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Chris Stevenson Today is February 8th, 2012|Hudson Valley Press - More Than News |Bookmark HVPress!
January 20th, 2010 Protecting our kids from religious predators: Part II
 Chris Stevenson |
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Part II of II
Of course this is nothing new with the Catholic Church, the US Catholic Churches (since 1/02) have their own cases of abuse and cover-up. The Jehovah’s Witnesses seem to be the 2nd leading child sexual abuse friendly religion though smaller and more skilled at cover-up and more visible due to door-to-door evangelizing. This would probably still be a well-kept secret were it not for the revelations of an actual member of their writing staff in New York, Barbara Anderson. During an interview she once gave two reasons why the Watchtower Society covers up these cases 1-Their distrust for the outside world. 2-Elders follow instructions that are conveniently dated; "They basically use a scripture-1st Timothy 5:19 that states you’re not to make an accusation against an older man unless there are 2 or 3 witnesses. What are the odds there are going to be 2 or 3 witnesses to an older man molesting an 8-year-old girl?" Anderson, who wrote many articles and was a top researcher for the JW organization stumbled upon the discovery of thousands of unreported cases of molestation throughout many of their 11,000 American congregations. She then took it upon herself to seek out and aid some of these victims and was excommunicated from that organization. Her findings are online an easily accessible.
Personally if proof of such unspeakable behavior within a church comes from one of the writers of probably the world’s most famous religious literature and it’s members still refuse to speak out, then it’s a foregone conclusion they are attending worships every week to follow their faith, not their God. The same holds true regarding the Irish Archbishop disclosure. A lot of you are afraid I’m calling for a mass exodus, my point is, think about your power; your financial investment to your church and have the stones to unite and demand accountability and changes. Reform Your Faith! Don’t worry about being labeled an "Apostate" or "Heretic," the real apostasy was already committed by the Clergy or Elders who failed to protect the children.
The plain truth is, neither secular nor theological education should prevent you from picking up your cell phone or home phone and calling the authorities when you have a strong suspicion this is occurring with members of your place of worship. Yes praying to God is important, but don’t you dare allow yourself to think it’s the only solution. God’s answer is to call your local Police or Sheriff’s Department and child protection agency. |
Copyright 2006-2012 The Hudson Valley Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Reader Response
James
October 22nd, 2011
I have witlesses in my family and some I consider very intelligent which is why I cant understand how they fall for this crap it just goes to show how if you have something crammed in your brain from the day you were born how dangerous this cult can be PS my nephew was molested by his jw dad He blew his brains out in 2003
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Reader Response
Juliann
January 24th, 2010
I know Barbara Anderson quite well. My husband has known her since he was a child in the 1950s. His parents (who are still active Jehovah's Witnesses) were very close friends of hers from the 1950s through the 1990s. Barbara very definitely DID do research for the Society. In fact, my husband and his parents visited her once at Bethel, when she gave them a tour of writing department, where she was working at the time. It's true that it's very uncommon for women to have any sort of role like that in the organization (one of the many reasons I left the religion nearly 30 years ago), but she is a very bright woman. When you know her, it's easy to see why they made an exception in her case.
During her research, Barbara learned a great deal about how the Society deals with child predators. She has documentation for every single one of her claims. Those who defend the religion so ardently do NOT have documentation for THEIR claims, just the brainwashed delusion that the governing body can do no wrong.
During my 30 years as a Witness, I personally saw multiple cases of child abuse covered up in my own congregations. Anyone who's been around the religion for a long time or who has an elder in the family is probably familiar with at least one case in which a child molester was not reported to authorities and was never disciplined by the congregation. The congregations are certainly NEVER warned that a pedophile is in good standing in the congregation, with access to children. It's a disgusting situation, no different than what exists in the Catholic Church. All the Society cares about is maintaining its so-called reputation--bringing reproach on the organization, not about the victims.
Anyone who denies this situation exists has his/her head buried in the sand. And they haven't read the many letters to the body of elders the Society sent on this matter. I have, and I can tell you, it's not pretty. IMHO, anyone who goes along with the Society's rules in this matter is complicit in the abuse of innocent children. Two witnesses? Give me a break. I know of cases where multiple children accused the same elder of sexual abuse, yet because each of them didn't have a witness to the abuse, nothing was done. This is a very typical situation.
Thank you for this article. People need to know who these people are who coming knocking at their doors.
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Reader Response
enlightened
January 22nd, 2010
I was a Jehovah's Witness for 30 years.
I was associated with 3 different congregations, and each of them had a pedophile in it, as well as other sex abusers. They went door to door, and gave talks on the platform. They were never expelled, nor was the congregation told about them publicly.
Very sad.
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Reader Response
John Scott
January 21st, 2010
PS - Women do not research or write articles at the Jehovah's Witnesses headquarters. Your story about Barbara Anderson is not correct. Also, she was not excommunicated for trying to deal with issues of child abuse. There is much more to the story than that.
Jehovah's Witnesses, have a list of abusers who might in some way be connected with child abuse to protect the congregation when no legal action can be taken.
Your story shows one side of a difficult issue, and quite honestly, in the school system where I work, you could concoct the same accusations, that the teachers and principals cover up child abuse, and I could give you many examples.
The reason is, and this has happened in our experience, a child acuses a teacher of some type of child abuse, and this is an actual experience. That teacher's name is put out there suspiciously. He is investigated by the authorities. Later it is discovered that the story was not true, that the child confesses later, after investigation, that she made it up, for this or that reason.
Should that teacher then lose his job? Should he have been fired on the spot?
Because there are thousands of cases of teachers who have sexually assaulted in some way or another, children, is the public school system #1 perpetrator of child abuse in the country? Should we not send children to school then? Is the public school system in the US corrupt?
So, the accusations you make against JW are not well founded, the issue of child abuse has been addressed by JW and by the Governing Body of JW, and elders are given guidelines. JW don't have the authority to throw someone into jail, if they are accussed of child abuse, any more than the police can or will, unless there is enough evidence. But, if a person has been abused, they should report it to the authorities. There is no question, and be encouraged to do so, if it is warrented.
In many states, reporting is mandatory, and elders are required to report it and do. We have reported it and been directed by Brooklyn Bethel to do so, with support from the legal department on specifics involved. So, we have to follow the law of each state on these matters.
When it is talking about 2 or 3 witnesses, it is talking about judicial action, such as in the case of disfellowshipping, within the congregation, not about the legal matters of the law of the state in which we live.
So your article gives the wrong idea of the way Jehovah's Witnesses handle things.
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Reader Response
John Scott
January 21st, 2010
I feel that your accusation against Jehovah's Witnesses is in error and also unfair. I'm a Jehovah's Witness, I also work in the public school system of a large NJ city. I have dealt with child abuse in the congregation, and also in the schools. Brooklyn Bethel and their legal department supported us in one instance of child abuse here. The abuser was not a witness, nor was the mother of the child. In one case, the police brought in an accussed abuser and let him go the same day, because the testimony of the one girl, then 11, was not enough to keep him.
The position of Jehovah's Witnesses on this matter is misrepresented in this editorial/criticism. What basis do you have plesae, for stating that JW are the #2 religion for child abuse. JW are the #2 religion for people scrutinizing and criticizing, this is true. If you make such a claim, please, what evidence do you have?
Jehovah's Witnesses fight against child abuse in their ministry, in the congregation, and for those of us who are teachers, in the community.
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Reader Response
John Franklin
January 21st, 2010
Google Jehovah's Witnesses pedophile cover up
For facts not Watchtower JW propaganda, they have only recently come to grips with the awful abuse problem and made some improvements in protection of children that plaques them this does not undo years and thousands of cases that have existed.
The Watchtower needs to stop harassing whistle-blowers and denying it all like the Catholic church did at first.
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Reader Response
Pauline
January 21st, 2010
If Barbara Anderson's claims are true we will soon see the Jehovah's Witness organisation paying out millions upon millions of dollars to the so called thousands of hidden victims of child abuse in the organisation. The mighty Catholic church has bowed under the indisputable weight of evidence and one would expect a similar trend in the courts on the same issues with Jehovah's Witnesses.
The facts however show that the Watchtower Society has not been found guilty of negligence in its policies or execution of reasonable protection of its members in a single case in the United States to date. Until the facts back up the rhetoric one must only assume they are false.
While it must be stated that no organisation can ensure they are 100% free of sexual preditors and a few cases have come to light of such individuals in the Jehovah's Witness religion (as is sadly the case with educational authorities, social healthcare institutions, etc), contrary to popular belief, no cases have actually been won by the plaintiff forcing the Watchtower Society to pay for any perceived negligence on their part.
In the United States, over 80,000 elders currently serve in over 12,300 congregations. (Acts 20:28. ) During the last 100 years, only eleven elders have been sued for child abuse in thirteen lawsuits filed in the United States. In seven of these lawsuits against the elders, accusations against the Watchtower Society itself were dismissed by the courts.
Regardless of any alleged conspiracy of silence theories, those dear sir, are the facts.
Source: http://www.jw-media.org/gbl/20071121.htm
No religion has a better child abuse policy than Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's witnesses do not have sunday schools, confessionals, choir practise , Witness kids camps or any other structure where parents send their child away to be supervised by a 'church official'. We take our parental responsibilities very seriously.
Child abuse: Jehovah's Witness Policy
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/TVNews/Nightly News/2007/11-Nov/statement.pdf
http://thirdwitness.com/childabuse/default.html
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Reader Response
Mark Daniel
January 21st, 2010
Regarding-clergy sexual abuse in other religions.
Pedophilia is covered up in the Jehovah's Witnesses on a scale worst than the Catholic priest scandal.Not only do they deny it but the Watchtower has instructed the Kingdom Hall elders to go after all whistle-blowers.
The JW's exploit an obscure 2,000 year old bible passage and demand that there be TWO witnesses to every act of child abuse committed by a Jehovah's Witness.This fosters a code of silence and a pedophile's paradise in the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jehovah Witness pedophiles go door to door as part of their faith to recruit converts!
The 'Two Witness' Take-Down is a subterfuge exploited by Jehovah's Witnesses that is selectively enforced by elders who play favorites and fast & loose with the truth,an excuse to ignore and suppress evidence at whim.
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Reader Response
Dana
January 20th, 2010
What a bogus Article! Pure hyperbole. I have been a Jehovah's Witness for over 40 years. I know of NO abuse by any elder or servant that has gone un-reported....including within my own congregation and family. Evil is a foot, but its coming from a groups of perverts and wannabe's that don't have the stones to do what they know is right. JW's obey God as ruler rather than man. Mr. Stevenson you should be ashamed of your being used by the the apostates as a bull horn for their deceitful accusations and out and out lies!
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Reader Response
Janice
January 20th, 2010
Another near spurious article but you reeled it in with that last sentence.
Complainants NEED to make their accusations to the Police.
Such charges are always hard to deal with whether in religion or not so the Police are the ones to take it to the courts for public prosecution. Until that time, people run the risk of slandering innocent people. Put up or shut up.
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Reader Response
Ryan
January 20th, 2010
Jehovah's witnesses believe in protecting their children from molestation.
We do not harbor child molesters.
Here is info direct from their website on how to protect your children: http://www.watchtower.org/e/19931008a/article_01.htm
Regarding 1st Timothy 5:19. We are told that if there is someone molesting our children we should contact the authorities. If that person is convicted by a court of law they are never allowed to serve in a position of authority in the congregation. If that person is not convicted by the courts we can still convict them internally, however we need 2 witnesses to do so. 1st Timothy 5:19 is an extra protection should the justice system fail us. Does your religion provide you extra protection the way ours does?
Chris, you really need to do your research before you post articles. Call the watchtower society and ask them how they handle the issue of child molestation, then you could at least write an objective article.
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Reader Response
Chuck Walker
January 20th, 2010
Mr. Stevenson
You should get both sides of the story before you write your news story. Calling Jehovah’s Witnesses the 2nd leading child sexual abuse friendly religion is very misleading. Read Jehovah’s Witnesses and Child Protection from their web site.
http://www.jw-media.org/aboutjw/article23.htm
Our Families
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Child Protection
Child abuse is abhorrent to us. This is in harmony with the Bible principle recorded at Romans 12:9. Even one abused child is one too many. For decades The Watchtower and Awake! have featured articles to educate both Witnesses and the public regarding the importance and the need to protect children from child abuse. Among others, there were the articles “Let Us Abhor What Is Wicked!” published in the January 1, 1997, issue of The Watchtower; “Help for the Victims of Incest,” in the October 1, 1983, Watchtower; “Your Child Is in Danger!” “How Can We Protect Our Children?” and “Prevention in the Home”, all in the October 8, 1993, Awake!, as well as “Child Molesting—Every Mother’s Nightmare,” in the January 22, 1985, Awake!
When any one of Jehovah’s Witnesses is accused of an act of child abuse, the local congregation elders are expected to investigate. Two elders meet separately with the accused and the accuser to see what each says on the matter. If the accused denies the charge, the two elders may arrange for him and the victim to restate their position in each other’s presence, with elders also there. If during that meeting the accused still denies the charges and there are no others who can substantiate them, the elders cannot take action within the congregation at that time. Why not? As a Bible-based organization, we must adhere to what the Scriptures say, namely, “No single witness should rise up against a man respecting any error or any sin . . . At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses the matter should stand good.” (Deuteronomy 19:15) Jesus reaffirmed this principle as recorded at Matthew 18:15-17. However, if two persons are witnesses to separate incidents of the same kind of wrongdoing, their testimony may be deemed sufficient to take action.
However, even if the elders cannot take congregational action, they are expected to report the allegation to the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses in their country, if local privacy laws permit. In addition to making a report to the branch office, the elders may be required by law to report even uncorroborated
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Reader Response
Brian
January 20th, 2010
I must say the information that Mr. Stevenson has regarding Jehovah's Witnesses is quite dated, her time in active work in Bethel was near 20 years ago.
Many articles have come out in the 90's and 2000's stating very clearly that the the Watchtower Society would not protect pedophiles, they cannot serve as elder (or any special position including ministerial servants and pioneers), and that anyone who is abused has the full right to contact the police. Elders who are accused are removed as elders.
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Reader Response
Danny Haszard
January 20th, 2010
Jehovah's Witness religion is known as the pedophiles paradise FOR A REASON.
The Jehovah's Witnesses religion requires TWO WITNESSES to a crime before they will consider it to have happened. How often are there two witnesses of an act of pedophilia?
Settlement with victims of child abuse have required the victim to sign a gag order as documented by NBC.
Please protect your children.
Sexual Abuse/Child abuse issues among Jehovah's Witnesses
http://www.exjws.net/sexabuse/
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Reader Response
Randall Watters
January 20th, 2010
I worked at Watchtower headquarters in Brooklyn for six years, was an elder and a factory overseer in charge of printing millions of their books. I left on my own in 1980 after realizing this was a very destructive religion, and you can read about how 50-100 people left the headquarters at that time for the same reason I did; they are very destructive to society as a whole, and tolerate no other religious opinions even in personal conversations with one another. [http://www.freeminds.org/organization/brooklyn-bethel/what-happened-at-the-world-headquarters-of-jehovah-s-witnesses-in-the-spring-of-1980.html]
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Reader Response
Gary Curr
January 20th, 2010
The following website summarizes 900 court cases and lawsuits affecting children of Jehovah's Witness Parents, including 400 cases where the JW Parents refused to consent to life-saving blood transfusions for their dying children, as well as nearly 400 CRIMINAL cases -- most involving MURDERS:
DIVORCE, BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS, AND OTHER LEGAL ISSUES AFFECTING CHILDREN OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
jwdivorces.bravehost.com
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