Feedback on RC from JW Friendly Site

by konceptual99 9 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  konceptual99

  There has been some comment on the latest RC proceedings on that well know JW friendly site.

  One set of posts has been particularly interesting as the poster related their own experience as an abuse victim when they were a child in the congregation. This of course took courage and the poster deserves no criticism at all for this. He is, however, still very supportive of the organisation.

  This is his latest post:

  Okay, I've now read the transcript of today's hearing, and I have to say I am so monumentally frustrated by this enquiry!
  
  I'm glad to see them finally interviewing someone from the branch office, but they keep repeating their questions, and in my opinion not listening to his answers.
  
  For example they repeatedly refuse to accept that abuse survivors are not expected to confront their abuser. There is a 1995 WT article and advice in the elder's manual that says that they can write a letter.
  
  They also say it's unwise for the judicial committee to be led by elders who know the accused, but again the guidance is that the CO will nominate an experienced other elder from another congregation to chair the committee.
  
  I suspect that there will be more information given on the 1,006 cases issue when they interview the brother form the legal department, but from what we've seen so far, many of those cases were reported to the authorities, just not by the Society, but by the victims or someone else. And in confirmation of what I was also told by a CO, the list includes people who never were JWs but included interested persons and children of baptised witnesses etc.

  In fact if I remember correctly the CO said that even if an 18-year-old brother has consensual extra-marital sex with a 17-year-old sister, as it's technically a crime that would go on the list, but it would not be reported to the police for obvious reasons.

  The number of times when reading this transcript I have wanted to shout at the commissioners and say "he's already answered that!" or "read the material!"

  Whilst I have nothing but sympathy for his experiences I can't help wondering how someone who was abused and whose abuser was not sanctioned can have this much support for the organisation still.
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  Witness My Fury

  he doesnt know TTAT, so is still drinking the koolaid. When you believe it is big Js organisation and that anything that isnt right with it is because of mens imperfections then that leaves you little room to really question anything rationally.
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  Oubliette

  For example they repeatedly refuse to accept that abuse survivors are not expected to confront their abuser. There is a 1995 WT article and advice in the elder's manual that says that they can write a letter.

  Mr Stewart repeatedly asked for documentary proof of this assertion. No such documentation was offered in any testimony I ever read.
  
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  sir82

  I can't help wondering how someone who was abused and whose abuser was not sanctioned can have this much support for the organisation still.

  There are probably hundreds of thousands if no millions of bruised, battered, & abused wives who, nonetheless, "stand by their man" and refuse to press charges. They even defend his actions vigorously, blame themselves for their own abuse, etc.

  The JW organization is essentially a wife-beater, where "the wife" is pretty much anyone in the organization who is a true believer.
  
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  FreeGirl2006

  While I cannot speak for the guy, I can speak for myself. Not only was I abused by an elder and the matter was dismissed out of hand by the JC, I have known women who were raped and then dfd because they didn't scream. I considered myself a strong, dedicated JW and while I never ever agreed with the crap I experienced and saw and I definitely didn't agree with announcing we shouldn't watch the Dateline expose (if we have an issue, it needs to be brought to light was my comment at the time), I was so blinded that I kept repeating to myself, "Jehovah will take care of this ultimately and these creeps and lousy elders would die." Rationalization rules when you are trying to cling to your beliefs in the brutal light of day.

  Since the TTAT, it makes me realize how much we have to stuff down emotionally, how much we have to dehumanize ourselves to stay in that piece of sh*t cult.
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  leaving_quietly

  This is likely what was being referred to in the Shepherding book (p. 72):

  
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  JWdaughter

  Age of consent in Australia for heterosexual consensual sex is 16. Just for the info of the JW person who isn't on this board:)
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  Island Man

  Whilst I have nothing but sympathy for his experiences I can't help wondering how someone who was abused and whose abuser was not sanctioned can have this much support for the organisation still.

  Knowing that most black Americans are christians despite the fact that the bible condones slavery and was used to justify the enslavement of their ancestors; and knowing the majority of christians are women despite the bible's misogynistic principles; I can fully appreciate how a sex abuse victim can turn to defending the organization that let his abuser go free without reporting him to the police.

  The answer is RELIGION = Reason Extinguished Leaving Ignorance, Gullibility, Insanity and Other Nonsense.
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  blondie

  You don't really know the lies that go on behind the curtain of the BOE until you are an elder. Then that new elder can be blackmailed to support the unscriptural actions. I have seen elders not support those actions and be removed and even df'd.

  Sometimes they will reveal it to a rank and file jw, confident that no one would believe them over an elder or elders.
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  The Big Machine

  It's interesting reading on there how happy they were about Spinks' testimony. But things seem to have changed more negative over the last couple of days. It seems like a few people on there think Geoffrey Jackson should testify.