I just spent 3 hours last night talking with a Witness who is visiting my mother from another country. Even though I am diassaccociated, she listened to my story.
She said that she totally understood that since I was introduced to Jehovah by the same person who sexually abused me, how could I believe in HIS faith? I explained that molesters who use "faith" of any kind to enable them to abuse, destroy their victims' ability to trust a higher power, thereby, isolating the child further. If children can't "turn" to God, who can they trust? How many times did I hear my abuser say, "Thou must honour your father and mother!"
I also said, that while the congregation disfellowshipped my abuser, they did nothing for us victims because they sent us home with him. Hence, they helped my molester isolate us further, as the brothers and sisters visited us even less because of his excommunication! Even the Elders told us children, yet again, "Thou must honour your father and mother!"
This Witness said that my sitation was just like the priests and their victims. "How could anyone expect those children to trust their faith, when they were introduced to it by their abuser?" she said. "Your book will do a lot to help us all understand this situation better. Many people just don't realize how dangerous a man like your father is. That he should have been removed your home, the community and not just the Kingdom Hall."
So maybe individually our honesty, our stories, our humanity can make a difference. It already has to countless silent victims who found strength in knowing they are not alone and not to blame.