Is Pedophilia Really A Huge Problem With Jehovah's Witnesses?

by minimus 45 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  flipper

  I think one big problem in the JW cult is that it is drummed into people's brains right from the time they start sudying that this organization is " more loving and caring " than other religious organizations . It causes unsuspecting people to let their guards down around rank and file JW members and become too trusting - because the governing body tells them that by the " love you show " you will be recognized as Christ's disciples ! So people are led to believe that the witnesses are " more loving " , " less evil " , " moved by God's holy spirit " , are an imaginary " faithful and discreet slave " - so they can't possibly wrap their minds around the FACT that perhaps governing body members are molesters, some elders are molesters , ministerial servants might be molesters, - men they are told they can and should trust " allegedly " !

  I have seen a brother call out a molester sitting right in the congregation at the end of a Watchtower study from the platform ! Called him a molester right there on the spot in front of everybody ! But therein lies the problem - the elders and the governing body want to keep this problem so secret so as to save face as an organization - they don't WANT the rank and file publishers to know what is happening as too many would get pissed off and leave if they knew the extent of the problem !

  So yes- it is a huge problem - and until someone with a lot of money who has been molested is willing to spend their funds to hire an attorney, or get a class action suit with others who were harmed by witness molesters against the Watchtower society openly in public courts , thus providing more media coverage of it to expose it - it will continue to be a hidden problem that the Watchtower society constantly tries to sweep under the rug. I hope this evil organization is brought crashing down ! Peace out, Mr. Flipper
• 

  crazyblondeb

  In my congregation, there were 3 child molesters I knew of, 2 elders, and my stepdad, a MS.

  For anyone who hasn't read it, my stepdad was meeting with a JC last night or tonight.

  I haven't heard anything yet. If I don't hear something by tomorrow, I will call again.

  Here's my thead.....http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/9/161810/1.ashx
• 

  jaguarbass

  Regarding pedophiles, do you believe that JWs have a huge problem involving an infestation of pedos?

  I have nothing to base it on other than I spent 31 years in the organization ending in 1983.

  I would say they do not have a big problem with pedophiles. But when your dealing with a large number of people 7 million, even fractions of a percent will seem like a lot of people.

  People are people and JW's attract a variety and some people get away with some bad things.

  I knew JW's that were gay, and who stole and embezzeled. And most of the ones I knew from the 70's fooled around and got divorced.

  But that could happen anywhere.

  Personally I am more bothered by the Jw's being false phrophets and not having Gods spirit.

  And I am more upset about finding out in this information age that there may not be a God and there probably was not a bilical historical Jesus. There is no independent, outside the bible evidence there was a Jesus. And there is no evidence the nation of Israel was in bondage to Egypt.

  And God not answering my prayers, that bothers me a lot. Like a stumbling stone.

  John 14: 13,14.

  That bothers me more than a few pedophiles.
• 

  WTWizard

  First, they create problems that lead to pedophilia in certain cases. If they are going to deprive members of legitimate sex, it's possible that some will become gay or pedophiles.

  The other half of the problem is that they deny the problem. They will silence the victims, threatening to disfellowship them if they snitch, and they will say nothing to the authorities. And they are resisting coming clean, hiding behind zero tolerance toward masturbation and oral sex among married couples, as well as making it even harder to find legitimate sex. It all snowballs on itself, creating a situation where pedophiles are drawn in, accumulate, and may even be created in the first place by some of the obstacles against legitimate sex.

  The whole organization needs to be brought down.
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  minimus

  WTWiz, thanks for the clear easy to decipher comment!

  However, I don't think that depriving a person of legitimate sex may cause one to become gay or a pedophile.
• 

  minimus

  Personally, I doubt the number that Silentlambs says were molested in the Organization.
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  Lady Lee

  First for HSS1971 who said "this subject has been beat to death". The topic of sexual abuse within the organization will never be beaten to death.

  People must be warned. Abusers must be reported to local authorities.

  The WTS's mishandling of sexual abuse charges does nothing to protect the victims. It does nothing to stop these sexual predators from finding new victims. There are plenty of first hand accounts here on JWD and over at silentlambs to show the problem has rarely dealt with the abuses in a legal and socially acceptable way. It seems that the only time that incidents are reported to the authorities is when the abuser is a non-JW. That way the WTS won't be tainted - they did the right thing.

  Victims of JW abusers rarely get the help and support that is due them. Even if the abuser is not a JW victims most likely will not get the psychological help they need.

  By not reporting abuses to the authorities predators can not only find new victims within the congregation but there is nothing to stop them from finding new victims in the community. No one is safe if the JW-predator is not reported. The moral responsibility to protect victims and report abusers is ignored and replaced with a WTS ineffective policy.

  Second, Min Thanks for bringing the topic up again.

  Is Pedophilia Really A Huge Problem With Jehovah's Witnesses?

  This really depends on how you are framing the question.

  • Is it a problem on the individual level?
  • Most JWs will follow the WTS propaganda and says there isn't a problem. And on the rare occasion when it comes up the elders follow WT protocol and report the abuse to the authorities. They won't think outside the tiny boxes their hearts and minds have been put into.
  • Is it a problem on the congregational level?
  • I would hope that in some congregations and their bodies of elders that they would go against the protocol and hush the abuse up if they can. I think that if the abuser is not a JW the elders are less reluctant to report the abuse to the authorities as I said above. It is a lot easier to say "The abuser is not one of us" and that makes it easier to report it. But that is only one part of the problem. The victim still needs emotional/psychological support and the WTS' position on seeking psychological help would inhibit most victims and their families form seeking the help they need.
  • WTS as an organizational level?
  • The society has their "policy" But few will see that their "policy" is flawed. Their policy is flawed because they insist on applying the "two witness" rule to a crime where there are no witnesses besides the victim who is most often a younger child and can easily be dismissed as a child who may have misinterpreted the attention of an adult.
  • Is it a problem on a legal level?
  • Well there have been cases where the WTS and any of its subsidiary org. have been taken to court and there are more to come - many more. The cases where it is proven that the organization was negligent in handling cases of abuse that were reported to the elders and then the flawed policy was used to deal with the accusations the more cases they will lose. And that will hurt them in the pocketbook. Unfortunately if it doesn't get covered by the media few people and even fewer JWs will realize the extent of the problem. Bottom line $$$$$$ will hurt them
  • Is it a problem for the victims and their families?
  • Absolutely!!! They rarely get the help they need. They are placed under a gag order to not talk about the abuse or they will suffer sanctions including disfellowshipping for slander and causing divisions. They are treated as if they are the problem. They should just "wait on Jehovah to make things right". The only person this helps is the abuser.
• 

  Lady Lee

  WTWizard

  First, they create problems that lead to pedophilia in certain cases. If they are going to deprive members of legitimate sex, it's possible that some will become gay or pedophiles.

  You have no idea how wrong this is.Denial of sexual outlets does NOT cause people to become gay. There is enough research to know that people "become" gay. Either you are or you aren't.

  I was abused by 10 different men before I was 13 yrs old. The majority of my abusers were married and had access to a sexual partner.

  People sexually abuse children because of a number of reasons but not having access to an adult sexual partner isn't one of them. Power is a much greater aphrodisiac than not having access to sex with an adult.
• 

  minimus

  Lee, good clarification there for WTWizard!

  Your welcome for bringing up the subject again. Abuse of any type should not be allowed in any organization. The Society's approach to handling issues with 2 witnesses is dumb. If you're raped, another person has to attest to it for it to be believed??
• 

  Mickey mouse

  You have no idea how wrong this is.Denial of sexual outlets does NOT cause people to become gay. There is enough research to know that people "become" gay. Either you are or you aren't.

  Just wondering what accounts for the higher than average ratio of homosexuals in prison then? Are they more prone to criminal activity in the first place?