Do YOU Believe That JWs Have A Huge Problem With Pedophiles?

by minimus 120 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  N.drew

  It's a huge problem not only because pedophiles live and thrive as Jehovah's Witnesses but because there are so many people putting in so many volunteer hours to get more people dedicated to the religion, not knowing that the faithful and discrete slave is offering pedophiles refuge.

  The doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses teach that baptism means being saved from the destruction of the wicked people. But child abuse is a wicked deed. Jehovah's Witnesses are unsuspecting of their fellow witnesses because of the teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses that the organization is like the ark of Noah.
• 

  undercover

  minimus,

  I know you're not defending pedophiles. I know you're not defending the WTS. I think you're trying (too hard perhaps) to be impartial when comparing the WT religion to other religions that have child abuse scandals. You're trying to be fair.

  On one level, I agree. One pedophile is too many, no matter what organization is harboring them. Faith and belief are minor issues compared to the safety of children brought to those institutions by trustful parents.

  On another level, I disagree. The WTS isn't just another religion. It's a cult. You yourself admit that. And in this cult, members are afraid, or coerced, to not speak against the church...or even against each other. The two witness rule has created a situation where it's very difficult to identify and punish the abuser. And when legal authorities are looked at as "allowed" to rule by god, but under the authority of Satan, then a misplaced mistrust of them is instilled and parents are reluctant to seek help from those secular sources. On this level, the level of "us" vs "them" (us being JWs vs the world) when some of the "us" crowd end up being abusers of children with no recourse for the victims or their families to identify, isolate/remove from the group these evil people, it is a huge problem. More than just a number problem.
• 

  N.drew

  Also, Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that people with "the right heart condition" will respond favourably to the "kingdom good news" which is get baptized and be saved as "the great crowd" who come out the other side of the "great tribulation".

  How can they who are suspect be viewed with caution and at the same time viewed as they who are also of a "good heart condition" for salvation?

  What I mean is the JW parents watching out for their children have to believe contrary to what Jehovha's Witnesses believe.
• 

  Violia

  why throw them rope, M, they did not throw any of us any rope. They were cruel to most of us and lacking in human compassion. Why give the wts any breaks, they don't deserve it.

  My rap sheet of crimes committed against Just Me is long. I am just one person and can imagine I am not alone. I am not a professional victim, I was just another trusting jws. Once you have been a victim, the preps know who you are and they go after you. That is why frequently a person will be victimized more than once. Perps in the Congo look for those who are poor, lacking self esteem, have poor support from family, willing to take one for the "team"( the Borg) and so much more. Maybe you have been DF already so you now are not a credible person and anything anyone does to you is your fault, or so they said.

  It is just a lousy system that degrades women/children into accepting whatever lousy treatment they get from men- and feeling they are helping to protect the Borg by not reporting it.
• 

  minimus

  The ENTIRE religion is degrading. The ENTIRE religion is a problem. The Organization is not "Christian". So what else is new???
• 

  mind blown

  Yes, I was also molested by a brother and I'm sure he went on to molest many many other childern in the org. at the time. so there's two of us already on your post.
• 

  diamondiiz

  The WBT$ admits to 23,000+ pedophiles in the WBT$ data base.

  Can I have a reference to the above statement. It wouldn't surprise me that was factual but as far as I know the above number is only allegation.
• 

  lifestooshort

  undercover-thnk you- very well spoken. What he said-What he said-What he said!
• 

  flipper

  O.K. MIN- I'll play the devil's advocate a little bit with the numbers scenario here. I have talked with a good number of people on the board here and outside the board, ex-JW's , who have told me that they had 1 , sometimes 2 or 3 pedophiles in their congregations at various locations. Let's just suppose that it averaged out to even 1 pedophile per congregation or let's say perhaps 50 % to 75 % of the total congregations have at least 1 pedophile - that would make the total count about 50,000 to 75,000 worldwide in the 107,000 congregations. A tad bit different number than the WT society provides at 23,000. I mean, think about it- that's the 23,000 the WT society claims to KNOW about ! That leaves a good number unaccounted for.

  Another thing I don't think others have mentioned yet- An average child molester will re-offend many times with multiple children. I've heard of child molesters molesting upwards of 30 to 100 victims over the course of a 10 year or less period ! That emphasizes the acceleration of HOW dangerous child abuse is within the congregations and ALL religious groups and cults ! I mean, already the molester at Penn state has been charged with how many victims totally ? 20, 30 ? Anybody here know ?

  Another huge problem is the WT society does NOT insist on elders informing JW parents in congregations about WHO is a former sexual child molester- even IF the elders have full knowledge of a JW pedophiles past ! They may inform other elders in congregations if a JW pedophile moves there - but they REFUSE to divulge this information to the parents so they can protect their children ! So Brother pedophile can possibly work out in service with little Tommy or Mary aged 8 - 15 and no one will be even aware that brother pedophile WAS or is a child molester ! To me- that is a gross negligence and criminal liability on the WT society's part in which they should be brought up on charges of accomplices to felony child abuse and thrown into prison themselves for ! ( O.K. I'll exhale ! )

  One more thing - Your statement in lumping , " pedophiles, fornicators, drug abusers, thieves, etc . exist in the religion too but because the lilly white Witnesses have them doesn't make it a huge problem. " Yes it does, as regards pedophiles and child abuse it does. Think about it- how many people get thrown into prison for fornication ? In this country, nobody. Even drug abusers get relatively light sentences ( especially for pot possession ) , and thieves, maybe what, 10 years maximum ? But felony child molesters can and regularly HAVE received prison sentences of 40 years to life in prison due to the seriousness of this crime. Out of those things you mentioned- child abuse is the MOST serious offense of all - yet our society in general and religions and cults ( including Jehovah's Witnesses ) tend to MINIMIZE the seriousness or damage that child abuse does to people long term as well.

  O.K., I'm done. Interesting thread. That's my take
• 

  minimus

  This was a good discussion. I understand what your sentiments are and it's a subject that gets people very heated at times. Unfortunately, pedophilia is a growing problem and there are so many victims! You would think that the religion that supposedly represents the Almighty (take your pick for a religion) would properly confront the crime and deal with it appropriately.