by Nathan Natas 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Does anyone have access to OLD copies of the "Pay Attention ..." book?
I'm particularly interested in editions from that period of time when the WTS taught that rape was fornication if the victim did not scream.
Would a copy of the book from that era contain a statement to the effect that "silent" rape was consentual fornication?
I'm hoping one of our wonderful archivists might be able to help.
Or maybe one of you Bethel spooks wouldn't mind scanning a copy of the book from the Bethel library?
Thanks Mike,
The version at that site is 1991 and was printed after the decision that rape does NOT equal fornication.
It does indicate earlier printings - Prior editions in English: 1977, 1979, 1981 and what I would love to see would be one of those three earlier editions that I suspect would contain the statement that rape equals fornication if a bear in the woods does not hear the scream, or something like that.
I have the "Pay Attention" books [Kingdom Ministry School Textbook [ks77,78 and 79] there is nothing there about screaming or rape. These new instructions may have come about via personal letters to the body of elders.
I found the "Flock" Book 1981 version.
On page 150 under the subject "Guidelines for Proper Christian Administration of Justice with Mercy" (started on page 145) #(5) Self-Defence says: "A Christian woman threatened with rape should resist by screaming and physically resisting (Deut.22:23-2, 1 Cor 6:18) Other details are given in W68 6/1 pp345-350: Awake73 4/22 pp16.17)"
The WT CD-ROM does not include 1968 WT volumes but here is what the Awake of 1973 says along with the supporting scriptures:
*** g73 4/22 17 Protect Yourself from Crime ***
"Yes, scream! This is wise advice and stands in contrast with the growing number who encourage women passively to allow themselves to be raped, or to bargain with the rapist for their lives. But, if a woman allows a man to rape her, how does she know that he will not kill her afterward?
Interestingly, in Gods law to Israel the primary distinction between rape and consent was whether a woman screamed for help. In modern cities onlookers have been known to watch as a woman was raped, assuming she was consenting to an act of exhibitionism since she did not scream or otherwise resist her attacker.Read the Biblical law at Deuteronomy 22:23-29"
(Deuteronomy 22:23-29) "In case there happened to be a virgin girl engaged to a man, and a man actually found her in the city and lay down with her, 24
YOU must also bring them both out to the gate of that city and pelt them with stones, and they must die, the girl for the reason that she did not scream in the city, and the man for the reason that he humiliated the wife of his fellowman. So you must clear away what is evil from your midst. 25 "If, however, it is in the field that the man found the girl who was engaged, and the man grabbed hold of her and lay down with her, the man who lay down with her must also die by himself, 26 and to the girl you must do nothing. The girl has no sin deserving of death, because just as when a man rises up against his fellowman and indeed murders him, even a soul, so it is with this case. 27 For it was in the field that he found her. The girl who was engaged screamed, but there was no one to rescue her. 28 "In case a man finds a girl, a virgin who has not been engaged, and he actually seizes her and lies down with her, and they have been found out, 29 the man who lay down with her must also give the girls father fifty silver shekels, and she will become his wife due to the fact that he humiliated her. He will not be allowed to divorce her all his days.(1 Corinthians 6:18) Flee from fornication. Every other sin that a man may commit is outside his body, but he that practices fornication is sinning against his own body.
Its quite plain that at this time the WTS equated not screaming when being raped with fornication worthy of being stoned to death in Biblical times but the equivalent punishment in modern times would be df'ing.
Also, this scripture was handwritten in the margin of my copy, as an additional reference:
(Ecclesiastes 9:18) Wisdom is better than implements for fighting, and merely one sinner can destroy much good.
I'm not quite sure why though!
Hope this helps your search Nathan.
Had Enough
I found it on my cd. Here is the 68wt.
*** w68 6/1 347-9 The Christian's View of Self-Defense ***
If you are a Christian woman, what should you do if, in spite of all precautions, you are set upon by a rapist? If you cannot deter him by reasoning, or by calling upon the name of Jehovah, then what? As a Christian you are under obligation to resist. This resistance includes screaming and creating as much disturbance as possible to try to frighten off the attacker and attract help. If the attack continues and you cannot break free to flee, then you would be justified even to inflict damage on your assa ilant if necessary. Resistance is imperative, because the rapist is after, not just money, but your virtue. An issue of integrity to Jehovahs laws is involved here. So by no means would it be proper quietly to submit to rape, as that would be consenting to fornication.1 Thess. 4:3.
The principle is like that set out at Deuteronomy chapter 22. There it states: "In case there happened to be a virgin girl engaged to a man, and a man actually found her in the city and lay down with her, you must also bring them both out to the gate of that city and pelt them with stones, and they must die." Why would the girl have died under that Law covenant? The scripture continues: "The girl for the reason that she did not scream in the city." If she did not make the effort to scream, she was viewed as consenting to fornication. But if the woman screamed and resisted and nonetheless was overpowered, then she was not guilty of complicity: "The girl . . . screamed, but there was no one to rescue her."Deut. 22:23-27.
Would it be different if the man had a weapon and threatened to kill you if you did not submit? No, the Scriptures plainly state that Christians are under obligation to "flee from fornication." (1 Cor. 6:18) It is true that you face the possibility of death in this case. But you have no guarantee that if you meekly submit, your assailant will not kill you anyhow to avoid identification.
Christian women are wise if they do all they can to avoid making themselves targets for rapists. Knowing that the morals of this generation are sinking to new lows, take every precaution. In unsafe areas avoid traveling alone after dark. As Ecclesiastes 4:12 states: "If somebody could overpower one alone, two together could make a stand against him. And a threefold cord cannot quickly be torn in two." Also consider how you dress. If a woman adopts the provocative, suggestive styles of dress now so preva
lent, she indicates that she is a woman of loose morals, and in so doing she may invite trouble.Yet, in spite of all precautions and resistance, it may occur that a Christian woman is seized by one or more assailants and raped. This has happened in recent times in the country of Malawi. Many Christian women were raped by mobs of vicious, animalistic males, mainly youths. This came as persecution; because they steadfastly refused to join in political activities that would compromise their integrity to Jehovah, they were attacked. Despite their defense, and the defense of husbands and other Christian brothers, they were all overpowered by sheer numbers. Yet, by resisting even under such circumstances Christian men and women show where they stand in the matter.
In such cases, Christians need to work hard to keep their balance and not resort to physical retaliation after such an attack, thinking this is the same as self-defense. It is proper to seek justice through all legal means, but it is not Christian to seek personal vengeance after the attack is over. "Vengeance is mine, and retribution," says Jehovah. (Deut. 32:35) Remember, Jehovah knows full well the hurt that has been inflicted upon his servants. Are we to think that the great God of Justice will not
settle accounts in his due time? We can be certain that Jehovah will soon crush unrepentant wicked ones out of existence.We can also be certain that Jehovah will reward his integrity-keeping servants with everlasting life in his new system of things. Mental and physical health will be restored to them in perfection, so that any hurt that Christians have received for maintaining integrity to Gods laws will in time fade from memory. God will compensate for the hurt of his people, so that the horrible deaths in Roman arenas, German concentration camps or humiliations at the hands of beastly individuals such as in Malawi will not be remembered. "The former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart." (Isa. 65:17) It is always beneficial to remember what Jesus said: "Five sparrows sell for two coins of small value, do they not? Yet not one of them goes forgotten before God. But even the hairs of your heads are all numbered. Have no fear; you are worth more than many sparrows."Luke 12:6, 7.
I don't know why the font went into two different sizes.
SS
Ahhhh...its morning now and my brain is working just a little bit better. I checked my 1999 CD ROM again and found the WTs do go back to 1950 but the Awakes only go back to 1970.
Thanks "SaintSatan". I now have saved that in my file on this subject too.
Had Enough
I checked further into the most recent WT volumes I have on the WTs CD to see what is their most recent statements for the public, on whether or not a woman is guilty of fornication if she doesn't scream during a rape.
First - here is what the "Flock" book of 1991 states:
If assaulted, a Christian could ward off blows or even
escape from the attacker by temporarily incapacitating
him.
A Christian woman threatened with rape should resist to
the best of her ability. (Deut. 22:23-27; g84 2/22 pp. 24-7;
w83 3/15 p. 30; g80 7/8 pp. 9-13; g73 4/22 pp. 16-17;
w68 6/1 pp. 345-50)
Curiously that 1991 Flock book quoted above states that "A Christian woman threatened with rape should resist to the best of her ability" and that "(A male or female who is forcibly raped would not be guilty of por.nei'a. )". Yet it uses the W68 as a reference to that statement.
That W68 6/1 347-9 says: "If she did not make the effort to scream, she was viewed as consenting to fornication. But if the woman screamed and resisted and nonetheless was overpowered, then she was not guilty of complicity: "The girl . . . screamed, but there was no one to rescue her."Deut. 22:23-27.
Would it be different if the man had a weapon and threatened to kill you if you did not submit? No, the Scriptures plainly state that Christians are under obligation to "flee from fornication." (1 Cor. 6:18)"
So why does the WTS use that 68WT as a reference for the elders' rules, if the requirements are conflicting?
Here is the more recent information for the general public in a 1998 WT footnote says this:
*** w98 12/15 25 When Armed Robbers Strike ***
"There are, of course, limits to cooperation. Jehovahs servants do not cooperate in any way that violates Gods law. For example, a Christian would not willingly submit to rape."
This certainly leaves the reader with the impression that they have no choice but to scream.
So has the WTS gone into a little more detail than this in letting a "Christian woman" know that she is no longer required to risk her life by screaming, since the Flock book now states she will NOT be df'd?
Just what is the basic belief of the general rank and file publisher on this now?
Had Enough
Edited by - Had Enough on 3 August 2002 10:15:32
My thanks to all of you - you guys are great!
Especially I thank HadEnough for locating a relevant passage from the 1981 edition.
You may want to consider scanning that book into a text file - it may be a very valuable reference.
I have found that this issue of the WTS' "flickering light" on the question of "is rape fornication?" and "can the victim of rape be disfellowshipped?" is a very powerful topic for discussion with non JWs, and it is one from which current JWs will run because it exposes the heartless legalistic cruelty of the spinster men who set the level of WTS righteousness. I reccommend it as a talking point.
Thanks again!
PS - to answer the question of "what is the current teaching on this?" I believe that since the 1991 edition of the "Pay Attention" book clearly states that rape is not "porneia" (fornication), then a man or woman who was raped and did not scream would not be subject to summary disfellowshipping. In the interest of fairness I should mention that I have never been raped, have never been disfellowshipped for being raped, and have never been an elder who was part of a JC deciding such a case.
I would invite members here who have been elders to contribute their anecdotes on this topic if they would. No names of victims, please, but approximate timeframes and locations would be useful.
Edited by - Nathan Natas on 3 August 2002 14:56:56
