Jehovah's Witnesses, whats this I hear about you guys protectig child abusers from police?

Question

I saw it on BBC. Elders deciding to protect and deny there is any abuse to minors by JW parents.

Do you do this to protect the organization.

I still believe in the Bible and think you guys understand it the best and are the only ones preaching and spreading the good news door to door. But this is disturbing news about you organization.

What do you think?

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses certainly do NOT "protect" child abusers from the police.
http://watchtower.org/e/20000622/

As a people, Jehovah's Witnesses are disgusted and repulsed by abuse, and are relieved when secular law enforcement officials successfully investigate, prosecute, and punish any criminal who engages in these terrible crimes.

Jehovah's Witnesses fully understand that their role as a religion is in providing comfort to the victim and her family, sharing relevant bible warnings with the congregation and specific potential victims, extolling Christian peaceableness and righteousness, and eventually perhaps in counseling a repentant sinner.

Government workers such as police and prosecutors are generally empowered to pursue criminal matters. Jehovah's Witnesses always work in obedience to secular law and deference to the personal decisions of victims (and their families, where practical). Jehovah's Witness ministers do not investigate criminal matters, leaving such matters to law enforcement authorities.

An unrepentant baptized Jehovah's Witness who is found guilty of a secular crime is likely to be disfellowshipped (or "excommunicated", although Witnesses do not use this latter term). However, a sin against God's supreme authority is clearly a different matter from a sin against secular superior authorities. The standards for criminal conviction and forced religious disassociation will never be identical.


While this questioner and question seem sincere, it is sad that others use such "questions" dishonestly to besmirch Jehovah's Witnesses. Interestingly, such "hatred" should be expected by true Christians in this time of the end, and it actually helps identify Jehovah's Witnesses as Christ's true disciples:

(John 15:19) If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, on this account the world hates you.

(2 Timothy 4:3-5) For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.

Learn more:
http://jw-media.org/vnr/2122827332/717263.htm
http://jw-media.org/vnr/2122827332/713173.htm
http://jw-media.org/vnr/2122827332/716353.htm
http://jw-media.org/region/global/english/backgrounders/e_molestation.htm
http://jw-media.org/region/americas/usa/english/releases/educational/usa_e990402a.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19970101/
http://watchtower.org/e/19850122/
http://watchtower.org/e/19951101a/

Answer 2

I personally haven't seen the news report you mentioned, but I can say that the gross child abuse that we see around us in the world today is evidence that we are living in the last days. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Are there pedophiles that slip into the congregations? Unfortunately, yes. However, the Elders believe that the congregation is God’s flock, and Jehovah holds the elders accountable for what happens to the members of the congregation. Because of this, it is very unlikely that they are going to do anything to harm the congregation, in fact they strive to do everything they can to protect the members of the congregation. But at the same time, they are not police, nor do they pretend to be. Do they at times make wrong choices or bad decisions? Yes, they are human like the rest of us, however they do strive to base their decisions on Bible principles.

There are some that claim Jehovah's Witnesses try to "hide" abuse. I have never seen this to be true. Has it happened? There is always a possibility. However, I firmly believe what the Bible says at Luke 8:17 "For there is nothing hidden that will not become manifest, neither anything carefully concealed that will never become known and never come into the open." Also, Hebrews 4:13 "...all things are naked and openly exposed to the eyes of him with whom we have an accounting." Jehovah sees wrongs that are committed in his congregation and he will make things right.(Romans 12:19)

We as parents have to be diligent to protect our children. This responsibility belongs to us. We have received a lot of information from the Watchtower on how to protect our children. The most recent series of articles can be found in the October 2007 Awake!

Is it possible that there are some parents who are abusive to their children? It is true that at times there is a fine line between what some people consider 'discipline' and abuse. However, once again, the elders are not police, they cannot tell people how to raise thier children. They can only offer Bible based counsel, which encourages parents to only discipline in love, not 'beating' our children.

There are over 6 million Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide. As a whole, we are known for our love and our efforts to live by Bible standards and principles. Sometimes there are individuals that do not live up to Bible standards, and it is unfortunate that they are the ones that seem to be the main focus.

Answer 3

Read my answer to your other similar question.

I was in a hall where there was a pedophile...and the guy had NO position in the congregation. Each person with a child was given a special 'talking to" about this man, a yearly local needs talk was given to everyone in the hall about the matter and telling us all that we (elders AND attendees) should be watching our children, not only around that guy, but with all men, because some people don't have a criminal record, but just might be a pedophile.

My congregation was so vigilant (maybe to a fault), that a little girl told one of the elders that she fell on her knee at a party at another elders house (but the word she used for the scrape on her knee was also a common word for a private part) and the elder nearly went ballistic, calling an elders meeting and ACTUALLY called the police. The police found out that the little girl WASN'T molested...but it caused one elder to be very hurt that he was accused....


SO that's how I know that these people who say we protect pedophiles are L I A R S...I have lived through it and seen what congregations do.

Answer 4

I haven't seen the specific thing you refer to but it isn't true that we try to cover up abuse. While, sadly all humans at times do wrong things, on the whole this DOESN'T happen.

It is something often said on here. Often when said there is little to no proof offered.

There is a chance the news thing you refer to did say it. I saw a "news" show on VH1 that had "an ex JW" who made several claims, which I researched and PROVED untrue.

Example, he claimed that as a boy Michael Jackson was read to from a book, this book wasn't even printed till a few years ago. Sadly some journalists, are corrupt.

Answer 5

My Wife and I are active Jehovah's Witnesses and we have a 6 month old Baby Boy.

If someone in the Congregation ever found out that someone hurt a child or molested anyone this would be reported as soon as possible !!!

Jehovah is our God and He is a clean and Holy God. Jehovah God sees all things and nothing can be hidden from Jehovah or His Son Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the Head of our Congregations.

We will always do what is right in God's eyes and that is the truth.

Our Brothers and Sisters have given you alot of links to our Official Web Site so you can read this for yourself.

Thank you for asking active Jehovah's Witnesses about this.

I respect you very much for that.

Have a nice day.

Agape.

Answer 6

JWs do not tolerate abuse.

To get a direct answer from JWs, please go to www.watchtower.org and do a search for abuse, child abuse. Or you can go to http://www.jw-media.org/ and find "abuse policy". JWs do not protect criminals, because Jehovah our God is holy and He hates wickedness. Not everything the media says is truthful and balanced. If we are not rooted down deep in the Christian faith, we will always be "tossed about as by waves and carried hither and thither by every wind of teaching by means of the trickery of men, by means of cunning in contriving error." Eph 4:14.

Those abusers are reported to the authorities and if the elders don't have enough proof, the victim and his family have the right to go to the police and report the matter to them.

In an article about abuse "If your Child is abused" Awake 1993, it even states "
Some legal experts advise reporting the abuse to the authorities as soon as possible. In some lands the legal system may require this. But in other places the legal system may offer little hope of successful prosecution".

It was even announced in our Christian meeting a few years back that it is the right of the abused to report the person to the police. That means if there's no other witness, the abused person can go directly to the police.

Please notice that depending on where you live, the law differs. A 18 years old may have immoral relations with a consenting 16 or 17 years old eventhough they like each other, the 18 yrs old can be termed sexual predator in one area but not in another. The Bible also states that the human government are there to act as ministers. But it doesn't mean that human governments do not contradict with the Bible. Some approve of abortion, same-sex marriage, use of marijuana, which conflict with Bible principles.

Visit www.watchtower.org and search for the word "sexual abuse" and a lot of help are provided to prevent it.
e.g.
Prevention in the Home - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
The vast majority of sexual abuse occurs in the home. So how can the home be made more resistant to abuse?

Common Misconceptions - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
Don't be left in the dark by misconceptions that protect child abusers and not children.

Your Child Is in Danger! - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
How widespread is the sexual abuse of children? What can be done to protect them? Will such hideous crimes ever be eliminated?

If Your Child Is Abused - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
To stop abuse, you must know it when you see it. Experts have listed dozens of telltale signs of abuse that parents can watch for.

Answer 7

"Do they at times make wrong choices or bad decisions? Yes, they are humans like the rest of us, however........" says izofblue. Catholic priests made wrong choices, the bishops and cardinals made wrong choices, and the Pope made wrong choices. All wrong choices fall on the sacrifice of the child and the family. There are NO excuses for wrong choices. Nor is there any excuse for you to make excuses for the Elder's wrong choices. When there are wrong choices made, you say the Elder's do all their best to follow the Bible; you are saying that the Elder's that made the wrong choices are let go of their position and taken out of the church? That would constitute for doing ALL they can to protect the children and the church. The Bible does state that the righteous should be no part of the wicked. This kind of wrong choices are unexceptable and cannot be made again. The second time around is one to many times. ALL involve of wrong choices should be thrown out immediately to "set things straight for the child and the family". To keep the church of being blemished. This rule abides for ALL Christian Religion & Faith. There is no exceptions; all exception's are overuled.

Answer 8

I think it is wrong to group all Jehovas or any other religious sectors as if they were all doing it. As the news perpetuates this sort of reasoning. Probably they are, but not all of them, so when you say , Jehovah's Witnesses, thats referring to all of them, each and everyone of them. Although I disagree with you about Jehovah's being the best, I do think that you have unjustly worded the question in a way that puts all Jehovah's in the category of being supportive of Child Abusers.

Answer 9

Why don't you go to the societies site and click on this information yourself. There is plenty of information regarding the Witnesses stand on this.
Go to the source and don't limp on others thoughts!
This site is very informational on the stand the society takes.

Wachtower.org

Answer 10

They do not protect child abusers. If they are shown to have abused a child, they are removed from the congregation...if they are unrepentant. Whatever the authourities do or not do is not in their control.