The Fight For What Is Right
As I reviewed the events of last year, it brought me to the simple comment above. This is the basis of why I am in the position I am in today. The thirty first of December will mark my one-year anniversary of no longer serving as an elder. Forty-three years of my life were devoted to a cause I would have willingly sacrificed myself or my family for. I often thought of myself as a knight who would grab his sword and be willing to give his life in behalf of the innocent and for the honor of the King. I believed in two words that followed me throughout my life. In business, I would place them on my business card; whenever a decision was to be made, these two words would often guide me. On many occasions those two words caused me much personal hardship, but I could agree to the terms as it is better to obey what those two words require than to live with the results of not doing so.
In 1992, I was deleted as an elder over those two words. The consequences were devastating. You see, in 1992 my circuit overseer, Ken Purvis, chose to tell a lie about some information that hurt several people. If he had told the truth, it would have exposed several serious mistakes he had made. I was confronted with agreeing to his lies and staying an elder, or telling the truth and being deleted for being “self-willed.” Because of those two words, “honor” and “integrity,” I had no choice when making my decision. As I stated to the special committee, “I would rather be deleted as an elder for telling the truth than serve as an elder by agreeing to a lie.” I believed Jehovah would make it up to me, and my life’s course would prove who the real liar was. Two years to the day, I was reappointed as an elder. Three years to the day, I had a part on the district convention.
The reason for sharing this story is because I gained insight as to how the WT organization works. Through this experience, I began to understand the manner in which corrupt people in high places could get away with wrongdoing they simply lied their way out. Although I came to believe that there were many corrupt people in high places within the organization, I also believed there were good guys who had honor and integrity. Ultimately, I believed they could help right to prevail. On December thirty-first of last year, in my heart there was an ember of that hope as I proceeded on my course. As I sit here and write this today, I see a much clearer picture.
In the fall of 2000, my effort to protect a child was terminated by WT directives based on WT policy. As an elder I tried for four months to work matters out within the organization and met a brick wall. This caused me to research the problem nationally. Were other elders efforts thwarted when they endeavored to protect children in their congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses, like I was trying to do in Kentucky? It deeply disturbed me to the point I wrote a letter resigning as PO and elder in protest of what WT policy was doing to children. I sent a copy to headquarters to the Legal and Service Departments, and, also, to the Governing Body. This was in the middle of December. On the twenty-ninth I got my answer direct from the circuit overseer when he casually said at the end of an elders meeting, “Oh yes, Brother Bowen, we accept your resignation.” Not one word of counsel; not one attempt to encourage me to work for a solution as an elder. The following week I was on the six and ten o’clock news as well as the front page of the local newspaper. Four elders asked to meet with me, three of whom were PO’s in their respective congregations. They basically had a simple mission – to find a basis to disfellowship me for apostasy, and tell me that WT policy would never change. Thus, this would keep me from speaking out anymore on the matter. It did not work.
So began the “fight for what is right,” and what a fight it was, with Watchtower pulling every dirty trick possible to silence and punish my family and me. To list a few:
1.I was placed on full restrictions; when I challenged in writing the basis for doing so, they took four weeks to inform me I was really not on restrictions.
2.WT sent in a substitute circuit overseer to give a special local needs part with the simple objective – to demonize me so badly that everyone would be afraid to talk with me about the subject. I recall his first words, to the effect of, “The person who went to the media has spoken against God.”
3.The brothers who had parts on the meeting were informed not to call on me. When I inquired about this, I was told I was welcome to comment at any time.
4.The brothers at the Literature Counter were instructed not to locate any literature orders I placed.
5.The brothers at the Magazine Counter were instructed to give away my magazines.
6.The brothers could not locate a KM for me while everyone else had one.
7.At the end of January, members of WT Information Office flew to Missouri to videotape an interview with my parents. They recorded over two hours of tape, yet the only part they chose to use was where my father stated, “My son is just not telling the truth.” This was released to all local newspapers and television stations as a rebuttal to what I was saying.
8.When I would meet for field service, the conductor would place me in a car by myself with no territory.
9.The brothers instructed the congregation to treat me as a disfellowshipped person; when I attended meetings, no one would speak to me, and I had to endure their dirty looks.
10.Anytime local Witnesses met my family out in public places, they were also treated as disfellowshipped.
11.The brothers refused to offer any explanation for the above actions when questioned; all the while I remained a Witness in good standing.
Consequently, the actions of these superfine elders extinguished any ember of hope I held that the good guys would take any meaningful action. I was even contacted by persons in high places at Bethel who offered support, yet did nothing to bring any change to WT child abuse policy. The breaking point for me was in June of this year when the local elders decided to start using the child molester on the stage again. When I confronted them, basically, I was told to go to hell. I attended meetings for six months under the conditions above, while the child molester commented freely with the support of the entire congregation. You see, I was forbidden by WT policy to even inform his wife that he was a pedophile. While I did report him to the police, the local elders informed the congregation I was making a big deal about nothing. To a certain extent, I began to understand how a victim must feel to live as a silent lamb as I watched the pedophile enjoy the good favor of the congregation. The stories of the victims that came by the hundreds confirmed how they were silent lambs and why they were treated far worse than me for trying to get help. This reminds me of the scripture in Corinthians that says, ”Now if anyone builds on the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood materials, hay, stubble, each one’s work will become manifest, for the day will show it up, because it will be revealed by means of fire; and the fire itself will prove what sort of work each one’s is.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13)
I remember the application given that Scripture in a talk: the “fire” proves what we are really made of when we face adversity. If you turn that scripture around and apply it to the Governing Body, what do the events of the last year prove them to be made of? Do these men really believe that God allows them to hurt children with no consequences?
The answer brings to mind the scripture in Romans, ”But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and of the revealing of God’s righteous judgment. And he will render to each one according to his works: everlasting life to those who are seeking glory and honor and incorruptibleness by endurance in work that is good; however, for those who are contentious and who disobey the truth but obey unrighteousness there will be wrath and anger, tribulation and distress, upon the soul of every man who works what is injurious, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory and honor and peace for everyone who works what is good, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.” (Romans 2:5-11)
Apparently, the application of this Scripture is that God is not partial to anyone; if you do bad things and hurt children, I do not believe God would overlook it because of man’s imperfection. As it says in Romans 13:10, “Love does not work evil to one’s neighbor; therefore love is the law’s fulfillment.” How can it be showing love to enact a policy that allows children to be molested?
More than once WT has quoted the scripture in Acts about Gamaliel and applied it to their favor in dealing with the silentlambs’ issue. I offer you the verses to review.
“When they heard this, they felt deeply cut and were wanting to do away with them. But a certain man rose in the San'he·drin, a Pharisee named Ga·ma'li·el, a Law teacher esteemed by all the people, and gave the command to put the men outside for a little while. And he said to them: “Men of Israel, pay attention to yourselves as to what YOU intend to do respecting these men. For instance, before these days Theu'das rose, saying he himself was somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined his party. But he was done away with, and all those who were obeying him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Gal·i·le'an rose in the days of the registration, and he drew off people after him. And yet that man perished, and all those who were obeying him were scattered abroad. And so, under the present circumstances, I say to YOU, Do not meddle with these men, but let them alone; (because, if this scheme or this work is from men, it will be overthrown; but if it is from God, YOU will not be able to overthrow them;) otherwise, YOU may perhaps be found fighters actually against God.” At this they gave heed to him, and they summoned the apostles, flogged them, and ordered them to stop speaking upon the basis of Jesus’ name, and let them go.” (Acts 5:33-40)
It might appear that the application of the Scripture would be for WT to lay low and let this blow over. Yet, I see the point made that they could actually be fighting against God, and, if so, the results would be men who no longer have the benefit of God’s Holy Spirit directing their decisions.
Jesus dealt with men such as this and he used a word to describe them. At Matthew 15:6-9, he stated, ”YOU hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about YOU, when he said, ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.”
Jesus went on to give further description, “Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because YOU give the tenth of the mint and the dill and the cumin, but YOU have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law, namely, justice and mercy and faithfulness. These things it was binding to do, yet not to disregard the other things. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat but gulp down the camel! “Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because YOU cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of plunder and immoderateness. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside of it also may become clean. “Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because YOU resemble whitewashed graves, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful but inside are full of dead men’s bones and of every sort of uncleanness. In that way YOU also, outwardly indeed, appear righteous to men, but inside YOU are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:23-28)
This is an ample description of what Jesus called a hypocrite. That description is defined further in the Insight book under that word:
.*** it-1 1164-5 Hypocrite ***
HYPOCRITE
“A person who pretends to be what he is not; a person whose actions are out of harmony with his words. Although words from the Hebrew root cha·neph' are rendered “hypocrite” or “hypocrisy” in some translations, such as the King James Version, Douay, and Leeser, other translators have variously rendered these words “profane” (Yg), “impious” (Ro), “godless” (RS), and “apostate” (NW). According to A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by Brown, Driver, and Briggs (1980, pp. 337, 338), cha·neph', when used as an adjective, may be defined as “profane, irreligious . . . , godless”; or, as a verb, “be polluted, profane . . . , inclining away from right.” In the Scriptures cha·neph' appears in parallel with those forgetting God (Job 8:13), the wicked (Job 20:5), evildoers (Isa 9:17), and it is used in contrast with the upright and innocent ones.—Job 17:8; see APOSTASY.
“The Greek word rendered “hypocrite” (hy·po·kri·tes') means “one who answers,” as well as meaning a stage actor. Greek and Roman actors employed large masks with mechanical devices for amplifying the voice. Hence, the Greek word hy·po·kri·tes' came to be used in a metaphoric sense to apply to one playing false, or one putting on a pretense. The same word appears in the Greek Septuagint at Job 34:30; 36:13. Hypocrites are “unfaithful ones” (compare Lu 12:46 with Mt 24:51), and “hypocrisy” (hy·po'kri·sis), as used in the Scriptures, may also denote “wickedness” and “cunning.”—Compare Mt 22:18; Mr 12:15; Lu 20:23; see also Ga 2:13, where hy·po'kri·sis is rendered “pretense.”
“Jesus Christ identified as hypocrites persons who make gifts of mercy with showy display, who pray and fast to be seen of men, and who pick on the strawlike faults of their brothers but do nothing about removing their own rafterlike faults. Christ classified as such those who claimed to be God’s servants but who failed to discern the significance of the time in which they were living and the events that were occurring, while readily drawing conclusions from the appearance of earth and sky as to what the weather would be like.—Mt 6:2, 5, 16; 7:1-5; Lu 6:42; 12:54-56.
“Not only did the Son of God while on earth denounce the religious leaders of Israel as hypocrites but he also stated his reasons for doing so. They rendered mere lip service to the Creator, making the word of God invalid because of their traditions. (Mt 15:1, 6-9; Mr 7:6, 7) Their actions were out of harmony with their words. (Mt 23:1-3) The scribes and Pharisees not only deliberately refused to avail themselves of the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of the heavens, but they added to their sin by trying to hinder others from doing so. They put forth every effort to convert someone, only to make him twice as much a subject for Gehenna as they were. They were sticklers for the little things of the Law but disregarded the weightier matters of it—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. As hypocrites, they possessed only a seemingly clean outward appearance; inside they were full of immoderateness. Like whitewashed graves, outwardly beautiful, they appeared righteous to men, but inside they were “full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” They built the graves of the prophets and decorated the memorial tombs of the righteous ones, claiming that they would not have shed the blood of such ones. However, their course of action proved them to be just like their murderous forefathers. (Mt 23:13-36) The teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees was actually hypocrisy.—Mt 16:6, 12; Lu 12:1; see also Lu 13:11-17.
“A striking example of a hypocritical course was that followed by the disciples of the Pharisees and the party followers of Herod when approaching Jesus on the tax question. First they resorted to flattery, saying: “Teacher, we know you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth.” Then they posed the catch question: “Is it lawful to pay head tax to Caesar or not?” Appropriately Jesus referred to them as hypocrites, since they were not really desirous of getting an answer to their question but merely raised it with a view to trapping Jesus in his speech”.—Mt 22:15-22; Lu 20:19-26; PICTURE, Vol. 2, p. 544.
A hypocritical course cannot be concealed indefinitely. (Lu 12:1-3) Hypocrites are condemned by God as unworthy of life everlasting. (Mt 24:48-51) Therefore, a Christian’s love and faith must be without hypocrisy. (Ro 12:9; 2Co 6:4, 6; 1Ti 1:5) The wisdom from above is not hypocritical.—Jas 3:17.”
“Hypocrite!” What better word in light of the definition above to describe the Governing Body who claim they direct a brotherhood guided by love, yet refuse to make any adjustment to protect children and offer support to victims. Their willful action proves them to be hypocrites.
It is interesting to note that in the scripture that lays the basis of authority for the “Faithful and Discreet Slave,” the word hypocrite is mentioned. Read it for yourself:
“Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to YOU, He will appoint him over all his belongings.“But if ever that evil slave should say in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ and should start to beat his fellow slaves and should eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, and will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his part with the hypocrites. There is where [his] weeping and the gnashing of [his] teeth will be.” (Matthew 24:45-51)
In Jesus estimation, hypocrites were the lowest form of humanity, something the “evil slave” would be assigned to. This scripture has often been applied to me as the “evil slave” who beats his brothers. They say I “beat” them by bringing up this issue as it gives JW’s a bad image. How interesting that the “Insight” book makes this point under beating:
it-1 273 BEATING
”Jesus foretold that at the time of his presence he would appoint “the faithful and discreet slave . . . over all his belongings.” God’s Son also spoke of an evil slave that would not be alert and anxiously watching for his master’s arrival. Such an “evil slave” would say: “My master is delaying.” Not only would he eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards but he would go further by beating his fellow slaves and opposing their work of providing the spiritual food at the proper time for God’s faithful slaves. This one, in turn, would be punished with the greatest severity and assigned a part with the hypocrites. (Mt 24:45-51; Lu 12:42-46) Jesus went on then to show that one who has greater responsibility and fails to take care of it is more reprehensible than one who does not know or understand his duties so well. Such a one’s punishment, the number of “strokes,” would be proportionate to his responsibility.”—Lu 12:47, 48.
It seems that many strokes are due the Governing Body for ignoring the cries of the silent lambs. In addition, by their inaction, it is they who are beating those who are the weakest and the most helpless in the organization. So, I ask you, is the Governing Body by their actions, the “good” slave or the “evil” slave?
Another area that has been of great concern, is the misrepresentation and outright lies that have been told by WT officials on this matter. Again to the “Insight” book where a lie is defined:
it-2 244-5 LIE
“The opposite of truth. Lying generally involves saying something false to a person who is entitled to know the truth and doing so with the intent to deceive or to injure him or another person. A lie need not always be verbal. It can also be expressed in action, that is, a person may be living a lie. The Hebrew verb that conveys the idea of speaking that which is untrue is ka·zav'. (Pr 14:5) Another Hebrew verb sha·qar' means “deal or act falsely,” and the noun form is rendered “lie; deception; falsehood.” (Le 19:11; Ps 44:17; Le 19:12; Ps 33:17; Isa 57:4) Hebrew shaw´, at times rendered “untruth; falsehood,” basically refers to something worthless, vain, valueless. (Ps 12:2; De 5:20; Ps 60:11; 89:47; Zec 10:2) The Hebrew verb ka·chash' (deceive) evidently has the basic meaning “prove disappointing.” (Le 19:11; Ho 9:2) The Greek term pseu'dos and related words have to do with lying and falsehood.
“The father, or originator, of lying is Satan the Devil. (Joh 8:44) His lie conveyed by means of a serpent to the first woman Eve ultimately brought death to her and to her husband Adam. (Ge 3:1-5, 16-19) That first lie was rooted in selfishness and wrong desire. It was designed to divert the love and obedience of the first human pair to the liar, who had presented himself as an angel of light, a benefactor. (Compare 2Co 11:14.) All other malicious lies uttered since that time have likewise been a reflection of selfishness and wrong desire. People have told lies to escape deserved punishment, to profit at the expense of others, and to gain or maintain certain advantages, material rewards, or the praise of men.
“Especially serious have been the religious lies, as they have endangered the future life of persons deceived by them. Said Jesus Christ: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you traverse sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one you make him a subject for Gehenna twice as much so as yourselves.” (Mt 23:15) The exchange of God’s truth for “the lie,” the falsehood of idolatry, can cause a person to become a practicer of what is degrading and vile.—Ro 1:24-32.
The case of the religious leaders of Judaism in the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry shows what can happen when one abandons the truth. They schemed to have Jesus put to death. Then, when he was resurrected, they bribed the soldiers who had guarded the tomb so they would conceal the truth and spread a lie about the disappearance of Jesus’ body.—Mt 12:14; 27:1, 2, 62-65; 28:11-15; Mr 14:1; Lu 20:19.
“Jehovah God cannot lie (Nu 23:19; Heb 6:13-18), and he hates “a false tongue.” (Pr 6:16-19) His law to the Israelites required compensation for injuries resulting from deception or malicious lying. (Le 6:2-7; 19:11, 12) And a person presenting false testimony was to receive the punishment that he desired to inflict upon another by means of his lies. (De 19:15-21) God’s view of malicious lying, as reflected in the Law, has not changed. Those desiring to gain his approval cannot engage in the practice of lying. (Ps 5:6; Pr 20:19; Col 3:9, 10; 1Ti 3:11; Re 21:8, 27; 22:15) They cannot be living a lie, claiming to love God while hating their brother. (1Jo 4:20, 21) For playing false to the holy spirit by lying, Ananias and his wife lost their lives.—Ac 5:1-11.
“However, persons who are momentarily overreached in telling a lie do not automatically become guilty of an unforgivable sin. The case of Peter, in denying Jesus three times, illustrates that if a person is truly repentant, God will forgive him.—Mt 26:69-75.
“While malicious lying is definitely condemned in the Bible, this does not mean that a person is under obligation to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it. Jesus Christ counseled: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, neither throw your pearls before swine, that they may never trample them under their feet and turn around and rip you open.” (Mt 7:6) That is why Jesus on certain occasions refrained from giving full information or direct answers to certain questions when doing so could have brought unnecessary harm. (Mt 15:1-6; 21:23-27; Joh 7:3-10) Evidently the course of Abraham, Isaac, Rahab, and Elisha in misdirecting or in withholding full facts from nonworshipers of Jehovah must be viewed in the same light.—Ge 12:10-19; chap 20; 26:1-10; Jos 2:1-6; Jas 2:25; 2Ki 6:11-23.
“Jehovah God allows “an operation of error” to go to persons who prefer falsehood “that they may get to believing the lie” rather than the good news about Jesus Christ. (2Th 2:9-12) This principle is illustrated by what happened centuries earlier in the case of Israelite King Ahab. Lying prophets assured Ahab of success in war against Ramoth-gilead, while Jehovah’s prophet Micaiah foretold disaster. As revealed in vision to Micaiah, Jehovah allowed a spirit creature to become “a deceptive spirit” in the mouth of Ahab’s prophets. That is to say, this spirit creature exercised his power upon them so that they spoke, not truth, but what they themselves wanted to say and what Ahab wanted to hear from them. Though forewarned, Ahab preferred to be fooled by their lies and paid for it with his life”.—1Ki 22:1-38; 2Ch 18.
How could those who represent the WT read the above and justify lying to support a policy that allows children to be molested? Are these just stupid men or are they outright wicked? The answers to these questions have led many who I have had conversations with to ask: “Where else can we go?” This, of course, is paraphrasing a statement made by Jesus disciples when confronted with the choice of leaving him. I have thought of this statement many times over the last year. Two weeks ago, I found a simple answer in the story of “Dumbo.”
While this may give the reader pause, please be patient while I explain. The story of Dumbo is about a little elephant that had extremely large ears. While his mother loved him very much, everyone else made fun of his deformity. One day as a gag, a circus monkey convinced Dumbo that if he could hold a magic feather in his trunk and flap his ears, then he could fly. It worked. As part of the circus act, Dumbo became an overnight sensation. He was the only flying elephant in the world. Dumbo had lots of friends now. As long as he had his magic feather he would remain famous. One day, a high tower was constructed for Dumbo to jump off. However, when he got to the top, he discovered he had lost his magic feather. When he tried to come down, the monkey stopped him and said the magic feather was a complete lie. He said that the power to fly was with Dumbo all along; the feather was nothing more than a prop used to get his confidence up to try to fly. Dumbo refused to believe it was so, but in the process of trying to get off the platform, he slipped and fell off. Inasmuch as he knew it was either fly or die, Dumbo flapped his ears and quickly discovered he could fly without the “magic” feather. The power to fly lay within him all along. Now he knew that he had been lied to about the feather.
How does this apply to the statement, “Where do we go from here?” What I have learned in the last twelve months is that to live with honor and integrity you do not have to be an elder, ministerial servant, or even a publisher. I am far happier in what has been accomplished in the last year than in my twenty years as an elder. You see, I was convinced that unless I had the “magic feather” of WT approval, I could not be a good person or have a fulfilled life. I have lived now for one year without WT approval, and find I am far happier as I fight for truth and what is right. I can no longer stomach the company of rank and file who blindly defend and support WT leadership, a leadership that protects pedophiles and hurts children.
To illustrate this further, recently WT approached media persons outside the organization and tried to use what happened to me in 1992 as a basis to challenge my credibility. WT forgot to take into consideration that the media would more than likely contact me about the question raised. When I explained the matter, I then called WT and asked to talk with the person who was spreading this rumor. Can you guess what they said? They could not find him. I then had a thirty-minute conversation with WT Public Information about the child abuse issue. They repeatedly called me Brother Bowen over the phone, yet could not offer one sentence of corrective counsel that the basis of my position was wrong. Being spineless and not standing up for what is right is also not an excuse for allowing children to be hurt. As the saying goes, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
I recently received my personal United Nations letter from the WT with their explanation of the matter. The letter dated 11-30-01 started off, “Dear Brother Bowen.” Now if I have an apostate website as many claim, and no one locally will speak to me, then why does home office in writing still call me Brother Bowen? If I am truly a wicked person then why have I not been disfellowshipped or even an announcement made I am no longer an elder? Could the reason be because I am telling the truth? Could the answer be that the WT organization is made of up men in leadership positions that are lying hypocrites who have spineless men to follow their bidding? Do you really need people like this controlling your life for you to be a person who lives their life with honor and integrity? To be a good person do you need the WT feather? The events of the last year have given me my personal answers to these questions. It is my hope that those who read this will see that the fight for what is right is not based on the opinions of lying hypocrites, but on the goodness, and strength of character you have within. It appears the Creator feels much the same way. In conclusion I would like to leave you with His words on the matter.
“Should we bow before God with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and tens of thousands of rivers of olive oil? Would that please the LORD? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for the sins of our souls? Would that make him glad? No, O people, the LORD has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:6-8)