by AndersonsInfo 17 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
Here is a link to a .pdf version of the Working With Children (WWC) application form that Steven Unthank has put on his website. Very important reading material to understand the WWC Act and to see the questions asked to those who wanted to comply (or not to comply) with the Act.
The download link is: http://workingwithchildrencheck.wordpress.com/
Barbara
Thanks Barbara... much appreciated...
Thanks Barbara.
Section 1
"Your work is included in the WWC check if you are...a minister of religion or performing duties of a religious vocation."
"It is an offence (punishable by up to two years imprisonment and/or a fine) to knowingly engage in or engage someone in “child-related work” without them having passed a Working with Children Check."
I wonder what part of that they didn't understand.
is because they are not a religion ... ha!
Does the Australian law strictly define what "working with children" legally means in regard to persons needing to comply with this law?
For example - would a server in a school cafeteria (who obviously works with children in a sense, but is never alone with children nor are they teaching or directing children) be legally "working with children" for the purposes of legal status for this law?
To further the example - how far does Unthank think the witnesses need to go to comply with the law? That is - does he think all elders, or all elders and ministerial servants, or perhaps simply all witnesses - should register to comply with the law?
To my viewpoint, if you wanted to catch every single JW child molester, then really every single JW should have to register. But, if you go that far, then the case could be made that every single member of every single non-JW religious organization should also be registered.
I doubt if the framers of this Australian law had that in mind when they conceived this.
Which is why I remain rather skeptical that the Australian courts will ever rule in the way that Mr. Unthink wants - but it remains to be seen.
I think if you download and read the pdf it will answer a lot of those questions James.
We have a similar law in the UK but when the Tories came into power they suspended it as they thnk it had gone too far (it had). We are waiting a review of how it will be implemented in future. Once that's done I will be writing to the agency about the Watchtower. In the UK "vulnerable adults" are included in the so they won't be able to get out of it by claiming their work with children is incidental.
We have a similar law in the UK but when the Tories came into power they suspended it as they thnk it had gone too far (it had). We are waiting a review of how it will be implemented in future.
Maybe that is what is going to eventually happen to the Australian law.
In the UK "vulnerable adults" are included in the so they won't be able to get out of it by claiming their work with children is incidental.
What does "vulnerable adults" mean?
it seems to say "a minister of religion". Don't they brag that each member is such. And don't you have to hand in a report to prove that you are "one of Jehovah's Witnesses".
if you are...a minister of religion or performing duties of a religious vocation.
*** w06 4/1 p. 24 par. 11 ‘Go and Make Disciples, Baptizing Them' ***
11 The second question asks the candidate, first of all, if he understands that his baptism serves to identify him as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. After undergoing immersion, he becomes an ordained minister who bears Jehovah's name.
"working with children" - "worldly" children will be encountered in the ministry, therefore, every single Witness should be registered as they are all ministers ... even if there is a way around this, like telling each JW minister (publisher) not to engage children in the ministry unless they have been registered, how would you explain making car groups and having JW children working along in the ministry with other JW's unless they have complied with registration.
... seems like a can of worms, the legal representatives for Watch Tower will no doubt come up with some sort of double-speak to pass it by the government's requirement, fortunately there is plenty of info in print from the Org itself about who they consider minsters.
I think his theory is that since all baptized JWs are "ordained ministers" and volunteers who go door to door to preach thus having direct contact with a child (or at least the possiblity of such contact) then everyone who goes in service should apply.
That differs from other religious organizations whose members are not considered "ordained ministers" (WTS own description of baptized JWS) and who do not engage in preaching from door to door.
The most recent instructions I saw was that the WTS wants their elders to comply. It's obvious from the link above that the law clearly applies to them and I could see where it would apply to MS as well since they could be placed in a position of oversight of a child (cleaning the hall, FS groups, etc). I know here in the US, the WTS has argued sucessfully that clergy privilege laws apply to JW elders so I don't see how legally you could say they aren't ministers.
I think having all comply is probably a stretch. They'll likely argue that the rank and file go out strictly on their own accord and have no direct appointment from the WTS.
I can't believe the Legal department hasn't already gotten the WTS to lay off the "ordained ministers" title applying to all JWs. I'll bet if Unthank wins, they'll drop it.
