February 2018 Watchtower - Addressing abuse Victims

Listener

There's a Preview note on one of the articles in this newly released Watchtower. The note can be found on an article titled "Part 1 of 4 Love and Justice in Ancient Israel".

The note states -

This article is the first in a series of four that will discuss why we can be sure that Jehovah cares about us. The remaining three articles will appear in the May 2019 issue of The Watchtower. The titles of those articles are “Love and Justice in the Christian Congregation,” “Love and Justice in the Face of Wickedness,” and “Providing Comfort for Victims of Abuse.”

In this article is a picture with the comment " Jehovah wanted children to feel safe and secure as they were lovingly raised and taught by their parents"
While preparing a meal, an Israelite mother converses with her daughters; the father trains his son to care for the sheep

While preparing a meal, an Israelite mother converses with her daughters; the father trains his son to care for the sheep

Another picture has the comment "Jehovah loves us and knows when we suffer injustice (See paragraph 15)"

A sister is sad after suffering an injustice The text relating to this states

Lessons: Jehovah is not to blame when those who claim to serve him ignore his standards and harm his people. However, Jehovah loves us and knows when we suffer injustice. He feels our pain more keenly than a mother feels the suffering of her baby. (Isa. 49:15) Although he may not intervene immediately, in due time he will hold unrepentant wrongdoers to account for the way they have treated others.

Para 20 deals brings to attention the two witness rule

Jehovah has compassion for his people, so he put safeguards in place to prevent individuals from being treated unfairly. For example, the Law limited the possibility that a person would be falsely accused of a crime. A defendant had the right to know who was accusing him. (Deut. 19:16-19; 25:1) And before he could be convicted, at least two witnesses had to give evidence. (Deut. 17:6; 19:15) What about an Israelite who committed a crime that was seen by only one witness? He could not assume that he would get away with his wrongdoing. Jehovah saw what he did. In the family, fathers were given authority, but that authority had limits. In some family disputes, the elders of the city had the responsibility to become involved and render a final judgment.—Deut. 21:18-21.

Further on in the article is this -

Jehovah showed tender personal interest in the most vulnerable in the community. And he held those who mistreated them to account.—Read Exodus 22:22-24.
23 The Law also protected family members from sex crimes by forbidding all forms of incest. (Lev. 18:6-30) Unlike the people of the nations surrounding Israel, who tolerated or even condoned this practice, Jehovah’s people were to view this type of crime as Jehovah did—as a detestable act.
24 Lessons: Jehovah wants those he places in positions of responsibility to take a loving interest in all whom they oversee. He hates sex crimes and wants to ensure that all, especially the most vulnerable, receive protection and justice.

I doubt they will address how they have failed on this in the past, but given the fact that they are pointing out the failures of the Ancient Israelites it may be possible.

They can't keep ignoring their child abuse problem and this is the start of attempting to address it in a slightly different manner.

the girl next door

Until they drop their two witness rule in cases of child sex abuse and actively, transparently report every allegation of child sex abuse to the police immediately upon discovery, they can shove their bullshiting attempt to look like they care through flowery honey dripping words in their trash magazine straight up their ass.

JW GoneBad

Thanks Listener for bringing these upcoming WT articles on child abuse to our attention. In my opinion these articles fall under the category of 'token service'. Like everything 'WT'...there really is not a whole lot of value in these articles.

smiddy3

23 The Law also protected family members from sex crimes by forbidding all forms of incest. (Lev. 18:6-30)

Wasn`t Lot held up as a faithful servant of Jehovah ? And didn`t Lot have sex not with just one of his daughters but .both of them ?

but Unlike the people of the nations surrounding Israel, who tolerated or even condoned this practice, Jehovah’s people were to view this type of crime as Jehovah did—as a detestable act.both of them ?

This article is the first in a series of four that will discuss why we can be sure that Jehovah cares about us.

Under Solomons /King Davids reign when Israel was enjoying Theocratic Rule of peace and prosperity ,didn`t they also have a Leper Colony within their midst ?

He hates sex crimes and wants to ensure that all, especially the most vulnerable, receive protection and justice.

I guess that`s why here in Australia not one Elder of a potential 3018 Elders in JC they were overseeing bothered to contact either the police or child protection services in the cases they were dealing with that involved sexual abuse against a minor in their religion.

zeb

"Although he may not intervene immediately, in due time he will hold unrepentant wrongdoers to account for the way they have treated others."

Oh dear, for many jw this will be a huh?moment as they have been told all along that all is well.

'.fathers were given authority, but that authority had limits"... really?

and who pulled those limits up to be seen when kids and wives had frequent beatings by a brother/elder/ father 'in good standing'.

There is no doubts though the bastards have been rattled by the CARC and its outcome but there is no mention here of the National Redress Scheme...

zeb

I was given a copy of the wt 'policy' on child abuse.

It was not a policy. It was a collation of quotes and notes.
Some did not have the wt etterhead on and
none were sequentially numbered and there was no signature with a name by any of the wt executive.
some bore staple holes indicating they had been pulled from a larger document.

Therefore it was just notes not a policy.

cofty

If they would simply change their policy so that every reasonable suspicion of abuse must be reported to the police the 'two-witness' rule would become less of a problem.

The real issue is the unspoken law that no JW must ever 'bring reproach on Jehovah's name'. The elders will not take responsibility to report abuse and the victim and JW parents are under pressure not to do so.

JWs don't report other JWs to the police. Muslim communities don't go to the police. Orthodox Jewish communities don't go to the police against other Jews. I would guess that the Amish are similar. This is what allows abuse to prosper.

If they changed the 'two witness rule' but didn't change the policy on reporting abuse to the authorities nothing would improve for victims. Abusers would still be protected to carry on abusing. Even if they are DFd they are free to carry on abusing new victims in the wider community.

The irony is that the unwritten policy of not washing dirty linen in public has resulted in more reproach than they could ever have imagined possible. And yet they they refuse to make any changes. It is this irrational position that makes me wonder who they are protecting.

The Fall Guy

The blatantly obvious fact is this, (which JW's at every level refuse to accept) elders do not have the legal right, training, or expertise to deal with criminals or their crimes.

The WTBTS/CCoJW should instruct their elders to restrict themselves to "sins" and let the legal system deal with JW crimes.

stillin

It seems unfortunate that so many feel that "every allegation" be reported to the police. Although this might serve as a deterrent and prevent some wrongs from ever happening, it also opens up the door for a lot of minor bullshit, that may have never actually happened, to become a major problem in the life of an innocent accused.

If the elders could only use their brains instead of just following marching orders, at least to my way of thinking, whether to report or not to report, could be discretionary.

The power that is handed to a 17 year old is huge! And they still don't really understand the full implications and repercussions of making an "allegation." But as for the youngest victims, it seems best to believe them and if there is an error, err on the safe side. But be prepared to face legal action if there was no due diligence. I have a personal anecdote that drives this point home.

All in all, it's a sloppy mess.

ScenicViewer

Lessons: Jehovah is not to blame when those who claim to serve him ignore his standards and harm his people.

Huh? Nobody is blaming Jehovah. This is Watchtower's way of shifting blame from itself by saying "Now now, we must never blame Jehovah."

The blame for misapplying the Bible's two-witness rule to a situation where it was never intended, and for failing to notify the proper authorities when a child is abused, lies squarely on the leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Governing Body.

Watchtower's real aim is to keep these issues quiet, swept under the rug, to try to save it's own image before the public, as posters here have been saying for a long time. I suppose that worked for decades but now it's backfiring on them.

February 2018 Watchtower - Addressing abuse Victims

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