It was late in the '80's that I had the privilege of being a part of JW sisters who met every week to discuss our emotional issues as we were all Adult Children of Alcoholics. That was our format of meeting to work through a workbook for the intended purpose of dealing with our dysfunctional childhoods.
As time went on and we became comfortable and had formed a certain amount of trust many of the sisters in the group started telling about sexual abuse at the hands of their fathers (some Elders, some R&F brothers, some never affiliated but had Mother's who were). I honestly could not believe what I was hearing about respected brothers in the congregations and at some point I had doubts and thought the stories were made up, but I could see for myself the damage done to these dear sisters and their families. I thought it was an isolated to the small town we lived in in fact once the Elders started trying to bust up our group (causing divisions, LOL) it was exactly what was said by them itwas isolated and these kinds of things don't happen generally in Jah's organization. How was I to know, this was all new to me I had never heard first hand stories about sexual abuse or incest before and was completely horrified by all of it.
Scans to 12 years or so later when I finally had had enough evidence to prove to myself that this cult was not backed by God and I packed up and left, literally. On searching the web I came across first Randy's site and then the SilentLambs site where I read page after page of the same kind of stories I had heard over a decade earlier from a handful of sisters in my home town......what I read was taking place world wide and those words of the Elder who said this was an isolated area and these kinds of things don't happen generally in Jah's organization came burning back. If I ever had a shawdow of doubt that maybe I should return to the cult it was completely removed from my soul and my heart that night and for days I kept reading. I was horrified at what I read.
I have had the privilege of meeting and talking with Barbara and Joe personally and they are my heroes. They have courageously gone up against this evil cult and never once was it about them but always about the victims who have suffered at the hands of the cult's covering up the sexual abuse and letting the molesters get off, err pardon the pun. Enough thanks can't be expressed to them for their tireless work in getting this information out there and exposing the WTS for the evil that they have done.
Second: The subject of getting this into hands of the national press has been handled, and if everyone could leave it at that for the time being, we'll inform you on here what to look for in the next week or so, hopefully. Good things are happening!
I can't wait to hear of the next installment hitting the presses, this is so awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you Barbara and Joe!