Posts by silentlambs

24

silentlambs speak in editorial letter

by silentlambs in

jw
friends

letter to editor from the portland newspaper.. .

http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/editorial/10174065452784872.xml.

witnesses hide molestation the catholic church has hidden sexual abuse by moving guilty priests to new communities.

silentlambs

Path, you err in your assessment of the article. The official WT policy that was recently stated is a person would not have sanction in their choice to go to the authorities. That is where it ends. The individual who wrote the letter stated,

Jehovah's Witnesses hide the molestation of their youths by threatening the victims with expulsion if they try to warn and protect other members or even to report the perpetrators to police.

The first part of the sentence remmains as a part of wt policy, if you warn others in the congregation about a molester who denies the charge and you do not have two eye witnesses then you could be disfellowshipped for slander. In addition, the Society has never stated the policy regarding authorities in writing till the latest letter to BOE. I have talked to many victims who were threatened with df if they brought reproach on Jehovah's organization by going to the police. If those elders had of called the Society they would have been informed not to take action, yet some never called and some were actually df for calling the police. Sadly the Society never saw fit to recind their DF. What was the basis for df? Loose conduct-a disregard for theocratic order, in other words if you do not do as we say we df you.

I do agree with you in the sense now that this has become a stated part of wt policy it is doubtful anyone who is a jw will be threatened with df in the event they wish to report a molester to the police. Do you think if the silentlambs had never spoken that this letter would have ever been written? I condsider it a small victory they were forced to make this policy clear in writing. Do you think wt will send me a thank-you card?

For others, shallow loyality is ignored as always.

24

silentlambs speak in editorial letter

by silentlambs in

jw
friends

letter to editor from the portland newspaper.. .

http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/editorial/10174065452784872.xml.

witnesses hide molestation the catholic church has hidden sexual abuse by moving guilty priests to new communities.

silentlambs

Letter to editor from the Portland newspaper.

. http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/editorial/10174065452784872.xml

Witnesses hide molestation The Catholic church has hidden sexual abuse by moving guilty priests to new communities. Even more abominable, Jehovah's Witnesses hide the molestation of their youths by threatening the victims with expulsion if they try to warn and protect other members or even to report the perpetrators to police.

03/29/02

Last August, I was one of a group of advocates from across the nation to travel to Ritzville, Wash., to support one such victim when she brought charges against her Jehovah's Witness molester/rapist, Manuel Belize, at his retrial.

For at least three decades, Jehovah's Witness rape victims were accused of "consenting to fornication" for being unable to scream when criminally assaulted. An untold number were disfellowshipped and shunned. Some committed suicide.

How do the victims of these violent crimes become a danger to the fellowship, thus needing to be expelled and shunned? Is it not, rather, the other way around?

15

Oprah today...March 28

by Mulan in

jw
friends

did anyone see oprah's show today?

it was awesome!!!

all about the catholic church and pedophiles.

silentlambs

I was able to view the program and noted a fried David Clossey was featured. David is very familiar with the JW problem as I have spoken with him on several occasions. He is behind the silentlambs issue 100% and seems to be a respected voice on child molestation matters. Hopefully he will help more attention to be brought to the JW problem. Can you picture the day when JWs are featured on Oprah?

14

[?]TWO WITNESSES to secret sin[?]

by belbab in

jw
friends

num 5:20 if you, however, have gone astray, being under the authority of your husband, and if you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has had intercourse with you" .

num 5:21 then the priest shall have the woman swear with the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman ), "the lord make you a curse and an oath among your people by the lord's making your thigh waste away and your abdomen swell; .

num 5:24 'then he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings a curse, so that the water which brings a curse will go into her and cause bitterness.

silentlambs

I think this is a very good post that helps to give more detail to the two witness issue. I believe I can help you clarify two areas that were questioned.

1. Witnesses to seperate events will only refer to events close together. If a person accuses a mate of adultry and then two years later another person makes the same accusation, in the face of denial no judicial committee would be established. On the other hand if it happened within two weeks then it could lay the basis to do so. This is backed up by the way WT has handled cases. I have extensive documentation of a case out west where a brother molested 17 JW children that was documented by the CO DO and the Society. The man eventually went to jail when one of the famlies finally pressed charges. He went to jail as a jw in good standing having never faced a judicial committee. This is one of many cases.

2. "Sufficient evidence" is an interesting play at words. I can tell you what the Society does not consider "sufficient." A sister recently contacted me from the west coast when her four year old daughter was raped by an elder, she took her to the doctor and had a report of physical evidence that her daughter was no longer a virgin. The elders called the society and they said it was not "sufficient." Three days ago I was contacted by a sister on the east coast, when her son was sodomized on multiple occasions by his father she to went to the clinic and had reports from two seperate doctors her son had been raped. Once again the Society concluded it was not "sufficient" to proceed judicially with the father's denial.

Perhaps someday someone can give Brother Brown a lesson in what the word "sufficient" means. Let the reader use discretion.

18

How Many JW Pedophiles In USA?

by silentlambs in

jw
friends

i had a conversation today with a person from new york who has had close contacts with inside contacts at bethel.

a comment was volunteered to him that i found amazing if it provees to be true.

the comment was about how many accused child molesters are on file at wt legal.

silentlambs

I had a conversation today with a person from New York who has had close contacts with inside contacts at bethel. A comment was volunteered to him that I found amazing if it provees to be true. The comment was about how many accused child molesters are on file at WT legal. With all the numbers flying about the Catholic Church I think most will find this number to be quiet sobering. The brother stated that the WT has over 20,000 alleged child molsters on file as of the fall of last year. If that is not bad enough the statement followed that most of these had never been reported to the authorities.

Well, is this true? I encourage WT to respond and set the numbers right. If they choose not to respond then the reader can form their own conclusions as to what that shows. Many times I have been asked a estimate or number, yet this number is far more than conservative numbers that we have figured. If a conservative figure of 70 is given for the actual number a pedophile will molest in his or her lifetime then you could have a figure involving hundreds of thousands of children that have been or will be molested by WT policy.

Do you think the growth of JW pedophiles will overtake the increase in publishers?

32

BOE Letter

by Simon in

jw
friends

emailed to me by doinmypart:.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/tmp/boe20020318.pdf.

posted on a separate thread so the topic is more related.

silentlambs

Regarding the BOE letter comments on child abuse,

This is NO CHANGE from current and past WT policy. Elders have not called legal and threatened victims with disfellowshipment of their own volition. If they called legal they would have been instructed to not take judicial action based on reporting. This was an unstated policy until elder school and this letter was written. Why was it clearly brought to the fore? Could it be silentlambs speaking out? I wonder if WT will send me a thank you card for helping them to give clear direction on this unstated WT policy for so many years?

Sadly this is not good enough to address the real issues with WT Policy that continue to hurt children.

Wolves Among Sheep

by silentlambs in

jw
friends

i recieved this post today from the author of the book "wolves among sheep" it is soon to be made into a movie and offers a interesting commentary on a murder, suicide and child molestation of this man's family.

i do not know who will be offering the book for sale but it should be made know shortly.. silentlambs.

hi bill, .

silentlambs

I recieved this post today from the author of the book "Wolves Among Sheep" It is soon to be made into a movie and offers a interesting commentary on a murder, suicide and child molestation of this man's family. I do not know who will be offering the book for sale but it should be made know shortly.

silentlambs

Hi Bill,

Thank you for calling me today. It was such a pleasure talking with you again. It makes me feel better to know others, with similar experiences, are out there.

I enjoy reading your website. It's developed very nicely since you first put it up.

I must apologize for not sending you a copy of Wolves Among Sheep. I sent one to Barbara, and now that you've reminded me, I'll send another one to you, free of charge.

However, from now on, I'll have to start charging a small fee for doing that. For the cost of the of book, packaging and post, the total amount should come to about $12.50 US. That's not a bad price for a book nowadays, don't you think?

Kindest regards,

Jim Kostelniuk

1

Has Erica Rodriguez had her baby?

by Sunspot in

jw
friends

does anyone know if erica has had her baby yet?.

it was made known to me a couple of months ago that she could really use some help with things for her new baby and i so wanted to help out.. i've crocheted a few things for the "new arrival" and haven't heard a word about her in quite a while.

i'd like to send these things to her, but i don't know 1) if the baby has been born yet, 2)if everything went "smoothly" and all is well, and 3) how do i go about .

silentlambs

The following is an email that was sent out on the silentlambs list. If you wish to send aything please send it to, silentlambs, PO Box 311, Calvert City, KY 42029, I will make sure she gets it.

I am happy to announce that on 3-4-02 Erica gave birth to a healthy baby boy. He weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces and is doing fine. Erica had some complications afterward but has pulled through and is doing fine at this time. She wanted to let you all know how much she appreciates the kind support and assistance that has been given. To date I have forwarded donations in the amount of $365.00 with different ones contributing from across North America. She also has received clothing and new baby items which have been very helpful. She had very little to start out with and your donations have assisted greatly in that regard. Just a few days ago the doctor said for them to be able to circumcise the baby they needed $150 up front. When I called Erica that day after checking the mail I had gotten checks in exactly that amount. It is good to help those in need and certainly even more so those who have been victims of abuse. It means much to feel you have support from friends you have never met yet know they care.

Through silentlambs we support those like Erica and many others who thought they were alone. Last night I spoke to a brother who spent six years in bethel in the 1990’s. He just found the silentlambs website and was stunned to read of all the stories. His Uncle molested him and his two brothers when they were small. His family tried to bribe him into silence with an inheritance, they tell him he will die at Armageddon for not protecting God’s organization. His Uncle has yet to pay for his crimes against children, while this large witness family waits on Jehovah. This is just one of so many calls I receive each week.

Thanks you for your kind support and hopefully we will make a difference for the children.

Regards,

bill

8

What Do You Think?

by silentlambs in

jw
friends

but in other places the legal system may offer little hope of successful prosecution.. some legal experts advise reporting the rape to the authorities as soon as possible.

but in other places the legal system may offer little hope of successful prosecution.. some legal experts advise reporting the theft to the authorities as soon as possible.

but in other places the legal system may offer little hope of successful prosecution.. some legal experts advise reporting the assualt to the authorities as soon as possible.

silentlambs

Some legal experts advise reporting the MURDER to the authorities as soon as possible. In some lands the legal system may require this. But in other places the legal system may offer little hope of successful prosecution.

Some legal experts advise reporting the RAPE to the authorities as soon as possible. In some lands the legal system may require this. But in other places the legal system may offer little hope of successful prosecution.

Some legal experts advise reporting the THEFT to the authorities as soon as possible. In some lands the legal system may require this. But in other places the legal system may offer little hope of successful prosecution.

Some legal experts advise reporting the ASSUALT to the authorities as soon as possible. In some lands the legal system may require this. But in other places the legal system may offer little hope of successful prosecution.

Some legal experts advise reporting the BANK ROBBERY to the authorities as soon as possible. In some lands the legal system may require this. But in other places the legal system may offer little hope of successful prosecution.

Some legal experts advise reporting the ANIMAL CRUELTY to the authorities as soon as possible. In some lands the legal system may require this. But in other places the legal system may offer little hope of successful prosecution.

Some legal experts advise reporting the VANDALISM to the authorities as soon as possible. In some lands the legal system may require this. But in other places the legal system may offer little hope of successful prosecution.

Would Watchtower say the above about any of the crimes described? Then why does it make this statement about child molestation:

Some legal experts advise reporting the abuse to the authorities as soon as possible. In some lands the legal system may require this. But in other places the legal system may offer little hope of successful prosecution. AWAKE!-10-8-93

29

Dateline Update

by silentlambs in

on sunday night i wrote the dateline update, since that time several questions have been raised regarding the dateline story.

i will not be able to answer all questions raised or try to defend the basis of the statements made in the dateline update.

i can say that we are getting very close to an airdate, so close i can taste it.

silentlambs

Now with the above being stated, I would like to make a suggestion. Now that Dateline is so close, has anyone thought about having a Dateline party on the night of airing? I think it would be nice to get a few friends together and enjoy the program with a group. We used to have superbowl parties where everyone brought a snack that followed a theme. One time it was Mexican, then another seafood, Italian, etc....

If the word is circulated around perhaps we could have several Dateline parties around the country with collective reviews of what the groups thought of the program.

Also I might mention I plan to attend the next meeting at my local Kingdom Hall after Dateline airs. I think it only the Christian thing to do to offer the local Witnesses the opportunity to apologise and right the wrong they have committed to my family.

If anyone would like to tag along you are welcome to do so.