why should elders tell?

teejay

Just got back from a long talk with Joe. He's the elder that performed the marriage between my wife and I. A couple of days ago he happened to see her and had her give me the message to give him a call. I still like/love the man as a man, so talking to him is not a problem.

I suggested we meet in a restaurant around the corner from his house. He accepted and asked that I bring my bible, so we did and I did (my study NIV). In the course of our conversation (he arrived w/ a bible and a bound volume), I posed the question that I'd been meaning to ask him for a year and a half... whether that, as an elder, he'd tell me of any pedophiles he knew of in the congregation. He said he wouldn't, only that he'd carefully watch the pervert. After my subdued but emotional reaction, he wanted to know of any scripture that compelled him to do so.

The only one I could think of was the one that says to love your neighbor as yourself. Can you think of any other scriptural principles that should move men of god/conscience to tell their fellow worshipers of pedos in their midst?

OUTLAW

Hey teejay,the dude sounds like a company man.I doubt any scripture would get him to do the right thing.Until WBTS tells him different,he`ll keep putting children at risk...OUTLAW

Amazing

The laws in many states mandate that Clergy report pedophiles and other forms of child abuse. Some states also have it as policy to encourage clergy to report such things. Jesus said, "Therefore, render unto Caesar the things that belong to Caesar." The Apostle Paul said to the Romans, to give the trubute and honor for Caesar is God's minister to execure justice and to oppose Caesar is to oppose God ... therefore, even if Caesar only "suggest" something we as Christians should do it as it is God's appointed miniters ...

The Watchtower claim that this has to be balanced with rendering "God's things to God" and "obeying God as ruler rather than men" would not apply, because Jehovah would not expect the JW Elders to hide chld molesters in his name ... and would rather expect the Elders to obey God's minister, the civil authorities.

Also, the federal law, in the United States Code mandates that parents in child molestation victims in ALL 50 States report pedophiles ... and so the JW Elders should encourage JW parents of vicitms to make such reports, just as they openly encourage JW youth from the platform to register for the Selective Service each year. IIt is all part of obeying the superior authorities according to the Watchtower interpretation of the Bible ... and to fail to report is also to violate the interpretation of the FDS.

teejay

OUTLAW,

I've known the man for twenty years and he's hard to categorize. I hate to say it, but "company man" does figure into his personality type (the the thought definitely crossed my mind a couple of times while I talked to him), but in a way that's hard to explain. In certain ways he's not your typical company man type elder. I think that in his own way he loves the bible just an ounce more than he does the organization and I feel he may be reached if I approach him with scriptural authority. That's why I asked.

I fear that you are probably right about him, though. I fear that there isn't any verse that I can use to get him to rethink his position and provoke a crisis of conscience. I just thought I'd ask.

nancee park

Attend his kingdom hall to get names of members then get their addresses and mail them letters with copies of the Newsweek article on the Watchtower-mandated coverup of pedophiles. You can inform the other people even if he will just ignore these scriptures. Tell them you just came out of curiosity or to observe, not to join. Don't pose any hard questions or anything, just get their names, addresses, phone numbers. Go visit another hall or two and do the same. As people learn the real truth maybe only 3-6 out of 100 will quit the WTS but 70-90% will stop donating as much money to the Watchtower Society, and some of those may also quit later. See?

Bodhisattva

Does he keep his own children away from the pedophiles? If so, does he only do so in situations when he is around, or does he instruct his wife to do so, or even tell his children to keep away, thus hinting at something wrong with the person?

If he thus warns his wife and children, he should wran the entire congregation. Or everyone should be an elder.

OUTLAW

Hey teejay,your a good man for at least trying to get through to him,to do the right thing...OUTLAW

Guest 77

Ephesians 4:25, "Wherefore, now that you have put away falsehood, (by becoming Christians)speak truth each one of YOU with his neighbor, because we are members belonging to the same body." Would we injure our own bodies or others?

If you read the entire book of Ephesians you would have plenty of reasons why we should be revealing pedophiles in the congregation.

James 4:17, "Therefore, if one KNOWS how to do what is right and yet does not do it, it is a sin for him."

Guest 77

ItsJustlittleoldme

Does he keep his own children away from the pedophiles? If so, does he only do so in situations when he is around, or does he instruct his wife to do so, or even tell his children to keep away, thus hinting at something wrong with the person?
If he thus warns his wife and children, he should wran the entire congregation. Or everyone should be an elder.

EXCELLENT POINT!!!!

Room 215

Why can't these boneheads, elders and GB alike, get it into their heads that in today's Internet and telecommunication-crazy world, suppression of the facts is counterproductive and will no longer work? Stop mourning the loss of your bogus squeaky-clean image, which was a sham to begin with, step aside and let Caesar (``God's minister,"" right, according to Romans 13?) sort it out!

why should elders tell?

Share this