Does a JW convicted of abuse of foster children for 2 decades being "inactive" as a JW change anything?

Question

The BBC broadcast on British TV last night the court case of a woman who grossly abused 3 of her foster children over 20 years. She was said to attend a Kingdom Hall once with a sign around a child saying, "This child is evil. Do not speak to her." She fooled Social Services for 2 decades.

I learned from a JW that a concerned JW member reported her and I'm relieved to know this. However, the claim was then made that there's no "proof" she was an ACTIVE member. It was suggested she was not BAPATIZED as a JW, so could not be disfellowshipped. Good point, if it's true. Will the same understanding be shown by JWs when the sins of other church-goers are broadcast by the media? Will they acknowledge not all of them are active? When will JWs say what lovely people most church-goers are? Their literature picks on every example of "bad" clergy and laity it can to prove how unchristian Christendom is. I object to lack of fairness but the REAL issue is the suffering of the children!

Answer 1

Does one's status change the action? No of course not. It simply clarify's things. Also, it helps explain why it might have taken so long for things to come into the light. When someone is actively involved in close relationships with others it is Much more difficult to have such grossly sinful activities go on unnoticed. Anyone can hide things about themselves.

As for recognising the good will/heart condition of others is a basic thing. I always feel sorry when ANYONE gives in to the lesser angels of their nature. I of course notice Hypocracy. However I in no way assume that one person's behavior is the RULE for the religion.

Answer 2

"This questioner's shameful misrepresentations... a dastardly campaign to demean and disparage JW's... smarmy invective"? I don't think so, and neither would any other clear thinking person who has looked at the evidence presented by the BBC. Why don't the JW's get onto the BBC and demand an apology or a retraction?

If JW's are going to hold themselves up as the only true religion on the planet, then they can expect to be exposed by the media when it is discovered by the authorities that the local congregation aparently stood back and did nothing to help this woman and the poor children who suffered so horribly at her hands. This woman was known to the local congregation. Yet they did nothing to help or intervene? Were they embarrased by her? Did they want to wash their hands of her? Ever heard about the parable of the Good Samaritan?

Perhaps if JW literature stopped trying to make out that they are so squeeky clean, so holier-than-thou, so self righteous, then they would not be such a target for media attention. In other words, they wouldn't get such a bad press. They would do better to put their own house in order before condemning and critising other religions. What a relief that it is God Almighty who does the judging, and it will not be left up to men.

Answer 3

No religion can categorically state their "active" and "baptized" members would never be abusers or involved in evil activities. Anyone who says such a thing is not being honest and is a hypocrite.

Each time I hear Witnesses fall back on these excuses, it bothers me, because it implies they believe no "active baptized member" would ever be capable of deception or pretending to be someone they are not.

There are evil people in all religions, and JW's are not an exception to this rule. Ironically, religions who feel they are exceptions, are probably more likely to attract people of this nature.

Scriptures tell us, that if we cause our brothers and sisters to stumble, or do anything to "enable" prolonging of their sin, we are just as guilty and have sinned.

Answer 4

This questioner's shameful misrepresentations abound.

This questioner continues to reveal a dastardly campaign to demean and disparage Jehovah's Witnesses. True Christians (such as Jehovah's Witnesses) well recognize that Christ never authorized Christians to focus on such smarmy invective. Instead, Christ Jesus specifically commanded his followers to perform a global campaign to share "the good news".

Most readers will have experienced one (or many) of the seven million Witness ministers knocking on their door hoping to discuss the bible's resurrection hope, or coming paradise earth. That is the type of loving message which concerns "the good news of the Kingdom".

This questioner's earlier so-called "question" asked how a [self-described] Christian could hide her abusive nature from her congregation. A less accusatory person would have likely recognized the incredibly obvious answer: an infrequent congregant would offer few opportunities to 'clue in' other congregants.

Jehovah's Witnesses certainly do not pretend that active baptized individuals among Jehovah's Witnesses do not sin. In fact, Jehovah's Witnesses are quite unique among Christians in that Witnesses do not tolerate unrepentant sinners among them; apparently anti-Witnesses are undecided about whether it is more effective to complain that JW disfellowshipping is "too frequent" or "too infrequent".

Answer 5

The Catholics got a lot of grief for some of their priests being child molesting monsters. However, the Jehovahs Witnesses are a haven for such since you don't have to be a priest to be shielded from punishment. All you have to do is make sure that you have no witnesses other than your victim and you will not be disfellowshipped. In fact, if your victim or his or her parents dare to report you, THEY will be disfellowshipped.

And they claim to be the "Faithful Servant". Faithful my rear end!
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Answer 6

Dear Sasi,

This has been bothering me since I read your related question yesterday!

My mother is a jw and I've noticed through the years that she goes on a daily scavenger hunt to find out things that people do (not necessarily those who call themselves Christians but she is absolutely gleeful when she can get any dirt on Christians) so she can use the info to feel righteous about her religion. It isn't only Mom, it is some of the emails I get from jw relatives and the Watchtower articles that they send me.

One of my relatives did leave the organization about 5 years ago when she learned the truth about the incidence of sexual abuse within the Watchtower. The jw relatives who now shun her will not even listen to the overwhelming evidence that she presents but they immediately stand up for the perpetrators of the crimes. Talk about a DOUBLE STANDARD.

What really breaks my heart is that those like my mother are going to be held accountable not only for their own UNFORGIVEN sin but the unforgiven sin of those they bring into the false flock. Oh, such gnashing of teeth there will be.
They will be judged on the basis of the things that they judged others.

Let those of us who know this call upon our LORD to let the walls of the Watchtower come crashing down just as did the walls of Jericho!

Edit: I just read Cedar 20's and Line Dancer's replies. What my cousin had researched extensively was just what Cedar is saying. To LineDancer I say that it is the Victim NOT the Victimizer who is dealt with switfly.

Edit 2: I would like to add a follow-up comment to Princess Yum Yum's answer. She says "... If JW's are going to hold themselves up as the only true religion on the planet, then they can expect to be exposed by the media when it is discovered by the authorities that the local congregation aparently stood back and did nothing to help this woman and the poor children who suffered so horribly at her hands. ..."

Actually the jws should be held to an even higher standard BECAUSE they do hold themselves out as the only true religion.

For nearly 5 years I worked as an Internal Auditor in a bank holding company. The clerks in the various departments that I audited really hated to be audited but the bank officers didn't mind it at all. I / we never went out looking for things done wrong. Actually we always hoped to find that everything was just fine. But that is not in the least bit realistic.

One strange experience happened when a bank customer called my boss to ask for help because he kept making payments on his consumer loan but kept getting Past Due notices. This went on for months. My boss observed the customer making his payment at one of the bank branches in a timely fashion and observed the flow of the payment to the Consumer Loan Dept. but still the Past Due notices kept coming. So the boss interviewed everybody in CL but got nowhere. So he had to go through employee's desks.

My boss found the customer's stack of checks along with a few other checks in one employee's desk. It turned out that the customer had made an initial payment for more than was billed and the employee did NOT know how to apply the abnormal payment and she didn't want to look stupid so she tried to hide it or ignore it in hopes that it would go away.

I tell you this story to make the point that problems don't just go away. Those of us who answer questions regarding jws do not hate the people but we see the problems with what is taught by them. Some as in the case of Sasi and Princess Yum Yum left the organization after seeing the problems. Some of us have loved ones in the organization and did not follow suit because we saw the problems. We answer not to be "smarmy" but because we care about you, about the people you are misleading and most of all we care because our heavenly Father does NOT want you to be eternally separated from Him.

Answer 7

JW's are not immune to sin. If one of them has molested others, he is dealt with swiftly.

Unlike Cedar 20 says, Jehovah's Witnesses fully cooperate with police agencies.

Answer 8

I was raised JW. Emphasis on 'was'. I'm disfellowshipped, but technically what I did was not grounds to be kicked out. But in the elder's meeting I brought up the fact that an elder (not on my judicial committee) had been sexually inappropriate with me. I was disfellowshipped 15 minutes later after they excused themselves to pray about me. I look back on it and am sure they did it to shut me up.

The JW headq's have a database of all people who gave been reported or complained about to the elders. But why they don't give that information to law enforcement...

www.silentlambs.org

You'll find plenty of stuff there to get yourself all riled up about them. Have fun.

Answer 9

Lay off the Jehovah Witnesses they are no worse than any other Christian religious organization. Why single them out when they all commit atrocities against children. filling their heads with fear of damnation, demons and ridiculous fantasy deities.