J.W. Congregation Cleared of Abuse Charges (page 2)

cruzanheart

And how can anyone trust the words of a judge whose name is BRUCE WILLIS???

Nina

Mulan

This just makes me realize more and more that this situation (the JW child abuse lawsuits) is hopeless with the courts and judicial system in this country...............and maybe in the whole world.

No one seems to be winning them, so maybe they should stop spending their money, and get on with their lives. The WTS keeps winning. Who knows why, but they are.

cruzanheart

Change doesn't come easily, but we must be true to ourselves and fight for what we believe in, and fight for those who are unable to fight for themselves.

Nina

RunningMan

A victory in this case would have been encouraging. However, legal reparations are not the only battlefield on which this war is being fought. Let's not overlook public opinion.

This issue has generated literally hundreds of newspaper headlines and been featured on newscasts all over the world. Millions of persons have read or viewed these reports. The image of the Society has been tarnished. Their name has been dragged through the mud right along side Catholics and other members of "Babylon the Great". It is one step in changing the public perception of JWs into just one of many corrupt, false, religions.

Even more importantly, it has shaken the faith of some inside the organization. A small number of persons will outright leave over it. A large number will file this information away to be remembered when they hear about other scandals, errors, or mistreatments.

The war hasn't been won. It never will be, even if the Society wins or loses all of their cases. But, it certainly has not been lost, either.

blondie

Remember this is just not a JW abuse situation. The Roman Catholics have not been very successful so far prying money out of the Catholic church. It takes time folks. The reporting of child abuse is already something people are reluctant to do, let alone throwing the protection of clergy confidentiality into the mix.

You might find these particles interesting.

http://www.poynter.org/search/results_article.asp?txt_searchText=abuse&txt_searchScope=all

It helps me to remember that I am interested in protecting all children from abuse, not just JW children.

Blondie

Gopher

This is a sad and only slightly surprising outcome from the appeals court here in Minnesota. I've met the two women who brought the case, and think they'll press on -- if they have the energy. This has been a lengthy process, getting justice.

So if the congregation is not to blame, then it seems that the policy of the WT Society is the culprit. These two did exactly as the organization told them to do -- report a serious sin to the elder body of the Annandale congregation. And then when they did, absolutely no help was forthcoming.

From the following, it is very apparent that the three-member panel doesn't really understand the culture of Jehovah's Witnesses.

the court ruled that the organization didn't have control or custody of the girls when the alleged abuse happened. Incidents were alleged to have taken place on a snowmobile, in an automobile and at the alleged perpetrator's house, not at a Jehovah's Witnesses function or on the organization's property, the panel reasoned.

What the panel doesn't understand is that according to the teaching of JW's, you're not just a "member" of the congregation who happens to attend functions and services. When you're a JW, you're supposed to be a Witness 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You're always "on display" to the world outside. You're always supposed to be aware of opportunities to "spread the good news" that this organization preaches to mankind.

So when the perpetrator had his victim in the snowmobile, in his car or in his house, he was still a JW and supposed to behave like one OR FACE CONSEQUENCES, according to organization teaching.

Even things you do alone in secret are matters that JW elders commonly investigate. Your actions as a JW 24 hours a day, 7 days a week are under their scrutiny. I was questioned by the elders about something that happened away from the congregation, and not as part of an official JW social function.

It's a double standard. If they want to manage their members' lives to make sure they're "clean in the eyes of Jehovah" at all times -- then why is there no responsibility assumed for what this JW pedophile did 15 years ago with these girls?

Gopher

Oh yeah -- I remember why the congregation fails to assume responsibility for what this molestor did.

The oh-so-wise "two eyewitness" rule. This molestor did it all alone, so there weren't two eyewitnesses. So if he doesn't confess, no action is taken by the congregation.

Because of the two-eyewitness rule, the molestor goes free.

As Farkel says, it's all "bible-based" (TM).

avishai

This is bullshit.

willyloman

This is the same system of justice that acquitted OJ Simpson and may have just found Martha Stewart worthy of a 20-year jail sentence.

The publicity's good, though.

No Apologies

But in an opinion written by Judge Robert Schumacher and decided with judges Bruce Willis and Wilhelmina Wright, the court ruled that the organization didn't have control or custody of the girls when the alleged abuse happened. Incidents were alleged to have taken place on a snowmobile, in an automobile and at the alleged perpetrator's house, not at a Jehovah's Witnesses function or on the organization's property, the panel reasoned.

Can somebody throw our judges a freaking CLUE?????? Nobody said the cong had custody of the victims! The problem is when they were informed of the abuse, they failed to report it to the proper authorities!!! They pressured the victims to remain silent!!!

No Apologies (of the ashamed to be a Minnesotan today class)

J.W. Congregation Cleared of Abuse Charges

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