royal commission investigation into child abuse.

  there was a message posted regarding the news.

  another case of jws not being able to handle bad news against the mother ship!.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  respectful_observer

  Not sure what was posted there originally, or on what part of that site, but the Australian inquiry discussion is now in an existing "child abuse" thread in the "Alt News" part of the forum, which is behind the log-in.

  This matches up with previous protocol on the site, where negative news stories regarding JWs (especially child abuse) are moved by the mods from a public part of the site to behind the log-in.

  Can't have the public seeing negative factual information about JWs!!
• 
  43

  Yet more trolley (in)activity

  by konceptual99 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am currently having to spend a little time waiting for an appointment in the vicinity of a central london station.

  whilst waiting i am catching up on some work in a cafe.

  i can see a couple of trolleys and have been watching them for around an hour now.. not one person has stopped to take literature.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  respectful_observer

  done4good14 hours agoI have to say, I work in NYC and have yet to see one of these things.
  I also have not even seen JW in my neighborhood in NJ in several years.
  d4g

  They're usually parked outside the 42nd St./7th Ave. subway entrance in Times Sq across from Walgreen's. I've also seen them in Port Authority bus terminal pretty frequently.
  
• 
  20

  Angelo Catanzaro

  by Room 215 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i recently heard angelo catanzaro, a rather prominent figure in the organization .. a long-time district overseer and a favorite of knorr's, died recently.

  there was some indication that he and his wife figured out ttatt in their latter years and turned "apostate"... .

  does anyone out there know what happened to them?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  respectful_observer

  There was some indication that he and his wife figured out TTATT in their latter years and turned "apostate"...
  

  I thought I read a few years ago that Angelo also learned the TTATT. Don't know where I read that though.

  For what it's worth, this thread from 5 years ago mentions Catanzaro giving the opening prayer at the 2010 AM:

  Hmmm...pretty sure I had him as a DO when I was very young.

  Out of curiosity, what is leading you to say he may have learned TTATT? If so, it must have been very recently based on BoC's reference to his role at the 2010 AM.
• 
  36

  Band Green Day and JWs

  by hardtobeme in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  a few years ago i heard of a story about two jw's being at a green day concert.

  i think that the witnesses were bethelites.

  the person that told me that story said that the band was about to play but they couldn't.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  respectful_observer

  Random fact: The band Zebrahead used to tour with and open for Green Day. The lead singer of Zebrahead was raised JW.