JT,
Not at all - here is a letter sent to Dr. Stark last week. No reply.
Dear Dr. Stark,
First let me say that I have read several of your articles and your excellent book on the rise of Christianity. I
have recently learned that the Watchtower Society is using an interview with you on their web site in support
of their handling of child molestation occurrences. Certainly, WTS publications appear to be very supportive
of protecting the child, and, in a way they are. The basic problem, however, with the JWs is that if the abuse
occurs at the hands of one of their own, their instinct was, and still is, to cover the matter up so as "not to
bring shame on Jehovah's name" as they put it.
I would very much appreciate it if you would consider the rest of this email, which contains links to articles
which I think you will find of interest. My purpose in writing is simply to alert you to the fact that the WTS
has quite a record of misusing statements by academics for its own ends. In one case it quoted a certain
Professor Aki of Caltech, an expert on earthquakes, as apparently supporting one of the WTS's claims on
earthquake frequency, when, in fact, Aki actually said the opposite. (Earthquakes, the WTS maintained for
many years, until very recently, would increase in frequency during "the last days" - therefore they tried to
claim that the actual data supports this from 1914. It doesn't at all.)
The following link provides an extensive collection of high quality discussions of JW doctrines, history and
attempts to re-write their history.
Research on the Watchtower
Unfortunately, the WTS is now featuring another video on child abuse. The latest is, in my estimation,
nothing short of reprehensible, ill informed and it appears to be no more than an attempt at post facto
justification of the WTS's documented and abysmal record of covering up molestation cases if they involved
JWs as the molester. It can be viewed here.
WT Video Release
Some quotes supplied at the end of this email, from WTS literature, put the lie to the claims made in this
interview.
The NBC show Dateline is scheduled to devote this coming Tuesday's show to child abuse within the JW
community.
Please see the coming up section
The WTS has been in the news quite a bit recently; Stephen Bates of the UK newspaper, the Guardian,
exposed the hypocrisy of the WTS in affiliating with the United Nations as an NGO while, at the same time,
condemning both the UN and other religions for doing the same thing.
Stephen wrote an article for the Tablet last November on the UN scandal. It can be accessed here, although
you may need to register (it's free).
Tablet article
Certainly, the JWs provide an interesting example of how quickly a new religion can grow under the right
conditions. However, thanks mainly to open access to information on the internet regarding the WTS many
JWs are leaving the religion, or becoming so discouraged as to become inactive (non publishers). The WTS
routinely refuses to answer even the simplest questions about doctrinal contradictions on such things as blood
(now all blood parts are allowed in some way or other), 1914 as the date for the start of Christ's parousia
(thoroughly discredited by archaeological, astronomical and scriptural evidence), or even how long a creative
day is - the last item was a central pillar of their 1975 eschatology. All of this, together with scandals such as
those described in Franz's book, Crisis of Conscience, their affiliation with the UN, their readiness to
disfellowship those who ask questions too persistently, and now, this affair over child molestation policies has
caused the JWs to stop growing almost completely, at least in the western world.
Sincerely,
<herbert>
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Watchtower Quotes re: Child Abuse from 18 - 20 years ago
Progressive Understanding
"People didn't have the body of knowledge 18 or 20 years ago to say that this is something that will
harm your child emotionally, if you don't address it. Parents didn't know the seriousness ... and the long-term
effects."
Here are several excerpts from articles written 17 to 20 years ago. The articles are quite lengthy. But is
fairly evident that the WTS knew what the experts in this field recommended.
An excerpt from twenty (20) years ago:
June 22, 1982 Awake page 10, Rape at Home
Incest is probably the most selfish and reprehensible kind of child abuse. It is a grotesque violation of the
child's trust and dependency. It is the child's closest protector that is turning on it. And the child is a damaged
victim. I have never knowingly talked to a happy, well-adjusted, unconcerned incest victim, said Dr. Suzanne
Sgroi, former chairman of the Sexual Trauma Treatment Program.
Dr. Judianne Densen-Gerber, director of Odyssey Institute in New York city, says: In my own practice I
have the hardest time imaginable treating these children who suffer from incest, even more than the kids
who are battered, abused, set on fire, and whipped because at least those children dont confuse whats being
done to them with love. The parent who sexually uses a child while telling him, I love you, is raising a child
who will be afraid to establish rapport, trust, and engagement with anyone else in his life, even with the
therapist, because unlike the beaten child, he doesnt seek affection, he fears affection and becomes
extremely isolated.
An excerpt from nineteen (19) years ago:
October 1, 1983 Watchtower page 27, Help for the Victims of Incest
Incestuous child abuse is sexual abuse of children by an older relative. Usually, it is by a male relativesuch as
a father, stepfather, uncle or older brother. Sometimes, but much more rarely, it is by a female relative.
According to the book The Silent Children, incestuous abuse can range from improper fondling to oral-genital
contact to intercourse. Of course, affectionate physical contact between children and older people is proper.
But when the older person finds these contacts arousing, or when he does things alone with the child that he
would not do if the childs mother were present, this will likely lead to sexual abuse of the child.
FOR most of her life Rachel has been ridden with guilt, convinced of her own worthlessness, and trapped in
a sense of hopeless isolation. What could so blemish the life of a British housewife and mother
A 16-year-old girl from California said: I now have a pain deep in my heart that will never go away, and it
hurts, truly hurts.
An excerpt from seventeen (17) years ago
January 22, 1985 Awake pages 3-4, Child Molesting-Every Mother's Nightmare--A Widespread
Problem
The fact is, sexual molestation of children has been going on for a long time and today it is widespread. In
1983, the head of New York Citys Advisory Task Force on Rape reported a dramatic increase in the
number of young children who are victims of rape, incest, and other forms of sexual abuse. Dr. David
Finkelhor of the Family Violence Research Program at the University of New Hampshire conducted a
large-scale study of the subject. He found that the children of 9 percent of the parents interviewed had been
sexually abused. Fifteen percent of the women and 6 percent of the men had themselves been sexually
abused as children!
Exact statistics are difficult to come by. In the United States, the National Center on Child Abuse and
Neglect has records of 55,399 cases of children being sexually molested in one year. But these are only
cases of incestuous abuse. Abuse by friends, neighbors, teachers, and so forth as well as by strangers would
increase that figure to a considerable extent. And a spokesman for the Child Welfare League of America
told Awake! that the figures we have are only the tip of the iceberg.
A report in the magazine Ladies Home Journal estimates: Sexual abuse of young girls is four times more
common than rape of adult women. Between the ages of five and 13, one in four little girls falls prey to some
form of sexual abuse by adults whether it be exhibitionism, inappropriate fondling, rape, or incest. Although
young females are the most common victims, 20 to 25 percent of those attacked are little boys.
Doctors are convinced of the harmful and long-term effects of such abuse. Hence, parents wonder: Are my
children at risk What steps can I take to protect them What sort of person would try to harm them
