Excerpt From Newspaper Article
A crime, not just a sin.
But too many children find only denial when they do report a problem, says Barbara Anderson who, with her husband, Joe, helped bring national attention to a pattern of abuse denial in the Jehovah's Witnesses a few years ago.
The Witnesses have a policy, based on biblical principals, that if one member has a problem with another, they are to go first to that person and then to the elders to resolve. In cases where wrongdoing is alleged, the elders ask for at least two witnesses, the complainant and another.
Where elders went wrong, Anderson said, speaking recently as she and her husband traveled through Fayetteville, Tenn., on the way from their home in Tullahoma to visit friends in Atlanta, was confusing crime with sin.
"This is a matter for the police, not the elders," Anderson said. "But they didn't want to make the church look bad."
Anderson became aware of the extent of the problem because she worked as a researcher in the publishing offices of the Witnesses in Brooklyn. She passed on documents such as letters from victims and official church memos to lawyers helping victims sue the church.
Anderson and her husband have since been excommunicated from the church. She documents her findings at watchtowerdocuments.com.
In both the Witnesses scandal and in the better-known Catholic scandal, abusers who confessed and repented were usually accepted back into the church and the allegations kept secret. Some of the Witness elders thought such confessions were protected under clergy privilege, an argument they made unsuccessfully in court in a case that was settled out of court in 2007.
Rick McLean, who remains on America's Most Wanted list for child abuse for multiple offenses over 20 years against young girls in California, is the most notorious of those accused of abuse by Witnesses and whose crimes had been made known to church elders.
Since the Jehovah's Witness cases broke into the news and courtrooms in 2002, Witness church leaders have issued statements to instruct elders that suspected child abuse is to be reported in states, including Tennessee and Alabama, where laws mandate the report of suspected abuse. The church's Web site, watchtower.org, includes articles to help families and congregations prevent child abuse.
36 comments:
This organization skirts around this issue only to protect itself as the "only true religion".
It has long been recognized that the sexual abuse of a child is wrong, criminal behavior, against the law, spiritually damaging.
If you take note, it is told to them(elders) directly from watchtower headquarters that it is not necessary to report an allegation of child sexual use unless the local/state laws require them to do so. WOW! Talk about hiding perverts to save face, it is true, this is what they do. This is fact.
So check your local/state laws and see if they(the cong.) are obligated by law to report 'suspected' sexual abuse of a child. If not then you can bet your last dollar that their is a perv standing next to you singing kingdom songs!
That group in Texas that got raided for making underage girls marry old men and relatives, they had their own biblical interpretation that they lived by without regard for state/local laws. The Watchtower does the same with bible interpretation and law.
This is one issue that really should cause one to ask himself, that if this were in fact the 'TRUTH' and the 'ONLY TRUE RELIGION' 'full of followers that Jehovah approves' then why would Jehovah allow predators in the 'flock' to destroy, spiritually damage the most precious of the flock? And then protect the criminal?
Those articles to help families and congregations prevent child abuse from the Watchtower are very lame and do nothing to protect children or educate parents.
this is the link for the people who will ask for it:
http://bama.live.advance.net/living/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/living/122060614311650.xml&coll=1&thispage=1
page 2 has the extract.
yada yada yada
The answer to the abuse situation is to not do it.
"The Witnesses have a policy, based on biblical principals, that if one member has a problem with another, they are to go first to that person and then to the elders to resolve."
That is a good policy.
"But they didn't want to make the church look bad."
And I agree. protecting Jehovah and his organization is more important than anything. Afterall, that is why Jesus died. To protect his father's name. What Jesus did and what that means is more important than a child or anything.
"The church's Web site, watchtower.org, includes articles to help families and congregations prevent child abuse."
And GBLetters does nothing to prevent abuse either.
"And I agree. protecting Jehovah and his organization is more important than anything. Afterall, that is why Jesus died. To protect his father's name. What Jesus did and what that means is more important than a child or anything."
And that is why you are a despicable human being and a prime example of the worse case member of the Jehovahs Witnesses.
Wait, you probably are a typical member and as such are the biggest idiot ever.
Jehovah can look after himself. A child cant.
Thank you so much for showing your true falseness as a follower of God. You should be so proud of yourself.
Unfortunately, Ronde is overly proud of himself! (I can hear that Rocky theme striking up again as he reads this. If you have read his ridiculous previous posts, you'll know what I mean. He gets his inspiration from Rocky movies.)
As previously mentioned by Shawn, the annointed/Governing body blame the victims when something happens that puts JW's in a bad light.
Not surprisingly, one of their followers, Ronde has said on this web-blog that the victims and their parents are to blame for the pedophilia problem! (btw: This came only after he initially denied pedophilia existed in his precious religion. He had to be corrected by one of his JW apologist friends - Nathan - that indeed JW's had a pedophilia problem in some congregations.)
Can you imagine such an insensitive statement by Ronde, that the victim and their parents are to blame??? This guy is so wacked it isn't even funny.
Ah! What Rocky movie will he quote from next??? LOL
Ronde, why don't you quote from today's daily text?
"Those "gifts in men" are overseers, or elders, appointed by Jehovah and his Son, through holy spirit, to shepard the sheep with tenderness."
Hmmm. So, since a pedophile usually becomes one at a young age (teenage to early 20's), how is it that some of these men - known pedophiles - were appointed by Jehovah as an elder??? (btw: For those unaware of the current understanding of pedophiles, they ALWAYS have this tendency - all their life!)
And, here's what makes children very vunerable. Notice the last statement in the daily text: "Since the elders in our congregation submit to Christ, the Head of the congregation, they deserve our full attention."
Can you see now why it was WRONG not to inform all congregations world-wide that they (like the Catholic religion and other religions too) had a pedophilia problem in some congregations, some even being ELDERS!
Silence was the wrong protocol to take with the congregations of JW's - the only ones to benefit from the silence was the pedophile and the the relious leaders (who chose to protect their image).
What a shame! Anyone who tries to defend them SHARE their guilt and accountability BEFORE GOD.
Let me conclude by PROVING that Ronde is a liar and will do ANYTHING to protect the image of JW's.
In his concluding sentence in his blog entry above, he makes this accusation:
"[Ronde stated] And GBLetters does nothing to prevent abuse either."
Ronde states this, despite the fact the GBL published a blog (the second one in September called "Public Service Announcement) which overtly warned all Jehovah's Witnesses of a criminal - a pedophile who grossly misused his position as a Ministerial Servant to abuse girls for decades - that is wanted by the FBI.
Why the warning to JW's? Because GBL knows that they have been ill-informed of this from the inside and that this guy McClean (or whatever alias he is using) might just show up in an unsuspecting congregation using his knowledge of the inner workings of the congregations to his advantage [yet again]. Isn't it nice too that GBL is not limiting this warning only to the BOE!
Jesus didn't die to protect his father's name. Jesus died to pay a corresponding ransom to buy back life for the condemned human race.
REMINDER....IGNORE RONDE.
"Jesus didn't die to protect his father's name. Jesus died to pay a corresponding ransom to buy back life for the condemned human race. "
That is the same thing. When Jehovah created humans, he said it was good. Well, humans failed so they were no longer good. God's creation was not good. Thus what Jesus did was allow his Father to be the creator of good again.
“The answer to the abuse situation is to not do it.”
You’re almost there, Ron. The answer to the Watchtower/Jehovah’s Witnesses problem with pedophilia among its elders—from Patterson to Podunk—is not to do it. The problem is that children—both boys and girls--ARE being raped right now, by 'brothers' their families trust.
All too frequently this is how it goes. The child tells its parent what a trusted ‘brother’ did; the parent goes to the elders. The elders ask the man if he did it. If he denies it (and most pedophiles, regardless of religion, do deny what they’ve done), it becomes a matter of one emotionally upset child’s word against that of a Governing-Body-appointed elder. Guess whose word the other Elders will take?
The Elders then tell the parent and child not to speak of this again as it would “bring reproach upon Jehovah’s name” and warns the family that if they should try to alert other parents in the congregation about the risks their children face with the perpetrator they themselves could be disfellowshiped.
Without admitting guilt, the child molester maintains his position within the congregation. No other families with young children are warned—inside the congregation or out in the community--because
JWs like you have been brain washed into thinking that:
“Protecting…the organization is more important than…a child or anything”.
[Ron, if that statement really represents how you feel, you should make arrangements to have yourself sterilized now, before you bring a child into the world.]
As for reproach…Is warning others that a certain brother sexually molested your child what brings reproach on Jehovah--or is it the DESPICABLE ACT of having raped a child?
Shockingly, even when the perpetrator does confess to the crime, the family is still told to keep the matter hush-hush and are warned that disciplinary action will be taken against them if they warn other families in the congregation.
The only way it will become public knowledge is if the parents or the victim break the code of silence or if the perpetrator's crime is mentioned in the newspaper.
To my knowledge, the appointed shepherds in the congregation have NEVER taken steps to protect the other members in the congregation by making an announcement that a pedophile is in their midst. Why is that?
If a brother or sister breaks the law, such as getting a DUI, the family members who know about the crime are not warned to keep the matter hush-hush. The elder's attitude in cases like that is that the person needs to suffer the consequences of their behavior, the elders do not protect the person. Why do they protect pedophiles?
I don't think it's true that Jehovah's Witnesses' congregations protect pedophiles. What other religious organization has disfellowshipping for pedophilia? What other organization has a child protection policy that applies to all members, not just office holders? What organization ensures that pedophiles are denied all organizational responsibilities?
If the Watchtower Policy is so bad, then isn't it strange that it has never been successfully challenged in court?
I found the following website more illuminating and factual than your comments:
http://thirdwitness.com/childabuse/default.html
John,
Quote from Chapter 9, Speak No Evil:
"Any elders saying otherwise is overstepping their bounds and disregarding the letters from the Watchtower Society."
That about sums it up for me.
I've spoken about incidents that I personally know about. I've spoken of GH before, she was the young sister who was molested by her grandfather, an elder. Her mother was warned not to speak to anyone in the congregation about what happened. The father didn't want the mother to go to the police, he wanted the congregation to handle it. The mother contacted an uncle who encouraged her to go against her husband's wishes and report the crime anyway.
I can cite many more examples where victims and their families were told to keep quiet and were threatened with judicial action if they did not keep quiet. I have a letter from Bethel admitting that the elders in one congregation did not handle a situation properly. It's a work of art, how they worded that thing.
So, yes, some elders in some congregations are protecting pedophiles because they are hanging on to old WT policy. How many elders are still treating victims according to the old way, and not according to the revised policy set forth by the PR department?
John, you can defend the organization all you want, but it won't make any difference to the victims who KNOW what they've been put through. In fact, it's kind of like adding salt to the wound, to know that so many elders are not handling abuse cases the way they should be.
"I don't think it's true that Jehovah's Witnesses' congregations protect pedophiles."
IT'S TRUE, THEY DO
"What other religious organization has disfellowshipping for pedophilia?"
NOT THEM EITHER
"What other organization has a child protection policy that applies to all members, not just office holders?"
POLICY! WHAT'S THIS POLICY, MY KID DIDN'T KNOW IT??? SINCE WHEN DOES POLICY PROTECT ANYONE?
"What organization ensures that pedophiles are denied all organizational responsibilities?"
OH BOY, THEY DON'T GET TO MOW THE KINGDOM HALL LAWN OR CLEAN THE TOILET, SO SAD, TO BAD! BUT THEY STILL GET TO STAND AT THE MEETING AND SING SONGS WITH YOU AND JOIN IN FIELD SERVICE WITH YOU!!!!!!
John,
chocpudeye is correct. I have first hand been threw the process of a handling of a pedophile in the cong with a close family member and witnessed the handling of a rape of a young girl(close friend) by a ministerial servant. You are not as protected as the pedophile.
The out come is never good for the victims within the congregation of JW's.
You have been lulled into BELIEVING all is safe and good by the Watchtower. That the Shepherds of the flock are protecting the most vulnerable, our children. DON'T BELIEVE IT, IT'S A LIE.
"If the Watchtower Policy is so bad, then isn't it strange that it has never been successfully challenged in court?"
Clergy confidentiality is being challenged in courts with every case. Currently, clergy are only required to report any such implications of child sex abuse 'if the laws in their state require them to do so'. Otherwise it is kept quiet.
"When Jehovah created humans, he said it was good."
Actually He didn't. Well, humans failed so they were no longer good. God's creation was not good. Thus what Jesus did was allow his Father to be the creator of good again.
Could you give us a reference for that in a Watchtower publication?
If the Watchtower Policy is so bad, then isn't it strange that it has never been successfully challenged in court?
This never got to court because they dont want publicity. The pay out came with what is essentially a gag order... dont tell anyone the amount.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21917798/
My last post had quotes from John's post. Sorry to cause confusion.
I have appreciated your comments Kimmy Jo because they come from someone who has been through the process - in terms of child abuse and the elders/WTS.
I'm so sorry that someone close to you had to experience this. I never knew it existed AND I never realized how deficient JW's policies for handling child abuse were.
But one thing I have observed. If you make noise on VALID COMPLIANTS you are termed a trouble-maker. JW's leaders are only concerned with their image, not God's viewpoint on this serious matter of child abuse. (Their intrepretation of the two-witness rule with children and child-abuse is SO WRONG, it isn't even funny.)
This religion is in serious trouble and the Internet is going to expose them for who they really are.
Thanks again to GBL for his remarkable posts that stimulate much discussion, which in turn results in awareness that can be vital!!!
anon said:
"The child tells its parent what a trusted ‘brother’ did; the parent goes to the elders. The elders ask the man if he did it. If he denies it (and most pedophiles, regardless of religion, do deny what they’ve done), it becomes a matter of one emotionally upset child’s word against that of a Governing-Body-appointed elder. Guess whose word the other Elders will take?"
Why is it that everyone accepts the word of the child without question, just because s/he is the accuser and not the word of the accused?
"Is warning others that a certain brother sexually molested your child what brings reproach on Jehovah-"
Well, if you have a conflict as to whether the molestation occured, then what is there to warn? You don't know that it actually occurred, you just know that "The child tells its parent what a trusted ‘brother’ did;". Wisdom knows the difference.
choc:
"Shockingly, even when the perpetrator does confess to the crime, the family is still told to keep the matter hush-hush and are warned that disciplinary action will be taken against them if they warn other families in the congregation."
And they do not have to do what they are told. What you state is just not true. It is not their job to "making an announcement that a pedophile is in their midst."
"If a brother or sister breaks the law, such as getting a DUI, the family members who know about the crime are not warned to keep the matter hush-hush."
Not true.
" The elder's attitude in cases like that is that the person needs to suffer the consequences of their behavior, the elders do not protect the person. Why do they protect pedophiles?"
No one has protected any pedophiles.
choco:
"I've spoken about incidents that I personally know about."
So what of it?
Many people have endured police brutality, there are legislators and others that have done worng but does that make the state and federal constitution invalid because some people did things wrong?
People can complain all day long about bad things that others have done to them. Boo hoo. But that has nothing to do with the relgion. That is people not following the religion.
" I've spoken of GH before, she was the young sister who was molested by her grandfather, an elder. "
Since the religion does not teach that such behavior is acceptable, what does that have to do with the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses?
"Her mother was warned not to speak to anyone in the congregation about what happened. "
So what? What does that have to do with the religion? That is what happened to them.
"The father didn't want the mother to go to the police, he wanted the congregation to handle it. The mother contacted an uncle who encouraged her to go against her husband's wishes and report the crime anyway."
A domestic squabble. Not a religious problem.
"I don't think it's true that Jehovah's Witnesses' congregations protect pedophiles."
That is correct. They do not put them in the attics or basements and hide them as people claim.
People are free to do what they want.
""When Jehovah created humans, he said it was good."
Actually He didn't. Well, humans failed so they were no longer good. God's creation was not good. Thus what Jesus did was allow his Father to be the creator of good again.
Could you give us a reference for that in a Watchtower publication? "
Well, ask GBLetters as he is the Watchtower expert here. I am the Jehovah's Witnesses expert. The reference is Gen 1-3
There is no such thing as Watchtower policy.
"...humans failed so they were no longer good. God's creation was not good. Thus what Jesus did was allow his Father to be the creator of good again." Anon.
"Could you give us a reference for that in a Watchtower publication?"
"...The reference is Gen 1-3." Ronde
You missed the point, Ron. The Q asks for a Watchtower quotation for their alleged statement that it took Jesus' "to allow his Father to be the creator of good again".
Since your are "the Jehovah's Witnesses expert" it shouldn't be all that difficult for you come up with the official answer to that question.
"Since your are "the Jehovah's Witnesses expert" it shouldn't be all that difficult for you come up with the official answer to that question. "
Whatever I state is the official answer. Afterall, I am the Jehovah's Witness expert since I am one, not the Governing body expert or the Watchtower expert.
ronde,
THE EXPERT ON EVERYTHING. OMG.
ronde,
When you state things such as
"There is no such thing as Watchtower policy"
A million questions go through my head. Who are you? Do you not know anything about the organization?
Clearly you have never served at Bethel, as an Elder, CO, DO, or in any responsible position in the org.
When you state outright lies such as this you really show your ignorance. Since you seem to know almost nothing about the inner workings of the org why don't you try sticking to scripture. At least you have a Bible that you could quote from.
I don't want my words to be interpreted as a Ad hominem attack. So here are some facts.
KS book published by WTBTS is a book of Watchtower Policy. Letters to Elders are Watchtower Policy. Dwelling Together in Unity published again by Watchtower is a Policy manual. Branch Organization.
I have these books. I have served in positions where I used them.
Where would anyone get the idea Watchtower/JW/CCJW/ etc don't have polices?
-J
J said:
"ronde,When you state things such as"There is no such thing as Watchtower policy"
A million questions go through my head. Who are you? Do you not know anything about the organization?"
Yes, I know about the organization. I said there is no such thing as Watchtower policy because there is none. The only Watchtower policy is what is in the book "Dwelling together in Unity" which is for the Bethelites who work there. But that is not the issue here.
The Watchtower Society is a small part of the organization, about 1500 people who work there. They have policy just like any other company has in their handbook.
"Clearly you have never served at Bethel, as an Elder, CO, DO, or in any responsible position in the org."
Yes, I have served at Bethel. And what was done at Bethel was separate from what is done anywhere else in the organization.
"When you state outright lies such as this you really show your ignorance. Since you seem to know almost nothing about the inner workings of the org why don't you try sticking to scripture. At least you have a Bible that you could quote from."
I know all about the innerworkings of the organization. But the so-called Watchtower policy is only company policy for the workers and does not affect us out here.
"KS book published by WTBTS is a book of Watchtower Policy. Letters to Elders are Watchtower Policy. "
Wrong. That is guidelines and instructions to elders from the governing body not the Watchtower. The Watchtower only prints it on their presses. Letters to elders not from the Watchtower but are from the CCJW.
"Dwelling Together in Unity published again by Watchtower is a Policy manual. Branch Organization."
Those are company handbooks, not related to the ones not working for that company. When I said that there is no Watchtower Policy I was referring to us not working there.
"I have these books. I have served in positions where I used them."
Then you had better give them back as you don't deserve them.
"Where would anyone get the idea Watchtower/JW/CCJW/ etc don't have polices?"
The Watchtower has policy for its workers and that is their business, not ours. JWs don't have policy.
Ronde States:
"I know all about the innerworkings of the organization."
"I said there is no such thing as Watchtower policy because there is none. The only Watchtower policy is"
"JWs don't have policy."
Oh thank you great Ronde for all your depth of wisdom. Next time I need the GPS coordinates for God I will be sure to call on you.
The GB should have listened to Bill Bowen and Barbara Anderson... check this link out (you can copy and paste the address below in your browser's address box):
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/165412/1.ashx
Joepub
"The GB should have listened to Bill Bowen and Barbara Anderson."
Why would anyone care what traitors say? Or what that site says?
Dear Anon,
What you fail to realize is that they tried to change things WHILE they both were JW's.
That should give you something to "think" about. It was only after the GB insisted that there was NO NEED for changes, did they feel compelled to go to the press and the police.
Why? Because just as that article said (did you read it btw?), SILENCE in any organization is what pedophiles look for!
You need to open your mind and think for yourself about this issue. And here's something else to think about. If it wasn't for these two JW's, the GB would have never changed their policies, which would have been disasterous!!! They only changed it because of the pressure put on them FROM THE OUTSIDE! And, everyone knows the OUTSIDE is controlled by Satan. Boy, that should make you think.
If you really want to know the truth about Jehovah's Witnesses and pedophilia, I suggest you visit this site.
I am not one of Jehovah's witnesses, but I know a few. I'm sure they are not perfect. But I do not believe one word that this page says about them.
You should be ashamed of yourselves for talking about people or a group of
people that is trying to lead a better life than the scum that you
seem to be. You are probably a group from the - so called "Church of Christ" or "Southern Baptist"
Try to post something that an intelligent person rather than what a moron would like to hear.
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