by UnDisfellowshipped 87 Replies latest jw friends
I completely understand Rev's frustration and comments.
I fail to understand Englishman's. Why the personal insult? What does a personal attack accomplish?
Kismet
Editted to add:
Hilary: I thought THE most important issue was the survivors of abuse. But I do agree with you regarding the need for de-personalizing silentlambs.org and getting trained people to do the work.
Edited by - Kismet on 2 January 2003 20:32:55
I fail to understand Englishman's. Why the personal insult? What does a personal attack accomplish?
No no no!
That is not a personal attack, nor is it meant as an insult. Bill appears to be working on pure adrenalin right now, and as a result is doing some things that aren't making too much sense at times.
Englishman.
Kismet,
Agreed, the survivors of abuse whether JW or in any other religion or social group are the most important issue, yet they become an even greater issue if the vehicle that they have learned to trust runs off the road. This is what this thread seems to be about and that is why in this thread the future of SL is the most important issue.
Best regards - HS
PS - TH - I do not know a Grant Writer who will touch SL while it is just attached to the very focused JW child abuse issue, it would be viewed as too sectarian to attract funds. SL would need to widen its nets beyond the WTS and to the abused children of all high-control religions to open wallets, and even then it would be a tough one - HS
Edited by - hillary_step on 2 January 2003 21:34:20
That'll never happen. He refuses to appoint a Board of Directors, and continues to alienate everyone around him. It's NOT going to happen, so what now?
He spends his time writing ridiculous letters to the GB that's getting him nowhere, and will never get him, OR us anywhere. This plan is not working, can't we see this by now? He's trying to chop the tree down from the top and it doesn't work that way, but that's the only way that gets his face on TV, so that's the only way he'll go. We need to wake up or forget about the entire thing, because the way it's going, I give it till Spring before the Bill show is off the air. One of these times he's going to screw up real big in the public eye, and not another person will listen to any of us, so are we going to sit back and wait for that day??
What about the Abuse Survivors? Where's all the support he promised us God knows how long ago? Is this helping any of us heal? NOT ME, that's for sure. He's done nothing but use me, then used all of his efforts to make me look like a crook. Yet I'm the one out here saying "Go ahead, investigate all you want". I'm generally a private person, but for this I am willing to put myself out on the line to prove to anyone who cares to know, that this is all insanity. He's gone to every one of my online friends to slander me. He's told everyone that's close to me "It's either him or me". Come on, talk about causing divisions....
What kind of man does these things? Everyone should be asking themselves this right now.
If you return home and find someone has left the bath running, do you immediately start mopping up the water, or do you quickly turn off the tap, then start mopping the water? It may be the first reaction to mop the water which may help in the short term, but it makes more sense to STOP the problem at its source. TURN OFF THE TAP.
Likewise with abuse sufferers. People here say "Remember its about the victims"....But unless the SOURCE of the problem is attacked and fixed (turning off the tap) there will always be more and more and more victims. If Silentlambs does not attempt to fix the problem at its SOURCE then the problem will not be solved.
By getting the GB to change its wrong policies, or to put the GB out of business, WHATEVER IT TAKES, must be Silentlambs primary goal. Unlike some of the posters here, I don't see that there are 2 separate issues, helping the victims being one and attacking the WT Society as the second.
Its all ONE! Help the current victims by all means, but stop the problem at its source and the number of victims will eventually disappear.
Just my 1000 lira's worth....
The Pope
Hillary:
As I addressed in my first comment, the SL.org vehicle has been poorly identified as being of support to victims of abuse rather than it actually being an activist organization intent on changing policy through the media and the courts and public pressure.
Many survivors of abuse have already been sideswiped by that vehicle. Feeling like they are little more than trading cards, almost stating 'ohhh incest with rape will get me further in the public eye than just a rape. You are now my new poster child'
Whether Bill is the right driver of the 'activist' vehicle or if he should just be a figurehead (the elder who quit in protest role) is hopefully being determined.
But at the same time slamming him personally in a public venue accomplishes little. (I am not saying you have done this Hillary)
So I repeat, "I do agree with you regarding the need for de-personalizing silentlambs.org and getting trained people to do the work"
I hope Bill is listening.
Kismet
PS - Englishman, thanks for the clarification
By getting the GB to change its wrong policies, or to put the GB out of business, WHATEVER IT TAKES, must be Silentlambs primary goal.
And what makes you think silentlambs will accomplish this? You will NEVER take them down, NEVER. If you think you will, you're fooling yourself. Furthermore, even if it is possible, attacking the feeble GB will do nothing. You have to get the word out to the people, even if you have to resort back to door knocking.
There's two things you can do here. Support the Abuse Survivors by providing resources for their healing, and public awareness. You can fight them till you're dead, but it won't make a difference. They're worth how many billions of dollars? You really think you'll take them down? I'm not saying that we shouldn't be fighting them, but we need more goals than that my friend. To think that one organization cannot take on several forms is ludicrous. If Bill hadn't alienated most of us, can you imagine the team he'd have right now? He doesn't need to oversee everything involved, that's what a Board of Directors is for, yet he refuses to appoint a BoD.
The main concern of this cause should be to fight the Watchtower, because if even one person is saved along the way, it'll be all worth it. But to make the destruction of the Watchtower your primary goal is just plain stupidity, IMHO. You need support for those that fall through the cracks.....those that we can't protect, because helping them once they've been exposed HAS to be a primary concern. Or should we say "oops, we missed that one" and forget about them? Of course not, because then we're here to just destroy a religion. And then what happens if you were to succeed? The pedophiles run to the Catholics, or the Mormons? Are you going to take them down too?
Come on, let's be realistic, fighting the Watchtower should be a concern, but right along side public awareness programs and providing resources for current survivors, victims, and for the future 'Lambs"
Hello Kismet,
Yes, I am sure that we have both synonymous aims and virtually identical viewpoints.
Best regards as ever - HS
Of course, it helps to remember that Bill Bowen is still, for all intents and purposes, a fresh ex-JW with all the baggage that entails.
(Think back to your state of mind when you first got out. Not pretty, eh?)
Is there anybody that Bill Bowen trusts to give him good advice where he wouldn't view them with suspicion or be personally insulted?
Having come from an organization that demanded blind obedience, I am reluctant to get involved in another one issue situation where the rally cry appears to be "All those not for me are against me." I can respect what Bill Bowen has accomplished while still recognizing he is a flawed man. I see no purpose to drag Ray Franz's name into this email to the GB. It is unfortunate and it saddens me to see this. If these two men could be united, it would create a powerful voice in exposing the truth about "the truth". But it is not meant to be. And we are all poorer for that decision.
"Found a better song to sing have you Rita? No. You've found a different song. But on your lips it is shrill and tuneless." -- Michael Caine, Educating Rita
