What Watchtower Got Wrong with Their Child Molestation Policy

by Billy the Ex-Bethelite 31 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

  • Billy the Ex-Bethelite
    Billy the Ex-Bethelite

    In the style of Stephen Lett, I'm trying to come up with an exhaustive, enumerated list (without his crazy eyebrows, goofy facial expressions, and nutty voice). What Watchtower has gotten wrong isn't just their 2 witness rule. It goes much deeper into other failures of JW dogma that has allowed this injustice and others to flourish in their organization. I'll start with a rough outline. Please fill in any details that you think are valid.

    What They've Gotten Wrong:

    1) Confidentiality. The secrecy of the JW judicial committee procedure has no scriptural or ethical foundation. In the WT 6/1/2010 p. 15 they acknowledge that all judicial cases in Ancient Israel were held publicly in the city gate, not in some windowless room away from public scrutiny. In the WT 4/1/2011 p. 20 is a list of the illegalities of Jesus' trial. One illegality on that list is standard procedure for JW JC's: "The case was heard at night behind closed doors." Five other things on the list are also common illegalities that occur in judicial committee secret meetings. There is nothing in the Greek Scriptures that would reverse the policy of public hearings. JWs will often speak about Paul's 'disfellowshipping' a wrongdoer in 1 Cor. However, the case was not at all 'confidential' since the immorality was public knowledge and described by Paul. Even the supposed 'governing body' meeting in Jerusalem as described in Acts was recorded and written for public consideration. So it's clear that the current policy of 'confidentiality' and secrecy by Watchtower leadership has no scriptural foundation. Additionally, we know that for courts of law today, justice requires that the trial be open to outside scrutiny. If the JC hearings are truly just, shouldn't they welcome public scrutiny?

    2) Elders as Busybodies. Often the reason that judicial committees desire confidentiality is because many of the cases they hear are simply none of their business. WT claims that they don't want to embarress the wrongdoers, when in reality it is the elders that ought to be embarrassed of their meddling in matters that are not their business. One outstanding example is the WT 1/15/2011 pp. 28-9 with an account of a young man that has been viewing pornography and is expected, indeed demanded, to confess to the elders. In many other instances, WT has expected someone who masturbates to confess to the elders. Obviously, there is little scriptural support that can be twisted to support such a policy. If it's something that really bothers a kid, he might speak to his parents. But there is really no reason for elders to become involved in these and many other private matters.

    3) False Equivalence. Since elders easily become involved in both trivial matters such as masturbation and condemn it as idolatry, greedy, selfish, unclean, and evil, they will look at the next case of child molestation as idolatry, greedy, selfish, unclean, and evil. Yet, these two things are hardly equivalent. Someone masturbating is really nobody else's business. Someone molesting a child is terrible, disgusting, and criminal! An engaged couple getting lucky together doesn't really hurt anyone, yet they will get dragged before a judicial committee the same as a child molestor might. That couple will not be allowed to get married in the Kingdom Hall, with everyone figuring out their 'terrible sin.' Yet, the child molestor may be able to continue at the Kingdom Hall as if nothing happened when there wasn't a 'second witness' to his crime. Child molestation is a crime. Masturbation is not. They should not be treated the same.

    4) Lying/Untruthing. The WT 2/1/2007 describes a deep-seated injustice in Watchtower mentality. p. 6 "Every lie is an untruth, but not every untruth is a lie." Watchtower explains that something is only a lie if there is the intention to deceive someone. In other words, "It's not a lie if you believe it." Consequently, JWs are conditioned to never look too deeply into a matter to find something that will contradict their preconceived ideas. They can't dig deeply to expose lies when they consider something untrue as unworthy of serious scrutiny. If they're happy with their untruth, they see no reason dig deeper and expose it as a lie. That's simply too much trouble. So they settle for accepting a lie simply because they don't think they're being deceived.

    5) Lack of Education. Anyone that watches modern crime dramas or follows the news, will realize the importance of forensic evidence in solving criminal cases. Yet, Watchtower ignores the value of hard physical evidence in favor of verbal testimony. In our modern era, there is no reason that WT elders would not boldly call the police FIRST when the hear of a child molestation incident. Law enforcement, medical technicians, and psychologists can skillfully determine the events of a case far better than a judicial committee. WT needs to recognize their inability to match these modern tools of justice.

    6) Demonizing "the World".

    7) Worshipping and Protecting an "Organization" instead of Worshipping God and Protecting Children.

    ... sorry, short on time. Gotta run to class...

  • outsmartthesystem
    outsmartthesystem

    Billy, that 2-1-2007 WT also serves as a red herring defense to all of their false prophecies over the years. They've opened a debate as to what "qualifies" as a lie vs an untruth. A witness would claim that never would the GB intentionally deceive someone (bullshit).....therefore the GB has never lied. This is sickening on three different fronts:

    1) What about all their quoting out of context? The only reason you quote somebody out of context is to deceitfully try to change the implication of that person's message.....otherwise....you would have included the WHOLE text.

    2) THEY are the ones that are re-defining what qualifies as a lie vs an untruth. Gee, do you see any bias there? Amazingly, when THEY provide the definitions.......by god......hallelujah!.......they've never lied!

    3) Whether they've INTENTIONALLY lied or not isn't even of importance. This is the most important point. They still spread teachings that are not true IN THE NAME OF GOD. THAT is of importance. The fact that they claim nothing was ever done intentionally is irrelevant. Yet by claiming that....they get everyone to start debating what is and is not a lie.....instead of focusing on the simple fact that intentional or not.......THEY PREACHED FALSEHOODS in the name of God.

  • heathen
    heathen

    Someone lies in the name of Jehovah is a false prophet and guilty of blaspheme and we know the punishment was death in Israel . Such things as child abuse were not neccessarily illegal in ancient cultures where the church was thriving so to bring something to the courts would have not even been a choice . The church could only condemn a person and cast them out of the community . The WTBTS likes to use a technique of disclaiming their lies through mental gymnastics and cognizant dissonance . Rather than admit their lie they condemn everybody that mentions it as apostate . whilst those that remain have to hold conflicting beliefs as some sort of light or truth. Totally insane stuff . I would like to see what a real psychologist has to say about the behaviour. They actually defend the previous lies as a truth .......... argh

  • Balaamsass
    Balaamsass

    Spot on Billy.

    The secret meeting stuff bothered me when I was a kid. The society made a big deal about Jesus being tried in secret. The older men at the gates struck me a totally different than what JWs have done, appointing any "yes man" with or without a "GED" (or IQ), and an average of 10hrs in field service as an Elder.

    In the ancient cultures I would imagine it only took a FEW of the best, most experienced men for an ENTIRE CITY to judge in PUBLIC. Not a ton of struggling inexperienced men in secret star chambers.

    In most "Worldly" courts today, a relatively few people judge for entire populations. They had enough smarts to get through many years of college, pass a difficult exam, practice law for years, stay out of scandals, and be respected/popular enough to appointed judges. The courts are open to the public and press to help keep everyone honest. Even they are kept in check by Juries, and opposing attornies.

    Elders have no business investigating crime. They have NO training. They have no equipment or access to forensics. They have no legal standing.

  • heathen
    heathen

    I personally have no faith in the judicial systems abilities to prosecute cases competently . People lie all the time and so do lawyers , it's just a matter of who can sway a jury in their favor with dramatics usually. I did watch the OJ case and the only reason he got off was because of racism in the LAPD . Now I know the jho's are dysfunctional in a big way but they could at least try to preventnt young children from being ass raped by helping with a secular investigation but then again freindship with the world is enmity with GOD. Satan is a vicious manipulator and will do anything to get a christian to turn from chaste to condemned , just another feather in his cap . If the WTBTS can use courts to attack people over copy right infringement or over matters of persecution they have already state a presidence of hypocrisy.

  • 00DAD
    00DAD

    The modern judicial hearing procedures of Jehovah's Witnesses are based on a Bible account.

    It's a fairly familiar account. You'll recognize it immediately:

    An individual is required to appear before numerous judges against his will. He is not allowed any representation or even anyone to accompany him simply for moral support. He is not told the charges prior to the hearing, nor is he informed what the evidence is against him or who the witnesses will be. He is outnumbered by both his accusers and the judges. No outside, independent observers are allowed to insure that his civil rights are not violated nor are there any formal, public records kept of the judicial proceedings. He stands alone.

    Do you recognize this account? Does it sound familiar? As a model for modern day Judicial Hearings of Jehovah's Witnesses:

    • Who does the individual represent?
    • Who do the judges represent?
    • Do you think the results of that Biblical judicial proceeding were just or not?
    • Why or why not?
    • Which side would you have wanted to be on in the Biblical account?
    • Which side, if any, do you find yourself on today?
  • james_woods
    james_woods

    It occurs to me that as much as they seem to love disfellowshipping people, they could have rationalized disfellowshipping these molesters at first wind of trouble and saved themselves this agony.

    It would have been easy enough for them to avoid the "two witnesses" rule if they really wanted to - for example, just claim that the perps had "put reproach on the congregation"...

  • nugget
    nugget

    Another thing that is extremly harmful is the judicial committee is not really set up to establish whether wrongdoing has occurred. If elders did not suspect or believe someone had sinned then there would be no committee. The committee starts from the premise that someone has indeed breached the rules either of scripture or the society.

    The purpose of the committee is to see whether someone is sorry, after all you are not excommunicated for the sin you are disfellowshipped for not expressing the appropriate level of repentance. This means that those entering the committee are focusing on stressing how sorry they are not on investigating whether they were culpable or not. This can mean that a victim of a sexual assault or molestation is questioned regarding whether they did anything to encourage the behaviour, and how much they were to blame for what happened to them. This can be incredibly damaging the victim is made to feel a measure of responsibility, leading to guilt and PTSD. The process of trying to show evidence of repentance reinforces the idea that they have a measure of blame.

    Elders are made to think that they are being guided by god's spirit and thus this can lead to complacentcy that whatever they do is god's will. They don't have to be experts in counselling, safeguarding children or know how to deal with rape victims because God will make it turn out all right. This means that their clumsy questioning and personal bagage can lead to dreadful errors being made that can increase the trauma of the experience. Also the fact that any form of therapy is regarded with suspision means that the victims are left high and dry with nowhere to go to get the support and therapy they need.

  • hamsterbait
    hamsterbait

    There was a thread about 11 years ago where elders had taken courses in dealing with molestation issues - because they had seen a need in this area.

    They were "deleted".

    HB

  • Heaven
    Heaven

    Good list Billy. I think the primary, fundamental mistake the Watchtower makes regarding child molestation is that they do not do back grounds checks and, when it is discovered someone is a pedophile, they are allowed to remain. They should not let these criminals in in the first place.

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