The list of witnesses to appear.
Spinks, Toole and O'Brien are all from WTBTS-AUS branch.
High ups, as it were.
I'm glad I have Friday off work...
Nine Seconds that says it all. Have these elders any shame?
by Wasanelder Once 63 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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kairos
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steve2
Thanks for your clarification, Room 215. Yep, the higher-ups in Australia will be appearing.
I suspect their "testimony" will be smoother, more well-practised and better at making a silk purse out of the sow's ear...but really they can only do so much PR around their adherence to an ancient patriarchal law code thst has zero awareness of human and especially, children's rights, including that of being protected from sexual predators.
This will be so interesting.
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Mad Sweeney
Reminder for North American friends - Friday morning's testimony begins TONIGHT here. 8pm Eastern, 7pm Central...etc. -
Heaven
I actually had a discussion with my Dad (who was an MS) back in 2009-2010 about known pedophiles in the congregation being allowed to remain JWs and go door-to-door.
In my province of Ontario, Canada, a child as young as 10 years old can be left alone at home legally for about 1 to 2 hours as long as they are mature enough to handle it. This means children will be alone at home and these predators are going to knock.
My Dad had no response to this. I don't think he had thought of it either but I could tell he was disturbed by it.
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Tornintwo
It just is so bizarre to me that none of them, as an individual with their own sensibilities and conscience, decided to report this to the authorities. It's clear that the daughters and quite possibly the mother were abused and vulnerable and therefore not strong enough mentally/emotionally at the time to do so themselves, but it is an absolute no brainer that if you hear first hand about something like this it is a CRIME and should be investigated by the AUTHORITIES so that this evil man could not do it to anyone else.
The only explanation as to why none of them did (and not one of 1006 cases were reported either) is that they were members of a high control institution which discouraged reporting to the secular authorities, whether in writing or not, and this is a fact this organization will not be able to escape from.
BTW The scripture in Lev 5:1 about reporting another's sins is applicable to a court of law, the only court of the land in that context, not just a 'spiritual' court. So if they knew about such a crime, they were under obligation to report it to the legal authority of the land even by their own scriptural reasoning.
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OrphanCrow
You are absolutely right. FastJehu addresses the same concerns I have - why do the victims and witnesses called before a JW judical hearing not allowed legal representation? The WTS has set up their judical system as though it is a court of law but they don't grant basic human rights to those they are questioning and passing judical judgements on.
Barry: I believe the elders are getting a dose of the same medicine they give out to the people under their care in the congregation because in this royal commission they are treated better than the people under them that have suffered as victims
Ruby, you have brought up the issue of "fairness'. That is exactly why this Royal Commission has been set up - to invesitigate if instituions are behaving fairly to everybody that they effect with their policies, including the society at large. Who it is that Justice McClelland and the lawyers that question the elders are speaking for - are you, me and everybody else who are citizens of this world. They speak for everybody. They represent us in the broadest sense.
Besides, the JWs who are giving testimony are being treated far more fairly than the WTs treats children - the JWs are allowed legal counsel at this inquiry. Which is ironic - the Commission keeps asking if they provided "counsel" for the victim and the JWs keep thinking that "counsel" means disiplining them according to Biblical principles or providing a "sister' for a shoulder on for crying tears to fill that skin bottle - they don't realize that it means "legal counsel". -
Magwitch
Monty Baker (Former Jehovah’s Witness and former Elder) should be great fun.....Cant wait to hear what he has to say.
I have not had this much fun watching TV in years. So glad the society had everyone buy a Roku. Watching this on a 60 inch screen enhances the viewing experience so much. 2 1/2 hours to go........
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umbertoecho
Ruby Didn't you hear the lawyer ask if he Bowditch, had read the statement by BCB?
Please don't think that. They have had two years to develop their thoughts or defences and they did not.
Every elder who is there has been given the statements from the victims. This is so they can have a good idea as to what is in them.......This elder chose "not to", he didn't want to read anything she had said. He seemed to think that it made his testimony more valid, but it doesn't. Indeed, it is seen as rather contemptuous of these elders for not taking the situation/crime, seriously.
The elders knew this was going to happen back in 2013, they could have prepared for this commission, yet for some strange reason, they choose to come in and blunder. I think that the Tool lawyer has something to do with this........just a suspicion.
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Vidiot
Something just occurred to me...
...why aren't the WT lawyers yelling "objection!" at every other question the Commission asks?
What are they even doing there?
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StrongHaiku
Vidiot
Something just occurred to me...why aren't the WT lawyers yelling "objection!" at every other question the Commission asks?
Just speculating here, but if this hearing is anything like a "Grand Jury" or "Congressional Hearing" in the US, you cannot object.