from silentlambs (bill bowen):.
on thursday of this week world wide work money will again be spent to protect a pedophile.
in addition it will also be spent to pay money to a disfellowshipped person in order to find a way to prevent them from assisting the court case of abuse survivors.
Sword,
By the way, if it's all about "faith," then why does the society take any legal action to defend itself? Shouldn't they use the same "faith" they ostensibly expect of others to protect their interests? Don't they have faith that Jehovah will intervene?
from silentlambs (bill bowen):.
on thursday of this week world wide work money will again be spent to protect a pedophile.
in addition it will also be spent to pay money to a disfellowshipped person in order to find a way to prevent them from assisting the court case of abuse survivors.
Sword,
If the WT wants to take on the cop's duties, then it shouldn't complain when it is sued for the screw-ups that ensue.
JT,
Thanks for the reminder. Next time you have a legal case of consequence to you, will you divulge all the details here for everyone to see, including your opponent? It is a discussion board, isn't it?
from silentlambs (bill bowen):.
on thursday of this week world wide work money will again be spent to protect a pedophile.
in addition it will also be spent to pay money to a disfellowshipped person in order to find a way to prevent them from assisting the court case of abuse survivors.
"Even in a court of law, those accused do have certain rights. So too in the congregation. They have a right to be heard by a judicial committee before being turned into the authorities." -- Sword of Jah
What about the right of the victim to have competent authorities investigate the matter, rather than the "judicial committee" comprised of folks who in most cases have zero experience or training as investigators? These are serious crimes, and they deserve and demand a serious response. I find it appalling that elders have any say whatsoever in whether these cases will be turned into the authorities.
from silentlambs (bill bowen):.
on thursday of this week world wide work money will again be spent to protect a pedophile.
in addition it will also be spent to pay money to a disfellowshipped person in order to find a way to prevent them from assisting the court case of abuse survivors.
" The question is: Will it ever be possible to erase these criminal acts before they happen? Our only hope is to wait on Jehovah." - - Sword of Jah
Sorry, Sword, but that's a really pathetic way of dealing with a problem of this nature (i.e. waiting on Jehovah). Policies, procedures, etc., need to be implemented by the Watchtower to ensure that they have no legal OR moral culpability in matters of this nature. If they are creating an atmosphere (e.g., via two witness rule, etc.) that facilitates the commission of crimes of this nature or assists the perpetrators in escaping punishment, then they really do deserve severe legal consequences. Crimes of this nature are so heinous that any and all measures must be taken to prevent their occurence.
As a child, I "waited on Jehovah" to stop the senseless beatings I got for being unable to sit still and attentive through hours of talks that I found to be incredibly boring. I also "waited on Jehovah" to save me from having to work without compensation to market the message of the Watchtower. After waiting for 14+ years, I took matters into my own hands and ceased all involvement with the Witnesses. I certainly don't regret my decision in this regard.
BTW, I do respect you for posting here and I apologize on behalf of those who have resorted to ad hominem attacks against you.
from silentlambs (bill bowen):.
on thursday of this week world wide work money will again be spent to protect a pedophile.
in addition it will also be spent to pay money to a disfellowshipped person in order to find a way to prevent them from assisting the court case of abuse survivors.
"This post is not a defence of Bill Bowen . . . " -- Brummie
I couldn't have said it better myself ! LOL
from silentlambs (bill bowen):.
on thursday of this week world wide work money will again be spent to protect a pedophile.
in addition it will also be spent to pay money to a disfellowshipped person in order to find a way to prevent them from assisting the court case of abuse survivors.
Thi Chi,
You alleged that I have relied on "false assumptions," yet you failed to cite anything that could be construed as such.
Mulan,
You and others here seem to think that the purported payment of Mr. Bowen's expenses by the Watchtower is something noteworthy or unusual. While I don't know the exact details of that case, it is very common for opposing parties in a deposition to pay for witness travel fees due to legal requirements relating to the location in which a deposition is taken. States have differing rules on this, but generally such rules protect witnesses from having to travel at their own expense to depositions far from home, thereby eliminating a means to abuse the witnesses (by forcing them to travel and pay their own expenses).
The post that began this thread and was attributed to Mr. Bowen was absolutely ridiculous, and I stand by my comments in this thread. Assuming these are his comments, I can't help but wonder why he doesn't post them here himself?
from silentlambs (bill bowen):.
on thursday of this week world wide work money will again be spent to protect a pedophile.
in addition it will also be spent to pay money to a disfellowshipped person in order to find a way to prevent them from assisting the court case of abuse survivors.
Sword,
I've asked my parents for Watchtower financial statements, but they've never been able to come up with them, despite being prodded as to what the Society is hiding. If they did disclose that information to the public, it would be all over these web sites.
from silentlambs (bill bowen):.
on thursday of this week world wide work money will again be spent to protect a pedophile.
in addition it will also be spent to pay money to a disfellowshipped person in order to find a way to prevent them from assisting the court case of abuse survivors.
ThiChi,
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I see your point as being that since the Watchtower is against taking your brother to court, they are hypocritical for going to court against these defendants. The problem with that analysis, however, is that the Watchtower is not the party taking someone to court. They are defending, and using legitimate legal means for doing so (i.e. Mr. Bowen's deposition). I don't recall the Watchtower condemning witnesses who defended themselves against legal action, even if the legal action was brought by a "brother" or "ex-brother."
BTW, thank you for bringing up the issue of not taking your brother to court. It's a great concept but a foolish idea. Assuming that elders are better able to resolve legal matters than our court system seems as wise to me as allowing me to pilot a commercial airliner, notwithstanding my lack of appropriate knowledge or training.
from silentlambs (bill bowen):.
on thursday of this week world wide work money will again be spent to protect a pedophile.
in addition it will also be spent to pay money to a disfellowshipped person in order to find a way to prevent them from assisting the court case of abuse survivors.
"Ruby: No really, you're not very open minded if you really believe your own words. The donations are carefully spent on the world wide work. The congregations in the U.S. can afford a payment on their Kingdom Halls, for example, but 75% of the countries around the world would not be able to build Kingdom Halls without the help of the U.S. branch. Also, you think publishing the amount of literature the Watchtower does yearly is cheap? The accusation that they're greedy is really absurd!" - - Sword of Jah
Sword,
Speaking of open minded, how do you know where the donations are spent? I've never seen audited financial statements from the Watchtower corporations; in fact, I've never seen any financial statement from them. I don't think any of us are in a position to say that they're not "greedy," given those facts. If they have nothing to hide, why don't they publish some audited financial statements, along with compensation disclosures for their board of directors?
from silentlambs (bill bowen):.
on thursday of this week world wide work money will again be spent to protect a pedophile.
in addition it will also be spent to pay money to a disfellowshipped person in order to find a way to prevent them from assisting the court case of abuse survivors.
ThiChi,
The point here is that according to the statements of others here, Berry has been found guilty of criminal charges, but the civil charges against the Watchtower have not been adjudicated. Until they are found to be civilly liable for the actions of this creep, there's really no reason why they should open up their bank books for victims who are suing them.
The Watchtower should not be begrudged for using common legal strategies to defend itself in court; rather, it should be raked over the coals for encouraging the abuse and exploitation of children, the destruction of families, and the deaths of those who steadfastly abide by an illogical policy concerning blood transfusions. As much as I dislike the Watchtower, I won't hesitate to call a spade a spade.
