This is my line by line review of the letter published by the Watchtower in response to NBC. Ok. This is my rant actually. The WT letter is in bold.
Jehovah's Witnesses
They are not Jehovah's Witness. They look like blind Witnesses to me, since the r/f don't even know what's going on.
Office of Public Information
I would call it Office of Public Disinformation, since we can't get a response from them unless they see their name in the national press (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21917798/). Well, smile! You are in candid camera with your pants down!
For Immediate Release November 21, 2007
I can imagine the WT lawyers in front of the TV set doing the draft of this document. "Remember guys, less is more. Try to say as little as possible". Rushing the document to release it in the same day the NBC program aired. "Do we need to do this in many languages? No! Just English. The less people that know about it the better".
Jehovah’s Witnesses care for victims of child abuse
This is awesome! The title recognize the fact that there are problems in the Spiritual Paradise (tm) . But, they waited until Barbra kicked their butts. So shame on you WT for hiding the settlements as long as possible.
For the sake of the victims in these cases, we are pleased that a settlement has been reached.
Meaning: We will use the contributions of the brothers and sisters and we are going to sell a couple of buildings to pay the legal team and silence the victims. So, we are pleased that it wasn't worst. Question: Did a resolution come to your KH asking you if they can use YOUR money for that? I don't remember raising my hand and approving it?
Our hearts go out to all those who suffer as a result of child abuse.
But, that's it. Only our hearts. We just listen and put the cases in a file and hope everybody forget.
Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide are united in their abhorrence of this sin and crime.—Romans 12:9.
Well. Yes. Everybody is. Not only JW. I am not a JW anymore and I agree with that (I still go to the KH for the sake of my family). Every religion will agree with that. Heck. Even killers will agree with that.
We do not condone or protect child molesters.
We are paying this settlement just from the goodness of our heart. Come on! There are around the world a lot of cases of child abuse in the WT Org.
Our elders expel unrepentant sinners who commit this crime. (1 Corinthians 5:13)
Unless of course, the sinner looks repentant or cry when we talk to him, or if he has a good position inside the organization, or if we hate the victim, or if the WT tell us to do it, etc. In those cases he will not be expelled.
In the United States, over 80,000 elders currently serve in over 12,300 congregations. (Acts 20:28) During the last 100 years, only eleven elders have been sued for child abuse in thirteen lawsuits filed in the United States.
I am so sorry. You didn't understand. We are not talking about the United States pedophiles only. Do you remember how many countries and territories you do reach? Bad memory lately?
I am sorry again. You think we are talking about elders only. No. We are talking about everybody: MS, Pioneers, R/F, Bible students, JW's kids. There are lot predators in those categories too. Why are you talking only about elders?
And, no, we are not talking about a 100 years. We are talking about just from the time people started to actually report this. If people didn't report it, it doesn't mean it didn't happen. You never saw Jesus in 1914, but he came (you say), right?
And, no we are not talking about sued elders. We are talking about fugitives pedophiles, hidden pedophiles, and lots a lots of pedophiles that hasn't been sued... yet!
In seven of these lawsuits against the elders, accusations against the Watchtower Society itself were dismissed by the courts.
Yes. I know, you are too smart to do your policies in writing. You have good lawyers. But, I don't buy that you paid that money from the goodness of your heart.
Of course, one victim is one victim too many. However, the incidence of this crime among Jehovah’s Witnesses is rare.
Rare? LOL. LOL. LOL. I hope you are talking about meat, otherwise you are soooo wrong.
Congregation elders comply with child abuse reporting laws.
Yes. You do. But, only if the state law says that you have to report it, you do it (from a public pay phone, so you don't leave a trace). Otherwise, you just forget the whole thing.
(Mark 12:17; Romans 13:1) We do not silence victims.
Yeah, right. You just use fear, control, gag orders, spiritual dead, gilt, shunning, etc.
Our members have an absolute right to report this horrible crime to the authorities.
But you don't even suggest them to go to the police. A scared victim (possibly a kid) and you expect him/her to go to the police all by himself after the interrogation? Shame on you. I don't remember we ever studied in the congregation a WT article about what to do in these cases. I don't remember a part in the KM School.
The October 2007 issue of our monthly journal Awake! features the cover series, “Keep Your Children Safe!” These articles clearly show our concern for protecting children from sexual abuse.
These articles show your concern with covering your backs. What a coincidence. You just did that magazine the last month. If you were really concerned you should had told to everybody in those articles the problems you are facing inside the organization and about the settlements months ago!!! Heck. You should have alert us about the predators 100 years ago.
Your response is disgusting!
-ootb