I dont know how many of you have listened to the audio of Mike Spence interviewing J.R. Brown on the Societys policies related to child molesters, but its worth a listen. I was particularly fascinated with Browns comments about allowing someone, who may have previously been convicted of child molestation, to later hold a position of responsibility in the congregation. As an example of how this might happen, he presented a hypothetical case in which a boy of sixteen has sex with a girl of fourteen, with her consent. Brown says that in some states the girl would be considered a child and the boy an adult and, hence, the boy could be convicted as a child molester. Three years later, in this hypothetical case, this same boy and girl get married, to each other. Twenty years later they are still married, have several children and are leading a clean and moral life as JWs. Brown poses the question: Should this man, twenty-three years after his sexual involvement with a minor, be considered a predatory pedophile? He makes a reasonable argument that this man should not, at this time, be viewed as such and that the door shouldnt be closed too tightly here, with regard to his being considered for a position of responsibility in the congregation. What a sensible and compassionate view of the situation!
I cant help but wonder though, suppose this same couple had been disfellowshipped for their act of fornication. Suppose they did eventually get married, have children and twenty years later were still happily married, living clean moral lives, BUT, they had never seen the need to try to get reinstated in the congregation and no longer even considered themselves as JWs. Do you think the Society would take such a sensible and compassionate view of this situation? I think not! As has been recently reinforced in Our Kingdom Ministry, this man and woman would still be viewed as unclean, outcasts, undeserving of so much as a simple greeting from anyone in the congregation, including family members! In this case, the door is closed pretty tightly!