Rodney Spinks' Performance

by maksutov 39 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

• 

  steve2

  Quibbles aside - what's unexpected with Spinks disagreeing with the Commission's lawyer? - Spinks put a relatively better gloss on JW organization's policies - although, to be fair, the elders' performance was so unprofessional and gormless, it would not take much to do better than them! It is always better to appear before the bench after your comrades have blown their testimony than before they have done so. You will positively dshine by contrast.

  Yes, I agree with the OP, Spinks verbalized a greater preparedness to cooperate with the Commission and said the organization had the flexibility to comply with mandatory reporting. Okay, we may doubt his sincerity - but he is now on record as having said very specific things so the organization had better now put its money where its mouth is.

  Speaking of which, the JW organization's involvement in this inquiry will be costing them a pretty penny or two. And the Australian branch office will be very motivated to keep costs to a minimum, given the potential for penalties and (!) compensation for victims of abuse.
• 

  Dagney

  Yes, Spinks is the only one who has any authority to offer an opinion as a rep of the branch so he can be more relaxed and definitive in his answers. The others do not dare. You can tell by their performance they know what happens when you do or say something the branch does not agree with.
• 

  galaxie

  Spinks made murmurings to the commission that certain aspects of jw judicial procedure may be reviewed but in no uncertain tems outlined their belief that worldly government is in their opinion temporary and that the gb aka fds interpretation of scripure will prevail imo to the detrement of victims . Their excuse for the present judicial set up is based on their interpretation of scripture is it not ? My question, what will they change will they be forced under duress or will they put up a fight. He already cited examples of jws going to prison rather than capitulate.
• 

  Axelspeed

  I actually had the opposite reaction to Spinks as well. He showed all the right gestures, and conceded a few points with an affirmative reaction or a nod of the head, but if you listen closely, everything was carefully couched in terms and words that obfuscated. He said on several occasions that he could go only as far as the Bible would let him. Well, who exactly determines the interpretation and correct application of scripture for all JWs, including the Branch? The Governing Body. It's that crazy brand of JW circular reasoning at its best. So Bro. Spinks is left with the choice to either 1) align his conscience to the correct way of thinking which involves having a bible-trained conscience as interpreted by the GB, or 2) going rogue and ultimately suffer the Ray Franz fate (branded an apostate and disfellowshipped), or be "re-assigned".

  Ultimately, these guys are all pawns and pieces on a chessboard with one goal - protect the King (the GB as a group). As one caveat, even an individual GB member can be relegated to pawn status if he dares step out of line and becomes a threat to the GB or their sworn god, the WT org. The elders who were first rolled out first in this whole thing are the lowly and over-matched pawns in all of this. The Spinks guy is a little higher up the chain, a lot more slippery, and closer to the King. He was able to put his words together a little bit better, thus probably why he has made it up the chain as far as he has to the elevated and lofty Branch level. But make no mistake, behind all the smiles and shows of humility he is still ultimately just a Yes man there to protect the King, and to fall on his sword if need be just like everybody else. If he (The Australian Branch) is told he has to comply with notifying the authorities in all cases, then he will probably immediately do that because WT has already acquiesced on that front and given him the go-ahead. However, if the authorities tell him that they have to abandon the 2 witness rule, you had better believe he will need HQ (GB and Legal from NY) approval to even sniff at agreeing to that. And then you have the other powerful and increasingly influential piece on the board, the queen (WT Legal). All of these guys will do whatever they have to protect the WT, which coincidentally involves protecting the King (GB) from outsiders, and even himself.
• 

  maksutov

  OrphanCrow: He was horrible to the women lawyers.

  Really? Interesting. I haven't watched the whole thing, I only saw parts 2, 3, and 4, and did not see any female lawyers asking questions.

  @Axelspeed - I love the chess references, very apt! GB = king, but the real power is in the Queen/legal department. Spot on!
  
• 

  OrphanCrow

  Spinks threw everybody he could think of under the bus - all the religions and cultures he could that popped out of his brain. He brought up Muslims and even Native American traditions. Without understanding the least bit about those beliefs and traditions. He must have pissed off a lot of people last night with his comments.

  According to him, the JWs were the heroes of WW2. You know...all those guys who didn't fight but helped build Himmler's castle. And the ones who did all that administrative work for the SS because the JWs wouldn't touch anything 'military'. But they were good at helping Pohl in the financing department of the SS. Those guys.

  Spinks was well trained - in Watchtower propaganda. He took the opportunity to give a "good witness" to all those worldy people.

  *even a queen can fall with a well placed pawn and a knight moving in sideways...
• 

  Axelspeed

  OC - *even a queen can fall with a well placed pawn and a knight moving in sideways...
  

  I completely agree. Legal, in an effort to protect their master, have to smile and take their licks too. They are saddled with protecting a King (the GB) who is inept with delusions of grandeur and terrible policies. They are forced in a sense to prop up this figurehead (and I would even suggest begrudgingly at times) because without the GB there is no need for their existence.
  

  Getting the King = Game Over
• 

  StarTrekAngel

  I do not think that giving all the R&F a copy of the policy would be any form of punishment. I think that if I was a GB member and they offered me such a punishment, I would take it, comply and declare victory over the world. Further indoctrinating those who are still in.
  

  Nothing short of a mandate to report all cases to the authorities or encourage the victim to do so, unconditionally and without repercussion would be acceptable to me. Please keep in mind that I am not a victim myself and neither do I know anyone who has been. The subject is too sensitive and the legalism of the watchtower too good for any indoctrinated R&F member to see anything wrong with the policy or make anything of it.

  If Jesus was not willing to be a judge between two brothers over financial matters (where simple Math would have offered a fair outcome) what makes these nutjobs think that they can judge over a sexual abuse case?
• 

  OrphanCrow

  startrekangel: If Jesus was not willing to be a judge between two brothers over financial matters (where simple Math would have offered a fair outcome) what makes these nutjobs think that they can judge over a sexual abuse case?

  True that. What is with their obsession with investigating child abuse allegations?

  Do they invest that many man hours into investigating a 'brother' or 'sister that has been suspected of murder? Hell, they say they won't even report murder! Do they minutely investigate all sins/crimes of the congregants with as much due diligence?

  They have a twisted view of crime and sin - Spinks wouldn't even admit to the inability to change a serial rapist. No shit - they baptized Sutcliffe. He refused to budge on the notion that Gawd can change anyobody. He had to - there would go all those prison visits!

  The weird thing to me is that these nutjobs would even want to take on the task of investigating - seeing as it is so "disgusting". Why would they want to evaluate details of child sex abuse allegations?

  I noticed that DeRooy was so confident that they would get more evidence. Sure he was - the elders were encouraging the abuser to go back into the home. So they could confidently go back and hear some more child abuse stories and write them down. They knew he would abuse and they encouraged it. Why is that? Really. Why?
• 

  antes8080

  He was better prepared they had all weekend to coach him. He lied about being able to change policy about child abuse. Saying that their only been two elders and four MS in the pass ten years charge with child abuse like that was something to brag about they are sick.