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Jehovah’s Witness guilty of strangling children for sexual gratification
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Posted on January 3, 2016
Warwick Crown Court, where Ian Pheasey was sentenced to five years
Warwick Crown Court, where Ian Pheasey was sentenced to five years
Once again, Jehovah’s Witnesses hit the headlines regarding the covering up of child sex abuse.
This most recent case concerns Ian Pheasey, who was a member of a congregation in Warwick. The court was told how Pheasey attacked a 7-year-old girl while working as a volunteer librarian at the Kingdom Hall in the 1990s. He was charged with offenses that occurred between 1989 and 1994, and he pleaded guilty to 3 offenses.
Pheasey’s offenses are unusual in nature as he obtained sexual gratification from strangling children. His first victim was a 7-year-old girl who had gone to get a book from the library in the Kingdom Hall. His second victim was a 14-year-old girl who he grabbed around the neck and threw to the floor where he straddled her and squeezed her neck.
The poor girl fell unconscious twice and was crying out, “Jehovah help me.” Pheasey told the girl he would kill her if she told anyone, and he also said if she ever had daughters he would rape them as well.
She ran home screaming and crying to her mother, but sadly her mother told her to clean herself up. She was taken to the hospital for the bruising to her neck, but was told by her parents that she must never say anything about it. Furthermore, the matter was “swept under the carpet” by the congregation, according to the prosecutor.
Ian Pheasey, who admitted fantasizing about young girls
Ian Pheasey, who admitted fantasizing about young girls
Pheasey admitted fantasizing about strangling the girl, and that he had lured her over with the intention of strangling her and becoming sexually aroused.
His third victim was only 6 years old when he was carrying out some work at her parents’ house. As the little girl sat in his van, he got in and started tickling her and then moved his hand up her skirt. He only stopped when she kicked out and screamed.
Nicholas Taplow, prosecuting, stated: ”He was a man who had a particular sexual fascination with the act of strangulation. He derived sexual gratification from strangling children, and many children were strangled in this way by him during what he described as horseplay.”
Pheasey was jailed for 5 years after he pleaded guilty to assaulting one girl, causing her actual bodily harm, and indecently assaulting 2 others.
A spokesman for the Jehovah’s Witnesses said the church deplored Pheasey’s behavior and denied it was involved in a cover up of his crimes. The spokesman said, “Jehovah’s Witnesses abhor child abuse, and view it as a serious crime and sin. The safety of our children is of the utmost importance. Any suggestion that Jehovah’s Witnesses cover up child abuse is absolutely false. We are committed to doing all we can to prevent child abuse and to provide spiritual comfort to any who have suffered from this terrible sin and crime.”
This case is particularly shocking as some of the offenses happened at the Kingdom Hall. Not only is the nature of the crimes particularly disturbing, but also the reactions from the parents and the congregation. Sadly, this is a common occurrence, and one we are becoming all too familiar with. What I found particularly interesting in this case was the statement released by the Jehovah’s Witness spokesman.
In two sentences within the statement, they mention child abuse as a sin and a crime. It baffles me that they still can’t seem to understand that if something can be described as a “crime,” this far outweighs whether or not it is perceived as a “sin.” Have you ever heard Witnesses describing murder, kidnapping or burglary as a sin? Of course not, because they are crimes. As an abuse victim myself, I find it offensive that they effectively minimize the seriousness of the crime of child sex abuse in this way.
The other interesting point is that they claim to provide “spiritual comfort” to any who have suffered child abuse. I would love to know what this comfort consists of. I imagine it to involve three old men sitting with a victim reading scriptures from the bible.
Although in my case, both myself and the other victims didn’t even get that! When will the Governing Body realize that victims don’t want “spiritual comfort.” They want to be believed and supported. They want to know that if they report the matter to police, the elders will be right by their side. They want to know that others in the congregation are going to be protected because of their bravery in coming forward.
Sadly this is not the case. In case after case we are seeing more support for the abuser and their family than for the victim. I don’t know the victims in this case, but in case they read this article I want to just say this:
What you have done has taken great bravery and determination. I know what it’s like to live with something for over 25 years and feel like you will never get justice. I can only imagine what you went through with elders at the time, and maybe even recently, but you are not alone. There is a huge, loving community out there full of ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses who all understand how you feel. Each brave person who comes forward shines another light on to the organization and its unwillingness to protect children.
new-karen-signature2
Further reading…
◾Mirror article
◾Metro article
◾Daily Mail article
◾Telegraph article
◾The Sun article
◾Stratford Herald article
◾JWsurvey articles on child abuse
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125 Responses to Jehovah’s Witness guilty of strangling children for sexual gratification
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HAKIZIMANA Jean de Dieu says:
January 3, 2016 at 4:03 am
I think the organization uses child use as a weapon to hold the victims in the cult as elders will play their shoulder to cry on:
How JWs hypocritically seem, in their publication, to advacate for children protection and act differently?
*** g94 5/8 p. 29 Watching the World ***
About 29 percent of the children murdered by a father, an uncle, a brother, or a stepfather were raped before dying. O Estado de S. Paulo reports that in Brazil about 90 percent of all cases of domestic violence against children go unreported.
Why are they judge the world before their judge themselves?
*** g93 11/8 p. 29 Watching the World ***
The Dublin Rape Crisis Center says that the number of reported cases of sexual child abuse in Ireland has risen from 408 in 1984 to 2,000 in 1992. A brutal case of incest there has sparked a national furor. A father, addicted to a hard liquor called poteen, raped and assaulted his daughter repeatedly over a 16-year period and fathered a child by her. He blinded her in one eye by beating her with a stick. As is not uncommon in such cases, the victim’s mother knew of the incest but lied to the police to protect her husband; neighbors likewise knew of the girl’s plight but did nothing. Although the man pleaded guilty to charges of rape, incest, and assault, the judge considered the matter to be incest. The father was sentenced to seven years in prison, the maximum for incest, and he could be released after four. Outraged over the case, many Irish Catholics are calling on their church to make a specific pronouncement against incest.
They are “Watching the World” the world!!
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Idontknowhatodo says:
January 3, 2016 at 4:08 am
Well said Karen Morgan…how do they keep getting this so horribly wrong? I still find it amazing as part of a congregation of Jehovahs Withesess that I would be allowed to have contact with a ‘repentant’ abuser but not with his disfellowshipped victim… I have awoken pretty abruptly over the last two years after a life time of lies…pretty devastating at 57… I sometimes want to take the easy way and just give in…my entire family would shun me if I left dramatically… your article reminds me of why Im fading… I hope you have found some peace after your ordeals…thank you
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Johnshipl says:
January 3, 2016 at 4:23 am
I am in exactly same position fading so as not to loose family. What beats me is 1993 awake march or may article on what to do if raped. First thing CALL THE POLICE second GET MEDICAL HELP preseve the evidence .get the victim to place of safety. Almost last on the list call the elders. WHY OH WHY dont they follow their own advice ???
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Johnshipl says:
January 3, 2016 at 4:41 am
That was march 8 awake page 9 .its all there good advice .what went wrong ?? It just makes me so angry .they have ” two sets of stone weights “
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Jeffreycanning says:
January 3, 2016 at 2:30 pm
Just tell them they are following a fictitious God and get shunned… It hurts to lose family as i know too well, but worth it to not live a lie. .
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Darlene Alexander says:
January 3, 2016 at 4:21 am
He only got 5 years? THAT is a crime.
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Straw Heart says:
January 3, 2016 at 4:43 am
And that’s the one who got caught!
What about all the ones who’ve got away with these heinous crimes?
These elders dealing with these incidences are supposed to be elected by Jehovah!!!!! What a total lie.
It’s elders with privilege in the congregations who also do these disposable acts on vulnerable children etc., disgusting.
I believe the amount of Paedophiles in the congregations of JWs worldwide, is approximately, 30,000.
So glad I’m out of this false prophet religion.
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Merice Marshall says:
January 3, 2016 at 4:49 am
Great write up Karen …
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Garrett says:
January 3, 2016 at 4:58 am
He wouldnt survive prison here in America. Any crime against a child here and the inmate is usually found dead….and rightfully so.
Would you ever put someone like that back on the streets
…after 5 years?
…ever?
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ktmmadbrit says:
January 3, 2016 at 6:00 am
This thug needs a proper lesson. But our UK courts are so soft as to be useless. Wish our prisons were like that Garrett!
What upset me was that little girl crying to ‘Jehovah’ for help! Where was the bolt of lightning? He doesn’t exist. Poor child.
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Chiafade says:
January 3, 2016 at 10:21 am
That upset me too. “Jehovah help me” and how does he respond to this child’s desperate plea for help?….He ignores her and turns his attention to the young couple who wants to pioneer and blesses THEM with the perfect part-time job. The child can wait for a future time when jah will wipe their memory of all abuses and of the times her pleas were ignored. By God and his org. Isn’t that wonderful?
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JJ says:
January 3, 2016 at 10:42 am
I believe it was Christopher Hitchens who said that a God who won’t help, or can’t help, is as worthless as no God at all.
I agree with the other commenters and I was always disturbed by Jehovah’s Witnesses who bragged that God blessed them with a new house, car or vacation while someone else was dying of cancer.
It just doesn’t make any sense at all.
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Jeffreycanning says:
January 3, 2016 at 2:33 pm
Just tell them they are following a fictitious God and get shunned… It hurts to lose family as i know too well, but worth it to not live a lie. .
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Jeffreycanning says:
January 3, 2016 at 2:38 pm
Did ‘Rhonda’ help the beach boys…?
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Meredith J says:
January 4, 2016 at 2:50 pm
One would have to ask themselves “Who really is Jehovah?” The answer is obvious. If he was the real God then certainly He would have sorted this problem out with “His” people. There is the true God but it appears not to be ‘Jehovah’.
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D. Charles Pyle says:
January 3, 2016 at 6:03 am
It’s things like this that seem to me to warrant the death penalty to put such ones out of their misery. The rate of recidivism is so high for such people that it is a crime to put most of them back out onto the streets after five years, or ever.
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anonymous4 says:
January 3, 2016 at 4:56 pm
Excellent point. And who’s to say, down the line, their crimes won’t become even MORE violent, leading to actual murder. It happens. A lot. If not fry them, at least lock them up for LIFE.
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anonymous4 says:
January 3, 2016 at 4:57 pm
They can enjoy a lifetime of free sex in prison.
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Sarah says:
January 3, 2016 at 6:23 am
The elders’ crime is that they silence the victims. Stating they do not cover up crime in this way is a lie. Parents are taught to believe elders know best and thus will downplay the child’s hurt.
The problem is the belief that if there is only one witness, that witness is considered a slanderer is he tells anyone else. Thus abused persons are not able to warn others. This dreadful belief must be exposed for being devastatingly harmful and wrong.
So sorry for all victims and I’m working hard to try to expose other secret, unlawful, activity of the organisation.
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i sawthe light says:
January 3, 2016 at 12:39 pm
Lets stop playing the watchtowers game. We act like nothing can be done-We should just all walk out from this crap.Why do we stay in a cult religion? Call an ace an ace. It is a wicked cult and it is a book selling company. No more playing the watchtower game. If this is the truth then I want no part of the so called truth. The whole chain of command is wicked and self serving. Those little window washers walk around like a rooster and a brief case in their hand they feel like they are so important. Important? Tell me one thing that is important about them. Give a window washer a little authority and they go nuts. I want no part of this crap- Its all a game and they have 8 million zombies world wide that that goes along with it. As for me I am free.No more of this crap–I am gone.
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Jeffreycanning says:
January 3, 2016 at 2:41 pm
Right on!!!
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Roman Castañeda says:
January 3, 2016 at 6:48 am
I can’t imagine this guy being at a kingdom hall strangling little girls and no one noticing. If the girls were there, shouldn’t their parents be there as well? How did the people react when they saw a girl passed out on the floor in front of the literature cabinet? That is simply disturbing.
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Caltanzee says:
January 3, 2016 at 6:59 am
Well what did Christ said about the selfrihgteous Pharisees.He called them white washed graves full of every sort of plunder and lawlessness. Such is the organization.with them its all about the white wash of purity while beneath the surface lies piles of vile and disgusting things.men who stymied their conscience to retain egotistical power and prestige to the detriment of the flock.
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Mr. Bee says:
January 3, 2016 at 7:16 am
I, too, was raised as a witness. I left about 3 yrs. ago. Fading is what I’m doing, as I also have a brother, sister and daughter that are still in. My wife knows about my feelings and, metaphorically speaking, puts her hands over her ears and goes “la la la la la la la”…. I can’t help but think that the reason the girl was told by her mother to downplay it was to “not bring reproach on Jehovah’s name”. I told my wife that this brings more reproach than if it was immediately reported to the police. Most people in “the world” would respect the congregation for taking it to the authorities right away.
And that whole Australian Commission totally blew my mind!!
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Idontknowhatodo says:
January 3, 2016 at 7:28 am
The Royal Australian Commission was the final nail in the coffin for me…. I didnt believe any more so felt mentally free and hadnt been on door to door preaching for some time …. after listenibg to all the Australian Commission hearings I realised not only was this religion false…it was sick…sick to its bootstraps…. I have not been to a meeting for 3 months and have not put in a report last month for the first time in my life… its hard as my spouse is totally entrenched as are my children and their partners… they are in fact the only reason I dont disassociate… I love my partner and cant imagine life wthout him… his feelings would change towards me and I dont know if I could take that at the moment… Im coping but its hard sometimes to walk the path Iv chosen… but at least I have chosen it.
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Johnshipl says:
January 3, 2016 at 2:41 pm
I am on same position as you with my wife we had a long talk aboit shunning with her yesterday .i told her i may soon walk away .she says she would not shun me . Have to see. .yes its heartbreaking when partner cant think properly .
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anonymous4 says:
January 3, 2016 at 5:05 pm
Keep walking that tightrope. It leads to Freedom.
:)
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MimiLove says:
January 4, 2016 at 7:02 am
Same boat with my husband. Also the Royal Commission was final blow for me. My family refused to listen to it which really upset me. I’m having a hard time holding my tongue which starts great battles between me and my husband. I quit turning in time 6 months ago and thankfully no sheparding calls yet, doubt I could play it cool. I wish there was someone close by to talk to about this but fear of being shunned keeps our mouths shut. Take care
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Johnshipl says:
January 3, 2016 at 2:36 pm
My wife is the same i try to reason but she says i will never leave jehovah. She wont hear a word agains THE GB its like the mind control has destroyed somthing in thier brain and the cant reason. Im fading out after 50 years .id walk away tomorow but have wife amd most family in . However i am doing what i can by keeping on at the elders about the ARC .they dong like it .its got to burst at some point .there is so much information against the gb
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mel says:
January 3, 2016 at 7:18 am
“The spokesman said, “Jehovah’s Witnesses abhor child abuse, and view it as a serious crime and sin. The safety of our children is of the utmost importance.”
Forgive me if I am wrong, but this sounds like the same routine quote said by all the JW Spokespeople published in various media outlets.
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Chiafade says:
January 3, 2016 at 10:14 am
You are not wrong. They have been parroting that phrase ever since Tony Morris used it in the July broadcast. The witnesses don’t know that you can’t say you abhor it while at the same time cover it up.
The org wants to put a pretty Persian rug on top of a pile of turds.
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Covert Fade says:
January 3, 2016 at 4:52 pm
Yep, it’s the same damn routine statement that they dribble out every time, that never actually seeks to address the specifics of the case, even if those specifics actively discredit every line of their statement, as they do in this one. It’s either a sign that they do not care about this issue, or that they are genuinely clueless about how to address it. I tend towards the later, but I’m actually starting to wonder at this point.
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Chiafade says:
January 3, 2016 at 10:42 pm
Knowing the witnesses and their concern for keeping Jahs name clean there is a conundrum that they may be having difficulty with.
In their deluded minds they’re probably thinking “how do we admit that we have a problem and still come out squeaky clean?”
Bro A.Kisser says :How about we just say that we need to improve our policy? “Absolutely not! That would drag Jehovahs name through the mud”.
In a more likely scenario this is what actually happened in my opinion. ” How do we make this go away?”
“Let’s just write more articles on lying or persecution and tell the drones that they should ignore this”.
No matter the scenario the organization is backed into a corner. These stories are getting them a lot of unwanted attention. None of them help their cause in countries where they are still trying to get a foothold. Like Russia for example.
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Tara says:
January 3, 2016 at 8:35 am
I was invited to brunch at a ‘sisters’ house yesterday… it was nice in the fact that others there are not so ‘witnessy’… one, an elders daughter asked me if there was any more news from the ‘Australian thing’. I smiled about this because it was her Dad whom i first made a comment to… obviously it is a topic in their home. I told her the commission had published its findings and that the WT had responded in as much as they wanted everything ‘struck’ from it. She made the comment that she was thankful that non of this happens now as the WT ‘is on top of all this stuff’… I just looked at her in amazement. How gullible can you be.
A couple of off topic things she said….
I mentioned the toxic waste at Warwick – she had no idea but said ‘wow that is going to cost in medical bills in the future’.
She mentioned about me not coming to meetings etc ‘You took it way to seriously when your daughter was df’d’.
Too seriously! the shunning, the labeling of my grandbaby being born in sin! The marking talk being given from the platform….
There is no point in talking to a brick wall.
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Chiafade says:
January 3, 2016 at 10:09 am
“Talking to a brick wall” is right. The fully entrenched witnesses will defend their abuser no matter what they do. Then in true cult fashion when a fully legitimate complaint is made rather than pay heed to it they turn their attention to the complainer.
When I brought up the Jose Lopez case in California one of the elders I spoke to said “that lawyer said that Jehovahs witnesses were the most arrogant people he’s dealt with” “someone is feeding him that information! That doesn’t have the ring of truth, you know that’s not true”.
So, true to form without even thinking about it he took the side of the abuser. At the same time he ignored Gerrit Losch’ letter to refuse to appear in court costing watchtower 13 million dollars. After that interchange I decided that I would not back down or refrain from bringing these serious issues up when someone is talking about how ” wonderful Jahs org is”. ESPECIALLY when someone said this religion or that religion is terrible. I never let that fly without a response.
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Winston Smith says:
January 3, 2016 at 10:43 am
I have looked up about 5 or 6 articles on this case and they all basically say the same thing: ‘The church swept it under the carpet.’ However there are no details given as to what action the congregation took or failed to take in this regard. My assumption, based on other cases, is that when the one girl told her parents what happened they in turn contacted the elders. There was a minor investigation, the perpetrator lied through his teeth, and received a slap on the wrist. It would be nice to know if my assumptions are correct, but unless a court transcript like that of the ARC is made available, we will probably never know the exact details.
Someone made the point earlier that if the Organization reported the incidents when they occurred, there would be far less reproach on the ‘divine name’ than in cases where they hide these issues and get caught later. That is so true.
Besides trying to avoid negative press, I think that there is another reason elders do not report: They have been deluded into thinking that they are being led by Holy Spirit and therefore are better able to handle the situation than those who have specific training to deal with such cases. They need to come to terms with their own limitations and realize that they are not receiving any special divine guidance.
WS
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Simon Kestral says:
January 3, 2016 at 11:38 am
“They need to … realize that they are not receiving any special divine guidance.”
Won’t happen. They like that lie. It makes them feel good. Expecting them to reform is wishful thinking. The only productive hope is, leave and don’t look back.
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Winston Smith says:
January 3, 2016 at 12:29 pm
@Simon
I agree with you. As long as there exists a system that perpetuates this lie, there will always be weak-minded men willing to fill the role.
WS
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Caltanzee says:
January 3, 2016 at 8:29 pm
That elders are appointed by and under the guidance of holy spirit is the greatest delusion of all.That’s the thing that keeps the rank n file in morbid fear of speaking up.They look up to these egomaniacal phonies as if their are Jesus himself.These men have become false Christ.Their are just puppets on a string controlled by the Gb to conceal and polish up the falacies. Certainly God and Christ would not be party to delusions such as this. Hope many more wake up and do as my wife and I did. Get up, dust yourself off, put on your running shoes and run away!! Run out of her my people, if you don’t want to participate in her sins and receive her deadly plagues!!!
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M. Rhodes says:
January 3, 2016 at 11:16 am
As per usual, the Society says they abhor child abuse, but then do nothing nothing to protect children. No warning to parents, no warning to members or congregations, no reporting to authorities so the criminal can be dealt with using the legal channels. One has to ask, how does this show an abhorrence for child abuse?
Next they claim the safety of their children is of utmost importance. Hmm… so let’s get this straight: the criminal isn’t reported to authorities, no warnings are issued to protect young ones, the matter is hushed up. One can see a predator going after the same child again and again, as well as other children, just as happened in this case.
It would be interesting if parents sued The Society if action WASN’T taken with a first incidence, which exposed their children to additional incidents, that could have been avoided if the matter had actually been dealt with, rather than swept under the carpet.
The third claim is outright misleading. They DO cover up child abuse, as over 1000 cases went unreported in Australia.
Their failure to show concern for their victims, instead of concern for their public image, does nothing to convince those in the know that they are doing “all that they can.”
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JBob says:
January 3, 2016 at 3:28 pm
@M Rhodes – it is telling that often at assemblies there were warnings not to leave valued items unattended [presumably “outsiders” could drift in, rob and drift out], but a lack of general warnings to parents about how to train children to be cautious and aware of interaction with adults–whether authority figures or not–would be revolting.
But, on the other hand, if a group had repeated failures to hit the side of a big red barn with its predictions, would that group want 2nd or 3rd generations hanging around to bring up the “past”? Children are a “thorn in the side” of the Watchtower as each successive [note correct use of the English term] generation is a highlight of egrecious predictions of “the end” and culmination of “last days” as predicted. The group is built on independence from offspring because of the recruiting engine built-in–a revolving door. It always depends on there being more of “the lowest common denominator” disenfranchised, fringe individuals (maybe not fitting into the traditional church community) willing to turn their lives around by surrenduring control to the group.
Unfortunately, that means bringing in risky individuals subject to lapses into former behaviors–along with those who may not be compulsive and risky. What Karen’s article and several others highlighting abuse issues have not covered is the challenging issues facing JW’s and other denominations with balancing redemption, trust, fellowship, forgiveness, healing and self-preservation (protecting self and offspring from compulsive predators who have attempted to modify their behaviors yet remain a risk) in building a religious community.
Child abuse and victimization within religious groups is not limited to JW’s, and an expanded discussion or constructive dialogue referencing preventive measures or how groups built on wide-acceptance, trust and affirmation of individuals can include more robust safeguards and procedures for addressing grievances while maintaining those critical paramenters.
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JBob says:
January 3, 2016 at 4:41 pm
..nice to have. and, “egrecious” s/b egregious..
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Meredith J says:
January 4, 2016 at 3:25 pm
To M.Rhodes, remember the 1006 that were not reported to police were 1006 pedophiles, not 1006 cases. The amount of cases is unknown. One male was known to have abused 40 children.
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Juli says:
January 3, 2016 at 11:22 am
Thank you so much for this article. We have to keep to keep putting this information out there to help the silenced victims.
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Simon Kestral says:
January 3, 2016 at 12:27 pm
@JJ
Evil does not disprove God. No, on the contrary, it proves that God does not contradict himself.
Philosophers may be perplexed by evil, but the explanation is simple.
Free will is the greatest endowment of man. It permits man to choose good or evil; to be truly free, it MUST include the possibility of evil.
God gave man free will. He does not intervene when a man abuses the gift by choosing evil. If he did, free will would not be truly “free.” God is timeless and true. He does not contradict himself.
Will there ever be justice for the victims of evil? For those who have faith, the Bible says God loves justice. And God is timeless and true.
Of course without faith, bitterness and disbelief ensue.
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EDWARD GUZMAN says:
January 3, 2016 at 2:17 pm
MY COUSIN’S 2 SONS FROM A PREVIOUS MARRIAGE WERE MOLESTED BY THEIR JW STEPFATHER. SHE TOOK HIM BEFORE THE ELDERS. WHEN THEY DID NOTHING. SHE WENT TO THE POLICE. HER HUSBAND WENT BEFORE A JUDGE AND HE WAS SENTENCED TO 15 TEARS IN JAIL.WHAT IS REALLY IRONIC, IS THAT HE IS GIVING BIBLE STUDIES TO THE OTHER PRISONERS. IN THE 25 YEARS THAT I WAS A JW I WAS A MEMBER OF 3 CONGREGATIONS. THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE SEX OFFENDER IN EACH CONGREGATION. THERE ARE 1.5 BILLION CATHOLICS AND 8 MILLION JWS IN THE WORLD. THERE ARE IN PROPORTION MORE JW MINISTER CHILD MOLESTERS IN THE WORLD THAN THERE ARE CATHOLIC PRIEST CHILD MOLESTERS. THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE.
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Searcher says:
January 4, 2016 at 10:31 am
Good point. BTW, just an etiquette note: Using all capital letters in a blog, letter, email, etc is the same a verbally yelling at the receiver. I don’t think you actually meant to yell at us.
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Pow says:
January 3, 2016 at 2:23 pm
When a corporation produces a defective product, say maybe a car, drug or medical device and this in time results in harm or even death(s). Of, course they are disturbed at the resulting ramifications, however, the huge difference between being on the hook for civil damages and being criminally culpable is the degree in which the company knew of the problems and obstructed inquiries into the scope of the problem. Today, the watchtower’s position is we didn’t know or we did everything possible to remedy the situation. Unfortunately neither of those statements are any where near true.
The fact is this: Nothing bad ever happens here, no matter what the facts are…so shut up and put up. The all mighty God of this organization with it’s great temple on earth is : JW.org @warwick and they hold the patent on Yahweh. And if a prophet from among us rises up to proclaim truth and decries injustice, the modern day Sanhedrin will sentence you to slow death by shunning.
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ruthlee says:
January 3, 2016 at 2:43 pm
Such seriously sad and damning news YET AGAIN. This faecal matter hitting the fan must be very distasteful now to the guys in the ivory tower. If there is a god running the shop, then to all intents and purposes the whole elder body should be on their knees praising and thanking the lord that at last he is cleaning house, and exposing all the terrible things that have played on their sullied consciences all these years. Just think folks all those holy appointed men who knew of the little people who had been raped and damaged in their watchcare and seen grow up,screwed and bu**ered up for life. All those ones they daily prayed for but couldn’t quite just muster up the decency to go to the police , because they would be the grass. Such relief that now it is all going to be exposed and the shepherds can rest easy because it will all be shiny and new now won’t it? No vicarious liability, no damages for them, no wounded conscience because this is gods work after all any such expose of the criminal behaviour and dereliction of duty will all be put right. Ha you may say I live in my delusion. two things, 1 Jehovah’s witnesses hate children full stop or they would not expect them to preach to potential paedos. 2 this is not God’s holy run org, it is a corrupt sect that saves face and now that pock marked face is shown to the world. It lies, lives lies and tells more lies, but the ugly face is showing now . The world will expose this travesty of justice not god he does not need to .Bring it on. ruthlee
Reply
Anonymous says:
January 3, 2016 at 2:57 pm
@Roman It boggles the mind, too, that parents and other victimized JW’s would not report these criminal acts.
It isn’t described how this KH operated its library because most KH’s are closed/locked when meetings are not in session. This differs from most churches that are accessible with rooms or libraries available during the week where rooms or facilities are available to participants for support groups, counseling, and even social activities. Thus, a shadow of a doubt on the first story.
It also seems outrageous that parents would be so negligent to send a child off alone, or to leave a child unattended in the presence of another adult–whether trusted, or not. But, in the case of one child, it seems the parents did instruct her to repudiate “bad touch” from anyone. Thus, I have another doubt on the second story, and would think that the parents should also be charged with child-neglect.
Reply
Winston Smith says:
January 3, 2016 at 5:00 pm
This whole Church Librarian title sounded odd. I was wondering if this guy worked behind the literature counter and “Librarian” is how this position was described by the court.
WS
Reply
enlightened now says:
January 3, 2016 at 3:50 pm
A congregation male member raped a young girl in the congregation getting her pregnant (she lost the child). The elders had said not to say anything to the authorities (as usual).The member was eventfully disfellowshiped and a few years later the girl/young woman decided to talk and it came to court. He had good lawyers and as the elders would not testify against him – they knew what he had done, but they refused to testify because of the confidentiality issue (All were told they could not!) and so she lost the case!! She went through hell and still is.
Reply
EverydayExplorer says:
January 5, 2016 at 5:52 am
Enlightened now, please let the young woman in question know that she is not alone in understanding that justice was not served in her case; my heart, and many others’ hearts reading this, goes out to her.
She is obviously a person of great bravery and I am absolutely sure that her courage and her integrity will lead her to a better place in her life. Tell her to keep on knocking on doors to get help (doctors, counselling, therapy, etc) and to believe in her strong sane self and her right to a fulfilled life.
Thank you for being there for her and raising her story on this platform.
Reply
Alexandria R says:
January 3, 2016 at 4:59 pm
I’m inactive. Twice the elders have asked to meet with me and I’ve said NO. I choose to be inactive and not DF’D for a good reason. My brother used to be an elder and is an active JW. If I was DF’D or disassociated I wouldn’t have been able to visit him. His daughter lives with him. I called C.P.S. because she was giving her nine month old baby way to much alcohol to drink. I also called 911 because my neaphew-in-law was threatening suicide. I’m around for my family. I talked to the elders and they did nothing.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 3, 2016 at 5:22 pm
That’s all they’re TRULY capable of – NOTHING.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 3, 2016 at 5:38 pm
Someone commented that JW World appeals to “lowest common denominator” types, the “disenfranchised, fringe” types who can’t fit in with mainstream religious communities, etc. I’m beginning to really believe that. It seems most hardcore, lifetime JW’s are nothing more than socially (and mentally) clumsy misfits who have found a ‘home’. Then they get a little power and ‘go nuts’, as someone else put it. And this is not just social awkwardness, or some small mental deficiency, like a low IQ or a learning disability. U can feel sorry for someone like that. THIS is DIFFERENT. This betrays a SERIOUS character flaw, a MORAL and ETHICAL deficiency. A serious PERSONALITY ‘malfunction’. Call it psychopathy, sociopathy, narcissism, I prefer the more old-fashioned term, evil. I know that’s a naughty word in this, our Great Age of Enlightenment, where we’re supposed to be ‘beyond’ such primitive concepts as Good and Evil, but that’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it. I think the evidence is there, in the ultimate fruition of the whole JW Philosophy and Watchtower Structure. Anyone who can’t see that raping children is evil, needs to be put into a rocketship and blasted out into oblivion.
Reply
Wanderer says:
January 3, 2016 at 5:51 pm
What would you call an organisation that uses phrases like “don’t bring reproach on Jehovahs name” when it comes to child abuse. But if an individual member says they are not sure if the GB is correct in their teaching, or gods only channel on earth it is automatic disfellowshipping?
The don’t bring reproach on Jehovahs name and the 2 witness rule make a safe haven for child molesters.
If I saw brother X smoking or coming out of a brothel and I reported it to my local elders would that need the 2 witness rule too?
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 3, 2016 at 5:59 pm
I can see the whole dysfunctional, narcissistic thing going on in my own family. They are a pack of eccentric, arrogant nobodies who crave constant attention and admiration, and have found it within JW World. They have no real interests or passions, no clue whatsoever. Their conversations (which I am fortunately no longer subjected to) usually revolve around OTHER JW’s and THEIR boring lives. I mean, they talk about other JWs like they’re movie stars or something. “You know, brother so-and-so did this. Sister so-and-so went there.” WGAS? I don’t even give a flying rat’s a** about REAL movie stars! I don’t go on Twitter to see what Angelina Jolie had for breakfast, or what Brad Pitt’s morning bowel movement looked like. These people are a joke.
Reply
Twmack says:
January 3, 2016 at 6:19 pm
Twmack. Nice try Simon Kestrel. Attributing evil to free will.
But where is the choice when it comes to the evils of Cancer,
Altzheimer’s , Birth deformities ( Twins joined at the head, just
one brain between them..) etc, etc, a thousand times over.
If such a being existed who would inflict such random and
purposeless horrors on weaker, helpless. creatures of his own
design and creation. Then the universe is in the hands of a
psychopathic monster.
Sorry Karen and to all for digressing.
Reply
Simon Kestral says:
January 3, 2016 at 8:05 pm
To those with faith, the explanation is again simple. Those conditions are also the result of choice. The victims are the descendants of Adam, who brought sin and death into the world.
It’s not God’s fault. He warned against the consequences of sin. Mankind is the victim of Adam’s evil choice and the way human reproduction works. Bad DNA is the result of original sin.
As explained earlier, the essence of free will obligates God to let human evil choices play out, to their natural conclusion. But conclude they will; there is a time limit for the sins of men, and after that, judgement.
God will act in his due time. Some people are unhappy because they want solutions right now. But that’s not how God works. Faith and patience are required.
Reply
Janice Gilbert says:
January 3, 2016 at 8:15 pm
And so is police action. CRIMES REQUIRE GOING TO THE POLICE!:
Reply
Simon Kestral says:
January 3, 2016 at 8:25 pm
Yes, by all means. Get justice as quickly as the human justice system can provide it.
But the police can’t solve all crimes and earthly courts don’t give justice to all plaintiffs.
Use the system, but when it fails, have faith in God.
Reply
Frederick says:
January 3, 2016 at 9:00 pm
Simon, there are a few flaws with your reasoning. Gods warning to Adam and eve was that if they ate from the tree of knowledge they would die in that very same day. If you believe the garden of eden actually happened then humanity should have ended with Adam and eve. It makes zero sense that these perfect individuals committed a sin deserving of death but were allowd to live 900 years and fill the planet with doomed sinful imperfect offspring. How you can read the bible and think it’s gods inspired words has always been baffling to me. But that’s just my humble opinion
Reply
Simon Kestral says:
January 3, 2016 at 9:38 pm
Zero sense?
As the priest in Boondock Saints said, “the laws of God are higher than the laws of man”
Not that I can recommend that film, the profanity and violence are stupendous.
Reply
Frederick says:
January 3, 2016 at 9:42 pm
How do you reconcile gods warning of death in “that very day” with Adam living 900 years? I’m confused
anonymous4 says:
January 3, 2016 at 10:05 pm
I loved Boondock Saints. Lots of funny black humor too.
Meredith J says:
January 5, 2016 at 3:17 am
Simon Kestral, are you aware just how long this has been going on and how many people have suffered unspeakably by it? I don’t think you do. These people are suffering, children and grownups who were children, robbed of their childhood and right to happiness because of an evil child abuser. The abusers in this cult are a product of Watchtower’s policies and nothing less. That is evil. The Governing Body knew many years ago just how bad it was and they have chosen to ignore it because they choose to prevent any “reproach upon Jehovah’s name”. This is an evil situation. When Jesus took the little children to himself and talked to them, He demonstrated where He stands on the matter. He wants to care for them and love them and He will eventually heal all of them. Where does that leave the Watchtower? An enemy of Jesus because it compounds their pain and actively tries to prevent justice for these ones. Stick up for them if you like but sometime we all have to show whose side we are on.
Reply
Doc Obvious says:
January 3, 2016 at 6:19 pm
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Children. Not a good combination. First, we have a G.B. that talks about tight pants on people. Then, we have a plethora of court cases around the world involving JW child abusers. These people are fixated on the wrong things. Jesus Christ was about taking care of people, not this type of bad behavior. I hope the governments will finally take control of these religious institutions that cannot handle themselves.
Reply
Searcher says:
January 4, 2016 at 10:51 am
Doc Obvious,
You are so correct in the ‘obvious’ conclusion; these people (JW’s) are focused on the wrong thing. They are hyper-fixated on biblical law as they see it, instead of the ‘spirit’ of Jesus Christ’s life and principles. They aren’t concerned with taking care of people. The reason? They are concerned only with distributing literature, recruiting new blood into the organization, and filling their greedy leader’s pockets. Anything else to the contrary to that goal is not to be considered. The child abuse cases coming to light are just one product of that evil, self-serving mission.
Reply
Janice Gilbert says:
January 3, 2016 at 8:12 pm
I saw this on the internet before it was talked about here. I am glad you’re talking about it.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 3, 2016 at 10:11 pm
Watchtower Corporation is stuck in quicksand now. The more they struggle and squirm, the deeper they sink.
Reply
Kat says:
January 4, 2016 at 12:36 am
The play spiritual warfare on the flock, they simply do not want the r/f file to know that their is a big problem.
As the delusion of this spiritual paradise will be in doubt and to many questions and donations would be affected.
The elders obey the GB the GB take advice from the legal department, all come down to one thing protection of the organization and its donations above anything else, people may say we are protecting Gods name that is disgusting to even insinuate that Gods name needs to be protected by lies and at the expense of innocent children.
They will have their day in the higher court.
Reply
susanna says:
January 4, 2016 at 12:52 am
If the JW did all they can to give “spirutal comfort” and are doing all they can to protect child abuse why have I never read any experience of a victim that got help from that…I´ve read and heard about silenced victim who didn´t get help that tried suicied and got disfellowshipped when the couldn´t wait för Jehovah. If they would be succesful in abhoring child abuse and helping the victims shouldn´t it be testimonys of that???
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 1:17 pm
Good point. Maybe, if WT ever recounted an experience where a victim was actually helped, it is only when the abuser was a “worldly” person!!!
Reply
Mich says:
January 4, 2016 at 3:15 am
I don’t think u are truthful here, cus no religion will smile or support such wicked act like child abuse. Y are u lying wickedly now? There is God ooo… Gosh!
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 1:23 pm
If you are saying that the stories of child abuse are false because no religion would condone it, I say 2 things to you:
1. Look into the DOCUMENTED history of child abuse in the Catholic Church. The Pope even apologized for it.
2. The Watchtower is NOT a religion. It is a CULT by EVERY definition.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 1:29 pm
Also, I don’t believe any of the pedophile priests in the Catholic Church were properly punished with jail time. They were merely discharged or transferred around. So obviously, the Church, with all its power, had a hand in protecting those criminals!
Reply
Kat says:
January 4, 2016 at 3:35 am
The proof is in what they are doing to protect the children, of course religions will say they abhor child sexual abuse they are just words, lets see their actions, and clearly the GB of JW show only words but no actions, unless the courts make them, then if they are Christians that are suppose to be guided by their conscience then they shouldn’t have to pushed by the law to do the right thing.
Point in question is they do not report child sexual abuse in states that do not require by law to do so.
When push comes to shove if it appears they could lose their charity status they will do whatever, then bring in their lawyers to try and protect them form lawsuits.
They are a business.
Reply
Twmack says:
January 4, 2016 at 4:04 am
So the little girl calls out to God for help when attacked by
this pervert, but the “gift” of free will favours the perv, And
the victims cries for help are ignored. Prayer then is useless
when the free will of others is causing misery. God must be
consistent, must be perfect.
And the bad DNA passed on from Adam, That’s got to be
allowed to take its course unhindered, So when some
distressing sickness or condition affects you or your family,
All the prayers and entreaties in the world are not going to
effect a cure. But human compassion and ingenuity might.
Reply
Winston Smith says:
January 4, 2016 at 4:35 am
@Twmack,
I understand your reasoning, but let’s not make this about atheism vs theism vs deism. Let’s keep focused on the issue: an Organization who’s policies allow perverts the freedom to victimize children. We all want the same thing: To wake up people enslaved to a system that is unduly controlling them. Let’s not get distracted by philosophical differences amongst us.
WS
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 1:34 pm
I totally agree. I just need to put in my 2 cents’ worth real quick. I sure hope no one is trying to suggest that evildoers do not have free will, because that’s ludicrous.
Thanx
Reply
Kat says:
January 4, 2016 at 4:15 am
well said Twmack!
Reply
Twmack says:
January 4, 2016 at 7:26 am
Winstone smith, Your advice is sound and taken
to heart. But believe me, I’m not trying to win a
philosophical debate. I’m hoping in my own
limited way to deal with the root cause of undue
influence in religion. That is belief in a deity who
meets out terrible punishment for disobedience.
In this case it’s what controls elders and forces
them into silence when cases of child abuse come
to their attention. And as we have seen, even the
victims are sometimes afraid to speak out.
In all religions, It’s just a few elite individuals who
claim intimate contact with the deity and exclusive
knowledge of his will. The gb are relentless and
overpowering in the claim of their exclusive position.
Once you accept their authority. Your vulnerable
to exploitation. Control, and corruption. Thanks
again Winstone. Next time I’ll try to be more direct
and not go round the houses.
Reply
Alexandria R says:
January 4, 2016 at 7:42 am
Twmack You are right the reasoning used about free will is very flawed. I laugh because the story makes it sound like God and Satan are in a pissing contest. God is a bad parent. I’m being sarcastic. I don’t believe in the bible.
Reply
Alexandria R says:
January 4, 2016 at 7:47 am
I watched a movie about vampire bats that turned people into zombies when they got bit. The first to go was the police officer. I kept comparing the bats to the org.
Reply
Average Joe says:
January 4, 2016 at 7:48 am
Here’s a link to the Daily Telegraph article for you to share with JWs who are afraid of reading “apostate” material. This is the story direct from the horse’s mouth and from a respectable paper too (not like “The Sun” et al!):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12073247/Jehovahs-Witnesses-accused-of-covering-up-historic-sex-abuse.html
Reply
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← How the Watchtower Stole Christmas
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Jehovah’s Witness guilty of strangling children for sexual gratification
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Posted on January 3, 2016
Warwick Crown Court, where Ian Pheasey was sentenced to five years
Warwick Crown Court, where Ian Pheasey was sentenced to five years
Once again, Jehovah’s Witnesses hit the headlines regarding the covering up of child sex abuse.
This most recent case concerns Ian Pheasey, who was a member of a congregation in Warwick. The court was told how Pheasey attacked a 7-year-old girl while working as a volunteer librarian at the Kingdom Hall in the 1990s. He was charged with offenses that occurred between 1989 and 1994, and he pleaded guilty to 3 offenses.
Pheasey’s offenses are unusual in nature as he obtained sexual gratification from strangling children. His first victim was a 7-year-old girl who had gone to get a book from the library in the Kingdom Hall. His second victim was a 14-year-old girl who he grabbed around the neck and threw to the floor where he straddled her and squeezed her neck.
The poor girl fell unconscious twice and was crying out, “Jehovah help me.” Pheasey told the girl he would kill her if she told anyone, and he also said if she ever had daughters he would rape them as well.
She ran home screaming and crying to her mother, but sadly her mother told her to clean herself up. She was taken to the hospital for the bruising to her neck, but was told by her parents that she must never say anything about it. Furthermore, the matter was “swept under the carpet” by the congregation, according to the prosecutor.
Ian Pheasey, who admitted fantasizing about young girls
Ian Pheasey, who admitted fantasizing about young girls
Pheasey admitted fantasizing about strangling the girl, and that he had lured her over with the intention of strangling her and becoming sexually aroused.
His third victim was only 6 years old when he was carrying out some work at her parents’ house. As the little girl sat in his van, he got in and started tickling her and then moved his hand up her skirt. He only stopped when she kicked out and screamed.
Nicholas Taplow, prosecuting, stated: ”He was a man who had a particular sexual fascination with the act of strangulation. He derived sexual gratification from strangling children, and many children were strangled in this way by him during what he described as horseplay.”
Pheasey was jailed for 5 years after he pleaded guilty to assaulting one girl, causing her actual bodily harm, and indecently assaulting 2 others.
A spokesman for the Jehovah’s Witnesses said the church deplored Pheasey’s behavior and denied it was involved in a cover up of his crimes. The spokesman said, “Jehovah’s Witnesses abhor child abuse, and view it as a serious crime and sin. The safety of our children is of the utmost importance. Any suggestion that Jehovah’s Witnesses cover up child abuse is absolutely false. We are committed to doing all we can to prevent child abuse and to provide spiritual comfort to any who have suffered from this terrible sin and crime.”
This case is particularly shocking as some of the offenses happened at the Kingdom Hall. Not only is the nature of the crimes particularly disturbing, but also the reactions from the parents and the congregation. Sadly, this is a common occurrence, and one we are becoming all too familiar with. What I found particularly interesting in this case was the statement released by the Jehovah’s Witness spokesman.
In two sentences within the statement, they mention child abuse as a sin and a crime. It baffles me that they still can’t seem to understand that if something can be described as a “crime,” this far outweighs whether or not it is perceived as a “sin.” Have you ever heard Witnesses describing murder, kidnapping or burglary as a sin? Of course not, because they are crimes. As an abuse victim myself, I find it offensive that they effectively minimize the seriousness of the crime of child sex abuse in this way.
The other interesting point is that they claim to provide “spiritual comfort” to any who have suffered child abuse. I would love to know what this comfort consists of. I imagine it to involve three old men sitting with a victim reading scriptures from the bible.
Although in my case, both myself and the other victims didn’t even get that! When will the Governing Body realize that victims don’t want “spiritual comfort.” They want to be believed and supported. They want to know that if they report the matter to police, the elders will be right by their side. They want to know that others in the congregation are going to be protected because of their bravery in coming forward.
Sadly this is not the case. In case after case we are seeing more support for the abuser and their family than for the victim. I don’t know the victims in this case, but in case they read this article I want to just say this:
What you have done has taken great bravery and determination. I know what it’s like to live with something for over 25 years and feel like you will never get justice. I can only imagine what you went through with elders at the time, and maybe even recently, but you are not alone. There is a huge, loving community out there full of ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses who all understand how you feel. Each brave person who comes forward shines another light on to the organization and its unwillingness to protect children.
new-karen-signature2
Further reading…
◾Mirror article
◾Metro article
◾Daily Mail article
◾Telegraph article
◾The Sun article
◾Stratford Herald article
◾JWsurvey articles on child abuse
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125 Responses to Jehovah’s Witness guilty of strangling children for sexual gratification
← Older Comments
Searcher says:
January 4, 2016 at 10:58 am
Choking a child to get sexual satisfaction?! I’ve heard of all kinds of disgusting things coming from the JW child abusers, but this raises the bar on disgusting and evil acts. To sweep something like this under the rug saying that ‘it will bring reproach on Jehovah’s name…” is absolutely absurd.
This again is more proof of these IDIOTS running the show are not God’s one and only channel. I’m so glad I am not having anything to do with this evil organization. Shunning me? NO. I’m shunning them!!!
Reply
Doc Obvious says:
January 4, 2016 at 1:14 pm
Watchtower’s (a.k.a Jehovah’s Witnesses) political involvement is one that will surprise many people. An organization that should be no part of Satan’s political system is involved in politics.
The Apostle Paul outlined what are involvement in this world should be. In 1 Corinthians 10:21-22 it states the following: “You cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons; you cannot be partaking of “the table of Jehovah” and the table of demons. Or ‘are we inciting Jehovah to jealousy’? We are not stronger than he is, are we?”
The United States Legislature creates the laws that lawyers use as a basis for their situation. Does the United States Legislature use the Bible as a basis? I do not think so. In addition, whose laws have stand the test of time, Jehovah God’s laws found in the bible (1,900 plus years) or that of the United States Government that has only been around for under 300 years?
Watchtower has paid for the education of certain men to be lawyers. They have invested thousands of dollars into a couple of men’s legal career. The law books that are being used in Watchtower’s legal department. Do they address the Bible at all? Are they not from the “table of demons”?
For example, their involvement with the United Nations as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Associate Member is extremely hypocritical. Especially, if they claim to be “no part of the world” as Jesus Christ was. A pure example of eating at the “table of demons”.
Watchtower Babble and Tract Society is trying to get the best of both worlds by having a legal department at their World Headquarters. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 tells us that we cannot have both. How would you feel if you wrote laws that were a million times better and someone decided not to follow those laws and follow a set of laws that are inferior? I would tell that someone, are not my laws better than the ones you are considering?
None of Jesus Christ’s Apostles were lawyers. Jesus did not choose one lawyer as one of his Apostles. Not one. Watchtower may state that lawyers were not around in Jesus time. That would be a false statement. Lawyers have been around during the Greek Empire which is before Jesus’ time on earth.
I believe the reason we have child abuse in the Jehovah’s Witnesses is because the organization knows that they have an in-house legal department to hide behind when confronted with the issues of child abuse.
That is one of the main reasons I do not donate money to the Watchtower Babble and Tract Society. I feel having in-house lawyers is a huge conflict of interest.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 1:47 pm
I think I finally understand the “free will” discussion that’s been going on. It’s not about individual free will to do good or evil. It’s the biblical argument that yahweh “needs” to allow the consequences of Man’s exercise of Free Will to play out before he intervenes, in spite of all the ensuing misery. Finally got it. Thanx. And I agree, that is a STUPID concept. Why should millions suffer, just to make a political statement? I like the analogy someone made, to it being like a ‘pissing contest’ between yahweh and satan. LOL
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Winston Smith says:
January 4, 2016 at 3:07 pm
@A4
My thoughts on the posts up to this point on this topic…
As a deist, I tend to stand between two diametrically opposed views (and please forgive me for generalizing):
To the atheist – ‘because there is suffering there is no God’
To the theist – ‘God is responsible for all suffering’ (either he allows it to prove “the issue” or causes it as a form of punishment)
To the deist, the marvels of the universe indicate a cause & purpose, but the idea of whether this cause is a personality or a force or something else all together is left open-ended. The deist often identifies with the watchmaker analogy: once the watchmaker (God if you will) creates the watch and winds it up, it then starts running according to plan and does not require the watchmaker’s further intervention.
As some have stated in other comments, when people believe that a few elites are receiving divine instruction, it empowers those elites to unduly influence them. I agree. Even for those who accept that there is some grand issue running its course between God and the Devil, for either one of them (God or the Devil, that is) to intervene would be to skew the issue and thus nothing would truly be settled. Either way humankind are on their own to exercise their free will.
I hope I have not strayed too far off topic, but I wanted to clarify my position on this. As per my earlier post, we shouldn’t get hung up on who on this site is a Christian, or an Atheist, or believes in the Bible, or doesn’t. Our common purpose is to bring to light the negative effects of an organization that has entirely too much influence over the lives of its followers. It’s great to share opposing points of view as ‘food for thought” but it can also become a distraction if we become too caught up in ‘proving our point.’
WS
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Simon Kestral says:
January 4, 2016 at 5:33 pm
Free will is not a contest between God and Satan. God does not need to prove anything, or settle any “issue.” That’s not why he lets free will play out.
God could create a universe without any evil or suffering. But that would mean there is no free will. We would act as God commands, all the time. Like puppets.
The freedom to choose good or evil is a great gift; profound, really. But it does not exempt us from God’s laws. We are responsible for our own choices; they will determine our final outcome.
God will rightfully judge us on the basis of free will and how we use it. That’s why he lets free will play out. To see what we really are.
Reply
redpilltwice says:
January 4, 2016 at 4:17 pm
Amen anomymous4! The concequences of free will are much less attractive to me now, during my current fading, as they were during my defending talks on stage and field service. I see it this way now: Machines are man made and can do impressive things, but we don’t want them to do other, unexpected things. It could even scare us and we would not appreciate such “freedom”, for it could cause serious danger and discomfort. We rely on and benefit from their programmed tasks and expect nothing else. Animals can also do all kinds of beautiful, funny and impressive things, but are not held responsible for their acts because they are driven by instinct. If men would have been created with some more intrinsic and automatic discomfort with evil and disobedience, would men have known the difference in comparison with the higher degree of free will that God actually gave Adam and Eve? No, I truly think not. You see, animals would not have been criticised by Adam and Eve for being lower than men and having instinct. At the same time, hyper intelligent angels and their more divine free will would have been invisible for men’s eye to observe most of the time, so…we would be happy as we were, but just more able to avoid diabolic masterminds such as the original snake. But somehow, that probably wouldn’t have fit Jehovah’s standard for being worshipped by creatures with reason. So now I’m more and more struggling with the idea that Jehovah could have warned Adam and Eve about the true intentions of the snake BEFORE his first act as satan. Wouldn’t Adam and Eve be grateful to Jehovah, being a shield against such an overwhelming powerful evil force, but therefor also realizing they still had very much to learn about appreciation and loyal love, but without the price of losing their lives by slowly dying and leaving such a horrible heritage to mankind? I can only imagine how strong my own feelings would be as a father. I would never put my daughter to such a test, with the potential risk that she would fall prey to a twisted, evil, fallen pervert who would love to see her get sick and die, even if she had been disobedient or completely ignored my FAIR, CLEAR warning/instructions of what to do or do not. 6’000+ years of death, torture, cancer, leprosy, bubonic plague, flesh eating bacteria, necrotic diseases, ebola etc. is a HUGE, HUGE price for one guy and one gal misusing free will while it was Jehovah that agreed on and allowed this option in their mental matrix! I know I’m nothing and God is everything but I wonder, in all sincerity…would every man, woman, child feel like an unhappy robot because he could not hold his hands into fire? No! Under normal circumstances, it is driven by reflexes, not free will, to take your hands back within a fraction of a second. For 20 years as a JW, I had no problem with God given free will, but now I’m really struggling with it. When I project this concept to this article, I’m displeased with the reality that only positive experiences are given as proof of JHWH’s blessing, while ignoring the filth that is taking place, even INSIDE the KH, is burying defenseless “little flock” under the cold, hard reality of abuse. Isn’t that also proof that the HS is much less active as every devoted witness would like to believe? It could awaken people to other “facts” regarding 1914 or the overlapping-generation. Regarding sexual abuse, “Jehovah will take care of it” or “Leave it to the elders” is so easily said by people who’s lives are not damaged or destroyed by gruesome acts of abuse within the Christian congregations or by those in denial. New people are always so impressed by the love-bombing and the so called “spiritual paradise”, that they become blinded for any potential risk for their kids. Unless they are informed and cautious people of course…and visit websites like these :-) Bedtime in Europe now.
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Winston Smith says:
January 4, 2016 at 8:55 pm
@redpilltwice:
I don’t want to go too far down this rabbit hole, but have you ever considered that the Adam & Eve account may not actually be historical?
Although the JWs and a number of other fundamentalist churches insist on a literal, historical interpretation, many more progressive Christian churches have suggested it may really be allegorical. Combine such reasoning with the fact that archeologists have found human remains that are tens of thousands of years old. Our choice becomes to either dismiss the science and try to explain it away or to accept it and reassess the garden of Eden story. If we look at it as allegorical with a lesson to be learned, a lot of the struggles you suggest as to comprehending how a loving God could act that way are cleared up.
WS
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redpilltwice says:
January 5, 2016 at 5:21 am
Thanks for your reply Winston and don’t worry, you can go as far down the rabbit hole as you want! I was just reasoning from a JW point of view, because every argument can be posed against a counterargument. Of course I’ve reconsidered all the biblical stories regarding their true meaning. My oldest teenage daughter even declared herself agnostic after we as parents stopped going to meetings (brave girl, never baptized, free as a bird now) :-) But my mind still needs to complete a certain circle of logic (if possible) before piece of mind sets in. In order to grasp the logic of how and why things went so horribly wrong in Eden and why so many have to suffer for it, one might find its simply beyond any logic or even too elusive to grasp, and consider the event as being not historical. The counterargument from a bible reading Christian would be “Why would Jesus refer to Adam and Eve as an act of direct creation (Matthew 19:4) and teach moral lessons if it wasn’t meant literal? Again, the new argument against that counter argument could be that other lessons (such as the prodigal son) also are illustrations, not literal accounts. Or, that it’s not quite certain how, when and what parts of the bible came to us in its modern form, in comparison to the original manucripts. Or, like you said, that archeology seems to indicate an older age for mankind. So, I’m not saying we need to take the account literal, but I’m always interested in arguments from different sides. I certainly disagree with “Free will” as a satisfying explanation for how this still could happen among God’s “spirit-directed” people. It should never be a free-card to leave matters to Jehovah and sweep abuse under the carpet. I wonder if my country, The Netherlands, will also see some sort of Royal Commission. RC church was spanked in public in 2011, when Deetman reports came out, but at least their pope made apologies. Unfortunately (as far as I can see), most JW’s over here are ignorant or in denial of current events such as in Australia or this sick JW strangler. May justice revail!
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 11:56 am
What if Jesus never really existed? Or was not really the Son of God, but just another charismatic preacher of the Day? Check out JWB (JW Blog) – article “Did Jesus Exist?”
anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 2:01 pm
Why is WT Corp full of perverts, obsessed with tight pants, sex, what is and is not permissible in the marriage bed, who can have sex and who can’t? Well, let me put forth a theory. When someone is hungry, what’s on their mind? Food! When someone is thirsty, what’s on their mind? Water! When someone is poor, what’s on their mind? Money! When someone’s NATURAL, NORMAL, HEALTHY sexual appetites are suppressed, they will be thinking about it a lot more, and there will be those who find unhealthy, perverted ways to satisfy those appetites.
Whatever happened to the Sexual Liberation movement of the 60’s and 70’s? Those folks weren’t going around molesting children!
Another problem is out-of-control greed. Women discovered that sex can be very materially profitable. Now you practically need to be Donald Trump to get laid. No offence to the ladies, but I ‘calls ’em as I sees ’em’.
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anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 2:19 pm
“The fanatic is always concealing a secret doubt.”
— Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, 2011 (currently on Netflix)
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ruthlee says:
January 5, 2016 at 7:50 am
I saw that! anon 4 and immediately thought of the j dubs how interesting you connected the dots too ruthlee
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anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 2:27 pm
“Men like you can play God all you want, but it will always be a peasant who digs your grave.”
— Outpost III: Rise of the Spetsnaz, 2013
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anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 2:38 pm
Not sure if this was in the main article or one of the comments, too lazy to check & my computer goes wonky whenever I do anything, but someone mentioned a JW Ped who went to jail and started conducting bible studies with other inmates. lol How is it that all these guys find Jesus AFTER they get pinched? I’m beginning to wonder if Jesus doesn’t live in prison. :)
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anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 2:52 pm
At least I have the comfort of knowing that if I ever piss off the “powers-that-be” with all my anti-Establishment, anti-New World Order talk, and end up in the can, Jesus will be there waiting for me. :)
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anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 2:45 pm
@ Doc Obvious
U got it! Watchtower wants to keep EVERYTHING “in-house”.
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anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 2:57 pm
Q: What’s the difference between a catfish and a Watchtower lawyer?
A: One is a scum-sucking bottom feeder. The other is a fish.
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anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 3:41 pm
@ Winston Smith
I like ur ‘watchmaker’ analogy. I personally feel like God created the Universe (perhaps thru’ Big Bang, Evolution, whatever) and let it go its merry way. No need to overanalyze the issue, pick it apart, or beat it to death. Who cares, anyway? Fact is, WE’RE HERE. Let’s DEAL with the situation and all the problems and challenges that come with it, instead of wondering what tribe we came from, and whether or not there’s a Magic Kingdom somewhere in our future. If there is, we can all celebrate when we get there. For now, I’m a firm believer in the Problem-Solving Mindset, and it’s not like there’s any shortage of problems in THIS world, here & now. And I agree, this Site exists to expose a corrupt, controlling, out-of-control organization, and provide an outlet and comfort for those who have, or are in the process, of escaping said twisted organization, not to discuss Philosophy. So I’ll shut up now.
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Winston Smith says:
January 4, 2016 at 8:59 pm
@A4
“Fact is, WE’RE HERE. Let’s DEAL with the situation and all the problems and challenges”
Amen!
It always bothered me that the JWs wanted to leave all the world’s problems in “God’s hands” rather than taking action to make the world a better place.
WS
Reply
Victor says:
January 5, 2016 at 2:04 am
“Those who believe they can help the starving do not understand at all the message of the Bible”. These are the exact words of a indoctrinated JW, when I asked him why JWs not have support or charity facilities.
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Wanderer says:
January 5, 2016 at 5:07 am
Are the JWs the only religion that don’t have a charity for the needy/poor/malnourished/underprivileged? Every religion I can think of has a charity where they can help these people.
How do the JWs continue to get charitable status when they only get their followers to donate their money and time to only the JWs?
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 6:04 am
They claim they are doing ‘spiritual’ bible-teaching work in the community, or something bogus like that. They have really pulled the wool over the naive government. How is waking people up on Saturday mornings to shove the “Watchtower” down their throats, charitable work??!
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 6:09 am
…Unless the governments are in cahoots with these jerks, which wouldn’t surprise me. Remember, Watchtower is a NGO member of the United Nations!!!!!!!!!!!!
ruthlee says:
January 5, 2016 at 7:52 am
That’s because they are lazy minded Winston. The pioneers are notorious for being work shy especially the career ones ruthlee
Reply
Winston Smith says:
January 5, 2016 at 11:19 am
@ruthlee
Good point! I recall a number of pioneers who seemed exceptionally lazy (and ignorant) in the other aspects of their lives, but still managed to hold on to that pioneer status. I think they particularly enjoyed driving around all day, drinking coffee, and occasionally telling someone that they had all of life’s answers.
I’m reminded of 1 Timothy 5:13: “At the same time, they also learn to be idle, going from house to house; they are not only idle, but are also gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t say.”
WS
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 11:38 am
All too true. With all the $$$ floating around the Borg, these Bums usually don’t have a problem garnering physical support from friends & family. I never knew any who worked in a factory or dug ditches to support themselves. If anything, they are usually given cushy, high-paying jobs by other “brothers”. In fact, I’ve known Bethelites & pioneers who vacation regularly in exotic locales like Costa Rica, or take trips back home to places like South Korea, all paid for by some well-to-do JW benefactor, while I myself have been involved in many occupations involving back-breaking physical labor for chicken-feed wages, having to stare out the window at all the ice & snow during winter off-hours. LOL
Big B says:
January 4, 2016 at 4:39 pm
Another eye opener article Karen.
Is it no wonder that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is in so much trouble? This is absolutely a pedophiles paradise if there ever was one. Where can a pedophile go to practice his vile acts and be completely protected by the church with a two witness rule? What’s worst of all, even if he is disfellowshipped he will still not be reported to the proper authorities in order to protect the community or those at the Kingdom Hall.
What is especially heinous is that the recidivist rate of pedophiles “child molesters had a 13% reconviction rate for sexual offenses and a 37% reconviction rate for new, non-sex offenses over a five year period” and “another study found reconviction rates for child molesters to be 20% and for rapists to be approximately 23% (Quinsey, Rice, and Harris, 1995)”. http://www.csom.org/pubs/mythsfacts.html
So according to the standing policy of “the Organization” these deviates can
• be reinstated if disfellowshipped,
• be appointed as ministerial servants and elders to “shepherd the flock” after reinstatement,
• be completely forgiven for past sins, their files sealed from the authorities and the congregation and finally
• once again be allowed access to further sheep to molest.
Anyone who thinks, for a New York second, that Jehovah God would support an Organization with his Holy Spirit that allows this travesty is a lunatic. Anyone who says “leave matters in Jehovah’s hands” is completely deluded. It is Orwellian speak for “do nothing”. The elders have the power (by sacred scripture) to warn the congregation of sexual predators (by name) and remove the predators (forever) in order to keep the congregation clean. It is everyone’s duty to report crimes or suspected crimes to the proper authorities –publishers as well as elders. These sexual acts of depravity perpetrated against the youth are a crime… the act and the cover up. These ‘sheeple’ won’t report because all of them are coerced by fear of the “Un-faithful and indiscreet slave” and the trepidation of losing their precious positions as Watchtower stooges
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 6:43 pm
This organization is rotten to the core. I don’t think even the Catholic Church went as far, in actually creating POLICY to cover up these kinds of heinous crimes. The Watchtower Society is entertaining and protecting all these “wolves in sheep’s clothing”, practically rolling out the Red Carpet with a big neon sign that reads “Pedophile’s Paradise”. The so-called “Spiritual Paradise” is dead and buried, if it ever existed at all. I’m sure word of this organization is spreading like wildfire among the pedophile underground. What a nightmare.
Reply
Winston Smith says:
January 4, 2016 at 9:16 pm
Not only is this organization a haven for pedophiles, but also for abusive men of all sorts. Over the years, I became aware of a number of men who were physically and/or verbally abusive to their wives and children and yet still held positions of authority in the congregation.
WS
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 6:55 pm
Jehovah’s Witnesses are supposed to be peaceful worshippers of a loving god. Yet, he is constantly referred to in their scriptures as “Jehovah of Armies”. Sounds quite aggressive and militaristic to me. Why not “Jehovah of Hospitals”, “Jehovah of Day Care Centers”, “Jehovah of Farms”, “Jehovah of Temples and Monuments”, “Jehovah of Hosts”, “Jehovah of Masses”,”Jehovah the Protector”, “Jehovah of Security”,or even “Jehovah the Fighter” or “Jehovah of Forces”, etc, etc, etc? Interesting choice.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 4, 2016 at 7:17 pm
Sorry to those who still ‘believe’, but in regard to the whole Garden of Eden story, Why would God need or even bother to “test” Man (& Woman)? Why not just say, “OK, these are the rules, Don’t murder, Don’t steal, Don’t litter, etc. — If you break the rules, you’re out.”? Why all the Drama??
Reply
redpilltwice says:
January 5, 2016 at 5:28 am
In case you were referring to me…don’t worry, I’m okay. Just reconsidering things I have believed for 20 years. Willing to let go. Awakening can be a crazy process sometimes, but it feels really good :-)
Reply
Alexandria R says:
January 5, 2016 at 4:54 am
The JW religion teaches it’s people to be powerless that’s why it’s bad for kids. When I was six years old my father took me to a door. The house holder asked my father a question about the flag. The house holder got mad at my dad’s answer and when he spit at my father the spit got on my dress. My parents wiped the spit off my dress but I remember I could still see the outline of the spit on my dress. I wish people would try to help JWs wake up rather than be hurtful. I wish I could break that man’s nose. The JW’s are taught to be powerless and not take action in order to not ‘make waves’ My father fealt like doing something but he didn’t. It isn’t a religion good for protecting kids.
Reply
GEM says:
January 5, 2016 at 7:19 am
Absolutely agree, Alexandria:
I was out in field service, aged 16 and accompanied a youngster about 11 years old.
We knocked on a door which was sheet glass top to bottom, in a wood frame. When the man opened the door and I introduced who we were, we were told in no uncertain terms where to get off and he slammed the door.
The glass shattered in thousands of little pieces over the young lad accompanying me (he too would end up in Bethel in later life).
Horrid. Inhuman. How would you ever convince someone they were wrong if you react like that? But, there again, I am always told I am too sensitive….(yeh, right)
Reply
EverydayExplorer says:
January 5, 2016 at 5:42 am
Karen, thank you for this article — and I respect very much your loving message of support to other survivors of sexual abuse within Watchtower and outside it.
It’s very encouraging that this case in particular seems to be getting a lot more UK media attention. I see JW.survey has most of the links at the bottom of your article. Here’s a link to a new one:
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/484952/UK-Jehovahs-Witnesses-sex-abuse-cover-up
Like the Daily Telegraph report, this article does a very good job of joining the dots for readers not familiar with the near-imploding systemic cover up of sex abuse within Watchtower.
The message is getting out there — at last. There is more and more chance of children and vulnerable people being protected and supported — at last. Let’s keep up the pressure in all (legal) ways that make use of our individual talents!
Reply
Big B says:
January 5, 2016 at 7:53 am
The link from Meredith J on December 30, 2015 at 2:43 am on the Friday Column: “Everyone makes mistakes except Jehovah’s Witnesses”; concerning a letter that went out to elders to destroy evidence. Is it safe to say that this letter went out only to the brothers in the U.K. or did it go out to all congregations world-wide?
I find this absolutely repugnant as the ARC cornered elders with their own handwritten notes describing in full what measures were taken, if any, vis-a vis child molestation claims in the congregations.
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GulfCoaster says:
January 5, 2016 at 8:33 am
When I was in the JW cult, I remember constantly hearing how we were the best. Other religions were always sneered at and viewed contemptuously. I don’t know how many times I heard we were “the nicest, most loving people” and how the “world” was slandered as debauched, Satan-controlled and just plain bad.
It’s ingrained in JWs. It’s part of their programming. They’re the best, nothing is wrong with their cult or its followers, they will live forever in paradise, blah blah blah.
Along comes a monster in their midst and their brainwashed minds can’t handle it. So they cover it up because they don’t want to shatter their delusion. Nor do they want the world to see any flaws as it might discourage more recruits, and therefore more money into the corporation’s coffers.
It’s horrifying to know that thousands of children’s lives were damaged and destroyed and the cult swept them under the carpet while protecting the monsters. I’m glad this issue is coming to light. I just hope the US wakes up to it and starts investigating them. That will hit the cult hardest.
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Winston Smith says:
January 5, 2016 at 11:29 am
@GulfCoaster
“I just hope the US wakes up to it and starts investigating them. That will hit the cult the hardest.”
Amen!
I think this organization’s ‘waters are drying up’ a bit quicker in Europe & Australia than here in the States. Could be wrong, that’s just my perception. To hit them here at their home base would be significant.
WS
Reply
redpilltwice says:
January 5, 2016 at 1:07 pm
Within time the whole world needs to wake up. If not, I would feel discouraged.
Reply
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Does Jehovah control the weather?
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Posted on January 5, 2016
Watchtower is increasingly crediting Jehovah with manipulating the weather in their favor
Watchtower is increasingly crediting Jehovah with manipulating the weather in their favor
“How many of our brothers have been affected?” During my years as a Jehovah’s Witness, that was usually the first question on the lips of friends and family whenever reports came through of a catastrophic natural disaster.
Watchtower literature frequently acknowledges that Witnesses are by no means immune from natural disasters, even hinting that such calamities are proof that we are living in the last days.
One scripture often referred to when disaster strikes is Ecclesiastes 9:11, in which King Solomon laments that “time and unexpected events” befall everyone.
I recall this bible verse being one of the few that made sense to me growing up as a believer, and especially in the wake of my mother’s death from cancer. The writer was essentially saying: “Shit happens, get used to it.”
I left the Witnesses in December 2013, but if I were still a believing member of the organization, I would struggle to reconcile the words in Ecclesiastes with the increasingly superstitious rhetoric of Watchtower and its leaders, who seem to leap on any fortuitous incident as evidence of “Jehovah’s hand.”
A perfect example can be found in the January 2016 episode of JW Broadcasting in which Travis Brooks, a design and construction worker for Watchtower, credits Jehovah with delivering sand needed for a kingdom hall build by means of a typhoon. (Skip to 04:25 in the video below to see Brooks interviewed.)
No thought is given to the possibility that this was merely a fortunate coincidence. In the mind of Brooks, divine manipulation of the weather was the only answer for sand becoming readily available, thus enabling the success of a building renovation. And the Governing Body clearly ratified the “miracle,” because they signed off on the episode in which this experience is related.
But if you were one of the relatives of the 33 Jehovah’s Witnesses who perished on November 8th when Typhoon Haiyan ploughed into the Eastern seaboard of the Philippines, you might be less endeared by the sand story.
How could Jehovah use one typhoon near the island of Yap to deliver sand for building a kingdom hall, while allowing another in the Philippines to kill 33 of his worshipers – 22 of whom were huddled together seeking shelter in, you guessed it, a kingdom hall? Either Jehovah had no hand whatsoever in delivering the sand for the building project, or he DID have a hand but has woeful prioritization skills in how and when he chooses to tinker with the isobars.
But the sand story was no one off. As recently as October 2013 (a month before Haiyan) Geoffrey Jackson climbed on the stage of the Jersey City Assembly Hall (the Stanley Theater) and told the gathered throngs that Jehovah was responsible for engineering a cooler summer so that more copies of the latest New World Translation edition could be printed.
Perhaps it’s just me, but at no point during my Witness upbringing do I recall Watchtower’s leaders, either directly or in their publications, claiming that Jehovah was manipulating natural forces to their benefit. Perhaps an over-enthusiastic elder might give some ill-advised anecdote in a congregation talk in which divine intervention was hinted at, but there was always plausible deniability as far as Watchtower itself was concerned.
But all that has now changed. Over the last three years, despite Typhoon Haiyan furnishing the most grisly evidence that Witnesses are NOT immune from natural forces, the caution and sobriety of past leaders has melted away. Today’s Governing Body are deluded enough to insist that Jehovah DOES control the weather, even if it is only to assist their building and printing endeavors.
I can only hope these increasingly outrageous claims will register with thinking Witnesses, causing them to ponder which is more likely: (1) that Jehovah uses the weather to bulldoze some kingdom halls but to provide building materials for others, or (2) that the men who claim to represent him are actually deluded, narrow-minded narcissists who are detached from reality and utterly unworthy of respect and credibility.
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Further reading…
◾Why the Governing Body owes an explanation for what happened in the Philippines
◾“We have truly seen Jehovah’s hand” – the shocking side of Watchtower propaganda
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36 Responses to Does Jehovah control the weather?
Bart says:
January 5, 2016 at 10:49 am
The use of “Jehovah’s hand” makes me sick. And all the more so to say that his hand gave them free sand from a storm!! It’s sickening to think of the logical repercussions that has, and more so to think that JW’s around the world are eating this up. Cult much?
Reply
Reader says:
January 5, 2016 at 10:53 am
Funny, when you mentioned ‘caution and sobriety of former leaders,’ Rutherford immediately popped into mind.
Reply
airborne says:
January 5, 2016 at 11:04 am
Interesting article Cedars. Thanks.
Reply
krazykarl says:
January 5, 2016 at 11:06 am
About 15 years ago there was a guy from bethel that gave the dedication talk at a kingdom hall and as a part of that talk he went through a number of historical events that made it possible for JWs to flourish (the gist of it was that Jah created the US with freedom of religion and that allowed JWs to become what they are today). In this talk one of the factors that he mentioned was the destruction of the spanish armada by severe storms in the 1500s. It was no mere hint that this was a literal act of god.
In some ways it seems that there may have been an uptick in claims of divine intervention like this, but I think what’s really going on is that they’ve always been careful to keep their more insane stuff reserved for talks/conventions/etc and out of print. When it’s not in print and searchable, it’s much easier for it to simply leave an impression in someone’s mind and they can later claim that they never said something or that it was misunderstood because there’s no official record (why do you think they don’t want people making recordings of conventions available online?)
I think they’re still getting used to this internet thing where everything they do is immediately and indefinitely preserved, regardless of what form it takes.
Reply
Chiafade says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:01 pm
“During the flood of Noah’s day Jehovah separated the continents. The position of each continent allowed for the development of today’s governmental super powers. Hence Jehovah preparing for the fulfillment of prophecy.”
That’s a quote from a talk I heard given by a member of the writing committee. Anything goes when you’re trying to convince people that you have access to secret knowledge.
Reply
redpilltwice says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:51 pm
Fascinating stuff by the writing committee, their overactive imagination knows no boundaries! Maybe Atlantis was paradise lost after all :-) lol
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 1:00 pm
It’s like freakin’ Harry Potter.
Reply
Pow says:
January 5, 2016 at 2:58 pm
So, the garden of eden was located on the super continent Pangea, so it could possably be in Jackson County Missouri, so both the Mormons and jws would then agree. Maybe the 4 rivers were the Mississippi, Missouri, ohio and the Wabash, As for the other sheep that started in American too. (another Mormon belief), not to far from the jwdub version.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:04 pm
Nice point about talks vs print. Never thought of that. Maybe they’re not quite as dumb as they look. :)
Reply
Malachi Sawyer says:
January 5, 2016 at 11:26 am
I couldn’t help but notice that the wording was very carefully phrased so that the entire statement was credited to the ignorant yokels in the Micronesia branch and not originating in NY. Bet they didn’t see that bus coming.
Reply
KL says:
January 5, 2016 at 11:39 am
Haha! This complete arbitrary use of the Holy Spirit has always driven me nuts! It’s complete superstition ! It is however engrained in witnesses to talk like that. I guess subconciously they feel it shows a high degree of piousness when you attribute everything to divine intervention. Years ago, one brother in our congregation mentioned in one of his talks that he had financial trouble and couldn’t afford groceries. A couple of days earlier someone had anonymously dropped a bag of food in front of his door! “How Jehovah was looking after him so well””. That exact same week, about an hours drive away, a group of witnesses on a bus accidently drove of a cliff on their way to a ski trip. 20 dead! Bad luck I guess?? Jehovah must have been too busy looking for groceries, because that’s what’s important! Lol
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:08 pm
How dare you invoke the God of Luck! LOL :) :) :)
Reply
Chiafade says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:15 pm
That’s exactly what I say about the whole child molestation scandal. A pioneer couple cries out “please jah help us pioneer, we need a part-time job with benefits”. Somehow the org finds this mystery couple and prints their life story.
In a similar manner a child cries out ” Jehovah save me from this child molester!” And…nothing. We never hear an experience where Jehovah intervened on behalf of this child.
BTW unfortunately your story about the brother receiving groceries sounds like something I would have said a few years ago
Same thing happened to me only it was someone who over heard me saying I had no food. It happened maybe twice that’s it. I was still a broke pioneer unable to pay my bills or repair my car. I guess I ran out of my blessing stipend for the year.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:44 pm
O u faithless one! Do u not realize it was JEHOVAH who placed that individual there at that moment, to overhear u. :) RFLMAO
Reply
Chiafade says:
January 5, 2016 at 5:22 pm
Silly me! No coincidence’s in JW land.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:11 pm
Nice article.
I think I’ll go with Conclusion #2. :)
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:19 pm
I distinctly remember being taught that ALL miracle-working ended with the death of the last apostle. Yet ANOTHER contradiction by WT. Just throw it on the pile.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:25 pm
@redpilltwice
I posted this as a reply on the previous page, just making sure u see it — Re ur reference to Jesus referring to the Eden story as proof it really happened:
What if Jesus himself never existed?
Or what if he was not actually the Son of God, but just another charismatic preacher of the Day?
Check out JW Blog (JWB) – “Did Jesus Exist?”
It’s an eye-opener!
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:34 pm
P.S. It seems you need to type “jwblog” as 1 word to get to that specific site.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:38 pm
…or not
Reply
KTMmadbrit says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:39 pm
The WTB&TS is rather like the people dumb enough to read their daily horoscope. (Aaahhh -from Satan!) You only take the positive events ignoring all contradictory events. I think that’s called superstition.
I also saw your vlog about the ‘Generation’ explanation.
Is it just me or is David Spleen really Howdy Doody?
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:49 pm
Howdy Doody makes more sense.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 12:56 pm
So now WT Corp is basically saying that THEY, thru yahweh, vicariously control the weather. When it helps accomplish THEIR goals, which of course, they claim, are HIS goals. Talk…about…control…FREAKS.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 1:15 pm
“Watchtower”, May 2018:
“Brothers, since the asteroid that struck the Moon last month has altered its orbit around Earth, the oceans’ tidal patterns have changed, allowing us to obtain some previously unavailable beachfront property, on which to build a much-needed translation office. Can we not clearly see Jehovah’s hand in this? What a blessing!”
P.S. In no way am I insinuating that WT will last until 2018.
Reply
Searcher says:
January 5, 2016 at 1:16 pm
Great article. I am a statistician by profession. Any form of ‘good luck’ is basically the antithesis of ‘bad luck’ in a equally distributed probability density. In this case, the JW’s always say “Jehovah has blessed us with…” on the fortunate event and “Satan is working against us on …” Funny. This is really two sides of the same coin, so to speak. We all have fortunate and unfortunate things that happen to us. These rubes just try to associate it with supernatural causes rather than random chances.
Reply
Searcher says:
January 5, 2016 at 1:24 pm
I have to add: Yes, I do try to hedge my odds for fortunate events as much as I can by preparation. I also appreciate when people help me and I can help them. I try to learn from the unfortunate events so that I don’t end up in the same situation. If I thought numbly that all good events come from one side and all bad events come from another side, not paying much attention to the lessons learned, then I’m pretty much doomed to repeat the unfortunate events over and over and over.
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 1:26 pm
“Those who fail to learn from History are doomed to repeat it.”
Reply
SIRIUS says:
January 5, 2016 at 2:13 pm
For those that follow the hype, “end is near”!
In the news, Al Gore’s ARMAGEDDON CLOCK About To Hit ZERO
It’s the final countdown.
It’s only 23 days and change until human civilization burns into cinders under the death shroud that is “climate change.”
Ten years ago, Al Gore made a nightmarish prediction that by this month, the world would end. Here’s how CBS reported it:
“The former vice president came to town for the premiere of “An Inconvenient Truth,” a documentary chronicling what has become his crusade since losing the 2000 presidential election: Educating the masses that global warming is about to toast our ecology and our way of life.
Gore has been saying it for decades, since a college class in the 1960s convinced him that greenhouse gases from oil, coal and other carbon emissions were trapping the sun’s heat in the atmosphere, resulting in a glacial meltdown that could flood much of the planet.
Americans have been hearing it for decades, wavering between belief and skepticism that it all may just be a natural part of Earth’s cyclical warming and cooling phases.
And politicians and corporations have been ignoring the issue for decades, to the point that unless drastic measures to reduce greenhouse gases are taken within the next 10 years, the world will reach a point of no return, Gore said.
He sees the situation as “a true planetary emergency.”
“If you accept the truth of that, then nothing else really matters that much,” Gore said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We have to organize quickly to come up with a coherent and really strong response, and that’s what I’m devoting myself to.”
in part & credit to http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/us/al-gores-armageddon-clock-about-to-hit-zero
Well, it’s been ten years. Have we reached “planetary emergency levels?”
Loser’s like Al Gore reminds me of those revolving doors at the casino. BTW, is AL Gore a JW?
IMHO
dogstar
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 2:56 pm
Will I need an umbrella?
Reply
Daniel Plainview says:
January 5, 2016 at 2:27 pm
In the business world it is much more cost efficient to keep an existing client as opposed to trying to sign a new client. In that same line of thought, I wonder if you can reason with a JW about these two different natural disasters. Does it make sense that a loving God would create a natural disaster to demolish a Kingdom Hall and kill 22 of his “existing clients”. OR does it make sense that a loving God would create a typhoon to provide sand to help build a Kingdom Hall in hopes of “signing new clients” ….. if the latter is the case then maybe God should go back to business school!
Reply
Daniel Plainview says:
January 5, 2016 at 2:35 pm
In the business world it is much more cost efficient to keep an existing client as opposed to trying to sign a new client. In that same line of thought, I wonder if you can reason with a JW about these two different natural disasters. Does it make sense that a loving God would create a natural disaster to demolish a Kingdom Hall and kill 22 of his “existing clients” and then use a typhoon to provide sand to help build a Kingdom Hall in hopes of “signing new clients”. If this is the case …..then maybe God should go back to business school!
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 3:09 pm
I was just going over the parts of ARC I watched, in my head, and, I’m sure I’m not the only one who sees this, but anyway, in hindsight, it seems the Aussie officials there were ‘putting up’ with Geoffrey Jackson. I bet they were thinking to themselves, “What the hell is wrong with this guy?” I think it didn’t take long for them to realize they were dealing with a dimwit. Then they just ‘sat on their hands’ and waited for him to shut the f*ck up and maybe start cooperating a little by actually answering 1 or 2 of their questions. It’s like, Hey, Bonzo, do you have a clue where you are? This is an Inquiry – an Inquisition – an Interrogation. And YOU are on the Hot Seat. You are not the Star of this show.
Reply
Pow says:
January 5, 2016 at 3:10 pm
On a separate note, concerning the January broadcast, is Lett the new official poster child for panhandling for the org.? ….notice the pinkie rings came off…hard to beg for money with too much jewelry on..
Reply
anonymous4 says:
January 5, 2016 at 3:36 pm
It’s the Kindly, Grandfatherly Image. Only instead of giving the kids $, he’s asking for it.
Reply
redundant briefcases says:
January 5, 2016 at 4:25 pm
I’m on holiday in south West England at the moment….do the wt have a weather channel or app for my phone so I can plan for tomorrow?
seriously the more I hear the more I laugh!
I can only say this:
my wife and I were saying only the other day that perhaps having two rebellious kids ( now in their mid twenties) probably saved us from a life sentence to the Wt organisation. ..
because we never got so involved socially into the hub of the congregation and therefore never developed really close friendships with that many .
this made drifting away easier…..I’m so glad we were so balanced in our decisions in allowing our kids to choose to follow or not…
once 13/14..their intelligence is developed enough to decide whether to believe or not…
thanks children for being naughty!
you saved us !
Reply
RickRod says:
January 5, 2016 at 5:18 pm
Love your blog, keep up the good work.
Reply
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KtotheRAD "Konrad" says:
August 25, 2013 at 6:55 pm
With every word they reveal and “impart” far more than they ever intended…
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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.
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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’.
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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.
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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/
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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
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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.
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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.
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Holy Connoli says:
November 17, 2015 at 1:14 am
Frankie.If I were you I would turn him into the police now even though it may have been several years ago he committed this crime. Many sexual predators get turned in years later after the crime is reveled. At the very least he will be investigated and his Name will be mud for being a creep.
He deserves it and so does the WT for its NON protection of the flock and not caring for the victim but only their phony reputation.
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?
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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.
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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.
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pj wilcox says:
July 31, 2015 at 3:21 am
I watched the latest video of the inept elder being questioned by the commission. Who prepared this man for testimony? You all are aware of the dentist who shot Cecil the lion in Kenya? Well his life is over. He is in hiding. What he did ,did not break laws in Kenya and his is in a world of trouble with public sentiment. But this elder being questioned is far worse. He covered deeds that drove people to think of killing themselves. Should he not go into hiding? Is his life over? Has he know conscience? Emotion, caring? You know the answer. Bet ya, damage control is working overtime on this.
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Adrian says:
September 8, 2015 at 3:32 am
I think the Royal Commission videos demonstrate that fragility of the governance within the WT society. Yes, it’s an Australia branch issue but cross examination only points to the seat of control on which the governing body members sit. Everything starts and stops with the governing body, they set the policy but where are they? Sitting comfortably in NY watching from a distance ready to abdicate any responsibility whatsoever. A governing body governs and leads but I see no leadership I see the followers talking and being bashed around the head with questions, all too easy for the legal team.
However, it might just be me but does anyone else not see the lawyer’s gap in knowledge regarding the fundamental rationale for the WT society policies, they fall back in their comfort zone knowing that they can say ‘well we don’t have the authority to go beyond the bible.’
It’s this gap in knowledge of the legal representatives which the WT society exploit. I mean nobody is going to ask ‘ where actually did this translation come from anyway?’ What were the academic qualifications of the translators? Is there a possibility that you have interpreted things wrongly or even worse, translated things incorrectly? If there’s a possibility that your interpretation on how to deal with modern day child abuse cases in congregations may be flawed, then are you in agreement that your policies could result in lasting harm to victims of abuse? In my view that translation is the ‘elephant in the room’ every scholar knows it’s perverse but no one is holding this cult to account. So easy to say it’s all in the bible but should they really be saying it’s all in the NWT instead?
The WT society in the videos almost give of an innocence as if to say, ‘ but that’s what we understand from the scriptures’, and I think it works in their favor, but a savvy legal representative would do well to tease out the basis for the rendering of certain verses on which doctrine, policy and organisational decisions are based. So far the WT Society appears to be one step ahead because their authority is not a person but a book, which they are ‘only trying to understand and live by’. Expose the origin of the NWT and the basis for so many ridiculous uncaring decisions is called into question.
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Rick Viger says:
November 10, 2015 at 3:26 pm
Thanks John for all you do with your videos.
I’m an ex JW for 40 years now. I hope your videos reach some witnesses and make them think. For all of you that have left Watchtower remember you made the right decision.
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S.T. says:
November 24, 2015 at 9:48 pm
I was wondering if anyone has heard that Jehovah’s witnesses are telling there congregations that the end of this system could have only hours left? My sister who is a Jehovah’s Witness said they are preaching this at the congregations. Has anyone else heard this?
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