by zeb 30 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
Over the past 25 years, the active membership of the organisation in Australia has grown 29 per cent from approximately 53,000 members in 1990.51 In the same period Australia’s population growth has been approximately 38 per cent.
Haha the Ozzy JWs cant even keep up with the population increase.
Thank you. I saved it to my hard drive.
Over the past 25 years, the active membership of the organisation in Australia has grown 29 per cent from approximately 53,000 members in 1990.
In the same period Australia’s population growth has been approximately 38 per cent.
This statement by the ARC is one of the single most poignant statements made in relation to JWs self-belief on organisational growth. It strikes at the heart of the problem ... an overinflation of one's self-worth. In 1999 Watchtower and the JWs appeared before the Australian Senate and claimed they have just over 100,000 associates in Australian alone. This is an almost double amount of the facts. Theocratic warfare.
Watchtower and the JWs have been stripped naked and exposed to the world for all to see. The big problem now is what to do with them. They will not reform. They cannot apologise and admit their system is flawed. To do so would require an admission worldwide as the system comes from the governing body and Watchtower's elder/lawyers.
Geoffrey Jackson publicly criticised the ARC for attempting to understand the bible. But the reality is that Jackson and his fellow six governing body members believe only they themselves can interpret the bible accurately and that their interpretation is the only one endorsed by god. By contrast the ARC could have just as easily criticised Jackson & Co for trying to interpret the law in Australia, but they didn't as the dismal facts spoke.
The current operation of Watchtower in Australia is untenable. They cannot be permitted to continue to operate in breach of the law and as a clear and present danger to the wider Australian community as well as the rank-and-file JWs.
Watchtower will stumble and fall as they seek to dodge liability by weaving fallacy after fallacy. They will try to bluff the ARC by providing a pseudo Child Protection / Safeguarding Policy that actually protects the Watchtower and no one else. No doubt any such policy will ultimately blame the victims and their family. This will be no coincidence because it comes from the governing body and 'faithful and discreet slave' - both of whom never say sorry.
It took over three years of fighting and court battles to get the JWs in Australia to comply with the working with children laws and for the elders and ministerial servants to undergo a police check as required by law for charities and religious institutes. Now some 7,000 JWs have now done the check, were issued their cards and complied with the law. This was a victory for those who took on the cause and a slap in the face to the governing body.
The Catholic Church has appeared this week to receive their report card. They also apologised, made amends and made compensation. They acknowledged they were protecting their public image. They provided a list of victim payouts which totaled some $275million. In the most part they are on the way to forgiveness.
The Watchtower and JWs appear on the 6th of March. There has been no apology. The recent Fessler case showed that they have not learnt a single lesson. They are beyond reform. They have not, will not and cannot admit that their actions were to protect their image, because their actions were not motivated by image or even money. The motivation was the furtherance of a religious cause - the existance and power of 'the faithful and discreet slave' and its governing body.
It will be interesting to see if Watchtower made any payouts as they have no redress scheme. I know of one JW family in Australia that asked Watchtower for compensation of 99 cents and an apology. Their compensation claim was rejected.
The ARC has the power to recommend to the Australian government that Watchtower and all 800 plus associated charities be wound up and shut down. The ARC has the power to recommend that all public JW places of worship be deregistered so as to protect the community. The ARC has no power to go after the JW religion as it does not exist as a legal entity, it only exists in the mind of JWs. In this situation the Ellis defence (an Australian legal precedent) applies.
Two members of the governing body need to appear before the ARC on behalf of all members and plead for forgiveness. Won't happen. Arrogance. The bible says you reap what you sow.
A pure example of hubris. They stood apart, and looked down their noses at the "World". Now the world has to force the WBT$ to be moral and decent, teach them humility.
I am anxiously awaiting the time when an inquiry like Australia's happens here in the States. Oh how glorious and eye opening that would be!
The WTBTS would profusely bleed into extinction then. I salivate just thinking about it.
DY
Call me a cynic , I wont hold my breath for any real sanctions against the religion only a token slap on the wrist and minor "apparent" changes to take place.
Why ?
Both in the state of Victoria and New South Wales it is and was a criminal offence not to report child sexual abuse of a minor .
Elders in both states according to the Australian Royal Commission failed to do so with Vincent Toole a witness and legal representive of the Watchtower religion claiming in effect ignorance of that requirement.
To date nobody has ever been charged with a criminal offence .
And you may wonder why I am a cynic .
I wish I had known of that law to report.
But I do know that 'ignorance of the law' real or claimed is no absolution of it. Perhaps no action was taken against those yet as the ARC was under way, who knows.
DY. Perhaps send the results to your representative in govt.?
Hi,
And so the persecution begins...the WT has been predicting the end since forever....but they claim that Jesus gave us the signs what to look for...in Luke ( I forget the chapter and verse) but it gave the signs of what to look for but it then says, these will not happen until they are persecuted...so I think that's why the ARC hasn't leaked fully to the WT world. They are saving this incident to prove the end is coming....(again)...it's like an ace in their pockets, and they aren't ready to play this card just yet...waiting for the proper time...
It does seem to take a while to expose the org. but it took a long time for the Catholics to comply...they too had concerned for their image instead of children. What the WT don't get is that if they do tell the truth, many of the friends will stay, they have no where else to go, but the difference, it will take away their arrogance...and humble them...even after the Catholics where exposed...they lost some of their congregation, but their numbers are still strong...when Russell died, didn't many leave the WT...now look...now they have approx. 8 million...don't think that number is correct, but let them have it...it makes them feel good.
Imagine, if this is exposed....there are approx. 8 million folks with egg on their faces....
If there is a God, (I believe there is) maybe he's exposing the org. little by little....one would think God would use the USA for child abuse...but he chose a place down under....a tiny ripple in the water...
If the org. wasn't so interested in their reputation they might not be half bad..... Religion....it's a business.
Tor
From the ARC site.
Case Study 54, March 2017, Sydney
The Royal Commission will hold a public hearing to inquire into the current policies and procedures of Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd in relation to child-protection and child-safety standards, including responding to allegations of child sexual abuse.
The public hearing will commence in the week beginning 6 March 2017 at the Royal Commission’s hearing rooms in Sydney.
The hearing will be held at Level 17, Governor Macquarie Tower, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney.
The purpose of this public hearing is not to inquire into individual sets of facts or particular events as has occurred in previous Royal Commission case studies.
This is a new and further inquiry.
Zeb,
Do we have a list of performers? Well I guess I should say WT people who will be testifying but as we all know it will turn into a theoretical performance of lies upon lies. They will use all forms of verbal gymnastics to avoid answering any question directly.
