On the thread about the pdf for the 2003 listening to the great teacher book, I posted about the arguement my hubby and I had over this book when it first came out. I threw out the 2 copies my kids had and then regretted it because I think this book is very telling about the WT organization and the issue of pedophiles and child molestation. I wanted to address what happened here too for discussion.
I am not good at copying over texts so perhaps someone else can post here pages 59-60 in this book where sexual content is explained in vivid detail using the terms penis and vulva. Now mind you, this book when it came out was announced to be for the under 10 year old crowd. My kids were 7 and 9 at the time.
Starting at the end of page 59 to 60, I will paraphrase, it tells kids that having sex relations is wrong for them because they should be married first, it gives them the names for male and female sex organs penis and vulva and tells them not to let any boy or girl touch their organ. That basically the demons will want them to be touched but this is wrong.
I found out about this books content when my 7 and 9 year old kids came and asked me whats a vulva? At first I was thinking volvo and said a car. Then my daughter 9 said no it says here it is a female sex organ. I ripped the book from her hands and stood dumbfounded at what I saw!
Just to give some background. Right before this convention, we were in the Hingham MA congregation and just found out our little boy was using the bathroom unsupervised (he was 7) and the elders were not letting it known that a recent transplant to our hall had in the past been convicted (3 times I believe) for child rape and sodomy of young boys! I found out because a brave sister came and told me to please not allow him alone with this man and why. I then spoke with other parents of young children in the hall and collectively we went to the elders in charge of our assigned book studies.
Of course we got no opology and instead was grilled as to how we found out about this man. Then we were threatened that we could be DF'd for slander if we spread it around. One elder brother Dar***, said we do not know if this man has raped any kids recently so we could not judge him. Hmmm, let me see. I can't judge a man who raped and sodomized young boys and spent many years in prison??? How is that slander when it is true and a matter of public record? Of course we know why they hide these predators, they want to look good to the public.
Because of this incident, we started looking around for another kh to attend.
At that convention, this book comes out.
A few weeks later we are in a new kh nearby and my kids began reading the book on their own. Then one night, they bring it to my attention. Upon reading this, I truly began to realize the problem must be widespread through out the organization, and not isolated instances like we were always told. Here was proof the WT was trying to warn parents to discuss these things more with their children without coming out and saying "yes, there is a big problem in the org". Now I not only lost trust for the elders in Higham but trust for the society in general because I now knew they would not try to protect my kids if it meant revealing information embarrasing to them. They were concerned with themselves only, not us as individuals or families.
Also I was already having doubts about the organization being Godly and this just gave me more doubts about whether or not this group is actually a Christian group. I could not imagine any of the churches I grew up in my childhood printing information like this in a book that is supposed to be about Jesus teaching young children about the bible. OF course the WT will rationalize why its ok to use graphic language, I just found it so inapropriate.
My husband and I got into a huge fight and I threw the book out but not before I remembered that I gave out 2 in service to people with young kids, one was only 4 years old. I also gave one to my study who had a young boy. I screamed out what does this have to do with Jesus? My hubby tried to justify that this is a loving provision from Jehovah because the world is filled with pedophiles. I reminded him this book was primarily for kids in the organization so that cannot be the case. He still didn't get what the fuss was and I swear I got so mad I almost punched him in the face! You see, I was molested when I was a child and went thru great measures to protect my kids. I never allowed them to sleep over anyone home or be watched by people I did not completely know and trust. But the realization that in the kh where I am supposed to be surrounded by Godly people, my son could have been molested right under my nose, was just too much for me.
I told my hubby that niether Jehovah nor Jesus would hide the fact that someone was an evil molestor and would in fact warn others not to associate with such a person. And to me this was proof the elders were not appointed by God. My whole trust system began to really shake at this point.
Anyway, what do others think about this? How did you react when you saw these things in print?
BTW: I always did talk to my kids about their private parts and not letting anyone but their parents or the doctor see them so it was not even the fact that this topic itself upset me. It was more that it was addressed in a supposed Bible story book for kids under 10 and that none of the parents were forwarned about its contexts. Also the realization as to why it was in there that upset me.
I'm curious as to how others reacted when they saw this? Lilly