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← The Unexpected Kindness of the World
Elders shamed under questioning by the Royal Commission →
Australian Royal Commission hears that 1,006 alleged child sex abusers were covered up by Watchtower
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Posted on July 27, 2015
Angus Stewart, Senior Council, at the public hearing into allegations of child sexual abuse by Jehovah’s Witnesses
Angus Stewart, Senior Council, at the public hearing into allegations of child sexual abuse by Jehovah’s Witnesses
Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard shocking evidence that 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sex abuse were identified by the organization in Australia going back to 1950, but none were reported to the authorities.
The Commission was launched in 2013 with a broad remit to investigate serial child abuse in institutions, including religious organizations such as the Witnesses and the Catholic Church.
At the opening hearing held today, Angus Stewart, the senior council assisting the commission, described the church as an “insular sect with rules designed to stem the reporting of sexual abuse.”
According to Stewart’s written opening submission, the figure of 1,006 perpetrators was derived directly from Watchtower documents summoned (subpoened) by the Commission…
During the investigation of this case study, Watchtower Australia produced some 5,000 documents pursuant to summonses issued by the Royal Commission on 4 and 28 February 2015. Those documents include 1,006 case files relating to allegations of child sexual abuse made against members of the Jehovah’s Witness Church in Australia since 1950 – each file for a different alleged perpetrator of child sexual abuse.
Stewart’s submission goes on to explain the astonishing findings from analyzing these case files…
Evidence will be put before the Royal Commission that of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse identified by the Jehovah’s Witness Church since 1950, not one was reported by the Church to secular authorities. This suggests that it is the practice of the Jehovah’s Witness Church to retain information regarding child sexual abuse offences but not to report allegations of child sexual abuse to the police or other relevant authorities.
As part of the hearing two Witnesses, identified as BCB and BCG, are expected to give testimony that elders discouraged them from reporting their abuse. One of these victims is apparently “riddled with guilt for betraying the Jehovah’s Witness Church.”
The hearings are being streamed live to Australians, and doubtless will cause further humiliation for an organization already under siege for negligence regarding child molestation.
Governing Body member Stephen Lett recently insisted that claims of child abuse mishandling are nothing more than “apostate-driven lies and dishonesties,” but added to courtroom defeats in the United States and Britain, this latest news coming out of Australia suggests otherwise.
1,006 unreported alleged perpetrators since 1950 is an appalling statistic, and if used to extrapolate historic figures around the world, the number of concealed pedophiles could easily number into the tens of thousands.
It will be interesting to see what conclusions are drawn by the Commission, and how this will impact the fate of the organization, not just in Australia, but further afield. Certainly Tony Morris’ recent claim that the Governing Body are “proud” of their reputation concerning child abuse is becoming increasingly preposterous.
One child who suffers unnecessarily due to Watchtower’s negligence on the issue would be a child too many, and yet according to this public hearing, in just one country of many, the pain and trauma of sex abuse has been ignored and covered-up on an unimaginable scale.
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Further reading…
◾ABC news report
◾New York Post report
◾Guardian report
◾Daily Telegraph report
◾BBC report
◾MSN report
◾Friendly Atheist article
◾Freethinker article
◾For an updated list of media reports, click here
◾Royal Commission website
◾Is Watchtower imploding? 10 reasons why the end could be nigh
◾JWsurvey articles on child abuse
Related videos…
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← The Unexpected Kindness of the World
Elders shamed under questioning by the Royal Commission →
100 Responses to Australian Royal Commission hears that 1,006 alleged child sex abusers were covered up by Watchtower
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Kat says:
July 27, 2015 at 9:03 am
Another newspaper report.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/paedophiles-repeatedly-promoted-to-positions-of-authority-in-jehovahs-witness-church-royal-commission-told/story-fni0cx12-1227458483269
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Mama Joy says:
July 27, 2015 at 10:34 am
Exactly! They are promoted because they are encouraged to do it behind the scenes. People don’t want to believe it, but they are a huge sex trafficker of children.
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WTS Archive says:
July 28, 2015 at 3:47 am
These reports are all over the world. In Poland every major news outlet reported on that, which is pretty big, because they didn’t report previously on Candace Conti’s case.
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David says:
July 27, 2015 at 9:13 am
I watched the video. So the elder abused many times a girl and he was just removed from his position. Nothing else. His reputation was intact and the congregation was not informed. I know people that have been disfellowshipped for far less for making a single mistake. These people have lived without association with loved ones and severely humiliated.
And this guys walks away with no discipline.
And also the watchtower knowing all these cases criticise the catholic church. There are no words to describe them.
I think this videos should be shared with the same zeal JWs share the catholic churchs child abuse videos and new reports.
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Mama Joy says:
July 27, 2015 at 10:36 am
They only made him step down his position of elder so the parents felt like something was done about it. If the parents were okay with it, nothing would have been done.
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Sarah says:
July 27, 2015 at 8:56 pm
My thought exactly. This guy associates freely and I get disfellowshipped, myself and children robbed of our families forever because I put up a Christmas tree. I can’t even handle the unfair, cruel way that they operate. And the way people just go right along with it. It makes me physically sick.
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Rowland Nelken says:
July 27, 2015 at 9:54 am
The Charity Commissioners in the UK have yet to deliver their report on the Watchtower’s continuing status as a charity. There are several legal cases pending in the US and UK against the Watchtower for protecting paedophiles.
Will the JWs ever come up with any other script than lies and denial? This, surely, will become increasingly untenable. Even the dutiful JWs who obey the edicts not to visit apostate websites cannot avoid hearing the news on national media.
Christendom’s sects have come and gone over the centuries. Of the many 19th century Methodist breakaways, for example, only the Salvation Army remains. JWdom, that little Adventist spinoff from the 1870s may soon become but a grubby little footnote in the 2000 year history of Christendom.
That day cannot come too soon.
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rob says:
July 27, 2015 at 10:24 am
From all that I see that is happening with this religion, it appears that its expiry date is very close or has already passed. Just need someone to pull it out of the back of the refrigerator and throw it away. It will not be missed by me.
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Miguel says:
July 29, 2015 at 6:18 am
I like your analogy. This religion needs to be discarded for good.
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Meredith J says:
July 29, 2015 at 2:11 pm
That’s right. Rotten to the core. Dissolved as it has just been based on lies.
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coverspiff says:
July 27, 2015 at 10:28 am
I’ve watched all three videos so far, and the sheer incompetence of the elders giving testimony is astonishing, especially the ex CO/DO who clearly has no idea what his own religions policy is and is corrected multiple times by the Judge as to what the elders handbook actually says.
This is astonishing watching, especially in the moments where the two elders are confronted by the flaws in the way the W/T handles these cases. You can see it dawn in their faces as that practices such as making an victim confront their abuser is a terrible thing to do, but also that they simply cannot say so out-loud for fear of criticising the Organisation. That first elder almost comes very close to admitting it in video 2 after the council skilfully uses questions to illuminate this point to him, but you can see him frantically and shamefacedly back out at the last moment from agreeing that the policy is terribly flawed.
Gifts in men.
Yeah.
Right.
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Mama Joy says:
July 27, 2015 at 10:31 am
It’s not that they cover up sex abusers, it’s that they have sex rings with children.
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Average Joe says:
July 27, 2015 at 12:58 pm
@Mama Joy
Your inflammatory comments are ridiculous and put a dirty mark on an otherwise sensible website discussion about this horrendous situation.
To insinuate that there are parents who WANT their children to be abused by others within the JWs begs belief as to the type of individual you are.
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Emma says:
July 27, 2015 at 10:35 am
I’m in Australia, I was sitting infront of my computer waiting for the live stream yesterday morning. It was a completely damning expose during this first day of hearings. Mr Jackson was one cool, cold and unfeeling pig.
He suffered degrees of amnesia at times as he tried to slither out of answering questions.
However, the questioners used the Shepherding book and quoted the societies procedures straight from it.
At one point the questioners asked him why it was said that….”It was/is important to make the accused feel as comfortable and at ease possible..” (paraphrased)
The questioner then asked Jackson why there was not one word about making the accuser/victim feel comfortable. He tried to skirt around the answer, but backed into a corner by his own religions “how to” book.
He was forced to concede that there was no mention of making the accuser feel uncomfortable…..and that it must have made the victim/accuser feel uncomfortable.
He was massively arrogant. His voice was (to me) sneering. I expected some good old fashioned Theocratic Warfare, but Jackson had no choice but to respond to the queries raised directly from their own book. Either way he was f&(#ed
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Average Joe says:
July 27, 2015 at 1:01 pm
@Emma
Could you provide the links to the video(s) of the court case please?
It would be good to have them as a reference and see these shady individuals for myself.
Thanks.
AJ
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Cedars says:
July 27, 2015 at 1:11 pm
Hi Average Joe – I’ve put a playlist of the video footage at the bottom of the article. :)
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Average Joe says:
July 27, 2015 at 2:02 pm
@Cedars
Doh! And here’s me like a twit scouring t’Internet for the video.
Thanks and duly seen.
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Jerry O Connor says:
July 27, 2015 at 11:04 am
Hello to all.
Lloyd, thank you for this article. Watchtower`s continuing refusal to protect children is a crime against humanity. Now is the time to do what must done to protect children in this heinous cult. It has to be a concentrated external campaign. Surely this latest horror story will reverberate around the world. This will cause a chasm of huge proportions in watchtower`s all ready crumbling edifice. This is the endgame long hoped for. Let us hope for the children`s sake that it is indeed the end of this abominable cult.
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Itfeelsgoodtobefree says:
July 27, 2015 at 12:16 pm
I really really hope this starts an inquiry into the entire JW cult and their harmful practices (worldwide). There is no way they are going to spin this one off as ‘yet another apostate-driven lie’ in the UK, the US, Australia etc. etc. , there is just no way! 1006 is a scary number, but what’s even scarier is how long the potential global list is, as someone else said in the comments, probably 10,000+ . Ugh… sickening!
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Conan71 says:
July 27, 2015 at 12:25 pm
This to me also illustrates the danger this organization poses to the public in general. Do you think these abusers just abused children within the organization ? No way! Neighbors kids were victims you can be sure . Love thy neighbor as yourself? Hardly …
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anonymousish1987 says:
July 27, 2015 at 5:25 pm
And they were basically protected. You don’t think habitual sexual abusers didn’t share this information with other sexual predators. I’m sure these pedophiles flock to Watchtower knowing they could abuse children and get away with it. Think of all the victims who’s statute of limitations has already passed. Think of all the potential suicides. There is blood dripping from the hands of Watchtower on every level. I’m disgusted.
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silentlamb1980 says:
July 27, 2015 at 3:08 pm
Hi “Itfeelsgoodtobefree”
1006 is a scary number for sure. I see you mentioned the global list possibly being 10,000+ Could I direct you for a moment to an older film from BBC which I was a part of. You can find it on JWStruggle’s channel called Suffer the Little Children. In 2002, the BBC did an expose on the JW’s cover ups of child abuse, the protection policy and even tried to interview Ted Jaracz former governing body member, whom by allegation by a very brave lady, was a sex offender also. Read more at silentlambs.org It is literally shocking how many, but worryingly more so, that a governing body member was a part of this, again allegedly. Both alleged perp and victim have passed on. The number of self confessed pedophiles within the JW ranks 15 years ago, was 23,720. That is self confessed ones, not ones that have been found out. So could you actually imagine the scale of the problem ? How many children have not been believed by their local elders and the appropriate action being taken ? Yep it’s sickening.
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Meredith J says:
July 27, 2015 at 3:49 pm
Yes, I remember that. That poor lady who was then about in her 40’s, passed away not long after that of cancer. She claimed Jaractz, who at the time was a governing body member, abused her and a boy. Unfortunately, she never got to see him prosecuted. She had suffered badly from being disfellowshipped and claimed that she had been homeless as a teenager for sometime. The story would break your heart. Jaractz was allegedly in charge of the list of pedophiles held by the Society. Very sad story.
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coverspiff says:
July 27, 2015 at 12:30 pm
Also, it was VERY interesting to note how both Elders reacted when it was put to them how inappropriate it was to have a vulnerable woman’s allegations of abuse investigated entirely by men. That’s a whole other can of worms just waiting to explode!
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Grace says:
July 27, 2015 at 3:10 pm
Watching yesterdays enquiry was absolutely riveting, I couldn’t take my eyes of it. I was amazed at how the Council for the Commission had done his homework. I missed the co’s questioning as I had to go to work & am looking forward to watching the recording.
The elder that was being questioned was so obviously out of his depth. He looked agitated at times like he wanted to just get up & leave. Witnesses don’t like being challenged & certainly not elders.
Now they have no one else to blame but themselves. Not apostates, not gays, not even the “evil satanic world”. This was priceless!!!
At the end of it, the “world” finds this shocking. Witnesses will make excuses. Who has the real empathy?
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1914 ha ha ha says:
July 27, 2015 at 3:51 pm
I cant wait to see what happens if they lose there chairty status here in the uk
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Al says:
July 27, 2015 at 5:09 pm
They will just say that it’s proof that the governments are turning on them and that the end is closer then ever.
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Ariel says:
July 27, 2015 at 5:11 pm
It’s hard to say. Perhaps they would change a few surface policies in order to meet any required stipulations; or, they could claim that,”TGT” has arrived and all members should immediately forfeit all of their belongings and wealth to the organization as they will no longer need it.
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disillusioned says:
July 29, 2015 at 7:11 pm
That would make me ask them why the GB needs it then if no one else does.
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Ted says:
July 27, 2015 at 5:03 pm
Abuse heaped upon abuse. First at the hands of the perpetrator,
then interrogated by elders in a secret court without anyone to
represent you, and made to confront your attacker.
It’s four against one ( 3 elders and the perp,) The primary purpose
is not justice, but to hush things up, damage limitation, to protect
the image of the venerated org.
To this end you’ll be guilted by statements about taking Christian
brothers before worldly courts, and bringing reproach on Jehovah.
The attacker will have the opportunity to brand you as a liar, or if
they admit their guilt will imply ( as has happened ) that you are
culpable also.
So either way, whether you keep quiet, or go to the police,
you’ll be made to feel like the sinner.
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Faithful Witness says:
July 27, 2015 at 6:12 pm
This is disgusting news, yet again!
Worldwide brotherhood, united against ”worldly” people, who would try to attack them with lies & false accusations… ??
JW’s appear to be more interested in vindicating Jehovah’s name, than they are in taking an honest look around them. This organization would never stand up to any examination of itself, its rules, or its doctrines.
Hoe many cases do we have to hear about, before someone actually cares enough to stop these men?
(I know, JW’s are not as interesting to pop culture, as a reality TV show about Katie Jenner… but these children are helpless victims! No one speaks up, but there are HOW MANY articles about the dress Jennifer Lopez wore for her birthday party??)
Why is news like this ignored by American media, in the very country that this organization continues to enjoy tax exempt status? It should be broadcast to the public, if only to warn them. Those soft-spoken, well-dressed people, who come knocking on your door on Saturday mornings, are actually representing an organization that lies to them about these crimes against children… the least among them.
I honestly can not understand why people are not reacting to these revelations about the organization they are serving. Wake up! Witness what is really happening around you!
(sorry, but i am furious & know that any mention of this to JW family, will only knock my relations with them right off the map again).
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Meredith J says:
July 27, 2015 at 9:08 pm
Me too.
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questionall451 says:
July 27, 2015 at 6:20 pm
They probably fight admitting it because it is so common among them that if they really did anything about it they would lose a huge number of their “spiritually qualified men”
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1914 ha ha ha says:
July 27, 2015 at 6:43 pm
How elders try to decieve, lie and make out there poxy scam of a so called relligion isnt falling to bits never fails to amaze me. I asked my father about low attendence at the dc , he said just under 10000 , the real# 9058. Elders will lie to there own kids!
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vivian says:
July 27, 2015 at 9:50 pm
Are they required by law to report alleged abuses in Australia?
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William Niles says:
July 27, 2015 at 10:10 pm
Hi Vivian–Yes, it is Australia Law for religious organizations to report Child Abuse to the Authorities. I really don’t know if there are any words that can even remotely describe just how bad the corruption as taken hold of within WT and the Men who represent them..it’s appalling and shocking beyond belief…it’s just unbelievable. They just don’t seem to have any common sense, at all. I feel so, so bad for these victims and what they’ve gone through…I just can’t come to grips with WT reasoning on concealing the identity of not only Child Molesters, but so many other policies that they currently have in place, like allowing appointed MS/Elders who confess to have committed a serious sin in the past and yet can keep serving in an appointed capacity without so much as lifting 1 single finger against him, or knowingly withholding vital information from a poor sister whose adulterous husband lies to her about the extent of his adultery….they won’t even allow her to sit in on his judicial committee and if they discover that he did lie about it, they’ll just say “we encourage you to talk with your husband”…but they will let the husband sit in on her judicial committee in the event that it’s the sister who commits the adultery. It’s shocking, appalling, disgusting, wicked, evil, we can go on and on. I’m so glad that this is all coming to light–the truth always eventually will come out and it’s obvious, like John Cedars said, that this is simply not Apostate lies. There are also more and more JWs who are seeing through it all too, whose really telling the truth v.s. whose really lying.
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Meredith J says:
July 28, 2015 at 6:23 pm
I just hope they open up their eyes. This may sound the beginning of the death knell for the Watchtower Corporation. I think that is what I will call it from now on. It’s not a society, a church or an organisation. It’s just a plain old corporation with all the hallmarks of one. The greedy and corrupt behavior and lies that are told and hiding the truth for their own benefit which must be to feather their own nest. I think it really shows whose side they are on.
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Colie Finn says:
July 27, 2015 at 11:11 pm
I think one of the worst parts of all of this was in The Guardian article, where it mentioned that the elders took into account how spiritual and how “seductive” the victim/accuser was, in evaluating the case. I think that has to be one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever read. We are talking about the sexual molestation of children. The insinuation is that if you didn’t keep up with your Bible reading, or your shorts were a little short, you played some role in being molested. I just did not believe it was possible even for this organization to hold a belief so horrible.
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SR says:
July 28, 2015 at 8:55 pm
I was watching one of the many Marilyn Monroe documentaries and it mentioned how she had been sexually abused. The comment was made back in those days (the 1930s) the victim was blamed for the abuse. My JW mom actually said that a 14 year old girl ‘seduced’ her uncle.
It seems that as society moves forward The Society stays stuck in time.
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Mc fan says:
July 27, 2015 at 11:31 pm
There has also been claims of an original governing body member named Leo Greenles who molested a 10 year old boy. Once the boy’s parents complained to the rest of the Governing Body, Greenles was asked to step down as a Governing body member and lived out the rest of his life as an elder at a congregation in New Orleans.
SICK! Isn’t it!
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coverspiff says:
July 28, 2015 at 12:38 am
This is one of the theories as to why the WT are fighting so hard not to release their list of files of reported offenders to the courts, even being prepared to pay millions in penalty judgements to avoid doing so as in the Gonzalo Campos case.
If the names of Leo Greenles and Theo Jaractz are in those files, and that becomes public knowledge, can you imagine what it would do to the rank and file? To find out that 2 of the GB were child abusers, and that the rest of the GB knowingly covered it up?
It would make the post 1975 membership slump look like a minor hiccup.
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William Niles says:
July 28, 2015 at 3:00 am
Hi Coverspiff–Theo Jaractz was accused of child molestation too?!? Now that is news to me…what’s the situation with that case? Who is he accused of abusing/molesting? Yes…it would send shockwaves throughout the JW community if that’s the reason why they don’t want to turn over the pedophile database…and you can bet your bottom dollar that probably has something to do with it.
I’m sitting here shaking my head in disbelief…there’s just seems to be no end to all of this…it’s just absolutely unbelievable.
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William Niles says:
July 28, 2015 at 2:54 am
Hey MC Fan–I had heard about that story, but I’m pretty vague on exact details, so I’m not one to comment on things when I don’t have all of the facts correct–that would be a bad way of spreading false information for sure, so I refuse to go there if you know what I mean. So, for the sake of myself, can anyone tell me exactly what happened with the Leo Greenles/child molestation case? To be completely honest with you, I had never even heard of a Governing Body member by that name until I heard of that report, and I was like “Leo who?”. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I heard that his victim later tried to apply for Bethel service and his application was rejected? Did he ever find out why exactly it was not accepted or did he just put “2 and 2″ together? What exactly happened in that whole situation? Again, I don’t like making comments on things when I don’t have all the facts straight–so what exactly happened in that case? Thanks for your help/insights.
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Meredith J says:
July 28, 2015 at 6:30 pm
I can’t tell you about him but I can tell you about Theodore Jaractz. He is dead now but he was a head honcho when I was in it. He was accused by a woman in 2002 who was probably in her forties, who claimed he sexually abused her and a boy, who she did not know as she was a child when all this happened. She was going to try and take him to court but she did not have enough evidence for the case. Unfortunately, the poor girl died of cancer in 2003 after revealing her story to Silentlambs which is a site set up in the early 2000’s for victims of child abuse in the JW’s. Anyway, that is that story.
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Kat says:
July 28, 2015 at 12:32 am
more headlines
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/jehovahs-witness-ministerial-servant-held-in-high-regard-by-congregation-while-assaulting-daughters/story-fni0cx12-1227460189924
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Mc fan says:
July 28, 2015 at 3:01 am
I wish all of these former JW members and current journalists would all come together and create a huge EXPOSE on JWs. Expose all of the lies, false prophesies, child abuse,child molestation,hypocrisy,adultery,fornication ,homosexuality,depression,suicides,shunning and the thousands off deaths due to the NO BLOOD policy. Put all of these articles,news footage and interviews into one long documentary so a big network like HBO or Showtime can broadcast it to the world, just like the Scientology documentary. Than everyone will be able to see The truth behind this destructive cult. Yes!
THIER SYSTEM IS CRUMBLING!!
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Mc fan says:
July 28, 2015 at 3:13 am
Hey Mr.Niles,
Just google Mark Palo,for more info.
That is the name of the boy who later came out and claimed that Greenles molested him when he was 10 years old.
You can also Google, RAPED AT BETHEL!!
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Vincent says:
July 28, 2015 at 3:44 am
Here is a link about former Governing Body Member Ted Jaracz. This was news to me as well. Yikes!http://www.silentlambs.org/personal_experiences/tedjaracz.cfm
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JJ says:
July 28, 2015 at 4:04 am
I can’t believe that I used to be ‘proud’ and to preach (wasting my time!) about being a Jehovah’s Witness and it was a den of pedophiles!!! It makes me sick!
I remember Ted Jaracz smugly saying that “we don’t go beyond the things written” whatever that means. I always hated the smug idiots who thought they were so clever. Well let’s see how smug and clever they feel now, after being dragged in front of courts where they belong!
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John Walsh says:
July 28, 2015 at 4:54 am
My Son a JW MS in Queensland and who works for me, had previously denied such a major problem within the organization. So today at work we were listening to radio and the subject of the report came up, so I asked if he had herd about that and he said he saw it on TV last night, but would not comment further.
So it would seem that the ‘Captured’ members are being informed and thus given some food for thought. I can only hope that this type of factual reality will trigger further analysis of the J-Dubs.
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bobow says:
July 28, 2015 at 5:33 am
It’s on CNN today, one of top stories.
So, it’s international, not to be forgotten so easy.
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Jakemon75 says:
July 28, 2015 at 6:43 am
I just approached the JW.org booth at the airport in Amarillo Texas. Generally I have my phone boldly putting them on the spot while asking questions that I know they’ll answer incorrectly and then use their answers against them in an effort to make them think a little.
Today I asked the what would happen if I “googled” Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Top stories were related to this.
I showed them to the 2 ladies (at least one of them had the unmistakable, arrogance of an Elder’s wife., and we all know what I’m talking about.)
She read the headline, made an ugly face like I did something wrong, thrust the phone back at me and said “nothing on the Internet can be trusted”.
Apparently the defense mechanism is pre-installed on this unit.
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Wanderer says:
July 28, 2015 at 1:37 pm
She said nothing on the Internet can be trusted while she was sitting at a booth promoting JW.org ???
The GB would have known this case was coming, probably why Mr. Morris just had his we protect children talk on JW.org.
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StrongHaiku says:
July 28, 2015 at 9:30 am
A number of posters have commented on the embarrassing and clumsy way the JW elders/representatives have presented themselves on these hearings. Totally agree. But I would argue that it would not matter which elder they picked, GB member, Jesus, or God himself, etc. to provide testimony.
When your position is indefensible it does not matter who presents it. They would all be reading out of the same playbook and would look absurd and immoral, as they should.
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Bart says:
July 28, 2015 at 9:59 am
Made the Post too. http://nypost.com/2015/07/27/jehovahs-witnesses-hid-over-1000-sex-abuse-cases/
As one still associated as a JW with JW friends and family, I’d love to post the article to my FB page. But guess what, you can’t without fear of recrimination or being dragged into the back room. You can only say GOOD things about JW.ORG, you know, since it’s God’s only chosen organization and all. Seriously….
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Queen Elsa says:
July 28, 2015 at 10:28 pm
I know, right?!! My sister isn’t baptized but we have a huge jw family… She wanted to post it…but didn’t. Funny, they toot their horn all the time about the good reports, but bury their heads in the sand when it’s negative…
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David R says:
July 29, 2015 at 7:53 am
Oh for sure, when its an even slightly positive news article it is reposted with claims of how “even the world can’t deny Jehovah’s Organization”.
I love that when you google Jehovah’s Witnesses the Sex Scandals are the first thing to come up right after their JW.borg and their wiki page. And all the news articles are related to their covering up of sexual abuse. I love this.
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Bart says:
July 28, 2015 at 10:09 am
When I was a kid, our family was friends with another family in the congregation. I think my parents may have studied with them and brought them into the truth, etc. Anyways, at some point his kids and wife accused him of some sort of molestation. The guy was convicted and went to jail. But according to my parents he was wrongfully accused. I wonder how they knew that but the court was convinced otherwise? My dad (an elder) stayed friends with this probable piece of crap in jail, writing letters and what have you. I think the creep even started Bible studies with his fellow inmates. As far as I know he wasn’t disfellowshipped either. I don’t know what became of him but for all I know he’s been released and went back to the congregation to continue like nothing ever happened. I’d like to ask my dad about it. Ask him how he could stay friends with a convicted child molester and yet he won’t even talk to his own daughter because she grew up and decided to peacefully leave the organization. FML.
Reply
minion says:
July 28, 2015 at 12:29 pm
Just Totally Freaking Awesome, of a long over due report from the Honorable Royal Commission courts.
I viewed the CNN.com video report, and they are reporting, Your elders could face criminal charges – due to Not reporting the sexual abuse – the crime to local police.
As noted earlier in Cedars report, the Royal Commission investigation will go on for two weeks.
Yesterday, when I googled “Jehovah’s Witnesses” Google now has this sub category “In The News”
and you had a report from 1). Newsweek Magz now know as ‘the daily beast’ weird name.
2). ABC online
3). CNN
And today reporting are:
4). ABC online
5). Think Progress
6). Sydney Morning Herald
7). NY Post
8). Australian Broadcasting Corp
9). CNN video – they report Your elders could face criminal charges
10. NPR
11). Skynews
12). The Guardian
And your seven men will cry out “All lies, all lies, don’t listen to these reports” these are apostates and should you read these reports You Will Be DF’d.
Someone needs to tell these seven men, all these 12 reports and counting Are Not JW’s – so they Are Not apostates.
They will employ – Mind Control Tactics – Fear Factor.
Google headliner sub category ‘In The News”, I quote Cedars, while talking to TPT3, “it must be Jehovah’s hand doing this”.
Only good can come out of this!!
Only good can come out of this!
Reply
Peter says:
July 28, 2015 at 5:01 pm
The thought has just occurred to me (and I don’t want to incite) that the reason the Watchtower is gathering so much money together is in preparation for a public apology and to compensate the victims of child abuse?
In my mind that’s exactly what a Christian should and would do.
Reply
Peter says:
July 28, 2015 at 5:31 pm
There is no doubt the the scriptures teach a two witness rule. However, considering christs words regarding the handling of a judicial matter it is quite obvious that the witness(s) are there to observe the accused attitude and response to an accusation from an actual eye witness thereby gaining two/three witnesses.
There is little doubt that the reason Watchtower applies Matthew 18 the way it does is to avoid litigation.
Reply
Peter says:
July 28, 2015 at 5:45 pm
I believe the crux of the argument, besides that of mandatory reporting, is the application of the two witness rule. How many children/families have had to sit and suffer in silence for years because of it?
Perhaps this is one area that deserves more scrutiny.
Reply
Excelsior! says:
July 29, 2015 at 8:36 am
Peter, I agree with you. The two witness rule is used to avoid litigation and try to preserve the squeaky clean image of the WTBTS.
That they choose to ignore Deuteronomy 22:25-27 and demand a little child face their abuser alone speaks volumes of their depravity. God only required one witness for a capital punishment. The WTBTS require at least 2, and even if 2 exist, they do nothing to protect children and stop the abuser!!
The two witness rule does not “trump” Romans 13. Paul is crystal clear; Christians are in subjection to the superior authorities.
If an atheist like me can identify a decent response to child abuse from the bible, why can’t so called “brothers of Christ” on the governing body do the same? The distressing fact is that they choose to misuse Deuteronomy 19:15 and Matthew 18 to do absolutely nothing to protect children from paedophiles, or assist victims. Disgusting!
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
Reply
Peter says:
July 29, 2015 at 11:33 am
Excelsior, I think that if JW’s were educated sufficiently regarding the two witness rule and its application, I think that more Jehovah witnesses would be prepared to listern and understand that the Watchtower is wrong and why.
Reply
minion says:
July 28, 2015 at 8:51 pm
This goes out to our sister from Amarillo,Tx manning her post – the trolley cart.
She said to one of our brothers, “you can’t believe everything you read on the internet”, – seriously?
Maybe she was implying JW.org.
Newsflash to our sister from Amarillo, Tx.
You now have 17 reputable major news outlets reporting on the Honorable Royal Commission Courts, this is No bull s#%t my sister, this is real, its happening and please take notice. This investigation will go on for two weeks. We pray the reporting will only escalate.
It’s 10:00 pm (CST), so far the 17 reputable major news outlets and counting, they are:
1). JWSurvey.org
2). Newsweek Magz also known as ‘the daily beast’
3). ABC online1
4). CNN
5). ABC online2
6). Think Progress
7). NY Post
8). Australian Broadcasting Corp
9). CNN video – they report Your elders could face criminal charges
10). NPR
11). Skynews
12). The Guardian
13). The Daily Telegraph
14). ABC.net.au
15). Smh.com
16). News.vice.com
17). BBC.com
My sister in Amarillo, Tx please update your expression,
” if its on the internet, it Must Be True”.
It’s time to release the locks of mind control from the brog.
To all current JWs, (this includes me) please have an intelligent response when ask on the subject matter – don’t act like the seven men in the WT – don’t be a fool.
It’s time to be Awaken!
Reply
Vincent says:
July 28, 2015 at 10:29 pm
“We must be oh so careful, lest we bring reproach upon Jehovah.”
Reply
Pickled brain says:
July 28, 2015 at 11:07 pm
WHY OH WHY aren’t MORE SISTERS WAKING UP & Seeing this 7 MAN Governing Body as EVIL for allowing 3 Elders(MEN) interrogate young Girls or Boys who are victims of CHILD ABUSE with the MALE ABUSER face to face in the same room asked Questions by UNTRAINED Elders who are Painters,Decorators,Window Cleaners, Electricians,Builders,Etc IT IS UTTER MADNESS & some of these ABUSERS are ELDERS& Ministerial Servants!! HOW OBSCENE to Say these MEN Are APPOINTED by Holy Spirit!!! DISGUSTING!!!
Reply
Stirring Awake says:
July 29, 2015 at 12:09 am
All court transcripts and Royal Commission transcript files can be found here: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-study/636f01a5-50db-4b59-a35e-a24ae07fb0ad/case-study-29,-july-2015,-sydney
Reply
JW4-EVER says:
July 29, 2015 at 6:42 am
The money awarded to the plaintiffs over these cases, how are they extracted? How do they force the society to make payments? The multi-million dollar judgements are to be made at once or can they pay them over time? I know the society can appeal it but if the appeal fails how is the money collected?
Please only answer if you know the answer. If you have no idea or some minimal legal understanding on these proceedings, don’t waste time with silly answers.
Thanks,
Reply
Excelsior! says:
July 29, 2015 at 8:42 am
JW4-EVER,
Welcome back!
I hope this doesn’t count as a “silly answer”!
May I suggest that you telephone your Branch office and ask them? Logically, they should be able to answer your most pertinent question.
What a pity that you had no words of sympathy for the plaintiffs. They have suffered and yet you have no words for them?
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
Reply
Bad Penny says:
July 29, 2015 at 7:09 am
I remember years ago when the Catholic Church was first under scrutiny for hidden abuses. As a witness, I called on a Catholic man who refused to believe it – ‘Oh, no, not in our Church,’ he said.
I remember commenting to my door to door companion on how anyone could stay in a religion that did such things!
Now faced with the facts that the ‘squeaky clean’ Jehovah’s Witnesses have covered over the same disgusting practice – how could anyone condone such by continuing in the ‘faith’?
The words of Jesus to the Pharisees comes to mind in describing the GB and elders today, ‘you also, outwardly indeed, appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.’
I hope that the judgement comes true – as for those who are disgusting in their filth .. and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur!
Surely, the writing is on the wall for JWdom.
They have been weighed in the balances and have been found deficient!
Reply
Bad Penny says:
July 29, 2015 at 7:24 am
I remember years ago when the Catholic Church was first under scrutiny for hidden abuses. As a witness, I called on a Catholic man who refused to believe it – ‘Oh, no, not in our Church,’ he said.
I remember commenting to my door to door companion on how anyone could stay in a religion that did such things!
Now faced with the facts that the ‘squeaky clean’ Jehovah’s Witnesses have covered over the same disgusting practice – how could anyone condone such by continuing in the ‘faith’?
The words of Jesus to the Pharisees comes to mind in describing the GB and elders today, ‘you also, outwardly indeed, appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.’
Surely, the writing is on the wall for JWdom.
They have been weighed in the balances and have been found deficient!
Reply
Bad Penny says:
July 29, 2015 at 7:25 am
Oops – twice for emphasis!
Reply
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Elders shamed under questioning by the Royal Commission
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← The Unexpected Kindness of the World
Elders shamed under questioning by the Royal Commission →
Australian Royal Commission hears that 1,006 alleged child sex abusers were covered up by Watchtower
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Posted on July 27, 2015
Angus Stewart, Senior Council, at the public hearing into allegations of child sexual abuse by Jehovah’s Witnesses
Angus Stewart, Senior Council, at the public hearing into allegations of child sexual abuse by Jehovah’s Witnesses
Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard shocking evidence that 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sex abuse were identified by the organization in Australia going back to 1950, but none were reported to the authorities.
The Commission was launched in 2013 with a broad remit to investigate serial child abuse in institutions, including religious organizations such as the Witnesses and the Catholic Church.
At the opening hearing held today, Angus Stewart, the senior council assisting the commission, described the church as an “insular sect with rules designed to stem the reporting of sexual abuse.”
According to Stewart’s written opening submission, the figure of 1,006 perpetrators was derived directly from Watchtower documents summoned (subpoened) by the Commission…
During the investigation of this case study, Watchtower Australia produced some 5,000 documents pursuant to summonses issued by the Royal Commission on 4 and 28 February 2015. Those documents include 1,006 case files relating to allegations of child sexual abuse made against members of the Jehovah’s Witness Church in Australia since 1950 – each file for a different alleged perpetrator of child sexual abuse.
Stewart’s submission goes on to explain the astonishing findings from analyzing these case files…
Evidence will be put before the Royal Commission that of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse identified by the Jehovah’s Witness Church since 1950, not one was reported by the Church to secular authorities. This suggests that it is the practice of the Jehovah’s Witness Church to retain information regarding child sexual abuse offences but not to report allegations of child sexual abuse to the police or other relevant authorities.
As part of the hearing two Witnesses, identified as BCB and BCG, are expected to give testimony that elders discouraged them from reporting their abuse. One of these victims is apparently “riddled with guilt for betraying the Jehovah’s Witness Church.”
The hearings are being streamed live to Australians, and doubtless will cause further humiliation for an organization already under siege for negligence regarding child molestation.
Governing Body member Stephen Lett recently insisted that claims of child abuse mishandling are nothing more than “apostate-driven lies and dishonesties,” but added to courtroom defeats in the United States and Britain, this latest news coming out of Australia suggests otherwise.
1,006 unreported alleged perpetrators since 1950 is an appalling statistic, and if used to extrapolate historic figures around the world, the number of concealed pedophiles could easily number into the tens of thousands.
It will be interesting to see what conclusions are drawn by the Commission, and how this will impact the fate of the organization, not just in Australia, but further afield. Certainly Tony Morris’ recent claim that the Governing Body are “proud” of their reputation concerning child abuse is becoming increasingly preposterous.
One child who suffers unnecessarily due to Watchtower’s negligence on the issue would be a child too many, and yet according to this public hearing, in just one country of many, the pain and trauma of sex abuse has been ignored and covered-up on an unimaginable scale.
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Further reading…
◾ABC news report
◾New York Post report
◾Guardian report
◾Daily Telegraph report
◾BBC report
◾MSN report
◾Friendly Atheist article
◾Freethinker article
◾For an updated list of media reports, click here
◾Royal Commission website
◾Is Watchtower imploding? 10 reasons why the end could be nigh
◾JWsurvey articles on child abuse
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100 Responses to Australian Royal Commission hears that 1,006 alleged child sex abusers were covered up by Watchtower
← Older Comments
sirius says:
July 29, 2015 at 7:48 am
I can hear the excuses now, “don’t let a few bad apples destroy the bushel”. Reality is, these are more than likely the low lying fruits of JW teachings, if not what mechanism do they have in place to screen/prevent deviant sexual behavior? Does JW faith wipe the slate clean of troubled converts/reverts? Like any process needing control, reporting is one thing but action on the data? Is corrective action mostly burying it or shifting some of the perps vertical/horizontal away from the scene? Any trouble shooting analyzation would look to “upstream” first! For a small organization 1006 cases seems high per capita basis, just wondering if this count is only the tip of the iceberg showing?
IMHO
dogstar
Reply
Excelsior! says:
July 29, 2015 at 8:47 am
Dog Star,
The figure is not referring to cases, but to perpetrators. We do not know how many times these criminals abused, or how many victims they abused.
I really enjoy your comments and thank you for them.
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
Reply
Sosipater says:
July 29, 2015 at 10:28 am
German media reports:
http://www.morgenpost.de/vermischtes/article205512221/Zeugen-Jehovas-raeumen-Vertuschung-von-Missbrauch-ein.html
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/australien-zeugen-jehovas-vertuschten-ueber-jahrzehnte-sexuellen-missbrauch-1.2587889
Reply
Garrett says:
July 29, 2015 at 10:44 am
Can someone explain something for me?
How can the Australians successfully subpoena the records of the 1,006 child abusers in Australia but the justices in America have been unable to secure the list of 20,000 pedophiles worldwide. I don’t get it. If you as an organization go against a subpoena in America aren’t you criminally accountable ?
Secondly, why are the Watchtowers finances not a matter for public record if they are a non profit . I thought non profits and charities had to have publish open financial reports.
Is anyone a lawyer her that can explain these two questions … Cuz I’m lost on this stuff.
Thanks
G
Reply
Simon Kestral says:
July 30, 2015 at 12:15 am
California state courts don’t have jurisdiction over New York residents. And federal courts are limited to civil cases having matters of federal purview.
If the federal government investigates one church (WT), they will have to investigate them all (Catholic, Protestant, Baptist). In the USA there is little political willpower for such. It’s viewed as a local problem, to be handled locally.
The US Constitution enshrines the principle of separation of church and state, and most citizens strongly agree. So politicians avoid meddling in religion.
Reply
sirius says:
July 29, 2015 at 2:10 pm
@Garrett, this might shed a bit of light to the thrust of a Royal Commission is. Here’s a bit of c/p from a site noted below:
A Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue in some monarchies. They have been held in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia. A Royal Commission is similar in function to a Commission of Enquiry (or Inquiry) found in other countries such as Ireland, South Africa, and Hong Kong.
A Royal Commissioner has considerable powers*, generally greater even than those of a judge but restricted to the terms of reference of the Commission. The Commission is created by the Head of State (the Sovereign, or his/her representative in the form of a Governor-General or Governor) on the advice of the Government and formally appointed by Letters Patent. In practice—unlike lesser forms of inquiry—once a Commission has started the government cannot stop it. Consequently governments are usually very careful about framing the Terms of Reference and generally include in them a date by which the commission must finish.
Royal Commissions are called to look into matters of great importance and usually controversy. These can be matters such as government structure, the treatment of minorities, events of considerable public concern or economic questions.
*bolded
in part & credit to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Commission
IMHO
dogstar
Reply
Catalina says:
July 29, 2015 at 5:16 pm
I tried to tell my JW sister about this. She didn’t want to hear it. She asked, “What are you telling me that for after I told you I don’t want to hear about it?” “Why do you have to be so negative?” “You sound like a broken record.” “Why do you bring this up again when I’ve told you I don’t want to hear about it. (JWs only hear what they want to hear.)
Reply
JJ says:
July 29, 2015 at 6:18 pm
Oh yeah, Catalina, I get the exact same reactions from my mother and wife. I am “negative”, “a whiner” and I don’t want to “listen to anyone” (about rules or direction, I guess). They say that they “don’t want to hear it” but I ask them why they go door-to-door when those poor people beg them to stop?!? They are doing the exact same thing to strangers! They go and tell these people that their religions are wrong and engaged in disgusting practices. But they don’t want to hear about their own. A little hypocritical, eh?
My mother says that they stop when asked. I said, “you never stop and you never will!”
I think the JW’s are going to taste their own medicine from now on!!!
Reply
Queen Elsa says:
July 29, 2015 at 7:33 pm
Catalina, I’m accused of the same thing… :/
Reply
TruthSeeker says:
July 30, 2015 at 3:25 pm
Catalina, U are not alone. I am as well told by my wife she doesn’t want to hear it or talk about it and i thought she was a “lover of truth”.
Reply
Garrett says:
July 29, 2015 at 6:27 pm
Thanks Dogstar
That gives me a tad bit of insight to what a royal commission is. I.e. It is something understood and applied amongst the British commonwealth countries. However I still don’t understand how the American GB/WT society can be subpoenaed and not be forced to give up the 20,000 names.
And I’m still waiting for an explanation as to how the WT societies finances are not publicly accessible if they are a non profit.
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Reply
Pickled brain says:
July 30, 2015 at 12:13 am
@Garrett. I wholeheartedly agree with your comments & Questions!! If anyone keys into Google ‘Church of England financial accounts ‘ there is a 66 page PDF detailing all investments, pensions , equities, donations,etc a very DETAILED ACCOUNTS where ALL the MONEY goes !!’& this is meant to be part of Satans system BUT The HOLY of HOLIES the 7 MEN Governing Body NEVER prints a Detailed Worldwide Accounts on how much Warwick,Patterson, Walkill,Chelmsford in UK costs or what all the buildings in Brooklyn sold for or the EXPENSES of the 7 GB Men & families Cost,etc!!
Or what STOCKS & SHARES the GB have invested in ??! WHO MENTIONED HEDGE FUNDS???
Reply
Warren says:
July 29, 2015 at 6:32 pm
At the Meeting last nite, which i left at half time, the opening prayer was very direct in talking about Satans attacks, i got an email from a elder who i had sent the news paper article to, as i know he has concealed stuff, he just said its bad for Jehovahs name, my wuestion to him is, whose fault is it then, we are lead to believe that we are run by a “God” directed organisation, he instructs them on what to do, so concealing pedo’s & not helping Victoms is Gods Fault, hang on i think i found another flaw, God is not diecting this organisation. go figure
Reply
Queen Elsa says:
July 29, 2015 at 8:58 pm
I hear that too! So who’s fault is it for ruining jehovahs name, the victims?! No, it’s the organization, elders and perps… It’s so backwards, I can’t even see straight anymore…
Reply
Vincent says:
July 29, 2015 at 8:56 pm
Download every Wt.letter and statements from the Royal Commission here:http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/exhibits/636f01a5-50db-4b59-a35e-a24ae07fb0ad/case-study-29,-july-2015,-sydney
Tons of info!
Reply
Pickled brain says:
July 30, 2015 at 12:18 am
@ Garrett . The 7 MEN GB has something in Common with MORMONS!! The Mormons haven’t printed Worldwide Financial Accounts since 1959!!’ Funny how JW.Org seems to have copied the Mormon website which started up way before JW.Org!!’
Reply
Jill Hileman says:
July 30, 2015 at 9:22 am
Thank you for the link!
Reply
Sven says:
July 30, 2015 at 12:16 am
Can Cedar please inform me why my comment, posted yesterday, does not appear? I don’t feel I violated any of the rules.
Reply
Hypocrisy Hater says:
July 30, 2015 at 4:06 am
I had a fairly lengthy comment that hasn’t appeared also…
Reply
Hypocrisy Hater says:
July 30, 2015 at 4:07 am
Never mind – it appeared just now :-)
Reply
David says:
July 30, 2015 at 1:43 am
I think this is the right time for all of us to hit the streets and fight for our rights. We could organise a campaign and distribute leaflets. The aim is not to criticise JW.org doctrines (after all if they want to be brainwashed is their choice) but for the right to leave a religion without repercussions and loosing family and loved ones. What we are seeing in Australian is the result of people putting their faces fighting for what is right.
Even other people from other cults will join and the governments will respond.
Instead of wasting time in front a PC we should solve the problem now. JW.org should be ashamed of their dark ages mentality and not us. We cannot convince them because for them exists only their way, only the black and white cultish mentality.
Our JW family members should be ashamed of listening to 7 ex window cleaners instead of their own blood.
Many people have lost dignity, mental health, social bonds for this fanatic individuals that think that they are God and have the right to step over people.
We have to stop it now, and we can do it if we want it.
Reply
M. says:
July 30, 2015 at 2:52 am
right!
Reply
Hypocrisy Hater says:
July 30, 2015 at 4:06 am
The Royal Commission into Child Abuse began in 2013. As the July 27th date was publically knowledge, I have very little doubt in my mind that the June and July broadcasts were nothing more than smokescreen attempts to play down the oncoming PR flak-storm of negativity that was about to hail down. Considering the general rule of thumb is to not report child abuse so as not to bring reproach on Jehovah’s name, I believe this approach has backfired on a multi-million dollar scale. The property selloffs within the current portfolio of assets will likely be put to use to compensate victims. No other need for a war chest of that size in “the last days” unless you have some huge settlement offers to make.
Some personal comments of mine based on the July broadcast, and in light of the recent Royal Commission –
AM III: “As a religious organization, we have taken a decisive stand against such behavior.”
MY RESPONSE: Except that stand will be secretive, hidden from view and swept under the rug (plus we’ll ensure notes from Judicial Meetings are destroyed so know one can retrace what action was taken).
AM III: “It is our fervent desire to protect children from any kind of abuse.”
MY RESPONSE: Well this one comes straight from the horses mouth –
w00 6/15 pp. 12-17 ‘Honor the Ones Given Authority Over You’
As Christians, we have “compelling reason” for respecting those exercising secular authority. The apostle Paul admonished Christians to “be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God.” (Romans 13:1, 2, 5; 1 Peter 2:13-15)
This “fervent desire” can’t be all that “fervent “if completely ignoring THE LAW that requires child abusers to be reported to “superior authorities” occurred over 1006 times.
AM III: “Many governmental, educational and religious organizations were somewhat naïve about the magnitude and the complexity or the situation. Others knew of the problem and covered it “
MY RESPONSE: This is the part that makes my blood boil over due to the hypocrisy of his words! Others knew of the problem and covered it up? 1006 cases were “covered up” and NOT reported to the secular authorities (double hypocrisy!). And that’s just the cases that have been documented and aren’t ‘missing’ from their files.
AM III: “It is clear that over the decades protecting children from abuse is a top priority for this organization. We are proud of reputation in this regard.”
MY RESPONSE: What IS clear is that it has NOT been a top priority. PSA’s and articles to a “naïve” world don’t just mean protection of children is a top priority. It’s just an attempt to make it appear that way.
Reply
David says:
July 30, 2015 at 4:29 am
Tony, Tony you make me laugh!
“It is our fervent desire to protect children from any kind of abuse.”
You let a kid grow in the religion, filling his young mind with the opinions of 7 men with bronze age ideas.
And when he becomes a young person and decides that he has the right to use his brain it is treated like a beast. And avoided for the rest of his life
And you say you protect the children, aha ahhah! This is destroying a child not protecting
Reply
Ted says:
July 30, 2015 at 6:19 am
The lobotomised elders, questioned at the royal commission
demonstrated the amount of control this so called religion
exercises over its members.
They were afraid and unable, and not allowed to make an
independent, humane decision, but had to contact the branch
office at every turn.
Many times they mentioned writing to the Aussie branch, but
not even, once, about how to help the distressed victim.
When cornered and asked to give a personal opinion about
the traumatising practice of making victims confront their
attacker, the elder was plainly uneasy and avoided the question.
He replied instead, this was the org, policy.
Another elder, when pressed to say whether the org, had an
obligation to compensate for psychological damage caused,
and subsequent medical bills. Was visibly agitated and refused
to answer the question.
When exposed by skill full attorneys, they were helpless, unable
to give an account for themselves. Like babies, entirely
dependent on their mother.
Reply
Meredith J says:
July 30, 2015 at 4:42 pm
How true Ted. How lame they look and they are being abandoned by their ‘mother’ like they were a hot potato. The governing body have shown no emotion or concern about any of this. Surely, these people should wake up and see what old selfish evil men are leading them?
Reply
pam hansen says:
July 30, 2015 at 4:13 pm
When I mentioned this to my Jw sister she said pedos are everywhere. The Jdubs didn’t brush it off so so when the exposure in the Catholic church was happening.. HYPOCRISY at its best!!!
All the stone throwing and hateful words they have spewed about the religions of Christendom are now coming back on them!!
Reply
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Elders shamed under questioning by the Royal Commission
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← Australian Royal Commission hears that 1,006 alleged child sex abusers were covered up by Watchtower
Elders shamed under questioning by the Royal Commission
Posted on July 30, 2015
Jehovah's Witness elder Max Horley was among the elders who failed to impress when giving testimony before the Commission
Jehovah’s Witness elder Max Horley was among the elders who failed to impress when giving testimony before the Commission
The following article has been submitted by “CovertFade,” a non-disfellowshipped reader who credits this website with helping him wake up from Witness indoctrination a year ago, and who wishes to comment on developments in Australia…
As recorded this week in major news outlets all over the world, The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Australia has been presented with incontrovertible evidence that, due to the explicit policy and practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1,006 alleged child molesters in Australia have not been reported to the police, with hundreds of these molesters allegedly being repeat offenders.
The evidence comes, not from “apostates” or “Satan’s media.” It comes from the brave and gut-wrenching testimony of abuse survivors, the jaw dropping and sometimes infuriating testimony of elders who dealt with their cases, and Watchtower’s own internal documents. And it is utterly damning, confirming everything that child protection activists and critics of the Watchtower organization have long claimed: Victims forced to confront their accusers in closed off, all-male tribunals. Elders not reporting cases of abuse to the police, even in the face of actual confessions from the abuser. Victims being told to be silent or be shunned.
Sounds awful doesn’t it? Both for the lives of the victims, and for the reputation of the organization that has so spectacularly failed them. But trust us, unless you’ve actually observed the hearings, you’ve not even seen the half of it. And observe you can.
In complete contrast to the closed off, star chamber style of court that Watchtower calls “justice,” the Royal Commission has published its sessions online for the whole world to see in the form of video recordings and transcripts.
The actual commission has looked at two case studies so far; examining the testimonies of two separate abuse survivors from inside Jehovah’s Witnesses (known to the commission as person BCB and person BCG), and the subsequent response of the Watchtower as an institution when it became aware of the allegations.
Both cases date from about twenty years ago. So far, the Commission has taken testimony from the two survivors, and from five elders involved in their cases. To give a blow-by-blow account of all of the suffering, failures and jaw-dropping incompetence displayed in the sessions would take an entire book, not an article. But nonetheless here are a few overall points that can be gained from observing the proceedings so far. (As I type this, day three of the two week hearing has ended, and the commission in taking a one day break before resuming on Friday 31st July.)
Above you can watch a YouTube playlist of video coverage from the Royal Commission
Watchtower’s strategy in dealing with the commission is crumbling. It’s hard to believe that the Elders appearing to testify will not have been coached by Watchtower’s Legal Desk. Indeed, one can see a distinct trend in the testimony each man gives, which speaks of a coordinated response.
Each man takes the stand and begins by trying to press a specific narrative: “We’re not saying everything was handled perfectly in the past: everyone was still new to the problem and didn’t fully understand how to proceed. But we’ve learned since then, and fixed the problems, and now it’s all fine, trust us, no really, and please pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”
Trouble for them is: the commission is blowing holes in that narrative wide enough to drive Jehu’s chariot through.
Firstly, it has now been demonstrated that even by the standards of the time (both cases being around 20 years old) the elders involved in the process demonstrated horrific incompetence and even active deceit. For example, elder Max Horley admits at one point to “not taking seriously” the wording of a letter he wrote to the branch about the sex abuse case he investigated, with that flawed letter later resulting in a significant and incorrect minimizing of the perceived seriousness of the abuse.
But it’s not just incompetence on the part of the elders that has been uncovered, because on day three, the commission caught elder Dino Ali apparently lying under oath.
Ali had claimed before the commission, and in his written statement, that when he and his fellow elders had investigated the allegations made by a young girl (known to the commission as BCG) against her father (allegedly a friend of Ali), the committee had been unable to disfellowship the father or take any action against him, even though they claimed to believe the allegations, because they had neither two witnesses to the crime, nor a confession from the father.
Ali regretfully but firmly stated that since it was a case of one person’s word against another, there was nothing the elders could do. He was asked during hearings to confirm if he’d have found the father guilty if he’d had two witness or a confession. Ali agreed that either one would have allowed him to do so.
Much to his obvious shock, the Commission then produced a set of aged, handwritten notes. They spent a great deal of time getting Ali to confirm that the notes were his, written during his investigation of the abuse. Ali, as recorded in the transcript and videos was clearly uncomfortable, and tried to dance around the issue, but was soon left with little choice in the matter but to accept that they were his, apparently obtained by the commission from the congregation file.
The Commission then proceeded to read Ali’s own account, from Ali’s own notes, of how not only the daughter BCG had accused the father of abuse, but BCG’s mother had also testified to Ali that the father had abused the two younger daughters, and the eldest of the four daughters had also stated to Ali that she had been abused.
Sounds bad? It gets worse.
Later in the notes, Ali in his own hand had recorded the father confessing to the abuse. The commission thus pointed out that, far from having only one witness and no confession, Dino Ali actually had three witnesses and a confession – enough evidence to find the father guilty.
Having been caught in either an act of gross negligence, outright deceit, or both, Ali spends most of the rest of his testimony trying and failing to convince the judge that three witnesses and a confession is not actually three witnesses and a confession.
Secondly, it quickly becomes apparent that while Watchtower may have changed some things they have not made changes where it really matters, and all the elders confirm this under oath.
The two witness rule. The practice of three men interrogating a survivor of sexual assault, sometimes in front of their attacker. The policy of not reporting to the police unless legally mandated to do so. These core problems are still alive and kicking in Watchtower. Thus, despite Watchtower’s attempt to spin a certain narrative to the Commission, the Commission has in just the first three days left that narrative in tatters.
And that leads us to the next point.
The failure is systemic to the Watchtower organization from the top down. These are not the actions of a few bad apples or incompetent men. Every single elder has confirmed (with the exception of Ali’s apparently deceitful behavior which, for the sake of fairness, was likely not directly sanctioned by Watchtower) that they were following direct printed policy regarding these matters. Indeed, these elders feel that they cannot deviate from the policy even if they disagree with it. The testimony below from Max Horly is typical of the repeated responses from the elders interviewed…
◾Justice Peter McClellan: Mr Horley, I understand how the church is organized, but what the process means is that the investigation, in a case such as this one, of a woman’s allegations is made entirely by men; correct?
◾Max Horley: I’m sorry, the —
◾Justice McClellan: The investigation within the church is conducted entirely by men?
◾Horley: That’s correct, yes.
◾Justice McClellan: Do you think that’s appropriate when the allegation comes from a woman, and maybe a young woman?
◾Horley: That’s – that’s the procedure that we have in place.
◾Justice McClellan: I know, but I’m asking you a different question.
◾Horley: Well, that sort of comes into my personal feelings. I think I would still have to be bound by what the branch directs me to do.
This is an oft repeated theme in the hearing. Elders follow orders, and they cannot question those orders, even if they disagree with them.
And disagree they do.
Most elders interviewed disagreed with the Watchtower policy when pressed. Out of the four elders specifically questioned about the key concerns of the commission, three of the elders (Max Horley, Doug Jackson, and Kevin Bowdich) eventually conceded in part or in whole that the process was flawed and needed to change. Below we have some such excerpts from the transcripts demonstrating this.
◾Mr Angus Stewart, Counsel for the Commission: The point is, do you accept that in the face of the person accused, it may be very difficult for a person who has suffered abuse to say everything that happened to them?
◾Max Horley: Absolutely, yes.
◾Stewart: And in front of other men as well, at least two elders; is that right?
◾Horley: That’s true, yes.
◾Stewart: So it’s not a process that is necessarily going to come out with the full story, is it?
◾Horley: Obviously not at the first meeting and, in this case that’s borne out, but – yep.
◾Justice McClellan: The problem, Mr Jackson, is really not addressed in that way, though, is it? The problem —
◾Doug Jackson: No
◾Justice McClellan: — is the whole structure of the arrangement with two male elders, a male accused and then a female, in an environment in which she could never feel comfortable, being asked to tell intimate details of a sexual nature – the structure doesn’t work, does it?
◾Jackson: Well, I agree, your Honor, I certainly do.
◾Mr Angus Stewart, Counsel for the Commission: It’s not a good process, is it?
◾Kevin Bowdich: It could be better.
Only one elder, Dino Ali, stubbornly insisted that the process was fine as it was, though his contradictory and sometimes bizarre responses to the commission indicate a man either being deliberately stubborn in refusing to admit the possibility his church may have flaws, a man terrified of publicly contradicting the Watchtower, or a man of such limited critical thinking skills that he cannot understand simple logic and reasoning.
Here is a typical example of the Judge trying to lead him to water, but of Mr Ali refusing to drink, when discussing the practice of bringing a sexual abuse survivor before a three-man committee.
◾Justice McClellan: And you still think that’s an appropriate process for a young woman who is bringing allegations of sexual assault by her father, do you?
◾Dino Ali: I believe it’s a step in understanding the process of what happened. It’s – I understand how difficult it was for her.
◾Justice McClellan: But what she is saying to you is, because of the way this process was conducted, she wasn’t able to tell you all that she could have told you about what happened to her. Do you understand that?
◾Ali: True, true. I understand that.
◾Justice McClellan: So the three of you weren’t actually receiving the whole story, because the process wouldn’t allow it. Do you understand that?
◾Ali: I understand that, too.
◾Justice McClellan: Well is that not suggesting to you there is a flaw in the process?
◾Ali: No.
So of the four elders interviewed, three agreed the process was flawed and thus proved that the Commission’s concerns were valid, and the fourth refused to admit the process was flawed even when the flaws were demonstrable.
Wait, I said four Elders. Wasn’t there a fifth guy?
Yes, there was. Elder Joseph Bello, but he didn’t spend long on the stand. Basically, he appeared to present rather nervous and shamefaced testimony confirming that, when abuse survivor BCB and her husband had been considering going to the Royal Commission with her story, he had made the statement: “But what would that accomplish other than dragging Jehovah’s name through the mud?”
This prompted the following exchange…
◾Mr Stewart for the Commission: I take it within your faith, Jehovah is considered as a loving God?
◾Joseph Bello: Definitely.
◾Stewart: Would Jehovah, then, not also then not be more concerned about the victim than his own name?
At this point, you’d think Mr Bello would take the olive branch being offered, but instead he gives the following insight into why the Watchtower would rather abusers go free than victims go public
◾Joseph Bello: Jehovah would be concerned about the victim, but Jehovah is concerned about his own name, too, that’s what the scriptures told us.
In other words… no.
Yikes.
Oh, and before he got off the stand, he also admitted that he had no real idea what the Commission was for or what it did, and that despite being summoned several weeks ago, he had done no research. When the astonished Judge told him that he must have been aware of the Commission’s work though the news, Mr Bello admitted to never following the news. The look on the face of Justice McClellan after this response spoke a thousand words.
This is just a small snippet of the opened can of worms that the elders interviewed thus far have strewn across the Commission floor. Not a single elder has carried themselves with any grace. They have all either collapsed into a deflated, shame-faced mess under questioning, or showed themselves to be unreasoning, deceitful fanatics.
With over a week of further testimony lying ahead, including the testimony of some high-ranking members of Watchtower Australia, it’s hard to see how the organization can possibly pull out of this legal and PR nosedive.
It would be hilarious, if it wasn’t so tragic.
If you decide to view the videos and read the transcripts, please be certain to take in the harrowing testimony of BCB and BCG. Please listen carefully as they relate how their lives were destroyed by men who should have protected and loved them.
Please listen as they relate how the elders and policies of the Watchtower organization acted to make an awful situation even worse. Please consider their courage, and their pain.
And please consider that these are just two of potentially thousands of victims around the world whom Watchtower has failed and will continue to fail until rule of law, financial penalty and public opinion force it to revise its bronze age approach to child abuse.
Covertfade
Further reading…
◾Updated list of media reports on the Royal Commission
◾Download page for exhibits from the Royal Commission
◾Australian Royal Commission hears that 1,006 alleged child sex abusers were covered up by Watchtower
◾Jehovah’s Witness Report article
◾JWsurvey articles on child abuse
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← Australian Royal Commission hears that 1,006 alleged child sex abusers were covered up by Watchtower
29 Responses to Elders shamed under questioning by the Royal Commission
Adam Kane says:
July 30, 2015 at 3:41 am
Thankyou for publishing this article. I hope the evidence against the cult brings a sense of closure to their victims.
The ones that haven’t committed suicide.
Reply
Ken says:
July 30, 2015 at 3:48 am
Very nicely written and summarized. We find the proceedings hard to watch，it bring back sad memories of certain elders and people we knock suffering under the heavy yoke of the WT. may more JW wake up. It’s about time.
Reply
David says:
July 30, 2015 at 4:22 am
All this torment and suffering for a small group of deluded men. They say that the follow the Bible but in reality the follow man. Have you seen a contribution box for the poor in your KH? Have you ever read a Bible verse where Jesus asked his followers to build a headquarter?
The Bible was translated in greek only and Christianity had a huge success. So why investing hard earned money to translate cult material in all the languages? It is a wasted effort. We are in the modern world, people are rational now. They do not need the JW.org version of Santa Claus.
Jesus was against organisations, where rules, procedures, polices are above people. Organised religion is by definition against freedom. Sooner or later they will hide their dirty secrets. Russell although deluded at least it was more honest. He was against religions organizations. He righly belived that God is the focus for a Christian.
But since the bigot Rutherford we are seeing the organization has replaced God.
The jw.org propaganda is a momentary thing. The generations cannot overlap forver!
The two witnesses rules is just a scandal filter. For my personal experience when something happens the first thing they worry about is the organisation reputation. When jw.org reputation is at stake the elders act quickly in ghestapo style. When a person is disfellowshipped and depression, loneliness kicks in and support is needed they have better things to do. After all you are a a evil person.
Dealing with the victim is just annoyance. The real effort is to protect their golden calf, the organisation. Many JWs are seeing that, but because of the mafia style blackmail cannot leave.
Reply
Pickled brain says:
July 30, 2015 at 5:17 am
@David. You Express yourself well & ALL the points you have made are SO VALID . Your spelling & English are not perfect But that doesn’t matter because you have Common Sense, Good Logic & DECENCY unlike the EVIL, CRUEL 7 MORONS of the Governing Body who are more concerned about their LUXURIOUS HQ at Warwick than Holding their hands up & APOLOGIZING for the YEARS of UNTOLD DEVASTATION & EMOTIONAL DAMAGE done to these ABUSED CHILDREN in facing their Attackers in front of 3 Elders in a Judicial Committee who haven’t a Clue how to Question a Victim which can be just as TRAUMATIC as the Event Itself.!! These Elders are mainly tradesmen… Painters ,Buikders,Electricians,window cleaners,or Clerical workers!!! Oh Please WAKE UP BROTHERS & ESPECIALLY SISTERs!!!!’ Your Children are IN DANGER!!!!!
Reply
Rowland Nelken says:
July 30, 2015 at 4:41 am
How long will it be before Jehovah’s directly appointed Faithful and Discreet Slave are in the dock? The Aussie JW bosses are due to be grilled next week, and the Brit. Charity Commissioners, if they are doing their job properly, must be discovering that there is zero of a charitable nature in JWdom.
The Execrable Seven cannot continue indefinitely throwing their sacrificial skivvies to the wolves. It is time they were devoured on their own account. How many judges would be convinced by any buck passing back to Jehovah himself?
Reply
Charles Huff says:
July 30, 2015 at 5:11 am
So, the elder wants to protect the “name of Jehovah” by keeping a covert pervert in the congregation?
So, Jehovah is the organization and the organization is Jehovah? Ha!
I’m not a Christian, don’t believe hardly any of the bible is true, but if I did, it would be easy to see that they commit blasphemy every time they open their mouths.
Reply
Stirring Awake says:
July 30, 2015 at 6:42 am
Joe Bello’s voice starts to waver badly around the 17min mark onwards after the pressure cooker turns up the heat. I thought they’d have had more coaching and direction from the Branch as they normally can’t say two words in an official public speaking capacity without it.
Reply
Stirring Awake says:
July 30, 2015 at 6:43 am
July 28, Part 2 video
Reply
JO101 says:
July 30, 2015 at 8:10 am
Did you notice how he started off trying to hold back a nurvous smile, and how the judge looked at him? (Joe) that was interesting. Then that smile quickly turned into a dry mouth and cracked voice. What is said is simply amazing, but even the expressions are showing more evidence of a crumbling organization
Reply
DavidR says:
July 30, 2015 at 7:12 am
Its amazing how rank in file appear to be crazy when they spew the same lines they’ve repeated at meetings/assemblies/conventions to someone asking a reasonable question. That elder talking about the name of Jehovah being above the concern for the victim is an example of most of the “faithful” JWs who will find this commission to be the hand of Satan for not accepting that response. I hope that those who have an ounce of sense see this and realize how wrong this is.
This is SOO big but I don’t want to have my hopes dashed, but this can certainly tear the shroud JW’s have covered themselves with completely off and allow them to be scrutinized not for what they put themselves out to be, but for what they really are.
Reply
sirius says:
July 30, 2015 at 7:26 am
Dang, what a wonderful preamble pointed argument by Justice McClellan to this elder named Ali. I nearly fell off my chair reading Ali’s response to a rather pointed question about the 2 witness Swiss cheese process.
Justice McClellan: Well is that not suggesting to you there is a flaw in the process? Ali: No.
So in the end, they are just following… quote, “This is an oft repeated theme in the hearing. Elders follow orders, and they cannot question those orders, even if they disagree with them.” Certainly sad watching and reading a live performance of the infamous Milgram Experiment – Obedience to Authority(to a fault*). Seems like a lot of insult to injury stemming from the highest level. Otherwise, Satan is well seeded in the organization. Is house cleaning next after this type of exposure and payouts?
* add in
IMHO
dogstar
Reply
Susan says:
July 30, 2015 at 8:07 am
Elders disfellowship people all the time without giving a second thought to the victims. Some of these ones had been molested by elders and were disfellowshipped for trying to warn others or for going to the police – and some of them went on to commit suicide. I’m so glad these elders at these hearings are able to see the devastating affects of their flippant decisions. So many lives have been ruined all because the elders chose to follow Watchtower policy. It’s just as Jesus said, they obey the letter of the law but miss the whole point of the law namely love, justice and mercy. They truly are the modern day Pharisees.
Reply
John Baptist says:
July 30, 2015 at 8:24 am
I have been watching every hearing And am not suprised by their preprogrammed delivery of responses from being brainwashed and indoctrinated by their Govering Body. If only Ray Franz could be around to witness the fulfillment of his words.
These men are so dilousiinal and buckle under the least amount of pressure of the true reality.
The world needs to see and hear this it’s unbelievable the arogance of this society of self proclaimed men.
My heart goes out to these victims.
Reply
Kat says:
July 30, 2015 at 8:50 am
Its astounding how brainwashed they are, faced with the reality of the questions they can’t seem to comprehend, sad really they are all victims of the GB evil policies passed down that affect the most vulnerable, hopefully some may wake up from the WT spell.
Reply
rob says:
July 30, 2015 at 9:12 am
It will be interesting to see what type of damage control will be forthcoming from watchtower headquarters as they must know by now that people all over the world are following this story.
As we all know, the 7 GB will take counsel from the lawyers and try to spin it as coming from God and will probably try to whitewash everything and will say that the media is Satan attacking the organization – and unfortunately many of the rank and file will follow without questioning.
But hopefully there will be other countries that will follow suit and investigate this organization. Once that snowball turns into an avalanche, perhaps justice will finally be served for the victims who have suffered at the hands of an arrogant organization that has no love, justice or mercy.
Reply
Chiafade says:
July 30, 2015 at 1:42 pm
I made a comment earlier on just that very thing but for some reason it didn’t post I’ll try to repost later. But what I mentioned had two scenarios. The gb will claim a greater understanding of the two witness rule then blame the elders for not applying the rule properly. All while not offering any kind of apology. Or, the worldwide effect of a negative judgement will cause them to post a JW broadcast entitled “Is this the start of the great tribulation?” to maintain control of those who would defend the organization no matter what.
Reply
Melka says:
July 30, 2015 at 10:24 am
I realize the governing body are calling the shots and giving the direction for elders, but it doesn’t matter, these congregations deserve better. A lot of these elders are probably family men, which blows my mind. Why isn’t anybody concerned with protecting their “flock”? It’s so disturbing, to say the absolute least.
Reply
Ruth says:
July 30, 2015 at 10:32 am
The Witnesses should not be dealing with sexual abuse problems at all. It’s not in the Christian remit. The Bible clearly says that criminal matters should be left to the Government. Paul wrote to the Romans (13:1-4)and told them that the Government was ‘God’s Minister’ and was the one responsible to deal with criminals.
Let the Government decide what crimes have been committed and take action to protect the congregation. The Israelites were given the Mosaic law in which we find the ‘two witness’ law, but common sense was also needed. The law told the Israelites ‘Investigate thoroughly’. The Israelites were to use evidence, as well as decide what was obvious, when judging.
Solomon, when judging the fate of a child, decided who the mother was without two witnesses. It became obvious who the mother really was. Solomon did not abdicate his responsibility because he did not have two witnesses.
The Witnesses keep claiming they stick to Bible rules but they have not done so and thus have ended up in a mess.
Reply
Ted says:
July 30, 2015 at 10:33 am
Elders attending classes, to be instructed in org, policy
have been persuaded that the judicial system in the congs,
is “Theocratic” and therefore superior to the worldly courts.
In practice it resembles in many ways that which operates
in totalitarian dictatorships.
1- Trials, inquiries, held in secret. 2- The main concern,
the regimes image. 3- Influential and prominent people
either exonerated or let down lightly. 4- Silence enforced
on victims by coercion, and or threats.
The Royal Commission has revealed that all these elements
are endemic in the wt,org. God’s organisation? A theocratic
arrangement? No way!
Reply
Queen Elsa says:
July 30, 2015 at 10:40 am
Another great report from Trey Bundy of Reveal News… It just keeps coming… https://www.revealnews.org/article/jehovahs-witnesses-cover-up-child-sex-abuse-and-oust-a-victim/
Reply
Grace says:
July 30, 2015 at 3:09 pm
I can’t wait for the questioning to the WT Lawyer, Vincent Toole. This will be a sword fight of words as he knows how to speak legal language & will have slick words for his defence.
It’s becoming plainly obvious that the double speak doesn’t work on the Royal Commission. JW’s often don’t realise that they are speaking one version to the public but speaking cult language to each other and it’s just not working for them here. They don’t realise that they lie either, I have caught many out lying but they’re oblivious to it because they’re in the “true” religion.
Hopefully, this might be the beginning for more people to sit up & take notice of the damage that destructive religious cults have on its members & not just look at the obvious ones like Islam.
I’ve been wondering while watching the enquiry, how many secular authorities are watching this, especially therapists like Raphael Aaron, who is aware of the JW mental health conditions & cult watcher. Then there is Child protective advocates like Hetty Johnston(one of my heroes here in Australia) & Nick Xenophon, an Australian politician who has been pushing for the investigating of cults in Australia & their charitable status for quite some time now.
Then there are analytical researchers who could find out numbers of followers who suffer from religious trauma as a result of being involved with such cults.
I just hope that the discussions keep going on further afield. People do find it interesting, when I talk with my outside friends about what it has been like being then leaving a high control religion, they are really fascinated by what they hear.
Reply
Criticus says:
July 30, 2015 at 3:23 pm
Hi to y’all,
this Doug Jackson C.O. is probably one of the dumbest, stupidest, most uneducated COs I have ever seen. How in the word could such a blockhead ever have become a CO within the WTS-org.? He is absolutey, totally, and utterly incompetent. It was just hilarious to see how the judge and the younger interrogator grilled him in regard to “uncleanness” and “loose conduct” in part 4. How could such a d…a… ever have been let loose as a CO on “God’s flock” without knowing the most fundamental basics needed for handling “judicial cases”? He “couldn’t recall” such a fundamental scripture as Gal 5,19 this whole “uncleanness” and “loose conduct”-WTS-shenanigans is based upon. He did not have the slightest clue with regard to the meanings, nor the differences between “akatharsía” and “asélgeia”. The panel actually had to explain all these things to him; the younger interrogator seemed to knew exactly what the term “pornéia” meant, whereas our CO-brother could just parrot GB-org. guidelines empty-headedly. This shows the true nature of WTS-procedures, and the “(non)quality” of WTS-mandated “judicial” acrobatics. I only watched part of this section, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this Doug-guy, after having left the hearing room, broke down and cried snod & tears. They literally took him apart, limb by limb.
This whole things points to one of the (many) basic and underlying flaws of the Watchtower system, which is: Incompetent people who neither have the needed education, nor the intellect to understand, explain and apply the Scriptures, are the “bosses” and are running the show, lording it over their fellow believers.
I couldn’t help but chuckle seeing one of those “Glorious Ones” being in the hotseat, being held to the fire by a woman – something utterly anathema and unthinkable within the confines of the sunny “spiritual paradise” under the iron rule of “theocratic order”. Imagine a sister hard-core-cross-examining a male member – let alone a C.O. – in tribunal-style. In fact, I was lol several times; this is very entertaining.
Greetings,
Criticus
Reply
James Kingstone says:
July 30, 2015 at 3:46 pm
I am riveted by the Australian Royal Commission videos.
I do feel for the elders to some degree having served on endless committees but they MUST see how the GB are exposed as cowardly and unfeeling. The original British colonies in America PROVED that religion’s rule is completely unworkable. Then Communism tried. Sharia law. Ku Klux Klan. Kmer Rouge. TV Evangilists. The list is endless. When will people stop all this ‘faith’ nonsense? Maybe I’ll start a religion based on motorcycles if there are THAT many stupid people in the world!?! Oh wait… there IS one…MotoGP.
Reply
rikos says:
July 30, 2015 at 4:28 pm
I call the brooklyn bethel three time and i inquire some truth about the australia child abuse enquiry, and the reports from CNN,ABC,NBC, and the video inside the courtroom. to my surprise, the service desk deny these allegations as the truth. They told me these are false accusation from satan. the media is instrument of satan and don’t believe what the media say. The only thing they offer me is to read ascription from the bible. unfortunately jehovah witnesses are deaf.
Reply
Meredith J says:
July 30, 2015 at 5:04 pm
Ha ha ha. Well, what else could you expect? They will be denying this and claiming persecution till the walls crumble around them.
Reply
Grace says:
July 30, 2015 at 5:00 pm
OMG Rikos,
That phone call would just make me want to yell through the phone! You mean to tell me that they are accusing every one else of lying but themselves.
Good on you for calling them, I wonder if the phone lines are lighting up there in Bethel.
Reply
Catalina says:
July 30, 2015 at 5:01 pm
After reading this article. I think, I may have more respect for the POPE than for the G.B. What a mess. Hard to believe these men can be so stupid, lack so much common sense and be so mind controlled. I have to believe it because it comes from their own mouths. I’m glad I watched. They are stupid, stupid, stupid without common sense.
Reply
Simon Kestral says:
July 30, 2015 at 5:30 pm
Common sense says a two witness rule does not apply to murder; there may be no living witnesses to that crime. But it’s still prosecuted and the guilty jailed or executed.
Same goes for sex crimes. A two witness rule fails in most cases, so justice needs common sense. WT misapplies the two witness scriptural principle in defiance of justice and common sense.
But that’s what happens when people worship an idol (the WT organization). They abandon common sense.
Reply
StrongHaiku says:
July 30, 2015 at 5:18 pm
So far Dino Ali gets my vote for future GB member. He was unapologetic, unreasonable, and the epitome of a true “Company Man” that just follows orders. All the others elders/representatives had just enough humanity left to make them seem “spiritually weak”. I see a bright future for Dino Ali.
Reply
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New videos are constantly being uploaded to the John Cedars YouTube channel.
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11 Responses to Videos
KtotheRAD "Konrad" says:
August 25, 2013 at 6:55 pm
With every word they reveal and “impart” far more than they ever intended…
Reply
george says:
August 27, 2013 at 4:45 am
Sorry Cedars, I can only access the first video on my I pad. There are a lot of over sized play icons and they won’t work.
Reply
Luke says:
October 27, 2013 at 5:27 pm
Continue the good work on this site that expose what Watchtower Organization really are — a fanatic end-time driven cult that only serve interests of its leaders. I left this
cult three years ago for good. My only regret is that I had not left the Watchtower Cult earlier! On Easter Sunday this year, I was baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and received into Eastern Orthodox Church, apostolic Church that preserved the Faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
Cedar, you have my blessings of your work on this site that
will yet help millions of JWs to see the truth of so-called ‘Truth’.
Reply
Fred says:
November 2, 2013 at 12:09 pm
Forget taking your numbers from a 1974 yearbook if you question the amount of those killed, interned, etc get the numbers from the Holocaust museum. You forgot to mention the ‘JEWS’ were and its quoted several times in the Watchtower publications as it is related in the bible, “ONCE GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE” but they did not remain that because of their actions. Your quotes from WT publications are based on the latter that they fell out of favour in God’s eyes. They therefor were NOT written in an anti-Semitic nature. Many Jews have become JW’s over the years are they lesser beings because they were of Jewish blood?…ABSOLUTELY NOT! All races are equal so this video in my opinion is twisted in its presentation. Not to mention the ridiculous claim of Rutherford’s so called love letter to Adolf Hitler. No blinders on here, I have checked the facts. Sorry but this video paints an untruthful twist of events and statements about the WT as regards the comments on the Nazi’s and Jews.
Reply
Palma says:
February 28, 2014 at 3:48 am
Hi everybody! Hi cedars!
I found this article about a discovery in egypt that brings light to the origin of story of joseph in the bible.
What do you think?http://www.davidovits.info/the-lost-fresco-and-the-bible-my-new-book-in-french/
Reply
Idris says:
March 27, 2014 at 8:12 am
Thank you for this page, it has been a great help to me, as I seek the truth of the word of God, however I noticed in the video ‘Does the Bible speak of ‘Paradise Earth’ the speaker quotes Luke 21v43 twice, regarding Jesus word on the cross, there should be a correction note as the verse he mentions is in Luke 23 v 43.
Keep up the good work
Reply
Julia Orwell says:
July 17, 2014 at 3:47 am
Been to internationals before and this elaborate souvenir thing is entirely new. The last one I went to in 2009, the last ones they had, had nothing like this so it’s not a matter of you having not noticed it in the past, it’s a matter of it being a new phenomenon.
I theorize that the wt motives for this involve keeping the masses busy and therefore obedient. Jws would volunteer to do this because there are no other legitimate outlets for creative expression. Armageddon being near has nothing to do with it: it’s about keeping the sheeple busy and happy. Making stupid trinkets is also a team building activity as it involves jws working together, thus reinforcing the herd mentality jws have.
Reply
frankie fernandez says:
February 27, 2015 at 4:44 pm
dear friends I was baptized in 1974. Thank God I am no longer a member of the WT. Free at last and oh what a relief it is. A member of my former congregation who I considerd my best friend molested a minor. There was a big argument amognst the elders on the judicial committee. One elder who was a maverick, wanted to notify the police. But, instead they followed the instuctions of the society. They kept this crime against the child, hush hush. So as not to tarnish the name of Jehovah. But in reality it was a coverup to protect the wt’s reputation. Meanwhile this poor child that was raped has to carry the heavy burden of a victim for the rest of thier lives without compensation and without justice. While the abuser has remaind a member in good standing. The congregation he is attending now has not been notified that he is a sexual preditor.
Reply
Kirtley W. Burggraf says:
March 11, 2015 at 11:16 am
Tell me, since governing body members are elected (replacing someone who dies) at what point do do they become “divinely inspired” or “spirit guided”? Were they always thus in the lower ranks or does this just “happen” the moment that they are appointed? What’s Watchtower’s take on this?
Reply
Alone in MD says:
March 31, 2015 at 6:00 pm
Regards your video on the Memorial Service. I am one of those “non believers” married to a baptized witness. I go to just keep the peace but I’ve made it known that I consider this service one of the worst religious ceremonies that I have ever been to. “Anointed What”. Also it was announced at last years meeting that “this may be the last memorial service”. They are at it again. Thanks for the great videos.
Reply
frankie fernandez says:
May 10, 2015 at 9:50 pm
IF CHRIST WAS ENTHRONGED IN 1914, WHY ARE THE WITNESES STILL CELEBRATING THE MEMORIAL? CHRIST SAID THAT AFTER HIS ARRIVAL NO ONE WAS TO CELEBRATE THE MEMORIAL .ALSO HE SAID THAT THE DAY OF HIS PRESENSE, IT WILL BE LIKE LIGHTNING FROM ONE POINT OF THE EARTH TO ANOTHER. LIGHTNING TRAVELS AT THE SPEED OF 3500 MILES PER SECOUND. SO IT WILL TRAVEL AROUND THE GLOBE IN LESS THAN A MINUTE. HE ALSO SAID THAT ALL EYES WILL SEE HIM. NOT LIKE THE WTS THAT SAYS WE ARE IN HIS INVISIBLE PRESENSE.
Reply
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Top Posts & Pages
Elders shamed under questioning by the Royal Commission
Elders shamed under questioning by the Royal Commission
Australian Royal Commission hears that 1,006 alleged child sex abusers were covered up by Watchtower
Australian Royal Commission hears that 1,006 alleged child sex abusers were covered up by Watchtower
Is Watchtower imploding? 10 reasons why the end could be nigh
Is Watchtower imploding? 10 reasons why the end could be nigh
The must-read story of a ministerial servant and his wife who woke up in the last few months
The must-read story of a ministerial servant and his wife who woke up in the last few months
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Jehovah's Witness elders ignored child sex abuse rules of evidence, royal commission told http://www.smh.com.au/national/jehovahs-witness-elders-ignored-child-sex-abuse-rules-of-evidence-royal-commission-told-20150729-gimnwb.html … via @smh
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28 Jul
Lloyd Evans @cedarsjwsurvey
Australian sex abuse report names hundreds of Jehovah Witnesses https://youtu.be/g2oJwWIOwYU?list=FLPwFxQx09kcz0mP1zWLgP9Q … via @YouTube
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27 Jul
Lloyd Evans @cedarsjwsurvey
Evidence that 1,006 alleged #childabuse perpetrators were covered up in Australia comes straight from #Watchtower http://wp.me/p1TWXJ-22H
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21 Jul
AvoidJW.org @avoidjw_org
A Glimpse Into the Life of a Child Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness https://richarddawkins.net/2015/07/a-glimpse-into-the-life-of-a-child-raised-as-a-jehovahs-witness/ … via @Richard Dawkins Foundation
Retweeted by Lloyd Evans
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21 Jul
Louis Theroux ✔ @louistheroux
"When your legs don't work like they used to before..."
Did you just THREATEN ME, Ed Sheeran??!
Retweeted by Lloyd Evans
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21 Jul
Lloyd Evans @cedarsjwsurvey
Thanks to @armathenia for a beautiful piece about the innate kindness of "worldly people"... http://wp.me/p1TWXJ-212
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20 Jul
Linda DubrowMarshall @DrLindaDM
Cameron to unveil plan to tackle Islamist extremism http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33590305 …
Retweeted by Lloyd Evans
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20 Jul
Lloyd Evans @cedarsjwsurvey
Ex-Believers Accuse Jehovah's Witness Leadership Of Covering Up Sexual Abuse http://www.inquisitr.com/2265651/ex-believers-accuse-jehovahs-witness-leadership-of-covering-up-sexual-abuse/ … via @theinquisitr
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19 Jul
TED Talks ✔ @TEDTalks
Powerful and practical advice for those who hope to change the world: http://t.ted.com/z6iNsS0
Retweeted by Lloyd Evans
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19 Jul
Hemant Mehta @hemantmehta
Enough is Enough: We Can’t Ignore All the Accusations and Cover-Ups and Payouts and Crimes http://tinyurl.com/pf8wew3
Retweeted by Lloyd Evans
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19 Jul
Lloyd Evans @cedarsjwsurvey
I've just realized I have 1,000 followers! Time to start my cult...
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19 Jul
Maajid Nawaz @MaajidNawaz
PM Cameron @Number10gov gives major policy-defining speech on extremism tomorrow. I helped with it. It's significant. pic.twitter.com/4Mmy7YQSSP
Retweeted by Lloyd Evans
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19 Jul
Lloyd Evans @cedarsjwsurvey
ISIS are the Nazis of our age. If the Third Reich were somehow reincarnated in the Middle East, it's hard to imagine it being any worse.
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17 Jul
Lloyd Evans @cedarsjwsurvey
Whoever sent me the awesome cover version of "Good Things, Bad Things," please give me permission to share it!
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17 Jul
Hemant Mehta @hemantmehta
Former Jehovah’s Witness Servant Explains How the Organization Fired Him Without Warning http://tinyurl.com/pkzqa6o
Retweeted by Lloyd Evans
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16 Jul
Megan Phelps-Roper @meganphelps
Different organization, similar experiences. @DanielGenser on questioning and then leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses: https://medium.com/keep-learning-keep-growing/what-i-believe-to-be-true-and-how-i-have-come-to-believe-it-13df821c3ed …
Retweeted by Lloyd Evans
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17 Jul
Lloyd Evans @cedarsjwsurvey
My 10 reasons why I believe Watchtower could be on the verge of imploding... http://wp.me/p1TWXJ-21N
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17 Jul
Lloyd Evans @cedarsjwsurvey
A Glimpse Into the Life of a Child Raised as a Jehovah's Witness - http://go.shr.lc/1CKjb7j via @Shareaholic
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16 Jul
Lloyd Evans @cedarsjwsurvey
Proud to be involved with this billboard project - http://go.shr.lc/1O8t27P via @Shareaholic
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