silentlambs speak in editorial letter

silentlambs

Letter to editor from the Portland newspaper.

. http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/editorial/10174065452784872.xml

Witnesses hide molestation The Catholic church has hidden sexual abuse by moving guilty priests to new communities. Even more abominable, Jehovah's Witnesses hide the molestation of their youths by threatening the victims with expulsion if they try to warn and protect other members or even to report the perpetrators to police.

03/29/02

Last August, I was one of a group of advocates from across the nation to travel to Ritzville, Wash., to support one such victim when she brought charges against her Jehovah's Witness molester/rapist, Manuel Belize, at his retrial.

For at least three decades, Jehovah's Witness rape victims were accused of "consenting to fornication" for being unable to scream when criminally assaulted. An untold number were disfellowshipped and shunned. Some committed suicide.

How do the victims of these violent crimes become a danger to the fellowship, thus needing to be expelled and shunned? Is it not, rather, the other way around?

joelbear

Here I am being cynical again.

You have been posting information about this one account almost continuously over the past year.

I think its been milked for about all it can be.

Joel

joelbear

Serious question.

How many silentlambs cases have went to trial? That is, how many have proved to a judge that there is enough evidence for a trial to be held?

Thanks

Joel

anewperson

Joelbear, don't act so rude. This is a SERIOUS matter and Bill is dead right to push it, the more the better.

joelbear

I am always serious when I discuss this matter because its a serious matter.

Waiting for the Dateline program to air is akin to waiting for Armageddon.

This is one topic where I disagree with the majority of posters here. I am allowed to disagree once in a while aren't I?

Joel

Mulan

Disagreeing seems to be a requirement lately.

I am tired of waiting for the Dateline show. I have quit
telling people about it. Too embarrassing, because it is
not on, and no signs of being on. Dateline is airing ads
for upcoming shows, and not a glimmer of a hint on this one.

Ho hum.

Marilyn (aka Mulan)
"No one can take advantage of you, without your permission." Ann Landers

joelbear

Hi Mulan,

You know I don't post things like this just to pick fights. I only post against the tide when I feel that a point needs to be made.

It is certainly not a personal war with Bill.

Take care

Joel

writerpen

I remember as a kid, my mother telling me that if I ever allowed a man to touch me in a sexual way, that Jehovah would view me as wicked and that it was my responsibility to keep it from happening even if it meant that I allow the man to "shoot me with a gun." In my adult years I always thought that I must have heard my mother wrong or that she was not speaking in harmony with the WTS. But just a few weeks ago, I explored this topic and found that in fact the WTS did publish many articles about women being responsibile for being raped, and realized that my mother was instilling in me what she read in the magazines. Their mentality is unforgivable and if it must be "milked" over and over again - well, even then the scars never go away for those who were having "it" stuck to them!

I realize now, that when the Dateline story runs, I am going to submit an article to local newspapers with reference to my story. Reading the article in Bill's post has given me the idea. I just hope I have the nerve to do it. I've had a lot of articles published and know that whatever I write will run. Perhaps I should start working on the piece now.

Anyway, I applaud Bill's efforts. You go man!

joelbear

I applaud the goal of protecting every child, JW or not, from physical, mental and sexual abuse no matter whose efforts are involved.

Joel

Pathofthorns

Jehovah's Witnesses hide the molestation of their youths by threatening the victims with expulsion if they try to warn and protect other members or even to report the perpetrators to police.

While I am frustrated that many elders continue to do whatever they wish, in all fairness the above statement is NOT the official policy of the Society and the Society presently has made it clear that individuals are not to be deterred from going to the authorities if they wish to.

Each of these situations where individuals claim to have been molested needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis. Broad and sweeping generalizations cannot be made.

Individuals also need to be protected from the extreme damage that can be done to an individuals caracter by false acusations. This whole issue is not one that is 'cut and dry' and continues to be one that is struggled with in every major organization.

I don't think calls for caution, balance and reason with regard to this matter or any other should be mistaken for these individuals supporting the Society or child molesters. I am very vocal about matters where the Society has been irresponsible, but this is one matter that I remain cautious to jump without reservation on the bandwagon.

On the other hand, policies such as disfellowshipping rape victims for not screaming are absolutely sick and disgusting and there can be no excusing or justifying such behavior.

Path

silentlambs speak in editorial letter

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