Hi everyone
As you may be aware, the Feb 15th Watchtower features an experience depicting a 'fairytale' scenario of a violent husband beating his wife, and then mending his ways once she starts to apply bible principles. To my knowledge, this is the nineteenth experience of its kind to be published since 1958, and it betrays a disturbing track record of negligence on the part of the Watch Tower Society in failing to properly and consistently deal with such a sensitive and life-or-death issue, which effects untold thousands of women.
The experience, page 29, paragraph 12, reads as follows:
“Selma recalls a lesson she learned from the Witness who studied with her. ‘On one particular day,’ says Selma, ‘I didn’t want to have a Bible study. The night before, Steve had hit me as I had tried to prove a point, and I was feeling sad and sorry for myself.[i] After I told the sister what had happened and how I felt, she asked me to read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. As I did, I began to reason, ‘Steve never does any of these loving things for me.’ But the sister made me think differently by asking, ‘How many of those acts of love do you show toward your husband?’ My answer was, ‘None, for he is so difficult to live with.’ The sister softly said, ‘Selma, who is trying to be a Christian here? You or Steve?’ Realizing that I needed to adjust my thinking, I prayed to Jehovah to help me be more loving toward Steve. Slowly, things started to change.’ After 17 years, Steve accepted the truth.”
I have recently published an article, entitled "Won Without A Word - At What Cost" which discusses the matter in detail, and looks at the doctrinal bias that influences the Society in their approach to such matters.
Now, you an actually have YOUR SAY, and vote on the subject!
Please visit the new domestic abuse mini-survey on jwsurvey.org* - and have your say on whether the Watchtower is right to take such an out-dated stance.
I would really be interested to see what the consensus of opinion is, and hopefully we can send a strong message to the Governing Body that their damaging rhetoric concerning domestic violence must come to an abrupt end.
Thanks everyone!
Cedars
* I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Juan Viejo2 for making this latest domestic abuse survey (and the 2011 Global Survey) a reality. His selfless work is outstanding, and I am deeply grateful for all he has done. When it comes to addressing sensitive issues such as this, it becomes obvious just how useful the new survey website (that he has designed) really is.