An elders response to pedophelia

by DJK 18 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  DJK

  No question, pedophelia is a despicable offense toward its victims. More importantly, it is a sin against Jehovah! No JW wil dispute that. Even offenders acknowledge that to a Judicial Committee. All involved should display a hatred for what has been done, perpetrator and victims. Romans 12:9. As with all who commit serious offenses , the commitee must decide whether the offender is cut to the heart by his offense or not. The feelings of those who are victims MUST be considered. This is a great responsibility placed on the commitee. Is the offender sincerely remorseful? Is it a single offense? Is it a public scandel? Will the offender avoid any opportunity to repeat his sin? Careful examination and observation of the offender is made. The primary obligation of the commitee is to insure the cleanliness of the congregation, to prevent any repetition of the offense, and to show mercy if this is warranted by the offender's demeanor. In some cases disfellowshiping will be necessary, in others a period of probation without privileges may be imposed. In some others a public warning may be given to the congregation from the platform t;o avoid any fellowship with "marked " ones. The determination that pedophiles are unreformable is a new one! It is indisputably an addiction but so are many other things: alcohol, smoking,gambling,drugs,sex,homosexuality. The list goes on and on. The fact of the matter is: SELF- CONTROL! Given the right motive, anyone addicted to these things can overcome them. How many have these addictions have been able to rise above them? ANY urge can be overcome with the right motive. Consider 1 Corinthians 6: 9,10.. Complete personality changes are possible. Ephesians 4:22-24. Conforming to God's will is a powerful incentive! The Judicial Committee has a decision to make in these cases that is done only after prayer and meditation with Mercy and Justice formost in mind. James 2:13 . More to follow, Dad

  For quite some time now, I have been communicating with my father about JW issues like this and the UN. Most recently about the case in the news regarding the elders who didn't want to testify in a pedophile case. The first line in this note are the first words he may have used that were formulated in his own mind. Everything he has written has always quoted scripture and WTS doctrine. I clearly see the indoctrination and brainwashing. I nearly vomit everytime he say's, "Jehovah is a loving God", which is frequent in his previous notes. I am angered he could compare pedophelia with other addictions. He is still an elder and he is still in denial of the UN membership. I give up. I am working today so I may not be able to respond easily to this thread. DJK
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  avishai

  Yeah....comparing smoking to pedophillia...love it, not to mention all the other logical absolute fuckups in his letter...regardless, it's not for him or his dumbass window washer buddies to decide whether self control is involved, is it? Oh, yeah, i guess it is. So, I'd ask him, just what DO you say to a five year old who has been molested after YOU and your commitee thought he was reformed? Sorry, kid, I guess you did'nt pray enough('cuz we all know god saves your ass if you do) Or, "I guess he lost god's spirit" or "Teh cong. did'nt get enough hours in, so the cong. lost god's spirit, and well, brother molester is not at fault, he's been out in service, lots!! It's the rest of the cong. to blame.....
  I'm sorry, if it was my dad , especially with his concern over it being a "public scandal" I'd tell him to fuck off and never speak to him again. It's obvious he cares more about cong. image than little kids being raped and sodomized.
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  R.Crusoe

  I see the gravity is greater - except maybe in coutries where drugs carry life prison or even death??

  Maybe the idea that sex isn't an incureable addiction is the point - which I tend to agree with but have little evidence of save working out what aspect of the same is prevalent in women - or is it a male only 'disease' that is incureable somehow?? I find that concept tricky to accept since I don't buy that one chromosome makes some more 'evil' than others!

  I'd suggest it's more to do with repressive dogma and restrictive practices within the natural bonds of marriage as to why other addictions become an outlet - such as drugs/alcohol/smoking whateva? I even wonder about homosexuality being an imprinting due an overexposure to one role model above anothet but I'm sure physiological considerations are also at play!

  Interesting comments!

  The difficulty also is its micro-cosmic perspective!

  Take the following:

  No killing and so no armed forces will contain a JW! This means they will, in time, feel apathy toward anger in ways which may implore some to harm others - a natural conditioning over time!

  What's the problem? If the whole worlds values are the same there isn't one!

  But since JWs are in all sorts of countries world wide there is a problem!

  What is it?

  It is this:

  In whatever country a tabboo exists over whatever practise they deem 'unforgiveable' or verging on that parallel - JWs will slowly but surely reduce its significance in collectively referring to all sin as of equal contempt before god! That is the collective package and what dillutes the seriousness of some aspects of a specific culture of society in the minds of followers of the WT ethics package.

  So in some ways it helps humans overcome sinful tendencies = like some serious drug users have been known to clean up, but it also offers a helping hand to ones for whom JW lifestyle is not in tune with their soul = remission into previous 'crutches' of life they used previously or some other form of 'escapism' from the sadness of their reality!

  IMO most all humans will function well and with due regard for others if given the required love and human contact others of us have as a given - but replicating it is often nigh impossible due to it having taken you a lifetme to build it already!

  So how to reform is more how to build a tribe around a person - a community - rather than how to lock them all away ( but that's a 'hope' I still possess for my inner view of humanitarianism and not necessarily a feasable reality) It is a belief I have in spite of all I know! I do tend to trust the human in us!
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  R.Crusoe

  Maybe I don't anymore?

  I have problems with this stuff!

  And what're the problem with those problems?

  They perpetuate a very negative cycle for all of us!

  As history shows us already!

  Horrible paradox!
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  Hope4Others

  to prevent any repetition of the offense, and to show mercy if this is warranted by the offender's demeanor

  That deserves a smack up against the head not that I have a violent nature, I just get irked also by the

  whole idea of the insane comments regarding this issue.

  Given the right motive, anyone addicted to these things can overcome them. How many have these addictions have been able to rise above them?

  Well I would like anyone to show me a reformed pedophile.

  hope4others
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  R.Crusoe

  http://www.geocities.com/eadvocate/issues/topic-attacker.html

  This site mentions 4 myths about sex offenders!

  And suggests 95% are committed by ;new' cases!

  I wonder about the %age split male/female and if it is predominantly a male 'demon'?

  What is the female equivalent?? Seeking the hevily endowed male perhaps?

  Is this what predisposses some males to feel only capable of attractions to 'petite' females?

  There is a cyclic thing going on here IMO if indeed males collectivel are associated with this 'dysfunction' mor ethan females!

  Are females dismissive of 'smaller; attributes in men predisposing them to seek petite females?

  Reasons are many and varied most assuredly but such significant trends prove to me that underlying influences and the rejection of large percentages of pubescent males by mature females as being 'inadequate' 'may well be contributory factors to such deeply painful and psychologically disturbing trends! It is most definitely a two way problem and needs underlying principles and values teasing out to better understand the nature of the problem!

  Coming up with 'disgusting' hardly tells anyone anything!
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  Hope4Others

  Given the right motive, anyone addicted to these things can overcome them. How many have these addictions have been able to rise above them

  Is prison the solution to the problem of re-offending among paedophile molesters?

  Prison removes the criminal or offender from society for the period of the sentence.

  However, though being found guilty and sent to prison has an essential function in reminding sex attackers of the law, these measures are not capable in themselves of bringing about a thoroughgoing change in their behaviour. Without therapeutic attention, an individual is likely to remain a paedophile during and after his prison sentence.

  Prison is generally a first stage in the reorganization of the sexual abuser's mindset, but it is not sufficient in itself. There is an imperative need for treatment - essentially of a psychological kind, and preferably from the beginning of his prison term - in order to avoid the danger of re-offending.

  hope4others

  p.s. interesting site Crusoe
• 

  DJK

  However, though being found guilty and sent to prison has an essential function in reminding sex attackers of the law, these measures are not capable in themselves of bringing about a thoroughgoing change in their behaviour. Without therapeutic attention, an individual is likely to remain a paedophile during and after his prison sentence

  This is similar to what I said prior to his response. We all know the JWs views regarding therapy. They create a lose lose senario for themselves and place others in danger.

  He knows by definition I am not an apostate; yet he is becoming aware that I associate with apostates and I feel he will soon cut me off. So be it.

  Well I would like anyone to show me a reformed pedophile.

  I also pointed him in the direction of some hard statistics about rape and pedophiles. He either won't look at the truth or he is too deluded and controled by WTS policies.

  Thanks for your comments.

  DJK
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  Dagney

  Wow. I am speechless.

  I have felt JW's have a tragic disconnect from humanity. I understand the issues with pedophiles are complex, but the constant disconnect to the victim by JW leadership is appalling.

  What is that? Do they realize these are children, without choices or voices? That are forever changed?

  Carefully placed words about handling the perp mercifully comes through loud and clear. Where is the help for the victims?

  Obviously, I could not sleep after reading this, hence the early hour.
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  nomoreguilt

  Once more, the jw mindset is lost in the world of MERCY. They have no concept what-so-ever of in considering the extreme mental damage that is done to a victim of child molestation. They recite the party line all the time and never will they stand up for what is RIGHT!

  I'd like to take and make them a victim of child rape and see how THEY like it. To personally feel what these perverts do to an impressionable young boy or girl. I speak from expierence here as I have a son that is now 30 and is still having to deal with this on a daily basis. I will not go into details on this as it it a very sore spot with me and ONE day I will see justice done.

  As for the man that abused me as a child, he has long passed away now, but MY memory or lack there of as to what he did to me is lost in the fog of the alcohol that he allowed me to drink. This is a fucked up world that we live in and the WTS is complicit in the activities or lack there in of bringing these sick people to justice.

  NMG