J. R. Brown, Organizational Spokesman for Jehovah's Witnesses
Dr. M. Ruth Infante, Psychiatrist, Psychopharmacologist
David Sinclair, Congregation Elder
Philip Brumley, General Counsel for Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jehovah's Witnesses' Policy on Dealing With Child Abuse
Mr. Brown: We have a very aggressive policy to handle child molestation in the congregations. And it is primarily designed to protect our children. And then it also is in compliance with the laws of the land, or the state, so that there is not a conflict.
Dr. Infante: I think that's a very good policy, that the elders essentially would take charge of the situation of reporting the abuse to the authorities if there is no adult in authority, any other adult in authority to do that, to protect the child.
Mr. Sinclair: If we didn't have a policy, it might be confusing to some who have never dealt with things like that before, like I had never dealt with it before. You are not sure where to turn for help. But when you know that there is a policy in place— that you can go and get the help that's needed— that is very comforting. And then, within the congregation, through the arrangement of the congregation, you can provide the spiritual help and the encouragement to get over the difficulties that the individuals have faced in their childhood.
Mr. Brumley: There are instances when a situation that should have been reported is not. Or where care should have been extended and it was not. But to say that the policy is not followed perfectly is a far cry from saying that there exists a policy to affirmatively minimize, or hide, this problem. The policy that Jehovah's Witnesses have on how to handle cases of child molestation is without equal in the religious community.
4 comments:
Jehovah's Witnesses have an emphasis on true righteousness, and as such are easily sucker-punched, and are often naive to the point of my extreme embarrassment, as a JW of over 42 years. Very few doctors could switch out an automobile transmission, and very few Jehovah's Witnesses have a real feel for what justice is, or how to achieve it.
But then again, many U.S. Marines have the same problems, and whether Jdub, or Jarhead, that is why Witnesses have a policy manual to refer to .., for Witnesses it's the Bible, for Marines its the UCMJ.
Officers in Jehovah's Witnesses organization (elders) are often inexperienced, have no talent, and are clueless ... but then again, Marines have the exact same problem.
To try and preserve your Society, a spiritual nation, or a temporal one, you have to fight wars with the people you have ...the army you have ... not the people or army you WISH you had.
JWs screwed up bad in the past ... to ignore that is evil ... and cowardly. Iron sharpens iron, but it makes a LOT of sparks, and fire, but hopefully that problem is permanently solved for JWs.
As long as pesky humans are involved, it will not be, though.
... get used to the idea.
..reality is a rough ride.
Tom, I do not publish this information to argue the beliefs of Jehovah Witness's. It does not sound as though you are a JW, but that is fine, this is, after all a public blog for all to read. YOU have made several points that do not go along with my beliefs. We are no part of this world, therefore do not align ourselves with government and wars. Mark 12: 17 and John 17:14-19. Justice for us is found in Jehovah's Word, the Bible. We lean on it for answers to our current path. We, like everyone else are sinners and have made many mistakes in the past but we continue to try to pass Jehovah's Word on to others as we were all asked to do. Matt. 28:19,20 But Thank you so much for your interest and comments.
I did not say I was a Marine. I am a JW in good standing, and have been continuously for over 42 years.
I am sure there are MANY points I could make that do not go along with your beliefs, or common experience.
I am a retired engineer, and think quite differently than 90% of the JWs I have met.
... more of a Clint Eastwood perspective than a Pewee Herman perspective.
Jehovah's Witnesses are probably mankind's best bet to learn how to serve God, but to ignore general incompetence ... even if it is understandable ... is naive at best and evil at worst.
Never did I even suggest that we align ourselves with governments and wars, yet that is what you got out of my metaphor, and it illustrates the points of my metaphor exactly.
You are probably very good at the "Grand Commission" of preaching the word of God accurately ... but your comprehension is very low about anything outside that immediate frame of reference, as evidenced by your totally misunderstanding what I wrote.
This is very common, and my comments are not intended as an insult in any way, and hope that you will take them as good counsel, and not as an insult.
Please ... re-read what I originally wrote, and try to recognize it as a metaphor.
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I am sorry if I did not understand. I certainly did not mean to offend you in anyway. Please accept my wholehearted apologies.
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