Minor Accused of Wrongdoing who doesn't have JW Parents

by NotFormer 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  NotFormer

  From the update*: "8. When a baptised minor becomes involved in serious wrongdoing, two elders (not a committee) will meet with him along with his Christian parent(s) or legal guardian(s)".

  "Christian" is WT code for JW, I'm guessing, and it's worded this way to sound more ambiguous for the sake of the Norwegian and other governments. So what happens to a minor who doesn't have JW parents? A young convert (not likely in this day and age, but not impossible) or a born in who was orphaned and adopted by non-JW relatives? Who is supposed to have his back when he's hauled before the elders?

  *Source: https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5202711310499840/395-adjustments-handling-serious-wrongdoing-congregation
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  slimboyfat

  Isn’t it a legal requirement for a minor to have a legal guardian? In the case you mentioned of the orphan the relatives who took him in would be legal guardians, no?
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  NotFormer

  The key word is "Christian". I read it to mean that only JWs can accompany the minor. In my example, the guardians are not JWs.

  The wording clearly says that "Christian parent(s) or legal guardian(s)" can accompany the minor. I can't see any non-JW parent or guardian getting anywhere near that meeting.

  That was only a couple of suggested scenarios. There must be more examples of JWs who are minors who don't have JW parents or guardians.
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  joey jojo

  NotFormer
  The wording clearly says that "Christian parent(s) or legal guardian(s)" can accompany the minor. I can't see any non-JW parent or guardian getting anywhere near that meeting.

  There's no way they are opening up the commitee/ wrongdoing meetings to wordly people. Imagine that P.R. disaster. :)
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  Mikejw

  How would you ever get a minor become a JW if he/she had no relatives in the faith? It just would not happen. It could have been some others in the faith who brought them in? Then these would be the spiritual guardians

  Unless they all left and the minor didn’t.
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  joey jojo

  I remember a few teens, back in the 80's who came into the Borg through bible studies with work colleagues, without their parents.

  They were about 15 or 16. Its not common but it's definitely happened.
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  NotFormer

  Mikejw, you just gave two examples of ways it could happen. And in the case of the kid who has "spiritual guardians" , they are not his "legal guardian(s)", so that kid is on his own!

  In a population of 8 million, there are likely to be a few of these rare exceptions, I'm guessing.

  joey jojo: "There's no way they are opening up the commitee/ wrongdoing meetings to wordly people. Imagine that P.R. disaster. :smile:"

  The world would see how things really are behind the wizard's curtain! 😱

  joey jojo: "I remember a few teens, back in the 80's who came into the Borg through bible studies with work colleagues, without their parents.

  "They were about 15 or 16. Its not common but it's definitely happened."

  It's not impossible, so there is the possibility that there will be kids hauled before the elders like they were in the old days, without adult advocacy.