After watching the follow-up discussion program to Panorama ([url] http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/cta/progs/02/forum/panorama/jehovah15jul.ram[/url]) I couldn't help but wonder if it would not be in the interests of Silentlambs to have a 'PR' spokesperson in addition to Bill Bowen.
This suggestion is not meant to detract from the courageous efforts of Bill Bowen which have been impressive, but it might be good to detract focus off of the religious status of Bill Bowen (ie. whether he is an "active Witness" or not).
The question was asked to Bill Bowen during the follow-up program at approximately 7.5 minutes into the program whether Bill was an "active" Witness. The obviously uncomfortable question where no time would be given to elaborate was responded to after slight hessitation in the affirmative, that he was an "active" Witness and in "good standing".
Obviously Bill's status is completely irrelevant to the issue of child molestation, or in WT Society PR lingo "it is not meaningful to focus on" Bill's status. But from a JW perspective great weight is put to these things and Bill is put in the uncomfortable position of either being completely honest or making a misleading statement - both of which are counterproductive. Answers when under pressure are not always easy to come by, but something along the lines that he was 'still a JW but not presently actively supporting a policy that he considered harmful', would have been better.
If Silentlambs could put forth a representive that is basically just a PR person, less focus would be placed upon Bill Bowen and his "status" within the organization and more on the actual cause the group is promoting. In the case of child abuse, a female spokesperson imo would come across more effectively, and while I doubt anything could stop blind criticism from JWs, I think this could possibly reduce it. It is more difficult to say the entity comprised of abuse victims and compassionate persons known as Silentlambs "has an axe to grind" than to say "Bill Bowen has an axe to grind".
A suggestion for whatever its worth.
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