I’ve really just done some catching up on this recent “scandal”. It’s not surprising with the advent of social media and platforms like YouTube that it has gained as much attention as it has. Even then, a couple hundred thousand views is not that remarkable. That various outlets like the “talk soup” guy also picked up on it interesting. There certainly is comedic gold to be had with all of it.
Cedars did well bringing out the elephant in the room, that is WT prioritizing masturbation instead of the rampant child sex abuse issues they suffer from. But in fairness, the videos were directed at Bethelites and the issues Bethelites have are pornography, masturbation, flirtation, homosexuality and adultery. Pedophilia is more of a congregational elder/servant issue and even a Governing Body issue, though they cover the latter up extremely well.
All of the talking points stated in the male/female version of the videos are nothing new. They may seem shocking because they are now in video form for the world to see, but those exact same stories and scenarios were told over and over again at morning worship in Brooklyn. To the letter. Dan Sydlik could have written the scripts for those videos. They are the very words he spoke repeatedly at morning worship or family worship nights. And without fail, after relating those stories of homosexual experimentation or pornography use or adultery and even rampant masturbation shared or alone, there would be letters read of dismissal from Bethel family or disfellowshipping.
Those dismissed or excommunicated were named. We all knew who they were and what they had done because we just heard a lecture based on their behavior in explicit detail. Nothing has changed since Sidlik’s time. Just a different monkey carrying on his verbiage, and I’m sure there was one before Sydlik. Same stories. Different day. What is different is it has now leaked because of WT’s new love affair with video.