Scully: No argument from me. What you stated is quite true.
Uzzah: Child molestation as a sin against the child and a sin against God. It is also a crime in the eyes of the law. Under the Mosaic law it was deserving of death.
Leviticus 18:6, 29
6
"‘YOU people must not come near, any man of YOU, to any close fleshly relative of his to lay bare nakedness. I am Jehovah..... 29
In case anyone does any of all these detestable things, then the souls doing them must be cut off from among their people.
Uzzah: You said that "Paedophilia and child abuse is not a spiritual matter. It is a mental sickness and a criminal matter."
I will partially agree with you. Sexual abuse of a child is against the law and may become a criminal matter if it is reported by an adult or the child to the authorities. A parent may decide that it would do their child more harm than good to report the abuse, especially if there is no physical proof to support the child's word. An adult who had been a victim of child abuse may decide not to pursue the matter.
I do not agree that it can be said to be mental sickness in the majority of cases. It certainly is an unnatural desire.
I also disagree with your statement that it is not a spiritual matter. Any serious sin is a spiritual matter.
g81 2/8 p. 18 Incest—The Hidden Crime
Then
Why Do They Do It?
Some adults who turn to incest are psychotic. Most are not, however. They may be apparently good family men, business or community leaders, even good churchgoers.
Why do such "ordinary people" commit incest? Loss of control due to alcohol has been involved. Sometimes, a man marries a woman who already has children. As his stepchildren get older, he may be tempted sexually.
Family problems can contribute. Hank Giarretto says: "Usually it’s a man losing his job or going through a low-ebb period in his life. He and his wife become alienated. The father reaches out to his daughter, looking for closeness. She is open to him, loves him, thinks he’s great. The first overtures are not sexual."
There may be additional causes. One incest victim told how pornographic literature was always present in the house. Giarretto adds: "It’s the sexual climate of our society which helps create the problem. We teach our girls to be Lolitas and sexual provocateurs from the time they’re 2."
An adult committing incest with a child betrays selfishness. He shows no concern at all for the welfare of the child. Yet, in a world that encourages us to ‘do our own thing’ and promotes such perversions as child pornography, is it surprising that cases of incest are on the increase?
To answer another one of your questions, yes, I do have children. I was also not in the habit of allowing them to roam around the convention site without supervision when they were younger. You don't know who is wandering around at these conventions.
I am well aware of the high incidence of repeat offenders.
Slant perception while reading? I think we are all prone to that. I endeavor to see both sides and view matters in the light of the scriptures. All the same I am just as guilty of this as anyone else.
The figures you gave from Canada Legal are frightening, if accurate. I would also like to mention that not all of those reports would have been about baptized members of the congregation. Included too would be unbaptized ones associated with the congregation and non-Witness relatives of members. Just the same it is frightening. We as Jehovah's Witnesses are prone to be more trusting of people and a little naive when it comes to the evil things that go on in the world.
As regards the last two paragraphs in your post I do see your point.
