May 2002 Guestbook

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Remote User:
Date:
01 May 2002
Time:
03:29:16
Comments
Hi, avishai here again. #1 It's my belief that the only reason Bill is still a jw is to remain as effective as possible, much like those who choose to become "inactive" rather than disassociate themselves to be able to still talk w/ there families. And we all know of those examples. And, now, I feel a bit hypocritical after bitching about dogma & how the important thing is catching molesters, not arguing about dogma, but, I think it's time to throw my hat in the ring, dogmatically speaking, as there are those who won't believe that anything is going wrong if the religion is right. It's very, very easy to quickly disprove jw doctrine. Since it's inception, the religion has been based on the year 1914, & it was calculated from the supposed year of the conquest of israel 607 b.c.e. This calculation is based on the assumptions that the gregorian calendar is exact & correct. It is NOT. It may be inaccurate w/ a variable of up to 15 years! And, that's beyond the fact that most scholars give a different date for the fall of israel being 587 b.c.e. Which could put "1914" anywhere from 1896 to 1934. There is no accurate way to calculate this, unless perhaps a hebrew calendar is used, & probably not then! Then, also, w/ this in mind, think of all the times they say something is going to happen, i.e. 1975. They have called themselves god's prophet in the past, now changed to the more ambiguous"gods channel of information on earth" WHICH MEANS EXACTLY THE SAME THING! According to deuteronomy 18:19, once you call yourself a prophet, you cannot take it back! Also, when "god's channel of information" does a 180 degree turn in doctrine, they call it new light! The old testament "channels of info" didn't change their prophecies, they were very explicit, not vague, & NEVER did 180 degree turns on their prophecies, they couldn't as per deuteronomy, or they would be KILLED! Said chapters & verse to follow. Once you are aware of these facts, there is no way to rationalize them away! & if you do, you are just as guilty as the false prophets, as you are required to take these lies door to door. Sorry, for getting all dogmatic, the children are what really matters, remember that above all else, god won't fix it later, because almost everyone is too lazy to try themselves. 18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. Acts 3.23

20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?

22 when a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. avishai@hotmail.com

Remote User:
Date:
01 May 2002
Time:
13:52:05
Comments
Avishai: Looks like someone recently read "Gentile Times Reconsidered," maybe with a bit of "Crisis of Conscience" for good measure. They really drive the point home.

Remote User:
Date:
01 May 2002
Time:
21:09:18
Comments
"" I am dying with cancer now. I have nothing else to lose. I will tell the secrets. I refuse to be shut up again! Please join my voice in a very loud shout!!!

P ""

Dear P, I implore you to seek help for the Cancer. Cancer need not kill in this day and age. I realize allopathic (General MDs) will sell you surgery, radiation or poison for Cancer, but there is a "Natural Hygiene" method for treating Cancer. Many just accept Cancer as a death sentence. Cancer is the "last" stage of several levels of toxic damage done to the body and it may be able to be turned around completely. Get a book by "Harvey Diamond" called "Fit for Life-A New Beginning. Once read you will understand and not fear this any more. ServeWPassion@aol.com

Remote User:
Date:
01 May 2002
Time:
21:30:07
Comments
This guestbook appears to all, so if you wish to keep your email private I suggest you go to the home page and click on the "add me to email" button that way I will be glad to put you on the sl list for emails but your identity will always remain confidential. Hope this helps,

silentlambs

Remote User:
Date:
02 May 2002
Time:
03:01:33
Comments
I've read most of the guestbook messages here and I'd like to reply to those people who are defending the JW's. I was raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and suffered sexual abuse for 5 years from a couple that seemed to be spiritually strong. Everyone in their congregation loved them. But for 5 years of my life they molested me. Any form of abuse stays with the victim throughout their lives. Even if a JW claims to be repentant they should have charges filed against them. They should not, for any reason, be let free among the congregation to ruin another child. The couple that stole 5 years of my life were put on private reproof. They admitted to everything I had said they did and all they got was private reproof. That makes it so hard for me to trust the congregation now. I was also told that I shouldn't press charges against them because it might "bring reproach upon Jehovah's organization". So they got away with it for now. But Jehovah will take care of them in the proper way, whatever His will is. I am just afraid for the children who have no idea these predators are in their congregation. Over 27,000 cases have been reported. So I think protecting the organization is not the issue here. Protecting the children should be more important.

Remote User:
Date:
02 May 2002
Time:
10:16:26
Comments
I think that it is great that you have created this site for those of us who have been silentlambs for so long and now feel the need to speak out! Keep up the work, I greatly support you!!

-Vanessa

Remote User:
Date:
02 May 2002
Time:
14:48:48
Comments
The Catholics have admitted to their mistakes and are trying to do something about it, so why can't JWs do the same?

Remote User:
Date:
02 May 2002
Time:
15:25:20
Comments
There is a pretty important point that seems to get by a lot of people: It is horribly self-centered to think that a pedophile is dealt with if he is identified and the children of the congregation are protected. That is not nearly enough. It is the height of apostasy to assert that Jehovah will deal with the individual and until then he won't have a position of responsibility. How disgusting it is to posit that the external authorities should not be called to protect the org.'s name. The world has other children that don't go to your Kingdom Hall. We are obligated to protect them too, whenever we can. A christian attitude would impel everyone to see that the molester is dealt with! Shame on anyone that knows of an offender and yet participates in the hush-hush tactics of the Watchtower Society.

"By their fruits you shall know them"

Remote User:
Date:
02 May 2002
Time:
15:29:39
Comments
i don t have any faith that jw s will ever be as candid about their problem as the catholics have finally done we were brainwashed too well i don t recall when 'not doing anything that would bring reproach on jehovah s name' and 'covering a multitude of sins with love' became 'don t tell what jw s really do or it will reproach the organization' and 'cover up a multitude of horrific crimes with theocratic deception' but at some point all of us were conditioned to that point

Remote User:
Date:
02 May 2002
Time:
16:48:12
Comments
in reviewing some of my previous posts, i would like to apologize to the group for the style of typing i sometimes use. i find it hard to understand my own writing. i often type without punctuation, and make up for it by hitting the space bar several times,in lieu of periods or commas. now i see that for some reason, the final form in the guest book compresses all those spaces, and it all runs together. will try to be clearer in the future. although i may still eschew capital letters from time to time. ;-)

Remote User:
Date:
03 May 2002
Time:
19:07:04
Comments
HI SilentLambs.you all have my thoughts and prayers Please keep speaking OUT'Searchin 50 @aol,com

Remote User:
Date:
03 May 2002
Time:
19:08:45
Comments
HI SilentLambs.you all have my thoughts and prayers Please keep speaking OUT'Searchin 50 @aol.com

Remote User:
Date:
04 May 2002
Time:
04:23:48
Comments
hey silent lambs me being a active jehovah's witnesses no of your coming up judicial hearing being DF is your next step jehovah will keep his people clean he does not tolerate sects its sad worker of satan how u have fell from the truth sad

Remote User:
Date:
04 May 2002
Time:
04:38:48
Comments
You obviously have a problem with the JW's. Unfortunately children in ALL religious background have been harmed, not just JW's. Look at the courts in Australia, the Catholic religion has a few more problems don't you think? But soon all the wrong that men have done will be corrected. You really have a chip on your shoulder don't you? What you hate about child molesters is so true , they destroy lives, but just because a person calls himself a title, doesn't make the lot that way. Open up your eyes.

Remote User:
Date:
04 May 2002
Time:
12:53:16
Comments
This is a message for Bill Bowen:

Hi Bill, you do not know me, I am an active JW and I have been following your work very closely.

You're doing an outstanding job, keep at it.

You are one man against all the odds. I deplore the covering up of child abuse and the shunning policy practiced against victims, it is unscriptural.

I simply cannot believe that the Society is trying to form a judicial committee against you.

I would go on the presumption Bill that your judicial committee has ALREADY made the decision to disfellowship you, they are just doing it by the book. You will then be known as a disgruntled X-JW not as an active witness, which will make a huge difference to how people see your cause for changing the child abuse policy.

What is even more low is that the Society sends letters to the families that appear on dateline who have been victims of child abuse ordering them to a judicial committee. Haven't the victims suffered enough?

Child abuse is a crime, it should not be covered over or dismissed.

I find that the Society is more interested in preserving their 'image' of Jehovah, rather than living up to 'their' dedication to Jehovah and doing what's right. Image counts for everything, people it seems, don't.

A B Rother

Remote User:
Date:
04 May 2002
Time:
16:17:24
Comments
if it is true that a judicial committee is being formed against bill bowen, i can assure u that MINDS ARE ALREADY MADE UP! never saw a committee that didn't. especially one that was formed as part of the cover up of child abuse. i was so brainwashed that i felt i was in the wrong for my attitude when i was harassed by committee for trying to protect and expose the abuse of my children. it has taken years to undo the spiritual/emotional/psychological RAPE that is done by elders, congregations, the "faithful and discreet slave", the WTS, etc. interesting that they use the same comfort/threat/we your only family and support/u will be killed if u don t do as we say type of techniques in grooming their converts, as abuse perpetrators use against their victims. my family will NEVER go back to such filth and depravity as we experienced as JWs! and it has cost us dearly,in losing the few relatives who are still part of this borg collective. as far as losing the fellowship of those who perpetrated or covered up the crimes against my family, tried blaming the victims, (including my children), protected the perps, and spread the vilest slander about my family INCLUDING my children as a smokescreen, refused to take judicial action against one of the perps when it was established in a court of law that the perp perjured and committed false testimony against my family, for those who actually made my brainwashed psyche feel so guilty about my attitude in all this, that i actually ASKED to be disfellowshipped,so as to receive the 'loving, scourging discipline of jehovah that he gives to those he accepts as his sons ' so that i might actually re establish my 'dying faith ' and adjust my un-theocratic-like attitude.....as far as my fellowship with these kind of sc um..... including the elder who personally apologized, saying he had no choice but to go along with the lies 'for the sake of unity with the committee, elders and truth'....as far as our loss of fellowship with these 'christians' ...... good riddance and *%$# u all! had i seen even one 'brother' with the moral fortitude and integrity of the one running silentlambs, i would have stayed, and my family would not have healed as much as it has. i am ashamed about my diligence in raising my beautiful children in this dangerous teaching. i am ashamed that i continued to take them to meetings, assemblies and conventions after i asked to be disfellowshipped. i am ashamed that i had the goal of being reinstated into such a depraved organization. and no, my healthy aversion to these lying abusers that call themselves witnesses of jehovah did not come about from reading this web-site, or any other writings against the organization. i scrupulously avoided ANY association with anyone/thing that questioned jws for years. i avoided associating with any EX-jws for years. i came to my attitude by having my sanity restored. if there were more like the founder of silent lambs, who actually stand up for TRUTH and what witnesses claim to be and teach, i would still be defending them, as i did for the first decade after i left. if this work can prevent or help even ONE silentlamb heal of being raped, intimidated, threatened and feeling guilty about it, then everything that they have done has been worth it. if they have the audacity to df bowen, it only goes to show them for what they are. never seen a rapist that didn't try to discredit their victims and their defenders. if bowen is anything like i was, sincere in believing jw s have the truth, he probably will have little to do with people like me until he heals too. their trying to df him is just ANOTHER FORM OF RAPE.

Remote User:
Date:
04 May 2002
Time:
16:20:51
Comments
by the way, my family and i are eagerly awaiting the dateline report. when is it scheduled to be aired? i e mailed dateline and asked, but don t want to take the chance that they will air it before they get a chance to respond.

Remote User:
Date:
04 May 2002
Time:
19:35:31
Comments
I was molested by a male pioneer many years older than I. This was when I was merely 13. He went on to serve where the need was great and was appointed an elder in many diverse places in California. He had a problem which was never uncovered because I never said a thing. Now my best girlfriend,,we are both 55+ years old, reveals that she ALSO was molested by him at the same time. He had "sisters" chasing him in an attempt to get married for decades. I decline to add my name in hopes of protecting my elderly mother who is still very strong in the organization. I have left some 4 years ago now with a total loss of belief or trust.

Remote User:
Date:
04 May 2002
Time:
20:46:08
Comments
It is crystal clear from reading the news excerpts that pedophiles are allowed to circulate. All the abuser has to do is say 'I'm sorry' and is deemed repentant. Or better yet, the abuser denies it all, and the abused is left not only with the enduring hell, but the reality that it is the abuser who will get protection. I experienced this first hand. If you get therapy for what you've gone through, the elders 'watch' your every move. Getting therapy is frowned on - you are considered spiritually weak for seeking 'wordly' help. This site blows their hypocrisy to smithereens and I highly encourage those looking into this 'religion' to look close enough to see the whites of their lies. Those who share their stories here - I applaud you.

Salem salem@ns.sympatico.ca

Remote User:
Date:
04 May 2002
Time:
20:50:38
Comments
Hey what a great site for witnessing materials.

Remote User:
Date:
04 May 2002
Time:
23:38:10
Comments
The experiences reported here concern mainly elders and ministerial servants as the perpetrators, and it would seem that these ones were ALREADY PRACTISING their vile crimes against children BEFORE being 'appointed' by holy spirit.

Even when these ones are found out, some of them simply move to another congregation, only to perform well again and be 're-appointed' by holy spirit to their former position.

My question is this:

Is it true or not true that ministerial servants, elders and other higher ranking servants are APPOINTED by holy spirit?

As one scripture says, 'My thoughts are not their thoughts, for my ways are higher than their ways'

I cannot understand how anyone could be appointed by holy spirit and still be practicing child abuse.

The Society feels that if the whole issue of child abuse in the organization is 'well known', then this will undermine the whole authority structure of the elders and the Society in general.

Appointment by holy spirit could be seen as a means to control people, and if this is blown away, then control over witnesses is greatly undermined.

Remote User:
Date:
05 May 2002
Time:
23:03:27
Comments
I am a former JW. My ex-husband was, at the time of our divorce, an elder. Then, due to the divorce he was removed (an elder, after all, has to have his family under control and he'd lost his control!), but just a year later was an elder again.

He never sexually abused any child, nor did he physically abuse me. My children,however, endured incredible abuse and they have mental, emotional as well as physical scars. When I brought this to the other elders' attention, they always said the children must have deserved it. No child deserves to be burned with a candle flame.

We must keep in mind that these elders are not trained in dealing with family problems, only in bible teachings. And yet this is no excuse.

As a child growing up, I experienced sexual abuse both from a "brother" in the congregation as well as from my stepfather, who never was baptized but was an accepted member of the congregation.

One of the issues I'd like to bring up is one that is also totally ignored within the society. That's alcoholism. I learned to drink at social gatherings, early in my marriage. It took me years to recover. Almost all of our "friends" drank to intoxication. And most of our friends were elders.

Another issue is how children are treated. I wish I had gotten away earlier from the society. Learning to treat each child individually, with love and respect, is something I learned "in the world."

Then there is the issue on how women are treated. The psychological battering I endured from my ex-husband for 18 years almost killed me. It took years of counseling for me to even learn that I could say "no" to a man.

As a last note I want to add that my ex-husband, refuses to take any responsibility in raising our children, except for taking them to "meetings." Otherwise, financially and in handling parental issues, I am on my own. Yet he is an elder, counseling other families ... However, I am glad to be free of him and the society.

I do miss the nice people in the congregation. I miss my family who has to shun me. I miss the sisterhood.

In about two years, look for my upcoming book, entitled: After the Fall -- A book of hope for those who have been excommunicated, expelled or disfellowshipped from a religious organization.

Thank you for the good work you are doing.

Remote User:
Date:
06 May 2002
Time:
16:43:27
Comments
I think this is a good "awareness" site and I am totally all for helping the silentlambs. But I have never heard of any thing of this sort...It is against the JW's religion to have pre-marital sex so I find this hard to believe that it is an ongoing problem...its obviously not big enough to make the news--look at the Catholic's. They protected their priests and still there will be people out their who report it to the proper authority's. I think that people are consistently looking for the bad in everything...why don't we look at the good for a change? This world isn't that horrible. Thanks--CD

Remote User:
Date:
06 May 2002
Time:
20:29:31
Comments
All right, for the guy that said It can't be that bad, look at the catholics, look at the good for once. SCREW YOU,PAL!!! The catholics are MUCH larger religion, that is why they get more!!! And, tell me, where is the good in letting children get raped over & over & over again? WHERE? It's complacent jerks like you that allow these ATROCITIES to occur. You are & all of your ilk are blood guilty!!! Guilty of child molestation by proxy if not by fact. I hope Bill sues the wtbs for discrimination, in that he was following a federal law when he reported this evil bastard! I hope they & every other churches that cover this up are sued so bad by all the victims that they are no longer able to function! THAT would truly be paradise, a new order. God doesn't protect child molesters, you do!!!!

Remote User:
Date:
06 May 2002
Time:
22:26:36
Comments
To the person who suggests we look at the good in things, tell me.. What is the "good" in this situation? Certainly you can see how the lives that have been forever altered, and the innocence ripped away from these victims/survivors is so very much worse and outweighs any of the "good" things that you may say this religion has done for people. Shame on you for such an insensitive comment in a place where people are trying to heal. Amy at aorchid21@hotmail.com

Remote User:
Date:
07 May 2002
Time:
00:59:16
Comments
Excellent site. Unfortunately, there are way too many sisters (and brothers) emotionally messed up, not only because of the abuse that they sustained, but seeing the abuser literally get away with murder.

Remote User:
Date:
07 May 2002
Time:
01:43:14
Comments
Hi again, To the person who said look at the good. This isn't a matter of where we focus our attention. The bible says that a man who does not look after his own(family)is "worse than a man without faith." A pedophile does not look after his own obviously!!! What good?

The Older men in bible times were commanded to keep the congregation clean. Why are they not? How many times must they repeatedly sin against our children before they realize that they are unrepentant? The King of Israel Saul was told when he begged God forgiveness "to obey is better that a sacrifice." Even in the bible there are examples where there was an end of forgiveness on Gods part. There had to be works befitting repentance. He certainly never suggested the Kings behaviour to be ignored or suggest we look for the Good. DJB

Remote User:
Date:
07 May 2002
Time:
19:57:23
Comments
Dear Silentlambs,

Just a quick note to say 'Thank You' for all your hard work, perseverance and courage. Speaking out against a ruthless, powerful and selfish cult like the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is a daunting task - particularly when one considers the mountain of ill-gotten wealth they have at their disposal. Rest assured, your sacrifice is sincerely appreciated by many - especially by those who have been directly victimized by this sick cult.

Looking forward to the airing of the Dateline show...

Sincerely,

Phil Trozzi (X-JW and proud of it) email: scot@mnsi.net

Remote User:
Date:
08 May 2002
Time:
12:09:34
Comments
Dear Bill, I sent the letter you sent to the yahoo mailing list, and the letters from the elders who are wanting to disfellowship you to the local newspaper here. I pray the publish a story on this. I am so sorry this is happening to you and all those good people who work with you.

All of us ex-witnesses who have have been booted out by this self-righteous organization know all too well what you are going through.

How brave are all those who are publishing the truth though about the WTS. May the God of all mercy and love be with you through this trial.

Sincerely,

Balsam Balsam51@hotmail.com May 8th 2002

Remote User:
Date:
08 May 2002
Time:
13:26:14
Comments
I have been studying, but in researching the organization for myself I have come to this conclusion: Jehovah's Witness a more concerned about the "Letter of the Law" (Scribes & Pharisees views) vs the "Spirit of the Law" (Jesus Christ's views) They're more interested in protecting their image than caring for their flock. My heart goes out to all the victims. I'm behind the Silent Lambs 100%

Remote User:
Date:
08 May 2002
Time:
14:00:48
Comments
Hello - my name is Pamela (Williams) Montgomery. I work for Northwestern Academy in Pennsylvania. The facility is a juvenile detention/rehab center and I have been doing research for information and happened upon your site. I am looking for worksheets or brochures that can be given to juvenile male victims of sexual abuse for our clinical office. The odd thing about your site is - I grew up in Calvert City, Kentucky, and my family is still there, so it was a surprise to see your address. Any help you can give would be appreciated.

Remote User:
Date:
08 May 2002
Time:
14:03:53
Comments
Northwestern Academy, 3800 State Route #61, Coal Twp, PA 17834.

Thanks again - Pam Montgomery PMontgom@nhsonline.org kentuckywoman@iwon.com

Regardless of the religion of a person - this should never be tolerated. I see the results every single day.

Remote User:
Date:
08 May 2002
Time:
19:49:31
Comments
Hi, I was raised as a "witness" and was abused by a member of my family who was not a witness. The traditions and beliefs of the witnesses do not protect the innocent children from sexual predators. At the time I was a girl (30 years ago) it was unheard of to seek "professional" help for emotional problems, Jehovah will take care of. I wonder if that attitude still pervades today. I am so glad your site it here for those who may need it. You will be blessed.

Remote User:
Date:
08 May 2002
Time:
20:44:03
Comments
True Some of JW members do not imitate Jesus closely as they should but that does not take away the fact the organization preaches the truth and encourages all to remain in the truth, to apply it fully. Everyone is responsible for their actions. I love being a JW. Jehovah is teaching us for our benefit, it is up to each one of us to heed the counsel. I find hard to believe these malicious acts are going on in the congregations where parents are encouraged to train their own children in the truth. I also find hard to believe that elders would tolerate an active pedophile among us and not encourage victims to report it to proper authority. I am not serving anyone but Jehovah. I like what I am learning I am going to support the good and reject the bad. You do the same instead of wasting your time trying to destroy Jehovah' organization on earth. You will never win. Study the book of Isaiah and find out that Jehovah always protects his people (The righteous ones of course).

Remote User:
Date:
08 May 2002
Time:
21:20:16
Comments
To the one that loves being a JW: You sound fairly new to the org. All you will need is one run-in with a judicial committee to find out how far they have strayed from a christian attitude. Self-righteous men doing what an even more self-righteous organization tells them. The men leading the congregations are a self-selected group where those that wouldn't treat other christians with such cruelty are weeded out. You do yourself a disservice when you think that the congregation elders would not allow such a one to carry on in a congregation. If a Circuit Overseer decides that it would be best for the Society to keep the matter quiet, the elders will bow their heads like the the overly-indoctrinated robots they have become. "Shhh...Jehovah will take care of it due time - and don't go to the worldly authorities." Sorry chief, it happens every day.

Unless you are the type that enjoys relinquishing all conscientious decisions to someone else, you'll get your chance. Just remember how you were going to 'support the good and reject the bad' while they sit you down and force you to swear allegiance to the Society and reaffirm your acceptance of some absurd doctrine. See how you stand as you decide whether the 'truth sets you free' or you should just go along with something you don't believe just so you can stay in an organization. If it hasn't happened yet, then you haven't been having frank discussions with fellow members. How constraining is that? For starters, why don't you tell some of your closest fellows that you've been on this site.

- Buster

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
00:43:09
Comments
This is avishai, & here is a msg. to the one who loves being a jw. You refer to the "righteous ones". Your letter is very naive & sad. First, refute my argument of May 1 about 1914, & then you can tell me about how Jehovah protects the righteous. Then, I want you to find a child who has been molested & had it covered up or even been reproved at as young of an age as 11 for "fornication w/ someone who is of age, & tell them how they have been "protected" by Jehovah & his org. Or, maybe you can tell this child that they weren't protected because they aren't"righteous" as they are forced to be cordial to someone who has raped them and stolen their innocence. Trust me, You can find someone this has happened to, it won't be hard, THEN come back & tell me that you love being a jw, that Jehovah protects the righteous. Then, & only then, will you have a right to come on here & spout off about things you obviously know nothing about. Then you can call Bill an apostate. You, know, there have always been "Gods people" Who have been called apostates for saying the right thing, who have been jeered, shunned & tortured for saying the right thing. Look at Jeremiah! And it's self-righteous people , just like you, who were persecuting them, not listening. RAPING CHILDREN IS WRONG! THAT IS ALL THIS SITE IS SAYING! Go sit in your tower, idiot! You are helping satan do his work, sitting there blindly calling names! You know better! PHARISEE!!

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
00:43:12
Comments
This is avishai, & here is a msg. to the one who loves being a jw. You refer to the "righteous ones". Your letter is very naive & sad. First, refute my argument of May 1 about 1914, & then you can tell me about how Jehovah protects the righteous. Then, I want you to find a child who has been molested & had it covered up or even been reproved at as young of an age as 11 for "fornication w/ someone who is of age, & tell them how they have been "protected" by Jehovah & his org. Or, maybe you can tell this child that they weren't protected because they aren't"righteous" as they are forced to be cordial to someone who has raped them and stolen their innocence. Trust me, You can find someone this has happened to, it won't be hard, THEN come back & tell me that you love being a jw, that Jehovah protects the righteous. Then, & only then, will you have a right to come on here & spout off about things you obviously know nothing about. Then you can call Bill an apostate. You, know, there have always been "Gods people" Who have been called apostates for saying the right thing, who have been jeered, shunned & tortured for saying the right thing. Look at Jeremiah! And it's self-righteous people , just like you, who were persecuting them, not listening. RAPING CHILDREN IS WRONG! THAT IS ALL THIS SITE IS SAYING! Go sit in your tower, idiot! You are helping satan do his work, sitting there blindly calling names! You know better! PHARISEE!!

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
02:15:41
Comments
Hi again, Response for May 8 2002 Time:20:44:03

You are happy you are a witness. Nice to hear. Hope you do not have any children. They will be at RISK. I am an ACTIVE WITNESS and from my experience it the TRUTH what you read here. I do not agree with what is going on. I will tell you it is happening and to reject what everyone is saying here is very dangerous for your children. Consider it you have a lot to lose.

Think! The apostles even talked about the super fine apostles, false brothers in the early Christian congregation. Who are we to think it can't happen today? Romans 15:4 tell us "For all the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope". We are to learn from what happened to them so we don't repeat the same mistakes.

In 1 Cor 5:1 tells of a situation that existed in the early Christian congregation. It reads "Actually fornication is reported among you and such fornication as is not even among the nations...V.2 ...rather not mourn, in order that the man that committed this deed should be taken away from your midst? Considering this scripture why are they allowing these pedophiles in midst attending meetings? These scriptures were written aforetime for our instruction... and supersede any man made rules or policies. DJB

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
05:17:10
Comments
Hi, i will just say, i support your action against the organization. cause we can not allowed this thing to go on. I`m 23 years old, i got Disfellowshipped at the age of 21, i will fight for the right that every people can have their own beliefs, and not being "let to die" this way of shutting people out is a sick way of showing they don`t respect human beings. people can believe what they want...but not practicing this way of shutting people out, i`m not a believer of any other religions now, but jesus never turned away from anyone. young people struggle after getting Disfellowshipped, they have no place to go, we can not let the government keep on letting jw. doing this. thanks. jat-m@online.no from norway:)

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
08:38:44
Comments
I found this site interesting, sad and disturbing. I am an active witness who worships God. Since He hasn't abused anyone I won't leave Him. However, I can understand the great anger that injustice generates. An abused child needs to be protected and the guilty one needs to be punished and this should be PUBLIC knowledge in order to protect others. And this leads to the hub of the problem - the Organization is not able to 'punish' anyone, they are only able to remove wrongdoers who are unrepentant. Neither do they want to bring God's name into reproach by going public. However, reporting ALL accusations to the authorities, whether there is a legal responsibility to do so or not, is the only way to go. Let the 'superior authorities' investigate and take all appropriate action and let the congregations support them. Otherwise people will make wild unfounded accusations like many posted here that sexual abuse is 'rampant' in the Organization, which it certainly is not, or take the opposite defensive view that it isn't a problem at all which is both untrue and hurtful to those who have become victims. The Organization is in decline in many countries around the world. Arrogance and self-righteousness is commonplace, especially amongst those 'taking the lead'. This is simply what 2 Tim 3:1-5 says will happen INSIDE the congregation. It's not going to improve. In fact, the Society is yet to wake up to the realization that there IS a problem and that there may be not as much 'food at the appropriate time' as they would like to think. There were similar problems in the first century too - the first apostles thought too much of themselves as well. That's the way it is. However, I worship Jehovah and no man and that's why I have no problem being in the Truth. Sure, it's far from perfect and genuine silentlambs deserve better. I hope and pray that they will see justice soon.

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
08:39:02
Comments
I found this site interesting, sad and disturbing. I am an active witness who worships God. Since He hasn't abused anyone I won't leave Him. However, I can understand the great anger that injustice generates. An abused child needs to be protected and the guilty one needs to be punished and this should be PUBLIC knowledge in order to protect others. And this leads to the hub of the problem - the Organization is not able to 'punish' anyone, they are only able to remove wrongdoers who are unrepentant. Neither do they want to bring God's name into reproach by going public. However, reporting ALL accusations to the authorities, whether there is a legal responsibility to do so or not, is the only way to go. Let the 'superior authorities' investigate and take all appropriate action and let the congregations support them. Otherwise people will make wild unfounded accusations like many posted here that sexual abuse is 'rampant' in the Organization, which it certainly is not, or take the opposite defensive view that it isn't a problem at all which is both untrue and hurtful to those who have become victims. The Organization is in decline in many countries around the world. Arrogance and self-righteousness is commonplace, especially amongst those 'taking the lead'. This is simply what 2 Tim 3:1-5 says will happen INSIDE the congregation. It's not going to improve. In fact, the Society is yet to wake up to the realization that there IS a problem and that there may be not as much 'food at the appropriate time' as they would like to think. There were similar problems in the first century too - the first apostles thought too much of themselves as well. That's the way it is. However, I worship Jehovah and no man and that's why I have no problem being in the Truth. Sure, it's far from perfect and genuine silentlambs deserve better. I hope and pray that they will see justice soon.

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
11:33:43
Comments
My name is Ben - I'm 24 years old and was raised in the JW denomination in my early years of life. I excommunicated myself when I turned 18 years old because I felt this religion wasn't for me due to some unfavorable experiences I've had with members of JW's. I never got baptized with this JW denomination so I guess I could say I never was really a JW, although I was raised in it since I was 5 years old until I was 18. With the news of Catholic bishops molesting children - I find it hypocritical of JW's to criticize them and tear them down when they themselves got serious problems of their own. If any former JW's would like to talk to me please email me at my address posted below. I might take a while to respond but please bare with me - any and all contacts to me would be greatly appreciated.

Ben ben_24_r@hotmail.com

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
12:09:38
Comments
It is truly sad if you think in Jehovah's perfect Justice that he is worried about His reputation if you expose a child molester or murderer in the ranks of a "spiritual organization". It is exactly the opposite, you would be cleaning house, so it's time to take "off" the "Excuses" hat and take a "Stand for what is right". I remember a banner in a room once, it said "Stand up for what is right, even if your standing alone."

When your standing before Jehovah giving reason for your life, will you be able to face up to what you have done. Imagine, "Well uh, Lord, I am a follower, and I was following the "HERD" instinct. I just could not seem to think for myself."

People, your writing your "RESUME" for heaven "right this very minute". What you do now on this earth will be revealed when you stand before God. Will you say, Father, I let one of your innocent babies go to slaughter to protect the precious reputation of a "organization" who is afraid of the TRUTH itself. Beware, there is a difference between wheat and chaff and light and heat.

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
13:44:32
Comments
I am shocked but somewhat not surprise about everything I have just read....

You are a very courageous man, my prayers go out to you and your family...

The truth will be known...

Brissoncar@aol.com

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
13:45:43
Comments

The problem with conformity is that everyone else likes you but yourself.

Rita Mae Brown

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
15:27:13
Comments
Your web site is very interesting, it has opened a few things for me.My name is Lisa I have a story to tell myself, it would be very interesting to know how my situation would have been handled. My e-mail address is: lisa_king@ntlworld.com.

Remote User:
Date:
29 May 2002
Time:
00:00:17
Comments
I thought I was alone. Thank you for starting this website. Thank you for fighting for us when NO ONE else did. Chanel Davis

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
16:28:44
Comments
You should be ashamed of yourself. The good thing is Jehovah will take care of this whole situation. Your like an apostate in disguise. What am I doing looking on here? I'm disfellowshipped and you've just given me strength in who is the true GOD. Jehovah, Almighty. Obedience is at a loss. Things happen for a reason. You obviously failed the test. Jehovah works in HIS time. You've gone against that. I hope no one else gets sucked into this garbage!!!

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
18:39:35
Comments
Well I must have hit rock bottom, I am now being chastised by a DF person who cannot spell the name Jehovah.

silentlambs

Remote User:
Date:
09 May 2002
Time:
23:32:13
Comments
http://www.jw-media.org/vnr/2122827332/7163532856.htm

http://www.watchtower.org/library/g/1993/10/8a/article_01.htm

http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1997/1/1/article_01.htm This information is from the official site

Remote User:
Date:
10 May 2002
Time:
01:57:28
Comments
This site is not 'Garbage', but I wonder if all the anti-JW talk has become the main issue, rather than considering the plight of those who have been abused. As for silentlambs, I hope your understanding of the facts is higher than your knowledge of how to spell God's name which is indeed Jehovah is many languages. The writer's first language need not have been English, and Hebrew is the definitive spelling, not English. As for your saying about yourself 'I must have hit rock bottom', time will tell! Remember the account of the man who thought the Ark of the Covenant was falling and grabbed hold of it to steady it. God struck him down dead because he wasn't allowed to touch it under any circumstances. He had shown a lack of faith in God who could have protected the Ark if needed by a myriad of angels. The point? The Organization is not perfect, it may be failing in some way, but Jehovah can put it right anytime he so chooses. Many cases have not been dealt with properly, and not just in this subject either. But if you trust in God you'll let him sort it. If you don't trust he'll act appropriately then you condemn yourself by your lack of faith, just like the man who tried to steady the Ark of the Covenant.

Remote User:
Date:
10 May 2002
Time:
02:47:57
Comments
I feel so overwhelmed with all different emotions! Some are of empathy for those who have suffered molestation. Others bring back all the torment hic i suffered as a divorced woman in "the Truth". No, i wasn't physically molested or abused, but as one woman said, sometimes mental and emotional abuse is worse, and that i did experience. I pray for us all, that God will heal our terrible physical and psychic wounds. I ask for blessings upon those of you who have had the courage to speak out in the defense of the helpless. Please notify me when the Dateline program is scheduled to air, and also anyone who just wishes to talk-karbintab@aol.com Karimah

Remote User:
Date:
10 May 2002
Time:
04:15:51
Comments
I am not a JW but my in-laws are. This site really helps with my own 'research' on them. Excellent site.

Remote User:
Date:
10 May 2002
Time:
04:24:47
Comments
William (Bill?); thank you so much for the posts that you have been sent out regularly by email to those of us on your email list. It is very encouraging to hear that CNN and the NY Times are finally taking notice of this problem! I just wanted to let you know that I am so sorry for what the WT organization is about to put you through. I really agree with what you said in one of your emails that THEY are the ones causing divisions, by not addressing this molestation issue and allowing more victims to be hurt. You and other Witnesses who are trying to bring this out into the open to get their policy changed are the ones who are showing TRUE christian love for all of the silent lambs who have no one to speak for them in the JW organization. Thank you so much and I'm sure that the true God is and will continue to be with your efforts. -Karolyn kikisdragon@yahoo.com

Remote User:
Date:
10 May 2002
Time:
08:24:19
Comments
You are right this sight is not "garbage" but to make a point. Wasn't the man who grabbed the ark of the covenant trying to get glory for himself not just thinking of the ark? I really wouldn't liken Bill to a man seeking self glory when he is just trying to protect innocent people and is one of the first to stand up against this religion so publicly.

Remote User:
Date:
10 May 2002
Time:
10:22:49
Comments
Mark Newman... Pocahontas, Arkansas

Being raised a witness for the first 18 years of my life, I have seen both the sexual and physical abuse firsthand being covered up.

At the age of 13, my sister Shelli Newman, was abused by a brother in good standing in our congregation. The only action taken at that time was to ask the brother to relocate, by the elders of the congregation and my parents were told to be silent concerning this unjust deed.

The Brother that had abused my sister was staying with our family due to the separation between his wife and himself. He had a young daughter and I now find myself questioning the reasons for their separation. Was he abusing his own daughter as well?

Respectfully, Mark Newman suzimark@pokeynet.com

Remote User:
Date:
10 May 2002
Time:
10:23:44
Comments
Mark Newman... Pocahontas, Arkansas

Being raised a witness for the first 18 years of my life, I have seen both the sexual and physical abuse firsthand being covered up.

At the age of 13, my sister Shelli Newman, was abused by a brother in good standing in our congregation. The only action taken at that time was to ask the brother to relocate, by the elders of the congregation and my parents were told to be silent concerning this unjust deed.

The Brother that had abused my sister was staying with our family due to the separation between his wife and himself. He had a young daughter and I now find myself questioning the reasons for their separation. Was he abusing his own daughter as well?

Respectfully, Mark Newman suzimark@pokeynet.com

Remote User:
Date:
10 May 2002
Time:
12:03:25
Comments
I myself was not abused, but I have a dear friend who was raped while she was passed out drunk. (He got her drunk.) She confronted him and he just shrugged it off like it was nothing. She was a virgin before this happened. She reported it to the elders and NOTHING was done to him. While he remained in good standing with the congregation, she bore the shame and guilt of the rape. She has since rejected the organization and its teachings. I have become a Christian and pray that she will one day know freedom in Christ.

Rae Poohsmom61@yahoo.com

Remote User:
Date:
10 May 2002
Time:
12:25:21
Comments
You are doing a splendid work. I am an XJW and an X-elder. I am involved in a support group in Sweden and I we are running a homepage (we have had more than 60.000 visitors). We have add some information we have got from Silentlambs. I know that many JW have been chocked when they have been informed about the Watchtowers policy

Roger Carlsson

Remote User:
Date:
10 May 2002
Time:
16:23:33
Comments
I thank God for the courage you have been given to speak out about this. I am an adult survivor of child molestation and incest. May god be with you always. You can rest assured, although a church may turn their back on you, GOD never will.

Remote User:
Date:
11 May 2002
Time:
00:49:12
Comments
i think that this whole thing concerning the sexual molestation/fondling charges of the WTBTS is insane...how could spiritually "mature" brothers and sisters who claim to follow their God, "Jehovah" as they say He is called--and no one else--allow this to happen to SO MANY PEOPLE??! What's worse is that these recent allegations (Bowen/Pandello/Rodriguez cases) are only the tip of the iceberg--just think of how many more "sheep in the flock" are tragically still trapped within the clutches of the cruel deceiving front of God's one-and-only so-called "truth" organization...I was once an "interested one" attending meetings at the local Kingdom Hall, reading WT and Awake mags, recently about to begin attending conventions and assemblies, BUT NO MORE. I have always secretly doubted the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, not b/c of what "opposers" told me necessarily, but really b/c a lot of the "rules" that God's true servants had to follow and obey really didn't seem supported by the Bible Scriptures. The verses that were quoted or cited to explain a certain practice or social behavior (i.e., not celebrating birthdays, assoc. only w/fellow believers, not taking part of the Memorial emblems unless you were "anointed") seemed to me to be taken almost completely out of context...but when I asked my Bible study or an experienced member, I was told to "wait on Jehovah" for new light explaining it or to wait for further notice after the person "looked the answer up", etc. I kept getting the feeling that they (JWs) just wanted me to stop asking so many doctrinal questions, accept it,and progress to baptism...I felt that many individuals felt that I was a trouble-maker and soon after I voiced my doubts to a "friend", she told others in the congregation and then I think that I was "marked"--people started to look at me with disdain maybe so far as hatred even. But the other JWS never made me feel comfortable from the beginning, when I first started to study and come to the Sunday meetings..in retrospect, I remember a LOT of TENSION in the air, no one would look directly at me and smile or say hello unless I murmured a greeting first. It changed a bit only as I came more often...? Even the JWs I went with acted somewhat funny, cold and aloof when we got to the Hall..Well sorry for the kinda long story...I hope the Dateline story proves that the Witness religion and practices (not necessarily the individual Witness) is a dupe. They are not what many many people think they are cracked up to be--God's true servants of "light".. I don't get why they don't like questions, is it just cuz the answers are too painful for them to confront (meaning that they are wrong in what they believe, or perspectives need to be changed) or is it b/c of the strictness of the elders and GB that keep them in line...why CAN'T a person GEINUINELY interested in learning about God and Jesus ask as many questions as they want about a religion and its doctrines that claims to have the TRUTH, the whole TRUTH, and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.....! Isn't that what God would want humans to do to find what is "good in his eyes"....God help us all!!

Remote User:
Date:
11 May 2002
Time:
00:54:26
Comments
p.s. same person as above...i really want to say that i will pray for all of those suffering from WT "policy" and sexual harassment molestation...this needs to stop! stories i'm reading are HORRIBLE! innocent lives are being destroyed because 13 or so men in Brooklyn will not open their aging eyes and minds and SEE THE REAL "LIGHT"! God Bless to all of you..He will not forsake you...He will guide and protect you, and be assured...He does not like the ugly...they will <bold>pay</bold> in the end sooner or later.

Remote User:
Date:
11 May 2002
Time:
10:03:52
Comments
Good morning. I would like to share a story with you. My name is Samantha and I was Jehovah's Witness but decided that it wasn't for me as I wish to enjoy my freedom to party and have good time. I never agreed with monogamy.

When I was 12, I was molested by someone who was studying the Bible with the Witnesses. I had enough common sense to inform my parents and they in turn had enough common sense to contact the authorities before involving the elders as they are not licensed to practice law. Evidently, you dumb ass mother fuckers have not a lick of fucking sense and have put all your faith in "man" and not the bible. Even though I am a sinner, I don't lack common sense as you. May God be with you, you are from your father the DEVIL.

Remote User:
Date:
11 May 2002
Time:
10:30:37
Comments
to all the current JWs spending their time on this site and writing in the theocratic-speak that some of us have finally broken free of......PLEASE GO COUNT YOUR TIME SOMEWHERE ELSE.....how dare you come where families that have been raped and brainwashed about it finally have the courage to talk about it and preach your brainwashing tactics to us again? shame on you....the only thing you have done is remind me that i am finally FREED BY THE TRUTH....if you find spiritual strength in jw teachings, more power to you....if you wanna herd runaway BORG members back into mindless subservience to those who raped them....then you are as bad as the rapists....surely, if you wanna follow men who demand completer obedience to them instead of the god they tell you they are serving, then COUNT YOUR TIME IN WAYS APPROVED BY THAT "THEOCRATIC ORGANIZATION"

Remote User:
Date:
11 May 2002
Time:
12:21:42
Comments
Funny thing,the Bible does say what you do in secret will be brought to light. This is God's policy. So for those who have been covering up child abuse and all other crimes and using "religion" to hide behind, "watch out" this looks like an "enlightening time" for you.

Remote User:
Date:
11 May 2002
Time:
13:08:39
Comments
We as an Evangelical church have policies in action to prevent any molesting problems. Our insurance company insists that such policies are in place before they will insure us!!

Remote User:
Date:
11 May 2002
Time:
14:27:20
Comments
To the one who wrote the following and all who agree with it: "to all the current JWs spending their time on this site and writing in the theocratic-speak that some of us have finally broken free of......PLEASE GO COUNT YOUR TIME SOMEWHERE ELSE.....how dare you come where families that have been raped and brainwashed about it finally have the courage to talk about it and preach your brainwashing tactics to us again? shame on you...." Strange, I thought this site was about victims of abuse that have been unjustly treated. I guess many have their own agenda. To all who are Jehovah's Witnesses: this site has descended from publicizing a real problem into a forum for apostates, nutters and the ignorant spouting nonsense. This is the shame of it since it does nothing to help those who are genuine 'silent lambs'. On one thing we may all agree - that this is clearly no place for Jehovah's people, though we may differ on the reasons.

Remote User:
Date:
11 May 2002
Time:
14:27:31
Comments
To the one who wrote the following and all who agree with it: "to all the current JWs spending their time on this site and writing in the theocratic-speak that some of us have finally broken free of......PLEASE GO COUNT YOUR TIME SOMEWHERE ELSE.....how dare you come where families that have been raped and brainwashed about it finally have the courage to talk about it and preach your brainwashing tactics to us again? shame on you...." Strange, I thought this site was about victims of abuse that have been unjustly treated. I guess many have their own agenda. To all who are Jehovah's Witnesses: this site has descended from publicizing a real problem into a forum for apostates, nutters and the ignorant spouting nonsense. This is the shame of it since it does nothing to help those who are genuine 'silent lambs'. On one thing we may all agree - that this is clearly no place for Jehovah's people, though we may differ on the reasons.

Remote User:
Date:
11 May 2002
Time:
18:09:25
Comments
to the one who responded to my saying that 'jw s should count their time elsewhere instead of getting on this list, and telling sexual abuse victims that they are liars and apostates for exposing the crimes against them ...... to the one who responded to that by saying, calling me an apostate or nutter, who is getting away from the purpose of this site......was i that unclear? several members of several generations of my family have literally been raped by jw sin good standing, who will never be called "apostate" or even "sinner". children in my family have been accused of being the sinners, while abusers and pedophiles remained in good standing. after all these years, my family finds a safe place to say that, and we are "apostates and nutters"? you have never seen a post from me on an "apostate" site. but your counting time on this site by telling us we didn't "wait on jehovah" is not only insulting abuse victims further than they have been (by trying to report it to the elders)....but is not even in line with the directives of the society. you are not following the direction of the "faithful and discreet slave" by witnessing on this site....so who is the apostate? you have no idea what my family or others like ours, who tell our stories on this site have gone through....you assume that we are just spouting nonsense. yet you claim to understand that this is a real problem.....perhaps you have been or are in our shoes, but just continuing to defend the brothers, as we were all taught to do....perhaps not....but don t preach spiritual paradise to rape victims....whether we are still in the truth or not, we know better. and i will never respond to you again. for all I know you are one of the jw s in good standing that have raped members of my family...or one that was involved with the many cover ups... maybe not but you sound like them

Remote User:
Date:
11 May 2002
Time:
19:44:29
Comments
I am not a JW. I am simply a Christian... a follower of christ and I just have to say... GOOD FOR YOU! It takes a very brave person to go against the tide especially of their religion. But you are wise to do the right thing. may God bless you in your service here. Love a Mom of four

Remote User:
Date:
11 May 2002
Time:
20:53:58
Comments
Hi!

You are cordially invited to join our growing Forum. Everyone is welcome regardless of their faiths and beliefs.

Our URL is:

http://host22.hrwebservices.net/~faithfr/FFI/phpBB2/index.php

Love and Peace.

Remote User:
Date:
11 May 2002
Time:
23:30:49
Comments
Thank you for having a great website. I admire the courage to stand up for what is right. I have been an EX-JW for 19 years. Fran J. FEJ4620@aol.com

Remote User:
Date:
12 May 2002
Time:
01:34:18
Comments
Hi again, I agree this site is for victims of child abuse but the person who was a victim and thinks all victims have gotten df and/or quit being Jehovah's Witnesses think again!!! I am an active Witness.

I also thought this web site was to let the public know what is really happening. Apart of this public are those who are Jehovah's Witnesses. I think this is excellent that some are coming to this site to see what is going on. The important thing is they are being warned. To convince them you must talk Theocratically and with respect. Talk the language they understand.

I hate to say this but you would never be listened to with all your anger and swearing. Yet I feel that it is all JUSTIFIED!!! This just isn't the way to get people to believe you. I do because I have been there and know how a victim of rape feels but yet we all don't react the same way. You must respect that we each have a right to react in our own way not everyone wants to go out and party and throw monogamy out. You have a right to your choices and I have a right to mine. I treat you with respect and I expect you to do the same.

We all want the children to be protected. I want to add the middle ground that May 09,2002 time 08:38:44 talks about isn't middle ground. I want to say THE ABUSE IS AS BAD AS WE SAY IT IS. I personally have seen it.

My dad also has seen it. My Uncle and Aunt know about it and my grandparents did also. I know I am telling the truth and treating my relatives with respect did gain me their support to varying degrees.

My dad gave me the web site address and encouraged me to come here. I had never heard about it before.(My dad has been in Bethel and translated literature from English to French,Served as Special Pioneers assigned to different places, Elder until he resigned due to poor health). With his experience he says that the situation in the congregations is worse than the Catholic Church. The numbers Bill gives my dad feels could be multiplied by four for a more accurate picture of the number of pedophiles in the congregation.

The congregation. I am in is especially bad...More than just me says this. We have GENUINE SILENT LAMBS here. It is just as bad as WE say it is...DJB

Remote User:
Date:
12 May 2002
Time:
08:51:35
Comments
Your a liar and a slanderer. I hope the society decides to respond to this very loudly so everyone will know the truth. I wish I believed in hell so I could tell you to go there.

Remote User:
Date:
12 May 2002
Time:
09:46:26
Comments
i appreciate and respect this site because it is NOT LIMITED to helping jws who are still in the truth. neither is it limited to helping ex jw s. it is dedicated to helping the victims. whether active ones believe it or not, many ex jw s would never had left, but have been df ed on some pretext, for trying to do, or say something about being a victim. i used to think it was only a couple of congregations, and have been proven wrong repeatedly. this web-site has proved it wrong repeatedly. expressing anger over violation, and then further betrayal by the comforting princes who are were trusted to shepard the flock is a perfectly legitimate channel of dealing with such grief. yet active, inactive, disassociated and disfellowshipped witnesses have all been vilified as slanderers, and told that even if their experience of being molested and raped is true, that they should ignore it, forgive their rapists, who have generally lied to committees, and continue to tell people to get out of babylon the great, because they are full of religious hypocrites and sexual perverts. what convinced me to come into the truth was an awake article about 1970 entitled"frances state tv takes a look at the catholic church." it was an expose of some of the same type of abuses in the church that this website has been exposing in the organization. it, and my further theocratic education convinced me that jehovah s witnesses had NO SUCH PROBLEM. how can i gently say that was proven to be a lie? it is because of believing that lie, that i was stupid enough to think my spouse would do such thing to my children. not someone who had been a regular pioneer! not someone who was considered a shining example in the congregation! an adult who makes the child out to be the liar, and then turns the tables on the whistleblower....and judicial committees who know the truth and use theocratic language (and yes...believe it or not...CUSSING...)to beat down those that would protect the children....elders who use the same to beat down other elders who try to take a stand of integrity....all of this is NOT made up for if one of the elders comes back later with tears and apologizes...saying "i had no choice...when you are in this position, you will understand".... that is why when many of us see those that say we are liars, and then try to use the same language to put us in our place that was used before, it is re-living the past over again. it is especially true now that the society is intent on getting those who are telling the truth about the truth on dateline out of the organization. i used to sincerely witness to others about the atrocities committed by the catholic church that they only covered up. i will never say such a thing again. at least now they are finally...if too late... honest about their problem and doing something about it. how can anyone say the truth is honest about their pedophile problem? how can anyone say they have protected the children? how can anyone say that they are not covering over the problem? at least i have never heard of the catholic church excommunicating whistle blowers, the way the organization wants to disfellowship whistle blowers. the way they have done in the past...the way they are trying to do to bowen, anderson and the others RIGHT NOW! so, it is far more than insulting, when people are counting their time in here...it is a further violation. being told we are lying, exaggerating, or slandering...and then being told to just forget about it...to get back to meetings...(you assume people who tell the truth aren't there? ...shame on you again!) ...well you individuals saying such things are just a microcosm of what is going on in jehovah s visible earthly organization. and i would like to suggest that, instead on coming on this site and being job s comforters...accusing the innocent victims...that you keep your comments to the meetings, and in the door-to-door work.....that is unless you are the sexual molesters (did i mention how many of you sound JUST like them when you use theocratic language to battle the truth?) in which case i wish you would stay out of neighborhoods, and out of the meetings...away from innocent children. the experience of thousands...including many who will NEVER talk about it on line, is that the true victims and their families, and their whistle blowers are the ones , if not outright drummed out, are slowly driven out by such in-justice, un-loving, un-wise abusers of power. do you assume i am one that left? maybe. maybe not....everything that has been said by me could well have been said by anyone in or out of the organization. and has been. the fact is if you want to continue to give me a choice of whether i love jw doctrine or my children more...guess which one i will choose? and for that will i be smitten by his angels at Armageddon? we will see.

Remote User:
Date:
12 May 2002
Time:
12:38:12
Comments
I CAN SEE THR ELDERS SIDE. IF THERES NOT TWO WITNESSES TO THE FACT THEIR SCRIPTURAL HANDS ARE TIED. I CAN'T REALIZE HOW SOMEONE CAN BE SO VICTIMISED BY SOMEONE WITH THE PRIVILEGE OF SHEPHERDING OF JEHOVAH'S PEOPLE. JUST AS IT SAYS ALL THINGS COME TO LIGHT IN DUE TIME. HAVE COURAGE .FRANK_PAR@MSN.COM

Remote User:
Date:
12 May 2002
Time:
14:42:28
Comments
to the ones who can see the elder's side about 2 or more witnesses..........

since when is that the real issue?

the elders of TWO congregations REFUSED to hear the testimony of any witness that would say my daughter had been abused

wanna cover it up?

don t allow the witnesses to speak....put a gag order on them......don t even allow the child to tell their story EASY!

hey wanna give some of jehovah s loving discipline to someone who would DARE report to the elders that a child abuser is in their midst?

we don t need no stinking witnesses!

just get someone to trump up some charges

then when they dare challenge the committee to produce witnesses or evidence.....

just say "you can be disfellowshipped for lying if you don t confess!"

and for good measure you can add....

"the only evidence needed is that elders, who were appointed by holy spirit, feel YOU are the liar! do you dare speak against us and let yourself be disfellowshipped for APOSTASY? are you going to sin against the holy spirit?"

please...

don try to tell ANY member of my family that elders hands are tied...

they have more power and authority than ANY clergyman i have EVER seen

don t even try to tell my family members who are still in the truth who are elders pioneers ministerial servants or bethelites that is the case

they all know better too

they have just learned to keep their mouths shut

so they don t get some of the same medicine

Remote User:
Date:
12 May 2002
Time:
18:11:57
Comments
Does anyone have news of the status of the committee decisions with silentlambs founders?

Remote User:
Date:
12 May 2002
Time:
18:16:38
Comments
Hey, "Can See the Elders' Side": All things in due time? Are you kidding? We're not talking about a slap on the cheek, or some sort of insult. We are talking about some slimy, self-righteous Ministerial Servant grabbing some kid, perhaps while on an upbuilding visit to some vulnerable single sister, and doing stuff that should get them executed. If it was your kid, would you really tell your family, including your vulnerable child, that we just need to wait for Jehovah to bring it to light? If you could look at your innocent child and say something like that to him/her, then you are every bit as disgusting as any of the rest that would cover up the abuse of our most vulnerable. How would you feel if the family ahead of you in the pedophile's path had made that same decision. Don't you think you may have decided that Jehovah perhaps was trying to enlighten through that prior family? ..and thereby spare your son/daughter from that creep's ham hands? Wouldn't you put blame on those that had covered up before? If it were your kid, you wouldn't set on the comfy perch you are on and crow that the elders had no choice. If you are a responsible parent, or any kind of christian at all, you would demand that the perpetrator be reported to the authorities, that all children in the congregation be protected, as well as those children outside of the congregation. I feel sorry for any children around you that you could help but don't. I don't think anyone with reason would believe that anyone that would allow these things to go on deserves life everlasting on a paradise earth.

A little reason, and less robot-like obedience to a Society is in order here. "See the elder's side," indeed.

Remote User:
Date:
12 May 2002
Time:
23:40:53
Comments
Hi again, I have heard about the Judicial(sp) committees set up. This site must be influencing some of the witnesses to rethink their positions and some must be writing the society protesting...

I think that the scripture in Ps. 94: 21 says it all "They make sharp attacks on the soul of the righteous one and pronounce wicked even the blood of the innocent one." Isn't this what they are doing it?

Both my X's go from door to door. One of them has all these calls on single women with children or some older who maybe widowed. He offers to work for them and get them good deals. He is very pushy and doesn't take no for answer. He was on probation for assault at the time (he was calling on all these women) which I didn't know about at the time.

This is to the person who doesn't have the guts to sign their name (May 12, 2002 time 08:51:35) How can you call someone a liar and say they are slandering when you were not even there? Where do you get off judging the accounts told by the victims here? You judge us in the way Jesus would not even judge Satan. He left it to God saying may "Jehovah rebuke you." Do you want to be judged the way you judge us? You are doing what Jesus would not!!!

Quote: "Wishing you believed in hell because you would tell us to go there." The bible commands to love your enemy and pray for those persecuting you...You really don't sound very Christian in light of these scriptural thoughts. Sounds like you would be one of the persecutors (Pedophiles)!!! The identifying mark of a true Christian would be their love. So where is your love? DJB

Remote User:
Date:
13 May 2002
Time:
05:52:42
Comments
I agree, there are far too many people making the same claims that they were not given the support and protection they deserved from the Society for it to be lies.

Remote User:
Date:
13 May 2002
Time:
08:04:11
Comments
ok over the past several days ..... have tried several times ...at all hours....to go to the chat room...only once did someone else come into the room....but would not talk....and left.....is there a scheduled time that people go to the room? thanks

Remote User:
Date:
13 May 2002
Time:
08:45:14
Comments
Keep up the good work may Jehovah BLESS YOU. PHYLLIS CULBERTSON E-MAIL ADDRESS:jeanie2culber@webtv.net "Peace Be With You"

Remote User:
Date:
13 May 2002
Time:
11:11:33
Comments
JWs are the biggest hypocrites in the world. They say they follow the example of Christ, yet they have the nerve to protect the pedophiles and not the victims. Does that sound like something Jesus would do? Definitely not. Also, do they follow his example by hating everyone else? Well he did say to "love your enemies," didn't he?

Not only are they hypocrites by trying to cover the whole thing up, but they are also liars because they say there's no covering up being done. Just look at all the postings in this guestbook from people saying they've been abused by some of the JWs. I don't think that many people would lie, so it must be the JWs who are lying. You can't believe a thing they say anymore. It's all bullshit. (Sorry about cursing, but there's no better way to put it.)

Remote User:
Date:
13 May 2002
Time:
11:12:45
Comments
I am currently an active Jehovah's Witness. As a parent of two small children, my heart truly goes out to any children who suffer at the hands of an abuser. In the only case of abuse that I am personally familiar with in the congregation, the abuser was removed from his position of authority, the civil authorities were notified, and the abuser ended up going to prison.

While reading the posts on this site, I have read a lot of stories about people who are unhappy with the way they feel problems have been handled. While not discounting these stories, there are usually at least two sides to every story. Even when problems are not handled in the best way, we always have to remember that the organization is made up of imperfect humans, so we cannot expect perfection from them. Just because someone has been appointed by holy spirit does not mean they will not make mistakes. As with any injustice I see in this old system, I firmly believe that Jehovah, the Just God, sees what is happening and will make each person answer for his actions.

Remote User:
Date:
13 May 2002
Time:
11:31:36
Comments
Hi again, To clarify a previous comment I made about using theocratic talk and respect to forward this in the public eye. I was referring to winning over the sincere witnesses not the corrupt elders who swear, jump up and down waving there arms and fists at us and yelling. Reviling us with their name calling. Threatening us...these we would probably never convince anyways as they are the problem.

The two witness rule does not always mean the witnesses are two people, it could also apply to a situation when a parent finds evidence of abuse such a bruises on a child. Then the other witness is the child when they described what happened. This equal two. A witness could be the evidence found...

The man who wrote in about repressed memories not being excepted as evidence. My father believes in repressed memories because he was in car accident and he remembered nothing after the accident, then later in dreams (as nightmares)the memories started to return and flash backs during the day. He was sixty at the time. His thought was an event can be so traumatic that we will repress it until a later time when we are able to handle it. So when my daughter decided to talk he believed her and encouraged me to do likewise...DJB

Remote User:
Date:
13 May 2002
Time:
13:29:20
Comments
My name is Brenda. I really appreciate your website. I'm an ex-JW who still believes in God & Jesus the Son but not organized religion. I was originally in the Bay Ridge, NY congregation, then Capistrano Beach, CA cong., then Mission Viejo, CA cong. If anyone thinks they might remember me and would like to get in touch I am at brenda.marston@nobelbiocare.se.

Remote User:
Date:
13 May 2002
Time:
13:40:04
Comments
Hi everyone, My name is Blank lol as we all know if we go public we get disfellowshipped.

I live in Canada, My daughter was repeatedly molested by a brother in our congregation she was 14 he was 27 years old. I found out about this and went a little crazy and well lets say he forget me for a long time.

But the whole situation was all about me and my beating him up the elders never got involved with checking on our family or assisting my daughter through this difficult time.

I have wanted to leave the Organization since this happened but have not been sure what to do.

I am pleased only with the fact that we are not alone and this site is available.

I believe every story I have read and I know of so many others from my 21 years of being around the TRUTH??? I hope the Watchtower is happy , but I becoming more and more convinced they are not being blessed by Jehovah while there sneaky ways continue.

Thank-you Michael From Ottawa, Canada.

Remote User:
Date:
13 May 2002
Time:
13:49:01
Comments
Hi everyone , I will just say this my 14 year old daughter was molested by A 27 year old brother and I beat him up over it Now I am the bad guy.

Oh well I learned a lot about the Organization over it, people privately told me how it was about time someone did something about all this kind of stuff happening and it is always kept hush hush, I for one don't think how I handled it was right.

But I will say this Jehovah's Witness have 2 rule books 1 THE bible and 2 The watchtower set of rules.

I have moved on from the incident but the mishandling of it all and the discouragement WE ALL RECEIVED from the local elder body left a very bad taste in our mouths.

Michael From Ottawa, Canada.

I have chosen not to identify myself as I have not made up my mind if I am staying or going. but wanted everyone who reads this to know WE ARE NOT ALONE and I thank all involved for being this brave.

Remote User:
Date:
13 May 2002
Time:
13:49:41
Comments
Hi everyone , I will just say this my 14 year old daughter was molested by A 27 year old brother and I beat him up over it Now I am the bad guy.

Oh well I learned a lot about the Organization over it, people privately told me how it was about time someone did something about all this kind of stuff happening and it is always kept hush hush, I for one don't think how I handled it was right.

But I will say this Jehovah's Witness have 2 rule books 1 THE bible and 2 The watchtower set of rules.

I have moved on from the incident but the mishandling of it all and the discouragement WE ALL RECEIVED from the local elder body left a very bad taste in our mouths.

Michael From Ottawa, Canada.

I have chosen not to identify myself as I have not made up my mind if I am staying or going. but wanted everyone who reads this to know WE ARE NOT ALONE and I thank all involved for being this brave.

Remote User:
Date:
13 May 2002
Time:
14:58:23
Comments
Thank-you for finally losing the fear that the organization can place upon it's people and speak out for what is truly scriptural. The truth will set you free, and now you have the chance to express it.I'm sure that as we go along we will find more "secrets" that the organization likes to keep, do not be afraid if they disfellowship you,you are fighting for what is right not only for God's children, but there are more than just Jehovah's Witnesses that live on this earth that have God's truth and can be your true friends. I encourage all people to continue to "seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." Luke 11:9,10. After many years as a dedicated servant to the Jehovah's Witnesses, I watched as my best girlfriend was molested by her uncle, also a Witness, he, to this day, has still gotten away with it, and also saw the anguish my own sister went through with our own uncle, and then have an abusive husband who managed to get her disfellowshipped so she would stay silent to other sisters who may encounter him after the divorce. Still, I have managed to find true peace and happiness in a Christian faith, it is out there....seek....knock....pray. Love to all my brothers and sisters, Cindy, email, Gelfin18@aol.com

Remote User:
Date:
13 May 2002
Time:
23:54:46
Comments
Mr. Bill Bowen you are a brave man. I was so moved by your web site, I can relate to this web site - 15 years ago I resigned too, but it wasn't till I read this site that I truly understand why I did. I believe in Jehovah God and I believe in the Bible, I do not believe in MAN. I have been associated with JWs for most of my life. I truly hope you put those pieces of scum out of people's homes! How scary to think that people who can never be cured of this mental problem are acting as leaders. In MD we have a web site now that we can look these people up on the internet living in our neighborhoods, they have to register with the State, and their pictures are there too. I also think making everyone who knocks on a door for religious reasons get a PERMIT. That issue is up before the Supreme Court. The article was in the Legal Times and hopefully this will be a tool to keep these liars out of our communities and out of our homes and away from honest people! This is another web site I found by accident, you may already know of this group. http://www.freeminds.org check them out. And thanks again for letting all of us know about this horrible crime and giving validation to us JW'xs -- CW in Maryland

Remote User:
Date:
14 May 2002
Time:
09:40:08
Comments
Eric Henri, of Ottawa, Ontario is A Jehovah Witness and a Pedophile he remains in good standing in the local congregation however the local authorities now have his name as such. Eric associates with the Casselman Congregation, In Casselman, Ontario just outside of Ottawa, Canada. He has been dealt with by the local congregations however once again they have failed to see the importance of bringing this to the attention of others who may be affected.

Remote User:
Date:
14 May 2002
Time:
17:06:56
Comments
This is wonderful. We must protect our children, not pedophiles! I was a Witness for 16 years and personally know of a case of pedophile. It started me thinking hard when I was told if I talked about what I knew to anyone, I'd be disfellowshipped! I am no longer a Witness. Thanks to my loving husband's help and my own good sense. Many Blessings to you all. Connie Parent cparent@centurytel.net

Remote User:
Date:
14 May 2002
Time:
21:35:15
Comments
This website is giving a bad name to all witnesses all over the earth. This is clearly an isolated incident, of which imperfect humans are trying to make sense out of this crazy world and they did, without a doubt make a big error in judgment. But you know as well as I do that witnesses are not crooked, so it is wrong of you to even try to compare them to the Catholic Church and all their problems. A faithful follower of Jehovah

Remote User:
Date:
14 May 2002
Time:
21:35:18
Comments
This website is giving a bad name to all witnesses all over the earth. This is clearly an isolated incident, of which imperfect humans are trying to make sense out of this crazy world and they did, without a doubt make a big error in judgment. But you know as well as I do that witnesses are not crooked, so it is wrong of you to even try to compare them to the Catholic Church and all their problems. A faithful follower of Jehovah

Remote User:
Date:
14 May 2002
Time:
21:43:00
Comments
I read of William Bowen's resignation as a church elder in protest of the way the church treated the sex abuse victims---way to go, Mr. Bowen! Thank you for having the courage to do what is right rather than what was easiest.

Laura Billington l_billington@yahoo.com

Remote User:
Date:
14 May 2002
Time:
22:45:09
Comments
Hello, my name is Kristie Metcalf, and my ex-husband, his mother and sister are all JW's. My ex was molested as a child, and in turn molested his sister. His mother was so ashamed that she never even tried to get her children help to deal with their troubles. The family lives in denial to this day. Your site is so informative and helpful to me, knowing what they were going through. Please pray for them, Dustin, Katrina, and Loni Metcalf. God Bless you and keep you!

Remote User:
Date:
15 May 2002
Time:
02:06:03
Comments
Hi, Michael, avishai here. I hope you beat the hell outa that guy, like any other good father. My dad was an elder & as the visiting speaker for the sunday public talk, saw that a lady who grew up w/ him was beaten black & blue by her husband, took him out during the intermission (it was the early 70's) beat him up, & took her back home to her family. You did the right thing. THE MORAL thing as a father, because that's the only kind of justice he'll get from his congregation. Lemme guess, did the elders ask what "her part in all this" was? Did they try to pin any blame on her? Betcha ten bucks they did. As for the other person that said this site was giving witnesses a bad name, take some personal responsibility. WITNESSES are giving witnesses a bad name, get over your persecution complex, nobody here cares about that, they just want kids to stop being molested. And as for witnesses not being crooks, I can name several. A close relative of mine, for one,an elder, who went to prison for 10 years for being a crook, besides all of the pyramid scams that go on,(amway, etc.) Pull your head out, pal! Read the bible, lot's of people in "Jehovah's org." were crooks. How about Gehazi? Achan, Korah, dathan & abiram? Eli, the high priest. Even king David. Judas? The pharisees? remember, they were part of Gods org. until Jesus died, according to your theology. THINK FOR YOURSELF!! WAKE UP!! How you treat the least of your congregation is how you will be judged, And to arrogantly sit in your tower & pass judgment is gonna get you in a lot of trouble! Another thing, since all of you are considered ministers if you put in time, ALL OF YOU ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT CHILD MOLESTING AS PER THE 1974 FEDERAL MONDALE LAW!!!!! ALL PUBLISHERS, NOT JUST ELDERS!!!! avishai@hotmail.com

Remote User:
Date:
15 May 2002
Time:
03:10:40
Comments
YOU ARE A SICK INDIVIDUAL, jw'S ARE A FORCE FOR GOOD AND ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE I KNOW THAT STAND UP FOR TRUTH THE BEST THEY CAN. NEXT YOU'LL BE ATTACKING THEM ON THE BLOOD ISSUE OR THEIR NUETRALITY STAND, BUT OFFERING NOTHING BETTER, JUST HATRED AND CRITISM ABOUT THE FAITHFUL SLAVE. YOU'LL ONLY LOSE, YOU'RE FIGHTING THE WRONG PERSON.

Remote User:
Date:
15 May 2002
Time:
03:40:50
Comments
No, they stand up for child molesters, & then df anyone who speaks up about it. So do you, if you are a publisher & hear about a child molester. A force for good? At least the catholics feed hundreds of thousand of people. Where is the jw mother theresa? Oh, I forgot, you only give people "spiritual food & healing". Jesus said to also do it for real. Name ONE jw nobel prize nominee & I might shut up. JUST KIDDING!!HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH! No, this site is not about the blood issue, it's about little children being fucked, in every way possible, & having no one to help them. Fucked in the anus, vagina, & orally. Fucked spiritually. Fucked over & over & over again, because no one will turn the FUCKERS in. So, jw babies keep getting fucked by big strong men & women. I'm not going to apologize for the ugly language, because what is happening is far uglier & I'm tired of these euphemisms like "molested". If you want to judge me for Bad language, go right ahead.Fuck you!

Remote User:
Date:
15 May 2002
Time:
10:42:50
Comments
These people who are crying about JW's being given a bad name are just being selfish. You obviously don't care about the rest of a child's life being destroyed because of some ass the elders protected just to save themselves and the organization embarrassment. You obviously haven't been through it yourself nor have you had a child you loved been through it. And you are obviously so blinded and brainwashed by the org. that you think this is all just fine because "the society says so." IT IS WRONG AND ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING THAT YOU PROTECT AND DON'T REPORT THESE PEOPLE TO THE AUTHORITIES!! CHILDREN DON'T DESERVE THIS!! PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN - NOT THOSE ASSHOLES!!

Remote User:
Date:
15 May 2002
Time:
11:56:57
Comments
I don't believe that involving the police or the District attorney is the answer. They are the problem.

Let the families handle that.

Not the congregations.

Remote User:
Date:
15 May 2002
Time:
12:13:45
Comments
Why is this even a religious issue after all?

Congregation members should not be alone with others not their family members.

If they are than that is trouble waiting to happen.

And this end up being a credibility contest.

Remote User:
Date:
15 May 2002
Time:
12:50:32
Comments
My that was interesting reading for today. It certainly was a wide range of vocabulary. We get the point. Yes it is true, one could think that if it was just an isolated incident one could question it. I don't even have to relate our story because bits and pieces of it have been related just in the current guest book. Jehovah doesn't need us to proclaim his name, he said the rocks could speak. He also doesn't need his name protected. For that matter this isn't about him this is about injustice and innocent children. As parents we are responsible for them that is a god given job. We have been hindered in many cases by the elders themselves, in my case my children were scolded and told they were at fault. Think about it!!!!!! Just wanted to say hello. jgibson@hamburg.heartland.net

Remote User:
Date:
15 May 2002
Time:
16:46:32
Comments
Well, I wish we could leave it up to families, but then a lot of child molesters would be dead. Fine. But then a lot of parents would be in jail, compounding the problem. These are not problems simplistically solved by just the family w/ out the d.a, etc. Plus, then if they don't take care of it, the molester just runs around & does it again. What then, oh wise one?

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
00:32:15
Comments
This site is for JW's who have witnessed some form of abuse and were asked to 'cover it up' by the society right? And it is the intent of silentlambs to correct the organization personally by telling everyone that they should protest the way the organization handles things so he can continue to be one of JW's?

First of all, what would you like to happen to all the molesters or JW's that have abused another person? Would you like for them to be imprisoned? Given the death penalty? Regardless, if you ever believed that Jehovah will judge everyone at armageddon, why would you want to judge everyone before armageddon? Whoever you are and however much you know about a situation, the one thing you do not know is what's in the accused person's heart. If they honestly are sorry for what they did, why would you want to be the judge that determines how that person will spend the rest of their life? I'm not taking sides, but far be it for me to condemn anyone or even ask other people to condemn them for any mistakes they made.

What if someone accused you of raping someone and you know you didn't do it? If that person told their friend to lie for them and say they saw you raping them, would you want to go to jail or be put to death for a crime you know you didn't commit? It is very easy to accuse anyone of anything at any time. And it is not the job of the elders in the congregation to judge for themselves who should be punished for any of them.

When you join an organization, you accept a certain set of laws and regulations. Although they may not be perfect, you ACCEPT them. If you decide not to accept them, then you leave that organization and go elsewhere. If you don't believe that JW's are not the organization backed by God, then go to another one that you believe is. However, if you do believe that JW's are backed by God, and you publicly criticize that organization, then your are publicly criticizing the same God that you believe in, whether you would like to admit it or not. I'll tell you what though, if you believe there is a 'perfect' religious organization out there, I sure would like to know the name of it. I would also like to know how perfect it really is.

This is an imperfect world with imperfect people. Not everything we believe to be right is what's actually right in God's eyes. No matter how much we believe that we are right about something, if Jehovah God tells us through his organization that we are wrong, then obviously we are wrong. There's no if and's or but's about it. When you're wrong, you're wrong.

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
00:32:40
Comments
Thank you for being here. I just learned about you. I have sent an email to the editor. Oh that you were around when I was a young girl perhaps I would not have had to endure all those years, in silence.

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
07:28:20
Comments
It is ridiculous that people are saying that 5, 10, 18, 20 years ago a priest molested them. That is as bad as the blacks stating that their relatives were slaves so they should be compensated.

Get over it and move on. Many blacks have. They are not imprisoned slaves, while some choose to be. So why are some who have been touched, or fondled 10 or 20 years ago still imprisoned. It's not necessary.

They are not battered or abused, those are events that happened long ago.

Sure many may not like that being said. They want revenge, they want someone to pay. Making the molester pay is not enough now we got this idiot Bowen, making innocent people (JW's) pay.

If someone was abused, revenge is not the answer. That person can be healed through Christ. (someone whom Bowen has left).

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
08:30:06
Comments
Maybe the reason some of us are making such a big deal about the abuse that happened when we were younger is so that more innocent children do not have to endure the same horrible things we did at the hands of the SAME PEOPLE! Many of us are healed and are trying to make sure that someone else doesn't have to go through the same healing process that took us so long to get through. HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF THAT?!? Mr. Bowen is trying to protect more children not tell them to get on w/their lives and forget about it. What about you, would you be willing to become the object of rejection to try and protect innocent lives? I think not. JP

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
08:30:23
Comments
Maybe the reason some of us are making such a big deal about the abuse that happened when we were younger is so that more innocent children do not have to endure the same horrible things we did at the hands of the SAME PEOPLE! Many of us are healed and are trying to make sure that someone else doesn't have to go through the same healing process that took us so long to get through. HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF THAT?!? Mr. Bowen is trying to protect more children not tell them to get on w/their lives and forget about it. What about you, would you be willing to become the object of rejection to try and protect innocent lives? I think not. JP

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
11:07:27
Comments
To the Jackass that is saying to " just get over it".Slavery happened almost 150 yr. ago. not 10 or 20. Are you black? Have you ever been molested? If not, then SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
11:24:58
Comments
i read that on the night of bowen s judicial committee there will be a candlelight vigil in the town for all who wish to see an end to innocent young abuse victims being threatened with disfellowshipping if they tell

i cried

i cried for my sister ... raped by a temporary (auxiliary) pioneer, who was a close friend of my brother (now a bethel elder) .... she was only trying to come into the truth like her big brothers ... trying to attend meetings ... go in the field ... to study ... trying to ONLY associate with jehovah s people , instead of those "evil worldly people....bad associations"

i cried for my sister again .... along with my littlest brother ... because when the two of them stopped studying and coming to meetings ...and my brother and i .....we were too busy with our new "family" spending all our spare time going to meetings... studies... door to door ... assemblies ... and conventions...we were too busy doing god s work to notice or worry that our step father used the older siblings being away to take advantage of those two children

i cried for both my EXes ....raised in the truth....molested by their fathers repeatedly....honoring their parents...the inner turmoil they had ...which finally took it s toll on them...tearing them apart

i cried for my daughter ... horribly abused by her stepmother...with me at first to blinded by the "truth" to see it...until it was too late

i cried that i was stupid enough to try to salvage that marriage .... believing everything that the naysayers in this guestbook also so ardently believe...that jehovah s earthly representatives...guided by holy spirit could and would fix it....i cried that i furthered my children's pain trying to make them "wait on jehovah" too...i cried that i got in trouble for getting my daughter away from her abuser and considered it "discipline from jehovah"

i cried when i remember how the elders treated me and my children for wanting them to take action against a second generation child abuser who remained in good standing....and i cried when i thought of all the slander they perpetrated against my family for finally putting a child s welfare above that of not rocking the theocratic boat...and i cried that i believed i was developing a "bad attitude" like they said...and followed the bible s advise to "call upon the older men" to help restore my waning faith and spiritual sickness....the same ones who didn t give a shit about my children...and further proved it by refusing to make shepherding calls on either me or my kids....i cried that i furthered the pain of my children by continuing to take them to meetings, etc. when i just needed to take them away.....i cried in shame for my part of co-dependence in this theocratic family

i cried when i remember the actual letter i received from the watchtower bible and tract society...the governing body...telling me to put my spouse above my children

and i cried in empathy for other families who have taken a stand for the children....who put actual truth above saying we are "in the truth"...and are now being administered "jehovah s loving discipline" by being disfellowshipped

and i cried for you people, who continue to harangue the truth-tellers....knowing exactly how you feel....because i used to feel the same way...and i wonder how many of you might actually be victims yourselves ...or have family that are...and realize that you are saying the same things that the abusers are?...the same thing that the leadership(in the congregations and the headquarters) are saying?

i cried because i know that my family and i will not be able to be there....with our own candles

i would like to ask for volunteers to burn special candles for each victim in my family...since we cannot attend at this time

it would mean a lot

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
13:03:33
Comments
To the person who is concerned that telling the truth about the Truth, is making a bad name for"witnesses all over the earth."

I remember being taught that Jehovah's Witnesses who committed shameful acts, and tried to cover them over, were the ones who brought reproach on God's Divine Name.

That is the "Truth," as I was taught by the literature of the "faithful and discreet slave class."

That would apply to JW child molesters....and to elders...and to judicial committees...and to representatives in the Brooklyn headquarters, who cover them up, and tell victims and their families to shut up.

That would also apply to PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF, who try to get get us to shut up, and hide the sins of those defilers.

THAT is what I was taught and raised to believe.

Has it changed?

Is it NEW LIGHT that tells us to put a stop to those that expose the TRUTH of uncleanness, instead of getting the uncleanness "out of our midst"?

Does this NEW LIGHT teach us that actually we are no longer to get rid of sexual deviants, but protect them, that reproaching Jehovah's Name, by doing so IS NO LONGER THE ISSUE? Does the spiritual "food at the right time" now teach us to punish the rape victims who tell, because the reputation of JWs must be protected by LIES? The Divine Name of the Witnesses?

Oh I see, after reviewing the history of the fact that this has been the case since Charles Taze Russell to this modern time, the faithful slave class now understands with the Light 'that gets brighter and brighter until the perfect day' that we must tolerate and exonerate all JW pedophiles. "Meat in due season" teaches us that we should follow the example of Job's false comforters. It is our holy duty to squash those who dare speak the truth about what is our Theocratic responsibility to hide. Don't let the world know that JWs are the secret abiding place of these unclean and hated things. WE must lie, so as to protect the reputation, and the vast holdings of the Society from Satan's agents, who would uncover our pedophiles and press criminal charges, or worse....SUE!

Gee, does this mean I am an apostate for not keeping up with this NEW LIGHT, for being blinded by the OLD LIGHT I was originally taught?

Or does this mean that people like you and Brown are the apostates for doing the opposite of what we used to be taught?

Or does this mean that we really haven't discerned the difference between Light and darkness, all these years?

Just food for thought........

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
14:04:05
Comments
i used to preach that priests defiling children was proof that they were part of the false religious harlot babylon the great

now

as the catholic church cleans up their mess and publicly tries to rectify their sins

it is the same time that it is coming to light that the witnesses have an even more abhorrent record

it is the same time that the witnesses are spending tremendous time , energy and resources to silence abuse victims

it is the same time that victims families are being disfellowshipped for not helping with the lies

i have never heard of a choirboy excommunicated for revealing he was molested by a pedophile priest

now i hang my head in shame

shame that i have taught so many people that they could be free of such things by becoming a part of "jehovah s only true organization"

i wish i could undo all of that witnessing

i wish i could tell them all the truth

the truth of what my family has experienced

the truth of what countless families have experienced

AND ARE NOW EXPERIENCING

shame on me

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
14:15:13
Comments
the racist witness who says that pedophiles victims are not "abused"

and that the pedophiles are being healed by christ

who Bowen (and i assume those of his ilk) have left

presumably by speaking in behalf of the little ones christ said not to hinder

that person shows not only his true colors

but the true colors of the faithful ones who protect rapists and punish rape victims in the organization

he speaks to this issue more eloquently than any of us could

thank you brother racist and rape enabler

for shedding light on your virtues and those of the true followers of jah and christ that you have remained faithful to

NOW we see the light

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
18:35:30
Comments
All the congregations that you have experienced that have all had problems with pedophilia..How many congregations would that be approximately? What kind of territory would that cover? the midwest? southern california? New England? Or every congregation in the US?

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
18:57:27
Comments
for me, personally, i know of twenty something cases in about eleven congregations in four states....that i have personal knowledge of....they include new england, west coast, the south and the midwest....there huge numbers that are coming forth from witnesses and former witnesses allover the u s a, canada, norway,britain,australia and other countries.....WHAT IS YOUR POINT? is there a need to minimize these crimes by trying to prove they didn t happen in all fifty states? the heartfelt experiences shared by those in this guestbook are only the tip of the iceberg....the society is even trying to DF a woman who has personal knowledge of the vast extent of this problem across the country,because of her work for many years in the world headquarters, at bethel.....i remember all the assembly talks we had during the 70s because scores of elders and their wives were DFed for wife swapping ....the society didn t try to cover over these things that they considered problems.... and they were far fewer than the cases of pedophilia...not rallying for wife swapping here....but if i were asked which i would rather the congregations be protected from.....it would be child rape....why has the society had their historically had their nose in every aspect of a married couples bedroom for years...but continued to turn a blind eye to this horrendous sex crime? why don t they spend their energy cleaning up this ugly mess...instead of trying to hide it?

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
19:04:34
Comments
Avishai, tone it down "brutha". Anyone can spout off aggressive attacks of profanity like you have been doing, but its a less effective way of getting your point across - not that that is really your objective, getting a point ac cross... And all caps do NOT MAKE YOU MORE COHERENT.

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
19:04:57
Comments
I cried having to scroll down through that entire stinking message.

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
19:20:57
Comments
Alright now to those incomps who have made ignorant comments to the following effects (earlier posts)

1. The Catholics have admitted to their mistakes and are trying to do something about it: Yeah it only took a couple millenniums! Have you people ever heard of the "Reformation?" Well that's a misnomer...nothing was reformed...rather a whole new, and more tolerant, host of religions were created, all because for centuries upon centuries the Church had refused to admit to or Reform anything. The council of Constance, along with solving the Great schism, did 3 other things. 1, Burned alive John Hus, 2, would have burned alive Wycliffe except HE WAS ALREADY DEAD, and 3, imported 3000 prostitutes for its 500 delegates. Priests before the Reformation openly had concubines and prostitutes. After the Reformation, those who still could not take their vows seriously had to do so in secret, which they have been. As part of the counter-reformation, behold that piece of history we all know and love, the Inquisition. yeah, now in the 20th century, the church is having grand councils about this big problem of pedophilia...forget what other forms of vow breaking are going on.

2. "i don t have any faith that jw s will ever be as candid about their problem as the catholics have finally done" -Finally is right pal! I believe my first response is sufficient.

Final note. I believe pedophiles should be drug behind a dog sled team over the Alaskan frontier allowed to slowly freeze to death after breaking many bones in their body. That's an emotional response. But, it not being my place to judge, I will let Jehovah do it. That DOESN'T absolve us of responsibility to tolerate no uncleanness. That is something that will be resolved, as all other things have been resolved in my chosen religion. If the organization had taken the other route from the beginning, this silent lambs site would probably be about those falsely accused of pedophilia. (sp?) But, at least, when it comes to comparing Witnesses to Catholics, get real! Look at history before you say ignorant things.

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
19:56:07
Comments
The Bible says to obey the "Laws of the Land" as long as they don't conflict with the Laws of God. It means that God who is allowing the governments to "Stand" presently wants us to report a crime when it happens. To cover over a crime of this nature is "against" the Laws of the Land and is immoral.

It is very simple the WTBTS has covered itself in egg and their is no way out of this.

Remember God did say what is carried on in "secret" will be "revealed". It won't help the WT to try to scare its members into NOT seeing Dateline either. What happened to the "admonition" in the Bible to "test" everything against the "scriptures"?

I guess for the WTBTS that means "listen very carefully to what we say, not what we do". Good grief, when is the merry go round going to stop. Wake up world. Satan is tugging on your blindfold.

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
20:10:41
Comments
Hi again, There was an article in the Toronto Star about WTS setting up Judicial Committees. Apparently from what I heard they were made up of 8 elders. This is to give the impression that they will give a more righteous judgment and impression of fairness. Is what they are doing right? Is it justice for the victims? Who are the victims here the children or the pedophiles? Consider this...

They have been told long before they ever meet with any of the victims/supporters what to render as their verdict. So I ask where is the justice in this? Can one imagine if it was done like this in a court of Law? Can one imagine rendering a verdict before hearing the evidence? This used to be called "Kangaroo Court". It is rigged when the outcome is decided ahead of time. Who are they kidding? Does the means justify the end?

The victims deserve JUSTICE. To call what the victims are doing, by specking out, "revenge". This is a way to make them appear as thou they are the ones who are the problem. The PSALMS says it is wicked for someone to pronounce the innocent as wicked and pronounce the wicked as being righteous.

Jesus talked about the religious leaders of his day and the corruption. This Jesus did while the Jews were still the people Jehovah was using. This did not change until his death. He said the religious leaders were "white washed graves that outwardly appear beautiful but inside are full of dead men's bones". Jesus condemned their hypocrisy.

The bible tells use it was "written aforetime for our instruction..." We are to learn from these examples. Jesus set a model for us to follow his steps closely. That is why they were written for us.

They always talk about how the elders must keep the congregations"clean and unified". Let me ask who is causing the divisions? Is it the victims? Who started this sorry mess? Isn't it the Pedophiles the ones making the congregations unclean? Let us never forget it is their behaviour that is at issue. Isn't this an issue because the elders fell down on their job by not keeping the congregation clean? Why are the victims blamed for the disunity when theirs is only a reaction to already bad situation that they didn't create or start? If a certain amount of disunity is a result shouldn't we put the blame where it really belongs? On the PEDOPHILES and those who cover up for them? Why shot the messenger? Why disfellowship those who expose these pedophiles for what they are? Will silencing them make the congregation any cleaner in Jehovah's eyes? The scriptures say to "remove the wicked man from among yourselves."

The scriptures promise "what is secret will not remain hidden." Maybe this is the time for it to come out?

DJB `

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
20:58:43
Comments
dear "i cried having to scroll down that entire stinking message"

i remember that sarcastic tone! are you one of the elders that said my child was demonized for saying she had been abused?

thanks for continuing to be one of the comforting princes described by isaiah!

don t forget to count your time!

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
21:18:50
Comments
to the one that doesn t like comparisons of the catholic church and jw s

since i made a number of those posts...i would like to clarify a few things

first of all...i am well aware of both the historical and the contemporary atrocities committed by the church...including those you mentioned

secondly...i would no more make excuses for those than i would the atrocities committed by either religion

third point....i was trained as a jw to point out that we had no such problem with child molesting...that was a problem of catholic clergymen .... i used the literature which exposed such truths about the church to promote an organization that was a "spiritual paradise" free of such worldly taint

fourth point....i taught lies....and brought people into an organization in which they were ultimately abused

in conclusion

the comparison had to do with carrying what i was taught to it s full conclusion

and the comparisons were simply on the issues of what has been historically done by both religious organizations on the subject of this guestbook....along with the irony that the church is now doing what the society has always claimed to do...and the society is now doing what it has always pointed out the church is doing...along with taking it a step further and df ing the ones taking a stand for the children

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
22:54:04
Comments
I never read anywhere in any any of JW's books, magazines, brochures, or tracts of any statements, whether directly or indirectly, that the JW organization is perfect. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, I remember reading somewhere that their organization where they admitted that there are many from within that do not have God's spirit, and that just being one of JW's will not guarantee that they will receive everlasting life. No matter what you were 'raised up to believe', if you don't have God's spirit, you will not understand how it works and thus you will question everything that you believe is wrong.

The person that posted the message about us not being the judges of other people was right. Even if we did report every single incident of every single wrongdoing that a person does (including molestation) we would never come close to bringing an end to the problems. And if you are a part of an organization that preaches that Jehovah is the only one who can bring about the ultimate justice and get rid of all mankind's problems, then why would you take it upon yourself to try to get rid of who, in your minds, are bad people. If you ever really believed in your religion, then why would you want to get rid of mankind's problems yourself instead of waiting on your God? I understand you may be getting impatient, since no one knows how long it will be until the end of this system of things, but a part of what JW's are all about is being patient. If you don't have the patience to wait on your God to bring justice to this world, then you obviously don't have what it takes to be one of JW's and however many years you spent as one were obviously wasted.

Remote User:
Date:
16 May 2002
Time:
23:22:02
Comments
I agree, no matter how bad it is, we should all remember that we all sin. There is no such thing as a small sin or a big sin, the fact of the matter is they are all sins.

If you teach people not to hate others because of their sin, but to hate the sin itself, then you are becoming a hypocrite by hating the people who are molesting these children.

I may sound like some sort of molester supporter, but I really am not. I hate the whole idea of it, but I don't hate the people that do it. You never know what situation the person may have been in to commit such an act, just as you never know the situation a person that committed fornication or adultery may have been in.

If you want to throw a person in prison for molestation, then why not throw a person in prison for adultery or fornication? It is all having sex with a person that you are not supposed to according to the Bible. The only difference is age.

I just want to close by saying that I'm sorry for anyone who had to go through molestation of any sort. It is unfortunate that in this imperfect world, we must face many sins committed against us as well as our own sins.

I would like the creator of this site to respond to the following question, if possible. Do you honestly believe that what the religion teaches is accurate according to the bible? (Notice that I used the word "teaches" and not "the way they handle certain situations") And if you do believe that what they teach is true, then why would you allow people to come on to this site and tell everyone that what they teach is wrong?

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
00:10:03
Comments
WOW! Two posts in a row playing the IMPERFECTION card!

Thought we didn't believe in double standards?

We can point out these imperfections in all other religions, and call it wickedness, and point out that Jehovah doesn't like it.

We are not allowed to say it's wrong for bus to do the same thing.

Now tell me again how we are not religious hypocrites?

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
00:49:32
Comments
DOUBLE WOW!

Now we are enlightened that fornication and adultery between consenting adults is just as bad as forcing yourself upon a child.

How silly we have been to vilify JW rapists, after all they're only imperfect!

Let's all go back to saying these things are only bad if other religions do them!

It's OK to admit that first century Christians were messed up....but if we publicly say the same thing about our own religious leaders, we are naughty!

I'm gonna go to confession...oops I mean a Judicial Committee,and beg them to reprove me for the bad attitude I've had about protecting children,instead of their reputations.

Thank you for setting me straight!

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
01:05:56
Comments
" why not throw adulterers and fornicators in jail, if you wanna throw molesters in jail? It's all the same to jehovah. the only difference is age"

ONLY DIFFERENCE IS AGE?

do you hear yourself?

let's try this....

if it IS all the same to jehovah...

then why don t committees treat them all the same?

why disfellowship adulterers and fornicators....but rarely do that to those that rape children?

why does the society cover up this double standard?

why do youths and their families that report child abusers get harassed and disfellowshipped?

tell me why?

tell my offspring why

you may be counting your time for this....but your words are driving people away from the organization

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
09:24:42
Comments
To Bill Bowen,

re: SL Guest Book post 16 May 2002 @ 23:22:02

Please, please, PLEASE do not respond to the question posed to you at the end. It is a trick! I am well aware that you could handle yourself well. I have seen this type of set up before. I would not be surprised if this was sent by a member of your Judicial Committee, or by Brown or another representative at headquarters. As the Dateline episode AND your Committee meeting approaches, this is exactly the type of bait typically used to shift the focus away from the issue of child molesting and cover ups, and label you an apostate. I can guarantee that no matter what your answer, it will be twisted around. Leave it alone, please. The post will likely be printed and brought up to you at your meeting anyway. Or asked directly.

As for the one who sent this question, and the way you couched it. How dare you bring up what some people post on this site to use against him? What control does he have of that? Surely, if there was any control, he could prevent those who attack the ones who come forward with the TRUTH. Why does he not block those who use the Name of God to browbeat and mock those who share how criminals have infiltrated the organization and run amok, aided and abetted by elders and by the policies of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Every kind of post is placed here, Victims and their families who are looking for a safe haven to express themselves are not protected from harassment of those doctrine-thumping apostates, anymore than they are protected from the likes of you. ('no such thing as a big or small sin..they are all the same'...INDEED! What about a "sin against the holy spirit"? What about "grievous sins"? What about sins that have "massed clear up to heaven"? The organization has NEVER taught that all sins are the same, except when minimizing it's own wrongs. If you have a new teaching, then who is to say YOU are not an apostate. Who is to say YOU are not sinning against the holy spirit by protecting liars and endeavoring to entrap and silence truth tellers that would champion the very issues and spiritual "widows and orphans" we are charged by God's Word to champion and protect?) If he can't block the ridiculers who come and mock those in pain, using Jehovah's Name (isn't THAT a "worthless way" to use it?), how can he block others, who ALSO come in with their own agendas? How about we apply the teaching from the old Kingdom Ministry? The one that said we as JWs might not want to discriminate? The one that said a JW milkman should not refuse to deliver milk to a house of ill repute, and should not be vilified for that? The Silent Lambs site, FOR THE RECORD, has NO links to apostate sites, and has NOTHING posted by the founder that supports, or alludes to the apostate materials. FOR THE RECORD the Governing Body has an extensive library of books, including all the apostate material some have quoted from in this Guest Book, and they are the only ones allowed to read them. Come to think of it, I would not be surprised if one of them, or one of their charges posted that material, and followed up by having another post the follow up "I see someone has read...". TO ALL YOU READERS WHO CARE ABOUT THE TRUTH, do not fall for this type of post that tugs at your sense of loyalty to the organization. If you are loyal to it, then STAND UP FOR KEEPING IT CLEAR of rapists! Don't participate in hiding the sins.

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
14:48:44
Comments
1 Corinthians

5:10 "Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world."

5:11 "But now I have written unto you NOT TO KEEP COMPANY, if ANY MAN that is called a brother be a FORNICATOR, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat."

5:12 "For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?"

5:13 "But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person."

6:1 "DARE ANY OF YOU, HAVING A MATTER AGAINST ANOTHER, GO TO LAW BEFORE THE UNJUST, AND NOT BEFORE THE SAINTS?"

6:2 "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and IF THE WORLD SHALL BE JUDGED BY YOU, ARE YE UNWORTHY TO JUDGE THE SMALLEST MATTERS?"

6:3 "Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?"

6:4 "If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church."

6:5 "I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, NOT ONE THAT SHALL BE ABLE TO JUDGE BETWEEN HIS BRETHREN?"

6:6 "But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers."

6:7 "Now therefore there is utterly a FAULT AMONG YOU, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?"

6:8 "Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren."

6:9 "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: NEITHER FORNICATORS, nor idolaters, nor ADULTERERS, nor effeminate, NOR ABUSERS OF THEMSELVES WITH MANKIND,"

6:10 "Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, SHALL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD."

6:11 "And SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU: BUY YE ARE WASHED, but ye are SANCTIFIED, but ye are JUSTIFIED in the name of the Lord Jesus, AND by the Spirit of our God."

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
15:21:43
Comments
I'm no bible expert or anything, but it appears to me that sex "between consenting adults" (fornication and adultery), as well as abuse among men are all very serious sins for God to say that none of them will inherit his kingdom.

If people believe JW's try to cover up child rape because they do not dismember them, or disfellowship them (whatever), or lock them up and throw them in a pit somewhere, then they are sadly mistaken. There are many steps to disfellowshipping a person. For one, the sin has to be proven. One or two people may not be enough to support a story of a sin, especially of one that is as serious as rape. If the crime (sin) is confessed or is proven, then that person has the opportunity to prove that he is truly sorry for what he did. If the JW's believe that person really is sorry, then it is not within their authority to disfellowship the person. It's not like they know that a person raped a child but just sit back and not do anything about it. They take the same exact steps with fornicators, adulterers, idolaters, and every other serious wrongdoing. It disturbs me how blind you people really are.

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
17:03:33
Comments
I have been a witness for nearly thirty years; I was never disfellowshipped, reproved, or inactive. This organization has been my life. So you might find it surprising that this is a heartfelt thank you. Bill, thank you for having the integrity and courage to develop Silentlambs.com In our congregation the elders allowed a newly released from prison, registered sex offender to return the little victim’s congregation. They diligently protected the pedophiles identity and did zero to support the child or her family or to warn other parents. Our repeated inquiries into the matter gained us a visit to the back room of the hall and an admonition to be quiet. I found the elders refusal to do the upright thing extremely odd so I decided to do some research on the Internet. I found Silentlambs and in a few hours understood the reality of the situation. I cannot imagine the years I might have wasted trying to understand what had happened if not for Silentlambs. I would have questioned--- Was the problem with my attitude? Were the elder’s not following WBTS policy? Was the current Circuit Overseer the problem? But never would I have realized that the horrible circumstances that had shocked me so thoroughly were simply business as usual to WBTS. Yes, unfortunately, the policy on cover-up, blame the victim, etc comes down from the top, from Brooklyn. Thank you Bill for saving me many lost years. No wonder WBTS wants you stopped after all there are a lot of me’s in the organization and we are their best.

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
17:17:41
Comments
To the myopic one above that believes in the JW judicial system: I actually agree that it is not within the org's purview to disfellowship a truly repentant one. It is not to the JWs to forever kick out a wrongdoer. But the story doesn't NEED to end there. Just because someone is repentant doesn't mean that they should be allowed within the congregation without those at risk being told about the child molester among them. Just because he cried to the elders and promised not to do it again doesn't mean that authorities should not be contacted and the issue dealt with criminally. Just because an abuser may not do it again, doesn't mean that the cong.'s children are safe or, just as importantly, non-JW children within reach of the offender are safe. Even the most effective control within the cong. doesn't yet address JW's obligation to protect the vulnerable outside the organization.

This issue is not whether the society kicks someone out. The issue is what they will or will not do to protect children in an out of the organization. Will they take steps to see that they are not providing a haven for pedophiles from scrutiny - in the cong. and outside.

I am continually stunned by the lack of concern for the 'worldly' kids. Consider if (assuming you're not such an overly indoctrinated JW automaton for a moment): your neighbor was a witness, and the local elders had reason to believe the neighbor was a pedophile, did nothing, and your child was a victim.

- Buster

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
18:02:47
Comments
Someone wrote: "You obviously have a problem with the JW's. Unfortunately children in ALL religious background have been harmed, not just JW's. Look at the courts in Australia, the Catholic religion has a few more problems don't you think? But soon all the wrong that men have done will be corrected. You really have a chip on your shoulder don't you? What you hate about child molesters is so true , they destroy lives, but just because a person calls himself a title, doesn't make the lot that way. Open up your eyes."

I respond:

Just because children of all religious faiths are being molested, doesn't make it right for JW children to be molested, does it? Does the wrongs of the multitude justify the wrong of one?

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
18:37:44
Comments
My comments; Go to Mr.Bill Bowen & the SilentLambs. I know Gods spirit,will be with all of you. Thanks for having the courage,strength & ability to follow through,with this most difficult matter.This is a wonderful site,to vent a small portion of some of the anger and hurt, we all suffer sometimes. May the LAMBS be SILENT no longer. Thank you MR. BOWEN, for being our Shepherd. May the GRACE of GOD be with you.My candle will be black & burning very VERY BRIGHT;;;;;;;;;;;;;; WARM CHRISTIAN LOVE FROM Searchin@ aol.com

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
18:54:30
Comments
My husband and me were JWs for 40 years.. Left for good by choice..Our children..all grown and married left the WTBTS by choice as well. After coming to this site, I am so thankful that we no longer associate with the WT organization. I am so disgusted with all that they represent.. How insensitive they are just to protect their own hide. My heart cries for all the victims of abuse who are still suffering the hurts caused by those perverts within the Society..as well as Society in general.

I hope that the DateLine program airs soon..May it open wide the eyes of many Witnesses..so they too may see the hypocrisy of the WTBTS Organization. Sincerely, Maria

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
20:35:21
Comments
Someone said:

"Remote User: Date: 16 May 2002 Time: 00:32:15 Comments This site is for JW's who have witnessed some form of abuse and were asked to 'cover it up' by the society right? And it is the intent of silentlambs to correct the organization personally by telling everyone that they should protest the way the organization handles things so he can continue to be one of JW's?

First of all, what would you like to happen to all the molesters or JW's that have abused another person? Would you like for them to be imprisoned? Given the death penalty? Regardless, if you ever believed that Jehovah will judge everyone at armageddon, why would you want to judge everyone before armageddon? Whoever you are and however much you know about a situation, the one thing you do not know is what's in the accused person's heart. If they honestly are sorry for what they did, why would you want to be the judge that determines how that person will spend the rest of their life? I'm not taking sides, but far be it for me to condemn anyone or even ask other people to condemn them for any mistakes they made.

What if someone accused you of raping someone and you know you didn't do it? If that person told their friend to lie for them and say they saw you raping them, would you want to go to jail or be put to death for a crime you know you didn't commit? It is very easy to accuse anyone of anything at any time. And it is not the job of the elders in the congregation to judge for themselves who should be punished for any of them.

When you join an organization, you accept a certain set of laws and regulations. Although they may not be perfect, you ACCEPT them. If you decide not to accept them, then you leave that organization and go elsewhere. If you don't believe that JW's are not the organization backed by God, then go to another one that you believe is. However, if you do believe that JW's are backed by God, and you publicly criticize that organization, then your are publicly criticizing the same God that you believe in, whether you would like to admit it or not. I'll tell you what though, if you believe there is a 'perfect' religious organization out there, I sure would like to know the name of it. I would also like to know how perfect it really is.

This is an imperfect world with imperfect people. Not everything we believe to be right is what's actually right in God's eyes. No matter how much we believe that we are right about something, if Jehovah God tells us through his organization that we are wrong, then obviously we are wrong. There's no if and's or but's about it. When you're wrong, you're wrong."

I said:

Losers like you make me want to scream. Your ignorance outshines any logical sense you have.

That's not the point. The children cannot protect themselves. It's up to their parents and all others that suspect, or know of allegations of abuse, to report it to the proper authorities. But the elders are not the police, you say, how can they judge? Right. Let the police do their job in protecting Society from these crazed perverts! There are laws that protect children; and soon there will be laws in *all* fifty states that require Clergy of ANY denomination, if they hear of sexual abuse, to report it to the authorities. And if the JWs, or any other religious leaders, for that matter, do not report it, then they should be held for the same criminal liabilities as the perpetrator!

Nuff said.

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
20:55:35
Comments
Someone wrote:

"I never read anywhere in any any of JW's books, magazines, brochures, or tracts of any statements, whether directly or indirectly, that the JW organization is perfect. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, I remember reading somewhere that their organization where they admitted that there are many from within that do not have God's spirit, and that just being one of JW's will not guarantee that they will receive everlasting life. No matter what you were 'raised up to believe', if you don't have God's spirit, you will not understand how it works and thus you will question everything that you believe is wrong.

The person that posted the message about us not being the judges of other people was right. Even if we did report every single incident of every single wrongdoing that a person does (including molestation) we would never come close to bringing an end to the problems. And if you are a part of an organization that preaches that Jehovah is the only one who can bring about the ultimate justice and get rid of all mankind's problems, then why would you take it upon yourself to try to get rid of who, in your minds, are bad people. If you ever really believed in your religion, then why would you want to get rid of mankind's problems yourself instead of waiting on your God? I understand you may be getting impatient, since no one knows how long it will be until the end of this system of things, but a part of what JW's are all about is being patient. If you don't have the patience to wait on your God to bring justice to this world, then you obviously don't have what it takes to be one of JW's and however many years you spent as one were obviously wasted."

I say:

You don't feel any hesitance in reporting any wrongdoing on the part of your brother or sister to the elders, now why would reporting a suspicion of child sexual abuse, as a good citizen of the US and your community, be a problem for you? Even anonymously.

Another point you bring up is that you say the JW's are full of imperfect men. However, the Governing Body's claim to be the "faithful and discreet" slave here on Earth, and to be God's channel of communication to the Witnesses, it would seem to me that God is Perfect, and all communications from him to his "channel" would therefore be perfect, concise, and comprehensive. That clearly debunks your argument.

You said if you reported every incident of molestation, you would not come close to bringing an end to the problems. Nope, but you'd be one step closer to bringing an end to the to potential victims of a molesters. Your apathetic excuse is not justified.

You're a mindless robot, just like the other JW's, who can't think, even nominally, for themselves.

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
21:04:39
Comments
wow

quoting 1 corinthians chapter 5

like jws don t already know what it says

nice twist...not using the new world translation

wish the congregation actually would judge the child abusers

but then again the way some who consider themselves more faithful rant on this list....maybe it s not even considered fornication

after all when i came into the truth PORNEIA fornication did not apply to anything except premarital sex the watchtower said that homosexual acts were not considered fornication OR adultery and you could not disfellowship your spouse on those grounds

the jw brother who wrote to the society and educated them on that got disfellowshipped for divorcing his wife for a lesbian affair and for going ahead of the organization

shortly thereafter new light revealed he was right

but we were told this story repeatedly as an example never to go ahead of the faithful slave

he was not offered reinstatement and we all were taught to consider him an apostate

so we went along with each new light shed on the biblical words translated as fornication adultery and fornication

maybe this is new light

cuz it is what is practiced

it is the fruits

maybe we should all go along with this new light that raping children is none of the congregations business to take care of

except to cover it over and punish the "apostates" who are going ahead of the faithful slave by saying it is wrong

PS historically the judicial committees simply refuse to listen to the two witnesses of child abuse even when they are available

it is not unusual to allow and perpetrate slander that maybe the victims or their protective family members are the real abusers

that is one of the ways to discredit the whistle blowers passive/aggressively

and we used to be taught that 1 corinthians five applied to civil lawsuits but not criminal charges

it also has never been used to keep a person from petitioning for divorce and testifying against their unfaithful spouse.

so is this application to disobey caesar's law to protect the child molesters some more new light?

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
21:50:51
Comments
i cried....

when i read your post. your candles will be burning May 24th.

silentlambs

Remote User:
Date:
17 May 2002
Time:
23:05:59
Comments
dear silent lambs founder

thank you

was beginning to think i was wasting my breath again

i will send you a list of names and/or initials for the candles of those of my family who were abused and wish to participate this way

thank you

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
04:38:19
Comments
I receive all your mailings and have been following what is going on with interest and great sorrow, I am not a JW, and never have been. I am just a Christian follower of Jesus, a sinner forgiven.

That does not mean that I will hit out at JW's as I am well aware that Jesus holds no bars to who He loves and who He died for.

I simply want you to burn a candle for all the silent lambs in Great Britain.

This issue needs to be exposed to the people of Great Britain as I believe not many have heard of what is going on. I have attempted to inform the media of what is happening but because this particular issue does not appear to be a major one in this country they do not pursue it.

I have also spoken to JW's who absolutely deny any wrong doings and appear to be completely unaware of anything un=toward happening within the Watchtower.

PLEASE BURN A CANDLE FOR THE U. K.

alchristy@scyemail.co.uk

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
04:39:24
Comments
I receive all your mailings and have been following what is going on with interest and great sorrow, I am not a JW, and never have been. I am just a Christian follower of Jesus, a sinner forgiven.

That does not mean that I will hit out at JW's as I am well aware that Jesus holds no bars to who He loves and who He died for.

I simply want you to burn a candle for all the silent lambs in Great Britain.

This issue needs to be exposed to the people of Great Britain as I believe not many have heard of what is going on. I have attempted to inform the media of what is happening but because this particular issue does not appear to be a major one in this country they do not pursue it.

I have also spoken to JW's who absolutely deny any wrong doings and appear to be completely unaware of anything un=toward happening within the Watchtower.

PLEASE BURN A CANDLE FOR THE U. K.

alchristy@sctemail.co.uk

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
04:39:28
Comments
I receive all your mailings and have been following what is going on with interest and great sorrow, I am not a JW, and never have been. I am just a Christian follower of Jesus, a sinner forgiven.

That does not mean that I will hit out at JW's as I am well aware that Jesus holds no bars to who He loves and who He died for.

I simply want you to burn a candle for all the silent lambs in Great Britain.

This issue needs to be exposed to the people of Great Britain as I believe not many have heard of what is going on. I have attempted to inform the media of what is happening but because this particular issue does not appear to be a major one in this country they do not pursue it.

I have also spoken to JW's who absolutely deny any wrong doings and appear to be completely unaware of anything un=toward happening within the Watchtower.

PLEASE BURN A CANDLE FOR THE U. K.

alchristy@sctemail.co.uk

Comments
RE: my post of May 17 where i mentioned the historical views of PORNEIA as interpreted by the WTB&TS....

on line 10

the word was supposed to be "divorce" NOT "disfellowship"

you probably figured that out already

but just in case....

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
12:16:18
Comments
I am the facilitator of the Focus support group in Boston, MA It is a support group for former members of destructive cults. The group includes former members of JW. Please give people who are looking for help our no. 617-353-5269. It is a voice messaging service which I check regularly. You can email me or call me at home...781-551-0153 to be to make sure I am to be trusted. Also, Steve Hassan, knows me. Thank you for the work that you are doing. Nancy Crosby ncrosby@gntrains.com

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
12:24:55
Comments
I applaud this web sight & the courage it takes to post things in the face of consequences. As far as I can tell, if the "society" had been open minded& listened to the cries for help, this would not have been necessary, nor any lawsuits or "bad press." J.R. Brown should be strung up by his gonads!!!!Light, Love, & Peace to all ! jill P.S. Going to the my story section!

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
12:37:05
Comments
It is perfectly clear to me that the JWs, just like the Mormons, the Baha'i, the SDA, Oneness Pentecostals, Boston Movement, and some other "lost" so called "orthodox" churches are NOT God's "ONLY TRUE CHURCH". In fact, these groups are either full blown cults or cultishly behaved. I will describe in a nutshell what a CULT is for those who are gasping. A CULT is a man or group of men who stray from the TRUE Gospel of Christ and draw attention to themselves away from the focus on God.

Never in my whole life have I ever seen a group of people scrambling to cover their iniquities as I have seen the WTBTS who are trying to quickly silence the viewing of Dateline by "scaring" those who they have brainwashed into not seeing the truth. For so many years the WTBTS has preached "THE TRUTH SHOULD BE ABLE TO STAND UP TO A TEST" then out of the other side of their mouths they preach "DO NOT READ, NO DO NOT EVEN PICK UP ANYTHING WE HAVE NOT PRINTED"

In addition using the "SHUNNING" which is taken out of context and used as a horrible abusive tool to "Control" the membership. WTBTS don't think for a minute this will be over with just the Molestation issues. Slander, Libel, False Prophecies, Worship of the TRUE GOD, and others will be future issues for sure. Yes all in God's due time but, for now what has been done in Secret is now being brought to LIGHT, God's light, be prepared to reap what you have sewn.

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
14:45:16
Comments
I stumbled upon this site by accident, but after taking a look at some of the things you people are saying, it appears to me that you have all been overtaken by your emotions and you are trying to do everything in your powers to basically destroy all child molesters. What I mean by that is if you are or were one of JW's, then you're supposed to forgive everyone just as Christ forgave all of you. If a child molester is punished for his actions and tries to go back into his former religion, it wouldn't be loving or showing forgiveness to tell everyone in the world that the person is a child molester. Of course, it is something that everyone feels they should know, but how would you feel if someone told everyone else all the wrongdoing you have done in your life? You wouldn't like it, would you? In fact, you would probably tell that person that they are not showing love by respecting your private life. Child molestation is grouped in the same category as idolatry, fornication, etc. in the bible. So if you want to tell everyone if a person has committed the sin of child molestation, then shouldn't you also tell everyone if a person has committed idolatry or fornication?

P.S. - If you want to "Protect Our Children", then why don't you lock them all up in the cage somewhere? There are child molesters, rapists, murderers, etc. all around us. There's no getting around it. But we've lived our entire lives adapting to living along with them. Every religious organization is like another neighborhood. If we can live along with them in our neighborhood without knowing, then why can't we live along with them in our religious organizations without knowing? I, along with many other people, would rather not know the sins a person committed in the past. If people like you broadcast these sins of others to people like us who do not want to hear it, don't you think that will cause a division among your own people?

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
14:53:05
Comments
Hey Cult definition person, I don't see how reporting a child molester to the police has anything to do with directing attention to God.

And please tell me when the JW's have ever drawn attention for themselves away from God. (other than this website, which is directing all attention to JW's and no attention to God.)

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
14:53:11
Comments

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
15:02:19
Comments
Look at the facts everyone. The Jehovah's Witness organization is NOT interested in protecting it's members. It is only interested in protecting it's reputation. And assets. And it has,is and will continue to hurt it's members to do so.

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
15:09:07
Comments
JWs say "don't judge us if we harbor pedophiles." BUT they also say,"We have the right to judge any who say the slightest negative thing about us. Even if it is the truth, we have the God-given right to call them liars. THEY have to be stopped. God doesn't love them. Only the ones WE choose to protect. And how dare you judge us for doing so?"

Don't believe it?

Go back and re-read the rantings of all those who are counting their time on this site.

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
15:15:06
Comments
I want everyone on this site to tell me exactly what punishment should an idolater should receive.

Then I would like to know what punishment an adulterer should receive.

And, finally, I would like to know what punishment a child molester should receive.

First, tell me the punishment you would use if you were capable of doing it, then tell me what punishment the government would use, and then tell me what punishment the Bible says you should use. Please, do not leave out any details.

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
20:43:12
Comments
Good Luck in fighting the Watchtower. You certainly have my support. Katie dudeiamkatie@aol.com

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
21:22:02
Comments
QUESTION:

How can a JW adulterer/fornicator convince the Judicial Committee of elders NOT to disfellowship him?

ANSWER:

Tell them it was ONLY a minor.

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
21:28:20
Comments
QUESTION:

How can a child molester gain the protection of his religious leaders, have a multi-billion dollar, international corporation expend assets, energies, time, and propaganda to shield him AND be defended by countless mindless Bible-thumping enablers?

ANSWER:

Be a Jehovah's Witness

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
23:22:12
Comments
Who the heck says I was the one saying all the bad words? e-mail me, darn it, & allow me to respond! avishai@hotmail.com

Remote User:
Date:
18 May 2002
Time:
23:39:32
Comments
'why not jail idolaters or fornicators if you wanna jail child molesters?'

some of us are interested in protecting children

...apparently YOU like the rest of your organization do not...

'consenting adults having sex can get us just as killed at armageddon as easily as child molesting'

...gee and for a minute there i thought you were maintaining integrity out of love for god.....but you re just scared of the threat of death ....not unlike jw child rape victims threatened with death by jw pedophiles if they tell...and ultimately threatened with disfellowshipping AND being killed by god and having his eyeballs plucked out by ravens...such threats coming from bodies of elders ...who wanna protect pedophiles as much as you apparently do ....if one listens to your words

is the threat of death from jehovah's angels the only thing preventing YOU from committing a sex crime? seems to be the ONLY thing important to you

our kids certainly are not

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
00:05:26
Comments
Looking at some of the inane reasoning, or lack thereof, of those responding to an intellectual argument about double standards on sexual issues within the JW organization....reminds me of how we always said there wouldn't be so many Catholic priests molesting kids, if they weren't so sexually repressed by having their sex lives unnaturally proscribed. Perhaps if your elders didn't get their rocks off asking how close married couples came to committing the "sin" of oral sex, or interrogating teenagers about details of their masturbation.... then.... perhaps there would not be so many sexually repressed JWs who decide that secret defilement of children is their only safe outlet. Ironically,it seems to be the only sexual action PROTECTED by elders...and the likes of J.R. Brown. Just a thought...

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
00:10:23
Comments
any religion whose members are taught that talking to people outside of their faith beyond preaching to them could destroy their faith is hiding something.

if you had true faith in a religion, then NOTHING could destroy that faith.

obviously, this religion, like many others, is full of hypocrites and liars. people are people, and they will continue to act like the rest of humanity.

being a JW doesn't make you a good person, and not being a JW doesn't make you a bad person.

this scandal's exposure is just proving what i have believed for the past few years since i stopped associating with JWs... that they are just another group of people who think they are 'above' everyone else... even the law... and common decency and respect for their fellow humans.

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
00:30:44
Comments
Now, as the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society is about to be exposed on Dateline, right as they scramble to silence honest JW whistle blowers,just as they have silence child abuse victims...

Now...

they decide it is time to publish a bunch of articles trying to front like they really care about such issues!

"Food at the proper time"?

"Meat in due season"?

I used to think it was spiritual food for us.

This is nothing more than ass-covering propaganda.

Now I wonder how much spiritual "food at the right time" was nothing more than what this is?

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
05:11:07
Comments
Hi again, Response to May 16, 2002...So nice of you to clarify that you are not a molester supporter...You know I wouldn't have known since you are arguing for the side of the PEDOPHILES... You suggest mockingly...If we throw a person in prison for molestation why not throw in prison for fornication or adultery...FIRST adultery is between two consenting adults(you disfellowship for this) and is not against the law but CHILD MOLESTATION IS AGAINST THE LAW and involves a minor and an adult. BIG difference!! A child can't consent...

MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, WHICH ONE OF YOU FROM THE WTS, WROTE IN THIS COMMENT? You were hoping Bill would answer your trick question...You are trying desperately to find something...one thing...a hint...so you can disfellowship Bill for apostasy. His site has become a real thorn in your side...

A letter written 6 years ago to you WARNED the governing body about what is happening now...all the law suits...It gave the example of Achan in Israel and how when he finally confessed it was too late and he was put to death anyway.. NO FORGIVENESS... It suggested how you should be following this example in handling Pedophiles and to go public about who they are...but you did not listen to this letter...

Now what it said in this letter was warning to you(WTS) and you(WTS) did not listen. What it said is now coming TRUE!! Look at all the lawsuits!!

Response to May 16, 2002 00:32:15 stated "you do not know what's in the heart" and "imperfect...". All this talk about imperfection is just away to minimize the issue. Give the abuse an excuse...The issue isn't about imperfection it is about criminal behaviour...it is about keeping the congregation CLEAN from these practicers who repeatedly sin against our children... The Scriptures admonish "Remove the wicked man from among yourselves". Does this scripture sound like WAITING on Jehovah? The bible commands that the congregation take decisive action!! Why is the WTS not following what we are scripturally admonished?

We "can't read hearts" but the scriptures says "it can help discern thoughts and intentions of the heart". It tells us that for forgiveness to happen "one must have works befitting repentance". By a person actions it tells us a lot about the type of person someone is. For example... What makes a thief a thief? It is his actions. What makes a pedophile a pedophile? It is his actions. WE DO NOT NEED TO BE A MIND READER.

Quote "when we join an organization we accept it's laws and regulations..." The Jewish Religious Leaders of Jesus day made many rules and regulations for the people. Jesus said they put heavy burdens on the people and they made the word of God invalid because of their tradition. So too today we joined because we believed they were following the bible NOT MAN MADE RULES and REGULATIONS... Because of these man made rules and policies it makes it impossible to protect our children and remain as one of Jehovah's Witnesses because of the threat of Df if we act on our children's behalf!! Yet the bible tells us if "we do not look after our own we are worse than those without faith." Do we follow man or God? The answer is obvious! PROTECT THE CHILDREN That is what this web site is doing!! DJB

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
12:41:27
Comments
Dear Brother Bowen,

For 20 years I have been one of Jehovah Witnesses.

I live in Skelmersdale, England.

I am SADLY personally aware of the wicked events your web site chronicles.

However, though any child being abused is a disgusting thing, it isn't "the disgusting thing that causes desolation" as spoken through Daniel the prophet. Matthew 24:15,16.

That is/has been in place and the time of the end has begun.

(People reading this, you may have my resignation papers on request) If you take the time to consider my Resignation letter, (forgive any spelling or grammar errors please) you will see the foretold destruction of all wicked ungodly men is 2008.

That might seem an impossible thing to accept, I say don't accept it immediately, or deny it immediately, but check what is being said to you.

Jehovah's witnesses were the true religion in the 20th Century, of that I have no doubt whatsoever, but a disgusting thing which causes the downfall of the entire organization was put in place by the organization, a number of years ago.

I beg you please read my letter, as I have yours, I have followed your case, and believe the Great God Jehovah will bless your efforts for justice.

The organization will fall, because it failed to realize it was being inspected by Christ.

Your website clearly shows, that it is men, not God, who is running the Watchtower now, but sadly most of the sheep like ones, are unaware of the truths you are bringing to public attention.

I wish you well in all of your endeavours, and I add that even if you choose not to read the letters I enclose, I appreciate I am dealing with a MAN, of impeachable integrity.

When I read of the seemingly limitless accounts of disgraceful abuse that has gone on behind closed doors, it reminds me of the account of Ezekiel, looking through a hole in the wall, and seeing all the wicked and perverse things going on inside Jerusalem, but Jehovah dealt with them then, just as HE WILL deal with these accounts.

My thoughts and prayers, be with you, and the little ones who have suffered, and are suffering, and one day will never suffer again.

May the True God Jehovah, through Christ, aid you at this time, and forever.

Your Brother forever. In THE LORDS WITNESSES! Ian Matthews Skelmersdale England. 01695 556756 Feel free to email me. To reach our helpdesk and talk to Gordon Ritchie, email helpdesk@lordswitnesses.com.

If you take the time, you will see that Nisan 14, 2008, is an absolute date, for Armageddon, and the 607-1914 isn't the only account of a 7 times, time period, 2,520 years.

You have one from being evicted from a promised land to going back into one. 3993 BCE to 1473 BCE (Adam kicked out-Israelites go back in).

Links that show the disgusting thing that causes true desolation to JW's.

WWW.UN-Watchtower.com www.Lords Witnesses.com www.Bibledecoded.com

I wish all Lambs, silent or vocal,a happy and prosperous life, free from the abuse you have all suffered, and we through you.

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
13:23:25
Comments
Since no one answered the three questions posted earlier, I am assuming no one can validate their beliefs from the state and/or the bible. Who said JW's thought they were above the law? I never heard the organization tell them they were above the law? Do their actions suggest it? Well, to be above the law would suggest that you break the law without expecting to be punished by the state or country you live in. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but what law in what state says that it is illegal to not report a child molestation? The society isn't breaking the law by not reporting these cases.

Some of the people in here continue to say that child molestation is worse than adultery and fornication. What scripture in the bible states this? How can you back up your statements by quoting partial scriptures that almost appear to validate your responses? I don't care if adultery is sex between "two consenting adults". I am very well aware of what adultery is. The point was that it is WRONG. And it is in the SAME CATEGORY of SINS as molestation, or abuse of men, however you want to phrase it.

As for the person that asked if ALL I cared about was death by Jehovah and his angels (I forgot the words exactly). To answer your question, YES, that is ALL I care about. That is the very meaning of our existence on earth. We all, ultimately, will face judgment at armageddon. THAT, is what we all should be trying to do, make sure we are judged favorably when the end comes. Everything that goes on before then DOESN'T MATTER, as far as things that happen around you, as long as you yourself do all you can to live in accordance with the bible.

Since none of you feel that adultery and fornication are just as bad as molestation according to the bible, then what about homosexuality? Ahh, now there's something that will raise a lot of controversy. Is it wrong? Is it right? Is it worse than fornication? Is it not as bad as molestation? A homosexual would say that God is "a god of love" according to the bible. Does that make it right? A heterosexual would say that homosexuals will be destroyed at armageddon. Who's right? Who's wrong? Trying to prove for or against homosexuality is just like you trying to prove for or against reporting sex abuse cases. Some people hate the practice, some people love the practice, many people just do not care.

If your way of thinking is only backed up by a minority of the whole, then what makes you right? Obviously, the entire association of JW's do not agree with your thinking. Not even a majority of the association of JW's agree with your thinking, including myself. So why should we have to put up with such nonsense when we have a more important work to do?

Armageddon can be here tomorrow. If it comes, what good will all this work you're doing to change the JW's organization? Will you tell Jehovah that you took a break from doing what he commanded you to do so you can protect your children? How will you validate such a response? By trying to reason with him by using man-made laws and regulations about what is right and what is wrong? Or by telling him that molestation is worse than fornication, adultery, and homosexuality, and therefore should be punished more severely? Think about your answer.

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
14:31:55
Comments
To the one looking for an answer to 3 questions: You may find it easier to elicit a response if you put some form of signature on your postings.

Nevertheless, you are missing the point. I don't think anyone here is trying to develop any relative ranking of various types of sins. Any discussion on that point would be irrelevant. Please try step back a bit and get your mind around the idea that you need to protect the children - both inside and outside the congregation. Any logic that starts with your bible quotes and ends up with an organization that shouldn't report child molesters is absurdly casuistical.

Any logic that puts the reputation of the organization above the children in that organization is the apex of unchristian attitude. You would have to purposely be blind in order to miss that point. That is why outsiders refer to the the JWs as a brainwashed cult.

- Buster

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
15:40:13
Comments
OK, a few responses to the ones above. Most of this dogmatic stuff is just a red herring to avoid looking at the real problem. The witnesses are more likely to kick out "adulterers" & "fornicators" than child molesters. Forgiveness is not the issue, nor is a "Jehovah's late night top ten list" ranking of sins. Adultery & fornication obviously have no connection w/ child molesting, & don't have the same recidivism rate. We can forgive, but we know through research that 95% of child molesters re-offend. There was a man in the Albany OR congregation who admitted to molesting over 50 kids. His name was Don Seargent. And as soon as he got out of prison for this, he was back on the street, sometimes alone, knocking on doors. That's 50, count 'em, 50 that he admitted to! This problem does not go away w/ God's help. That is why he lovingly provided the Israelites w/ stoning as a "committee option". These people who come on here w/ these silly argument are either irretrievably stupid (possible) or, more likely, talking to themselves out loud, more than to the rest of the people on this board, to try & find any way to rationalize their congregation allowing children to be raped as a basic policy. Also, possibly to bait the rest of us who have our eyes open into silly debates so we aren't fighting w/ who we really should. I take printouts of the flyer on this site & put them in laundromats, right next to their literature!! Use their own tactics against them! If you've been abused & had it covered up, sue them! Go out door to door w/ the flyers in their territory , right after they place, go to that door & give 'em your own presentation. If you were a JW, at least you have been trained to give an effective spiel! I love all of you, avishai

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
18:14:29
Comments
I was a JW all my life, as far as I can remember, I was baptized in 1959, served as regular pioneer most of the 60`s and 70`s was an elder in 1974-76, and then my wife had an affair and was disfellowshipped, To make a long story short, I soon left the organization after 1976 and I no longer believed that only JW`s had the true faith and this was not the only organization God was using. I was branded as an apostate and disfellowshipped, It has always bothered me how they can disfellowship someone who has already disassociated oneself. any way I would like to hear from anyone out there who would like to correspond. I would like a support group, of a sort, after having spent 30 years of my life devoting it to the organization.

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
18:16:16
Comments
I just wrote , but forgot to leave my name Alvin D Cochran, email me at cochran@surfsouth.com

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
18:20:52
Comments
If you see a truck bearing down on your child, you take immediate and decisive action to prevent harm to your child! You do NOT wait on Jehovah! It is our responsibility to protect the children now! Pedophiles should be treated the same as a truck driver who deliberately mows down innocent children. Those who support pedophiles share the crime. Neither Jehovah nor Christ requires us to forgive one who treats us in the vile manner of a sexual molester. ps I don't care about doctrinal issues etc. I want the children in our congregations to be safe. (At present, from what I have seen/experienced they are not) I am silent no more! Andrew

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
19:38:54
Comments
Andrew: Exactly! I'm an ex-JW that feels that any god would roll his omniscient eyes at anyone's suggestion that he hasn't made it clear that we must all protect children from molesters. How absurd it is for any individual to stand by when they could have done something.

"Wait on Jehovah?!" - can you imagine trying to explain on your judgment day that you thought the child should put up with the abuse, that other children should not have been protected? Because the elders, or the Society said so?

I don't think there is a lot of gray area here. It is clear that children should be sheltered from abusers - and I mean children in and out of the JW coven. (I know you're still a witness, but I couldn't resist.) Those that harbor child abusers and make it more difficult to protect children bear an awful responsibility. They don't see because of their blinding self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is a particularly horrible sin, because it is untended by a conscience.

- Buster

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
20:09:53
Comments
I am 49 now, when I was twenty I drove down a freeway and glanced at a nearby golf course. I saw a boy riding down the edge of the outside fence collecting golf balls. I then saw a man drive up in a purple pontiac bonneville and get out and knock the kid off the bike and drag him down a hill.

I looked all around me horrified by what I saw, I wondered who else witnessed what I was seeing. I saw no one. Out of fear for the child I drove immediately to the area where the boy was dragged to. I got out of my car, I went over the side of the hill, what I saw made me sick of heart and fearful for the child. The man had the boys pants down and was about to sodomize the boy. When the man saw me he told the boy to tell me "tell the man everything is OK". I yelled at the man in the boldest voice I could muster, "No everything is NOT ok, let the boy up NOW! The man did exactly as I told him to do.

I can hardly believe I am even talking about this again I am crying remembering this day. The boy got up pulled up his pants and got on his bike, I stood fast while I watched both the boy leaving and the man who was laughing pulling up his pants.

Once I saw the boy was far away and free of this perpetrator, I walked up the hill backwards and the man laughed over the whole thing. Just so you know, this boy is OK, and today lives a normal life. What I did, was out of "fear" for the child. And a great "distaste" for what is wrong. I also felt that the child would die if I did nothing.

What I did, I did immediately and without even worrying about "what would happen if I was over taken by the molester". It was not important, only the child who was in danger was important at that time. I am no hero, I am a Christian, and I did what I would HOPE that any true God fearing person would do.

It is a horrible shame that anyone would think of "reputation" over "safety of a child". It is "unheard" of. It is "unChristian". It is a violation of following the "Laws of God" as well as the "Laws of the Land".

I have read many of these posts today. Yes I believe, no, I know Jehovah would not wait to deal with this. That is what a "God given conscience in men is meant for, to do what is right in the presence of men, and before our God".

I pray for the safety of every single child globally, in every home, church, circumstance that God uses this time to bring to light "every single instance" of abuse against all innocent children. If this is your prayer, then register today an Amen in this guest book.

May God bless each and every family and protect that institution and its children. Amen

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
20:23:24
Comments
Skelsmersdale: So you have a new date for Armageddon? 2008 is it? Have you learned nothing from the more than a century's date predictions? The bible is not a grand game of clue for some chosen few to decipher and tell the rest of us. If you feel you've done your research, take a look at "The Gentile Times Reconsidered." Or a more recent "Signs of the Last Days" (same author - ex-witness that was DF'ed for failing to ignore what he knew was true). Whatever your calculations, they are wrought with rationalizations, and assumptions that you cannot back up. The fact that you refer to the 2520 year factor tells me that you are likely working with the same basic calculations created by the Millerites in the mid-1800's. Does it bother you at all that that very same calculation has been used to predict Armageddon at least a dozen times since 1878?

You do yourself an injustice by approaching the bible as a multi-thousand-page jigsaw puzzle and failing to see it as clear but general guidance for we humans to lead our lives.

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
20:41:57
Comments
Amen

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
21:35:52
Comments
To the idiotic, robot that freely admits he is protecting and championing JW PEDOPHILIA solely out of fear that Jehovah will kill him if he doesn't-----------your posts continue to prove our points more eloquently than we ever could.

By the way-----both the Bible and your literature teach you will also be punished for being A LIAR, and for helping to hide the "gross sins" that are going on------so I guess you are bound to be 'bird fodder' after all-------your worse fears come true-----------

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
21:50:19
Comments
hey mr. "i only do what the watchtower says, cuz god will kill me, NOT because i give a shit about the people i preach to....ESPECIALLY their children'

THANK YOU for reminding my family..... and showing the world why we should NEVER go back to your CULT....

THANK YOU for continuing to bear witness to the world the kind of convoluted, obsessive thinking that the watchtower brainwashing program produces

and if you really did give a shit about how the bible says to raise. protect and defend your/our children and the value they have in the eyes of god and hisson....then just look in the index in the back of your own bible ....and look up every verse dealing with "child" or "children" .....but that would go against your programming wouldn't it?

you are a vile, disgusting protector of perverts

just like the elders in my ex-congregation

just like the watchtower society leaders

go....fornicate ...yourself

Remote User:
Date:
19 May 2002
Time:
22:06:39
Comments
Hello all- I am an ex JW (inactive for over 10 years) and had the same thing happen to me as a child as many others have had happen. I know firsthand the anger it brings about and the helpless feeling of trying to fight these people. I also know the loneliness that goes along with being an ex JW because as a witness you are not to have friends who are unbelievers and when you are raised as a witness as I was, and then leave, you lose all of the witness "friends". It is very hard to start friendships as an adult after being a witness- close friendships anyway. Anyone who is interested in conversing with me- feel free to write me any time at bbdoty@msn.com I look forward to hearing from anyone. B Doty in central Illinois

Remote User:
Date:
20 May 2002
Time:
02:34:45
Comments
Hi again, Response to May 19,2002 time 13:23:25 You miss quote my comments and then refute your misunderstanding as thou I stated what you claim... The partial scriptures quoted DO VALIDATE my comments. Read the context...

You think this is nonsense and have more important work to do? Just remember Ephs. 4: 17 tells us "On this account cease becoming unreasonable but go on perceiving what the will of Jehovah is." Hypocrisy would never be acceptable way to worship God even if you preached from door to door...

You assume too much in your comments about me. I presented information/situations and outcomes that happens to most who try to protect their children in this organization. I am an active witness and yes I work at protecting my children!! We obey the the laws of the land unless it conflicts with Gods laws as the bible commands. So you see your little conversation with God as you outlined at the end of your comments would not happen.

Buster the children who are not witnesses I have on occasion warned the parents...all children deserve to be protected... DJB

Remote User:
Date:
20 May 2002
Time:
02:42:08
Comments
Hi again, Just wanted to add... the first of my comments in response to May 19 time 13:23:23 were NOT directed at Buster!! As I do not know who wrote these comments. But the last line where I used his web site name is... Thought I should clarify this...DJB

Remote User:
Date:
20 May 2002
Time:
04:50:45
Comments
All I can do is cry! Sorry Bill, Br. Bowen, you're doing a wonderful job here...and all those helping you! It's really just the tip of the iceberg showing now...wait and see...once it's out in the open there will be many, many others speaking out against pedophiles and their kind! Jehovah's heart must be breaking over and over every time an abuser is allowed to hide behind the cloak of "no confession" or "not enough witnesses" to what he's done! The children must be protected first and foremost! The children's needs must come before the concern of reproach on the organization! Is it more reproach to allow such abuses to continue hidden than it is to bring them out in the open so you can stop the abuses? And I'm all for forgiveness when it's deserved...but even Jehovah had times he did not forgive! So I will go on and continue to do whatever I can to protect my children and any other children from these abusers! In the end I know and have faith that Jehovah will see what I have done and commend rather than condemn those actions!

AD

P.S. If anyone in KY wants to light a candle for my family (9 of us hurt by one) and/or my sisters here (19 more in our congregation - all not abused by the same, but by others) in our small midwest congregation...just say so here...I'll be checking more often since the Dateline show is so close now.

Remote User:
Date:
20 May 2002
Time:
10:17:13
Comments
Great service. We have you -- and ALL the "lambs" -- in our prayers.

Rev. Raymond Allan Johnson http://xjw-central.com rjohns80@hotmail.com

Remote User:
Date:
20 May 2002
Time:
10:41:02
Comments
To all of the active, earnest Jehovah's Witnesses, on this site, who are choosing not to give up their faith, but will NOT stand by and let your religion be used as an excuse to rape and molest children...to all of you who express your faith intelligently, and yet honestly and candidly acknowledge the serious issues at hand here, without trying to cover them up, or defect from them by loopy, irrational, dogmatic, preaching... I COMMEND YOU AND HAVE DEEP RESPECT FOR YOU! If there were more like you....more elders like you around ...many of us would not have been left with no rational choice but to leave the organization.

To the rest of you active JWs, who can't even carry on a logical conversation without adding your dogmatic verbal, and emotional abuse to the physical, sexual and emotional abuse already heaped upon innocent children....there are far too many of you in there to make up for those few whose minds and hearts are not retarded.

For the record...

any negative comments I have made about JWs and their organization are aimed at the latter...

the former have earned my respect....

Thank you for showing me there are at least a handful, who actually believe in truth, and not use the word as Orwellian Doublespeak.

To the vast majority who think and speak like some, who post on this web-site, I hope Dateline reads some of your posts on the air to show the world the low depths most JWs will stoop to to silence victims and their supporters. And the type of convoluted thinking patterns such dogmatism produces. You are the best witnesses of the truth of what is going on.

Remote User:
Date:
20 May 2002
Time:
11:08:11
Comments
hey scripture quoters, who think going door to door is proof that child abusers and rapists are REAL christians..

didn't the apostle paul say it didn't matter if he traveled the world proselytizing, but did not have love, that he was nothing?

what kinda' love do you have for children in your own congregations that are being ritually abused and raped?

OOHHH that's right...you said we should not judge their imperfect rapists

you are only allowed to judge people like us who actually love children, huh?

Remote User:
Date:
20 May 2002
Time:
12:36:28
Comments
Good Morning What ratio would anyone like to give me as to the repent pedophiles on record. After it happened to our family I did a lot of research, at the time 3 out of 5 girls and 2 out of 5 boys are molested before they reach 18. That was several years ago. What would be an appropriate punishment for one. Since there is no burning hell, perhaps a tattoo across their forehead. What is the difference between this sin and any other? You obviously haven't held a child in your arms that has lost their innocence. You haven't had a grown daughter go from man to man because she is sentenced to eternal hell because she can't recover no matter what you do, she has no self esteem and seems doomed to repeat her actions to the detriment of herself and all those she loves. Raising a grandchild from Iowa jgibson@hamburg.heartland.net

Remote User:
Date:
20 May 2002
Time:
13:43:12
Comments
dear jgibson

before any of these jw revilers of victims and their families gets on line and belittles you...

i would like to say that my heart goes out to you

and so do the hearts of many others

you are not alone

i hope you and your daughter find peace

Remote User:
Date:
20 May 2002
Time:
14:30:01
Comments
What's this? This site's guestbook deemed inappropriate? When I came here last Friday, it was totally accessible. Looks like people are going just a little too far in expressing their feelings toward this site and others, too. You people have gotta stop putting in this guestbook inappropriate comments, especially the cursing. It's not necessary.

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
11:22:46
Comments
dear "why don't you have the truth included in here as it should be?"

why did you LIE about the awake! articles?

that aside...

why do elders, the WTS, judicial committees LIE to cover up for child molesters, and THREATEN victims and their families if they don't also LIE (cover up the truth)?

why has the catholic church, who has "been caught with it's hand in the cookie jar" for longer than my half century of life JUST now doing something?

i dunno

BUT why have we been exposing the catholic church as obviously a part of "babylon the great" for both having such problems and covering them up ....and now when JWs are caught with "hand in cookie jar" LIE to cover up the SAME sins....and do worse? at least the church has NEVER excommunicated altar boys for reporting, or suing, or filing charges against pedophile priests! or for others standing up for the catholic children against the church's cover ups. (please don't go off on a rant about john hess....we are NOT talking about all those other subjects)

so

tell me why

catholics getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar (like they always have) and finally putting cookies back....paying for the ones eaten....admitting they stole cookies....and trying to prevent themselves from stealing cookies again

is better than

JWs getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar and crushing the rest of the cookies, keeping their hand IN the cookie jar and LYING that it is even in the cookie jar, threatening to get the ones who catch and/or tattle in the trouble they should get...and "beating on his brothers" to make sure JWs can keep their hands in the cookie jar

yup

that s the TRUTH

can you please...if you chose to respond .... please answer with the TRUTH?

or will you side with your pedophile brothers, and talk about how wonderful it is that jehovah's organization blesses his people by trying to force rape victims to support rapists in their congregations?

do you really believe that LIE to be the TRUTH?

shame on you

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
11:43:16
Comments
correction:

my last post said "is better than" when it should read "is worse than"

sorry

but i m sure you figured it out

along with all my typos

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
11:58:46
Comments
I know the elders broke all their own rules in an effort to disfellowship me when I chose to divorce my mentally ill husband. We hadn't been at meetings in over 3 years. We did attend the memorial during those 3 years. I told the brothers they were not welcome in any of our personal life matters, they told me they had to be since we were still in good standing. Basically their belief was that since we weren't disfellowshipped, we were in good standing, even though we hadn't attended meetings or field service or other functions other than the memorial in 3 years, and I had to be dealt with. Can you imagine trying to kick someone out of a religion they technically are not even in? By their rules, I was completely inactive. They even tried to get my 9 year old daughter that I had sole custody of, to spy on me and report back to them, in an effort to "deal with me".... she stood up to those men and told them no way..she is 18 now and wants nothing to do with organized religion, especially that one. Who could blame her? If they would break their own rules when it came to lil ol me, and I was a "nobody", nowhere doing nothing...you can bet your last dime they would on something as huge as child abuse. I walked away, and I'm free, and have never looked back... sawfair@aol.com

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
12:03:38
Comments
To "CS", and anyone in similar conditions.

Don't give up, I never got the support I needed myself, and that never left me.

Everyone who found out, thought for sure my mom would stand behind me, but she's the one person who's made more excuses for him, and for herself for staying with him. She still keeps all this as secret as she can making up lies about why I left even to this day to friends and anyone that knew us. Aside from me not having the support etc. good God! what a way to live...

Please keep fighting, telling the truth is *not* slander, but if you're worried, why not inform child protective services with what you know? Let them investigate it for themselves. If your daughter feels she can/wants to, let her talk to child protective services herself too. *Both* of you are victims, and both of you have the right to be heard, to at least try to prevent this from happening again.

You may be told by some "brothers" and "sisters" that it would reflect badly on Jehovah's name to tell anyone (especially "outsiders") but the truth is, keeping silent about what you know is what reflects badly on God's name.

No matter how much people try to cover things like this up, the truth always comes out in the end, to everybody, not just witnesses.

How can covering up crimes like these, that are also crimes in the eyes of God, ever reflect more positive on God's name than telling the truth, openly?

Ask yourself, in all honesty "who is it your silence protects"? and go by your own answer.

Imagine sitting in one room with Jehovah and talking about your daughter, what do you yourself think God'd want you to do? Sit by and watch a crime be repeated??

As an ex-wife this can't be easy for you, it must be just about impossible to talk to the new wife who doesn't know and you may be afraid she might not believe you, but try imagining yourself in her shoes? What would you want yourself to do if it was her who was the ex wife who's daughter was abused?

All children are also God's children, and it is up to us to protect those children as good as we can.

No one should blame him/herself for not recognizing something like abuse in time, but once you know you're in a different position with the ability to open other people's eyes so history doesn't have to repeat itself.

It may just change that little girls' life for the better.

It is what I wish someone would have done for me..

I think you're a very courageous woman.

I am sure you must have many doubts about yourself etc. but I hope you can heal too as well as your daughter. It's underestimated how many people are victimized by something like this.

May you find the strength to do what you feel in your heart is right, and act by that, it's that part of us that is God's voice in each of us. Good luck, you're not alone.

NOTE TO THE WEBMASTERS OF THIS PAGE: have you considered setting up a (moderated?) message board? IMO it might do a lot of good.. Thanks.

yous, Been There.....

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
12:07:02
Comments
Buster,

I completely understand your sentiments towards Shirley. Anger expressed when children continue to be violated is understandable.

I would like to suggest that perhaps it would be better aimed at the congregation, elders and organization that abused both Shirley and her child.

By way of analogy...

minus the religious organization aspect....

Why do siblings and spouses mired in abusive families go through the motions of being a family, not

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
12:14:31
Comments
FUCKING CULT.

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
13:39:48
Comments
continued from To: Buster Re: Shirley

i accidentally hit the "submit" button, before finishing....

.....sorry....

families are often "complicit" in the crimes of the abusers out of an overwhelming sense of powerlessness...often from brainwashing techniques adeptly employed by the abuser that keeps the rest of the family psychologically "in check."

Older siblings are often known to "sacrifice" themselves to the family pedophile, because they honestly believe that is the only avenue they have to protect their family.

Spouses, are often the targets of psychological, emotional, verbal, spiritual, physical and abuse themselves. It is not unusual that they fear even more atrocities upon their children if they do anything more than placate the abuser. The crimes are that much more heinous, because they deplete the victims (the entire family, not just the molested) of any sense of humanity, esteem power and ability to do anything different than to fall into their prescribed roles.

This is often reinforced with the threat of DEATH and/or TORTURE. Like all TERRORISTS, the abusers know that the greatest threat is not against the one you are threatening, but against other innocents that the victims love.

"You tell and I will KILL your mother, siblings, pets...in front of your eyes!" "You try to report me and I will make sure our children never talk again!"

Now back to the religious family...

Do you have any idea what a brainwashed cult victim, conditioned to accept horrors upon pain of DEATH goes through when threatened with disfellowshipping? They are not just being threatened with a spiritual death, and separation from the ONLY FAMILY AND FRIENDS they have been allowed to have ... they are being THREATENED WITH DEATH FROM GOD AT ARMEGEDDON, something they believe so earnestly, they have been knocking on the doors of strangers to warn them about. And PLEASE NOTE that this threat of DEATH extends to their unbaptized CHILDREN, who they have been taught fall under their "mark" of protection from the avenging angels who will KILL their children if they are disfellowshipped. These threats are very real to the families. They are propagated in Watchtower literature, and uttered in threatening tones from Judicial Committees, who squash victims and their families with the SAME psychological weapons used by their abusers. Then they are reminded to be like the followers of Christ who proclaimed "Where else can we go?"

Under threat of horrific deaths, where their remains will be eaten by birds, because their Heavenly Father finds them too disgusting for burial and resurrection. I think the religious family's guilt is exponentially greater than the abusers they protect.

That is the TRUTH of the Watchtower Society's teachings and end product.

And that is the TRUTH of what the families of abuse victims are terrorized by.

I know, Buster and Shirley, because I have been in Shirley's shoes.

The mother of my children was already disfellowshipped. I had it drilled into my head and heart that the only way my children would not be killed, was for me to remain faithful to my Theocratic Family, no matter what.

To keep me from taking action against the vile step-parent who terrorized my daughter, I was warned by elders repeatedly that I would be disfellowshipped for "sinning against the holy spirit," for "apostasy" if I continued to pursue charges against the abuser EVEN within the congregation.

For protecting my children, choosing them over the family terrorist, I did lose all privileges in the congregation. and was continually harassed and warned, threatened! The abuser remained in good standing.

And in my case there WERE MORE THAN THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF WITNESSES.... the committees involved simply REFUSED to hear them. Including my children.

There are no words, in any language, to describe the internal war that devastates one's soul, trying to do the right thing, when being told and threatened that it is the wrong thing.

Buster, I empathize with your sentiments, only because I have felt them about myself. And I guarantee Shirley has felt them about herself.

My suggestion to Buster, is that your anger and vilification are misplaced. They should be aimed at the rapists, and the religious family that protects them with terrorist style threats.

I have considered for myself, the drastic action that you suggested to Shirley.

Shirley, the ones who don't deserve to live are the ones that kept you and your children under their Christian jackboots. Shirley, you are to be commended for the efforts you made, and the support you gave to your child through each stage of finally breaking free of your nightmare.

I consider you my sister, not through any "organizational brotherhood", but because I know exactly what you and your children have gone through to get to where you are today.

May you and your real family find peace.

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
14:17:23
Comments
see....when the truth comes out.....honest-hearted people refer to jehovah's witnesses as a "fucking cult".....don't you think it would have brought less reproach on the organization (and god's name ...as we were originally taught....or is that "old light"?)to clean up the mess...instead of cover it over....and continue to defend them, as some of you literature quoters are wont to do?

and to those of you more horrified that someone used a word that elitist, caste-minded religious leaders once arbitrarily defined as "vulgar, of the common people, the laity...instead of the "holy" latin language that their educated clergy used .... to those of you more horrified that an individual uses words that "babylon the great" decided were beneath them=====than being horrified that the christian witnesses of jehovah and his earthly organization have members that actually perform and coerce that word on innocent children...and instead of being horrified that the governing body and the elder shepherds of the congregations are aiding and abetting such criminal sins....to those of you more horrified and side-tracked by a four=letter word than by JW pedophiles and their theocratic defense...

take a look at yourselves ... and see yourself as others see you

you are the fruit of this organization and it's teachings

you make the case against your "truth" better than the victims YOU vilify

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
17:47:09
Comments
Hello I've been reading everybody's comments and all of a sudden I realized something. I did warn people about my ex-husband. He called me and told me that he was considering marrying one of my oldest friends. I called her and asked her if she had lost her mind, regardless of the molesting, she of all people should have known him. I told her everything and guess what she said? OH! he has changed he wouldn't do that to my children. I sat there looking at the phone in disbelief. Three years later they were divorced, a brother came into a large sum of money and she went after him and dumped my ex. The story goes on but I'm not going to waste your time or mine about it. Just the point that sometimes people don't listen no matter what you do. I am amazed at people. jgibson

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
18:04:07
Comments
DJB: I sense your sincerity. But I put to you that it is just as likely that your sympathies and empathies are misplaced. Somewhere on the guilt continuum, not as far to one side as the direct perpetrators, and not as far to the other side as the direct victim, lie the enablers. Those that knew about the crime and did nothing. Those enablers that further emboldened the perpetrator by letting the perp. know that even if they were known, nothing would be done. The perp. knows that the enabler will do nothing about past violations, knows that the enabler will do nothing to stop further violations. I'll admit that the enablers have a bit of victim in them. But they have more than a bit of perpetrator too.

Adopting a 'you poor thing' attitude with the enablers is a slap at the victims.

- Buster

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
19:59:59
Comments
buster

i didn't sign my missive to you

i am still choosing anonyminity on this site....for the sake of my family

you assumed i was DJB .....you guessed wrong

i stand by what i said

i understand your feelings

don't think you fully appreciate the struggle many enablers have had to go through to break free of their brainwashing ... and take a stand in the process

it would be easier to stand by while tied up and gagged

which is why the guilt i STILL feel for trying to fix the problem instead of telling the woman who abused my daughter, and the elders to f**k off ,and immediately reporting them all to the authorities....that guilt does not equal the animosity i feel towards those betrayers

you continue to underestimate the depth of control that this abusive cult wields over its membership

the control of their minds...their bodies...their souls

you continue to underestimate how very REAL the threat of death to their children for non-compliance is

perhaps you have never been there

perhaps you have, and choose to deal with your grief in this way

i don't condemn you for your attitude... won't judge it... i have no love for those that choose to be enablers either...just know that not all choose to be so

if you were convinced that the rapist would kill all of your children, if you went outside the family with this information ....think about how carefully you would act until you were convinced you could save your children without killing them?

don't expect to convince you...i am out of the converting business.....just ask that someone of your obvious intelligence and empathy...give some consideration what i and others here have shared

one final note

your suggestion that you would kill yourself if in the family's shoes brought back echoes of the same words being used against me by elders...ironically they would have liked to get the thorn out of their side because i wanted them to take action...and your agenda is the opposite ... but i have put aside the painful flashback of their abusive browbeating and mind control to deal with you as an individual and a human being .... i actually relate to you better than i ever will to them

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
20:52:06
Comments
I think that it is safe to say at this point that most JW's worship the Watchtower Society and place it's image in the same light as that of God himself. However, even that standard means nothing because they obviously don't even care about God's standards anymore. "The superior authority" is "God's minister" and I hope they all get what they deserve, whether they are doing good or doing bad. - Romans 13:1-4

Ken- From South Carolina

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
21:11:15
Comments
The real enablers in these sad stories are the elders and the Governing Body of JehovaH'S Witnesses.

And those who CONTINUE to be blinded by them, knowing the truth, yet denying it, so they can keep the respect of the former.

Neither Shirley or Anonymous fit those categories. They tried, and were silenced by elder threats only temporarily.

You have to believe you have choices before you can make them.

Remote User:
Date:
26 May 2002
Time:
23:48:52
Comments
I think a web site like this has the potential to be dangerous. How can anyone validate the stories published here?

I don't question that child molestation exists. It exists in every culture, every society, every religious categorization.

If someone is a child molester then they are NOT a Jehovah's Witnesses. Regardless of what or what not, the elders or headquarters do.

A Jehovah's Witness would not commit such a gross lack of moral act, nor would they commit what is considered a criminal offense.

I think this is just as true for any other organized religion.

Child molesters are not Jehovah's Witnesses, they are not Roman Catholics. They are child molesters

Lest we forget this in our hunt to blame.

To the victims, nothing ever removes our memory of the events. I was also molested but not by anyone from a regular religion. They actually didn't believe in God.

Hence my point of relinquishing the reference's to religion, and focus on the child molesters.

As far as those in positions of responsibility, two simple reasons.

Jehovah's Witnesses, over simply everything, they love black and white characterizations. Second, most elders and the like, are never trained to respond to these types of situations. No more then the priests of other religions.

To those parents who held excommunication higher then the emotional care of their children.

Damn you! Common sense people! Common sense!

We all are accountable for our life, no one else. To use the copout that the organization controls us is the excuse of the ignorant.

We all have choices to make. You just made bad ones!.

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
01:11:22
Comments
Hi again, The person who does not get it about the control an organization can have you forget about Jonestown and solar temple and David Koresh etc. Those that followed these men believed in what they were doing. They were absolutely controlled by these men to the point they were willing to lay down their lives for these men who lead them.

Those in Jonestown when they realized it would cost them their lives, it was too late to save it. About 800 hundred murders. Apparently if I have the facts straight their leader was caught molesting children even before they left the states for South America...

Those that are controlled by wicked men ultimately paid the highest price for their allegiance. They lost their lives.

The Watchtower Society pretends to the world that these men have changed. All one has to think where this will lead certainly not to life. History proves that...

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
01:12:21
Comments
Hi again, The person who does not get it about the control an organization can have you forget about Jonestown and solar temple and David Koresh etc. Those that followed these men believed in what they were doing. They were absolutely controlled by these men to the point they were willing to lay down their lives for these men who lead them...DJB

Those in Jonestown when they realized it would cost them their lives, it was too late to save it. About 800 hundred murders. Apparently if I have the facts straight their leader was caught molesting children even before they left the states for South America...

Those that are controlled by wicked men ultimately paid the highest price for their allegiance. They lost their lives.

The Watchtower Society pretends to the world that these men have changed. All one has to think where this will lead certainly not to life. History proves that...

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
06:09:58
Comments
Good site, God bless you Bill.

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
08:02:00
Comments
I look forward to a website where American Taxpayers can report abuse by the IRS and other officials of the Government. Hopefully it will be modeled after this site. Thanks!

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
08:02:10
Comments
I look forward to a website where American Taxpayers can report abuse by the IRS and other officials of the Government. Hopefully it will be modeled after this site. Thanks!

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
10:13:00
Comments
Just a thought...

Perhaps the ones that want to silence the family members and victims who tell their stories, are plants from the Watchtower Society, feigning sympathy, while being quite effective in trying to shut up those that tell their stories.

"Damn you!" 'I couldn't live if I were you.'

Nice. Sounds fishy to me. Shame them. Use the guilt they feel for living in fear of their children's lives to push them over the edge. Perhaps they are Elders from some of those committees. Sound like them anyway.

Some who are reporting on this site (including the actual youths who were molested), are exposing that they have, in fact, been threatened with murder from Jehovah if they told. Some apparently feel this is the only safe place to do so.

"Common sense people!"

How like both the elders in the stories, and like the history of the governing body at the Watchtower Society. Say things, then deny everything and put it off on the ones who followed you when they ask you to account for it.

"Quit your good job and pioneer!" "Armageddon's going to be here by October 1975!.... and we are hinting it could be 1974!" "Treat molesters like brothers, because we said so! And if you don't, it's not just you that will be killed...your children will be destroyed! If you really had any love in your hearts for them, why would you subject them to that? Shame on you!"

"What do you mean you were told to quit your job/prepare for 1975/don't tell the cops, because your children would die? WE never said such a thing! Shame on you again! Common sense! You must have jumped ahead of the organization! We are innocent! I couldn't live with myself if I gave such advice, so much for followed it! Let's print more Awake! magazines that show we would never do such a thing! Who can we blame/disfellowship for this?"

Then again maybe these individuals are not trying to BUST up Silent Lambs and silence the whistle blowers. Maybe they are well meaning individuals who really have no idea what it means to be a Brainwashed Witness in a Cult Organization. Perhaps they have no idea that when an elder threatens to have your children killed by excommunicating you, that you really believe it.

Food for the discussion mill, I guess...

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
10:53:31
Comments
Misguided. I read the awake on battered women and see no where that its condoning violence I read it from your website here and it says that sometimes in cases of abuse a women should go to the authorities. You simply lied....so how can anything else you are saying be completely honest? I feel sorry for you too. So much of your time and energy into revealing the imperfections of others. I don't remember reading in the bible that men are with out sin. Wouldn't that include Jehovah's Witnesses too? Aren't those men supposedly responsible for hiding things just men after all.

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
11:44:23
Comments
well

every time it seems we finally will be left alone for awhile to share our stories and give each other support...

here comes a rash of others who wanna call us liars and get us to spend our energies defending ourselves against the same kind of propaganda we faced/face in the congregations

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
12:00:21
Comments
to the one who starts off by saying we are "misguided" and goes into saying we "simply lied"

you base your allegation on the reading of one propaganda journal that tries to put the right spin on their organization...to put it in the best light

i see

if it was one family who was reporting that they had been abused, and threatened if they made a report.....but the accused put on a nice suit and wrote a letter that said he did all the things he was supposed to do....you would call the victims liars?

guess what?

by the rules set down by your own governing body...you could be disfellowshipped for making such an accusation, if the facts proved otherwise

of course what they preach IS NOT what they practice

so you don't have to worry about that

the victims and their advocates are the REAL ones such punishment are aimed at

don't believe it?

then watch dateline this tuesday night!

OR ARE YOU, LIKE JUDICIAL COMMITTEES, LIKE THE GOVERNING BODY, REFUSING TO LISTEN TO THE MOUTHS OF TWO, THREE OR MORE WITNESSES....THEN SAYING THERE'S NO PROOF WITHOUT THEM?

if not....watch dateline....read the newspapers.... listen to the ones who have poured out their hearts in this guestbook

many are not anonymous

believing the abuser....indeed!

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
12:01:53
Comments
ITS GREAT !I WAS A JW FOR 50 YRS OUT &BORN AGAIN HAVE A MINISTRY TO HELP X JW OR JWS WHO`D LIKE TO COME OUT SYBIL LEONARD TIPP CITY OHIO . SYBIL JERRY INC @AOL .COM

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
13:00:31
Comments
For those of you who read the articles on children's issues and rape were you aware that they also had women writing these issues, no way you say, yes way. At this time I am sure they have done their best to silence her, this is her payment for the wonderful articles she wrote trying to help the sisters and the children. A brother of course had to look over the articles and they agreed on the scriptures that should be used he then put his name on it okaying it to be used. In this capacity and by doing research for them is how she came across all the cases of child abuse, every case that has been reported is in their files. When they get subpoenaed want to take odds at file dumping. I can't help believe that Jehovah's will, will take place because he will see to it that these files will not be destroyed. I don't know why he has allowed these atrocities to go on but please people lets not throw the baby out with the bath water. Remember Jehovah helped his people out of Egypt by a great miracle and 10 plagues and almost immediately they were whining and wanted to go back, who are you kidding!!!!! He is in a no win situation here. JG

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
13:43:51
Comments
Hi again, Just a thought about evidence. Both my father and myself have witnessed children being molested at our hall,in the front entrance, in the main auditorium, second school and convicted sex offenders following small children out to the bathrooms or hanging around children unsupervised etc.

But we have reported it and one child was put in protective custody but the victim would not talk. So nothing could be done even thou we saw what happened... (One was an elder in a couple of incidents and three teenage boys in another incident and on it goes etc).

One teenager was put in foster care because she did not want to go to the kingdom hall. The kingdom hall is known in our community as a very dangerous place for children. The police warned us...

I had my X confess to me about molesting his sister along with his brother and cousin (she was 8years old) and how many times after trying to rape her and how his mother caught them.

I could not use this in court until my own daughter decided to talk (I even had found bruises around her privates, she showed me). I moved to protect her even before we could take it to court. My X sister-in-law still has not talked. I would be a witness for her if she choose to talk.

Laws have changed around wife assault so the police can lay charges without the victims consent or testimony. These changes should happen for children as well.

So someone can know beyond a doubt that an individual is a pedophile but not be able to do anything about it (except report it) unless the victim talked...DJB

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
14:14:55
Comments
HI progress is in the making!!!! Just wait till tomorrows Dateline broadcast then we will all see the active force of GODS HOLY SPIRIT IN ACTION! I personally cannot wait.what a blessing this will be .HE is always there for those broken in spirit.May we all say a prayer tomorrow, for the show to go on. MANY BLESSINGS TO YOU MR. BOWEN& TO SILENTLAMBS EVERYWHERE MY LOVE TO YOU ALL Searchin50 @ aol.com

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
15:45:35
Comments
Imagine a organization so powerful, yet worried about the almighty bottom line. They say the "Love" of money is the root of all evil. Well in this case a "spiritual system" which is designed to deliver "watchtowers and awakes" door to door. Think of it. An all volunteer staff, from manufacturing, publishing, distribution door to door, the watchtower, awake, and other articles are delivered by these blind faithful mislead sheep.

The cost of manufacture of a watchtower, lets see, I believe its about 2.5 cents. Hmmm most publishers already donate about 25 cents per issue distributed so that is already ten times what it costs to make it. Then while out in the field you collect "contributions" to the "world wide work" and give that as well. WOW, looks to me like if the WTBTS can't smother this "molest" issue the "apple cart of profit" will be upset and all the money made for this "P U B L I S H I N G C O M P A N Y will turn sour.

That's right folks, its nothing more than a "company for profit, under the guise of a "spiritual institution". God help you if you belong to this organization, and know of anything wrong and have not spoken up. You have failed your fiduciary responsibility to humanity.

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
17:53:32
Comments
There is another side also. Please read http://hector3000.future.easyspace.com/pedo.htm -Heinz

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
20:47:02
Comments
This website must have been difficult to produce, but they jw organization must make reforms. Their past sins have piled high into the heavens. There is no excuse for permitting such acts to go unreported to police and local authorities. The jw's are MORE CONCERNED ABOUT PROTECTING THEIR OWN REPUTATIONS THAN THE LIVES OF INNOCENT CHILDREN. That is the sad bottom line. They are not the true religion anymore than I am Moses. To the jw's, the governing body, and all associated with it: "Goodbye and good riddance"

Ron S. Member of jw organization: 30 years Ex-member of jw organization: 3 years and running

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
22:33:42
Comments
Dear Bill,

God Bless you as you seek to protect our helpless lambs. May God give you strength and wisdom and the courage of your convictions. The time has come for changes to be made in the policies of the Watchtower Society. Thank you for your loving concern. Fight the fine fight, brother...

Stephen King http://www.tagministries.com

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
22:33:57
Comments
WE THINK YOUR SITE IS GREAT. ALONG WITH ALL THE OBSERVER INFORMATION WE ARE NOW SEEING WHAT KIND OF AN ORGANIZATION WE BELONGED TO FOR YEARS. WHEN YOU GET TO THE CHILD ABUSE THE W.T.B.&T.S. IS THE WORST. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PROGRAM ON TUESDAY EVENING ON DATE LINE. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO DILIGENT. MY NAME IS FLOYD L. WIEBE THEY DID ME A FAVOR AND DISFELLOWSHIPPED ME LAST SEPTEMBER 30th. 2001 FOR CAUSING DIVISION TOO. THEY JUST DO NOT WANT ANY ONE WHO DISAGREES WITH THEM. MY E-MAIL IS fwiebe@coinet.com THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR DILIGENCE.

Remote User:
Date:
27 May 2002
Time:
23:20:55
Comments
am telling all i know to watch dateline

to all those that said we should tolerate abusers cuz the bible says to "wait on jehovah"......

been waiting on something like this for years

if jw s get their lying, 'theocratic warfare' asses kicked....it might be enough to make some of us believe in jehovah again!

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
00:52:53
Comments
To the person who wrote:..................

You obviously have a problem with the JW's. Unfortunately children in ALL religious background have been harmed, not just JW's. Look at the courts in Australia, the Catholic religion has a few more problems don't you think? But soon all the wrong that men have done will be corrected. You really have a chip on your shoulder don't you? What you hate about child molesters is so true , they destroy lives, but just because a person calls himself a title, doesn't make the lot that way. Open up your eyes..........................

The fact that child abuse doesn't ONLY happen in J/W circles makes it no less a problem within the organization.

Keeping something like sexual abuse a secret within an organization, fosters the behavior.

Of course, not every Jehovah's Witness is a child molester, but by systematically hiding the abuse that DOES happen, both from the people within the organization and from the outside world (like the law), you encourage abuse. The important part isn't that they are Jehovah's Witnesses, the important part is the covering up of out right crimes, especially if that is imbedded in the religion itself.

So maybe the Catholics have the same problem (it's by no means worse there than it is by Jehovah's Witnesses) but I wasn't a Catholic child, I was a Jehovah's Witness, and the person who abused me is still a servant within a Jehovah's Witness congregation even though he went to prison for what he did to me (he went to a different congregation).

You just never heard about me because that is exactly what elders etc. are instructed to do with things like abuse, hide it, preferably from the police etc. too.

As a side note, as far as I know other Catholic priests (that didn't molest children) don't tell victims NOT to go to the police...

You're right, not everyone within the "flock" of Jehovah's Witness would survive Armageddon, and I'd like to add to that that not everyone in the "world" would find themselves out of God's grace either for the very same reason.

I still believe in God, I actually had to take a really hard look at my beliefs and open my eyes to more than I realized I had them closed to, it's the organization of "Jehovah's Witnesses" I don't belong to.

That is because I feel the only "pure" church is the one inside ourselves, the same as I feel that saying a rosary is not what was meant by prayer, nor a confession in a confessional on sunday morning the same as actually asking God for forgiveness.

Sure saying a rosary can be a true and very much meant prayer, a confession on sunday morning to the preacher may actually help you be forgiven for mistakes you really do regret, and maybe you will find some measure of truth in a congregation but if you don't find this within yourself than the congregation, the rosary and the confession etc. aren't going to change that one bit. It all means nothing without finding that within yourself first and we could debate how much they actually add after you do find that within yourself..

For me, knowing organized religion has such potential for harm I prefer to not belong to any organized religion and yes, I let my own heart guide me.

All my life I've been taught that the heart is prone to sin. That I put myself in danger by following what it tells me.. but you know what, I's come to believe that it is my heart that protects me from doing harm other than the honest mistakes we all make (which is the very definition of sin no?).

Belief, just because it is so easy to explain away with reason, has everything to do with the heart.

That goes for Jehovah's Witness beliefs as well.

So often you hope to explain what you believe with scientific "proof" so maybe you can convince other people you really do have the "truth" and then when you really do open your eyes you find one by one that what you believed to be "the Truth" is actually not so absolute, or maybe even not that true, at all and it's easy to loose faith until you realize that not being able to prove what you believe is not a weakness, it just means that you should be more open minded towards what other people believe, especially if it's different from what you believe.

Open my eyes? I gladly do that, I'm sure I am still closed minded about some things.. but what about you opening your own?

Just my mind to yours...

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
01:21:01
Comments
reply to the person who asked: how do you know what people write here is true?

Good question, there may be a couple of people who just make up a bunch of crap but it's good to remember that all this isn't written by one single person.

I know what I say is true because I am sitting here behind my comp and I know what happened to me.

To "prove" to you sitting behind your own computer screen what happened to me, I'd have to give up not just my name, but also things like police reports etc.

Imagine being in my shoes, would you do that? This is very real and very VERY personal. I don't want to give personal stuff like that online, not just for me but also not because of my family, just like you don't know me, I have absolutely no idea who you are. Heaven knows there are plenty people online that I hope never get my name and address etc.

You have every right to doubt my story and everything that I say, it's a good thing to use your head when you read something, but I hope you're as critical towards other things you read/hear about etc as you are about what you read here.

Bottom line, all I can say is that I know my story is the truth and though you can't be sure, maybe your own common sense can somewhat guide you. Such is life online ;)

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
01:45:07
Comments
To the person who is a Jehovah's Witness but feels abuse should be public.. Exactly. I can only speak for myself here but in itself it's not what you believe I have a problem with, it's the organization (and this particular policy). I am sure some people here are still hurting so much that it's hard to not reject the whole thing. For me things have mostly calmed down, I am not a Jehovah's Witness myself but I wanted to say "Thank you" all the same and I really do hope Jehovah's Witnesses will change for the better in this, aside from my personal convictions and beliefs. Thanks :)

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
01:57:26
Comments
To the person who wishes that the current JWs go somewhere else: hmm I prefer they do read this, and write if they like, because at least they are doing more than reading the watchtower and the awake. Who knows maybe what they read here makes a difference. You and I will probably never find out but if it does some good maybe someone can be spared the hurt we had to go through. These things take time. my best wishes to you

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
02:47:36
Comments
Hello:

I am so glad I found this site, even though it is so disturbing and painful. Remarkably, just last week I was talking to my ex husband about sexual abuse and child molestation and mentioned that I was certain it went on in all religions, and that Jehovah's Witnesses were no exception. And then I found this site. I never dreamed that this terrible scourge could be so wide spread and prevalent. I am horrified. I have my own history of sexual abuse, but it was not by a Witness. I am currently disfellowshipped. It is truly amazing that I am considered evil by the congregation and yet these men are permitted to remain part of the congregation in good standing.

Again, I am so so sorry these terrible things have happened to you beautiful, caring people.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
05:32:46
Comments
It has been many years....but, if I still have, and can find the letter from the Society telling me to put my spouse above my children. I will send it to Silent lambs for publication on their web-site. It basically said that I owed more to my spouse than to my children, because I made a vow to my spouse, and should make no promises to my children. Wedding vows were to take precedence over looking out for my children's welfare. Perhaps by mentioning that, I've finally given enough information on this site for WT HQ profilers to finally figure out who I am .... but I no longer care. They will never have such control over my life again!

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
06:03:58
Comments
I used to attend the meetings as a JW in England, and a sister in Caterham Congregation (still attending) went to the Elders and told of the years of "sexual abuse" her father (a Min servant) subjected her to for years, He denied everything and was never reported to the police, and he and his wife moved to another congregation, where he still is a Min servant.I know of many others the same as this, its disgusting.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
11:26:59
Comments
To all the Silent Lambs,

May all divine graces and blessings from our Lord Jesus be showered upon you in your need. I pray and feel for your pain and that it may be lifted by His love.

Paul in NC

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
12:18:16
Comments
If all of these statements are true, then the organization certainly needs to be addressed as a whole on our Christian standards and the legal standards when it comes to these terrible issues. But those of you who are baptized brothers and sisters: "BE AWARE OF THAT YOU DO NOT FALL INTO APOSTASY!" The last days are upon us and we need to be careful that we do not contribute to a division between us and loose sight of our primary goal as ministers of Jehovah. These elders and violators should not be excused from there actions but we do need to remember that parents and responsible adults as well have a responsibility to report any offender to the secular authorities as needed this is not a decision that as elder or the society should make anyway. Just like you wouldn't hide a kidnapper, murder, or drugs from the authorities, so why would you keep quit about a child molester no matter what anyone said.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
12:18:34
Comments
If all of these statements are true, then the organization certainly needs to be addressed as a whole on our Christian standards and the legal standards when it comes to these terrible issues. But those of you who are baptized brothers and sisters: "BE AWARE OF THAT YOU DO NOT FALL INTO APOSTASY!" The last days are upon us and we need to be careful that we do not contribute to a division between us and loose sight of our primary goal as ministers of Jehovah. These elders and violators should not be excused from there actions but we do need to remember that parents and responsible adults as well have a responsibility to report any offender to the secular authorities as needed this is not a decision that as elder or the society should make anyway. Just like you wouldn't hide a kidnapper, murder, or drugs from the authorities, so why would you keep quit about a child molester no matter what anyone said.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
14:30:31
Comments
So the WTBTS says that the victims of these crimes are bringing reproach on the Society because of their actions (coming forward with the truth about child sexual abuse)???? Uh, no. The perpetrators and the officials of the Society have brought reproach on themselves by their callous actions. And what is this, to be on the Governing Body one needs a college degree? Jesus doesn't have a college degree. Neither, for that matter, does Jehovah.

I would say this is unbelievable beyond words, but it isn't. I believe everything I've read here. So now what do I do? I am asking that honestly. I don't know what to do. I don't want to be complicit, that's for sure.

I don't have a TV, so I can't watch the show tonight. But I have no doubt that I will read about it first thing tomorrow on many web sites.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
15:10:32
Comments
hey heinz

your apologist site is a joke

sorry

the whistle blowers and this site are NOT claiming jws are the only ones with this problem AS YOU FALSELY CLAIM .... that is a ludicrous red herring

this site...dateline....the silent lambs who are coming forth.... are simply saying that JEHOVAH S WITNESSES ARE AS CULPABLE AS THE CHURCHES THEY POINT FINGERS AT ..... in some ways WORSE ... because they use methods of punishing victims that have not been seen elsewhere ... their methods mirror those of the pedophiles

'no one knew about catholic clergy molestations until the 1980s' ???????

puh leze

it was news in the sixties ...it was news in the seventies ... it was common knowledge in the decades prior

the awake that first told me jw s were different was about 1970 ...quoting the news media about the catholic priests

your presenting lies about the reports of the same crimes amongst jw s and the subsequent cover up policy of the watchtower society ... they are not mere hyperbole to make your points ...they are a smear campaign against the innocents that are exposing the truth about "the truth"

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
17:54:36
Comments
To those witnesses that try to take a moderate attitude, those warning of apostasy: Does it ever bother you that ...

... you are in an organization that so separates itself that it covers up child abuse, and thereby encourages it?

... you are in an organization that has predicted the end of this system at least eight times, has obviously been wrong each time, and yet doesn't see that they are a false prophet?

... you are in an organization that ruthlessly separates families because of disparate religious beliefs?

... you are in an organization that takes the printed word of men in Brooklyn over the bible?

Does it ever bother you ... even a little?

- User of the brain God gave him

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
18:13:04
Comments
I just read the comments (May 24) by the person who worked in a residential treatment center for children. I suffered the same things he/she wrote about which happened to the Jehovah's Witness children in their care. I was raped by the district servant in Southern California in 1960. I was held at gunpoint. He is involved in the ring of pedophiles who groom children for sex with the big names in the organization and elsewhere. Ritual abuse was involved, too.

Please do not add comments to the end of my post. Thank you.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
20:17:52
Comments
I was a former Jehovah's Witness, and I left due to the fact that I was pressured at a young age to get baptized, and as I got older, I realized that this wasn't the path that should be dictated for my life. I'm watching Dateline NBC right now, and I'm so thankful that you and your organization is helping these people. I certainly don't wish any harm against the organization, but I'm glad that these issues were brought to light, and I wanted to express my moral support.

Terri Atlanta Ga

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
20:42:08
Comments
www.lsm.org www.biblepro.com www.fabwhitebook.com www.kids4truth.com

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
20:45:03
Comments
i just watched dateline. Bill-bless you for all you have done. I know this will cost you a lot in the long run( from your fellow jw's) and you have sacrificed so much already. I know that GOD has watched you in your endeavors to bring righteousness to an ungodly situation. He loves you, as many of us do. Thank you for being a true "brother" a lover of what is right and GODLY.... I have been "out " of jw land a long while, but have most all of my family still in. As a christian, i am taken with a grain of salt as it were, not shunned by my sisters, but treated as an outsider. Any comments i make are treated as an 'apostate" would be, so I am familiar with pain and shunning. I cannot love GOD( Jehovah) and my Bible understanding is nil because of of my NOT being a JW. ..This is what they think. Bill, keep fighting. We are behind you 100%. My our loving LORD give you strength, and gird your loins with HIS power... jb tennessee

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
20:51:00
Comments
How dare you you should be ashamed of your selves because you know better i was raised for 30 years in the truth and all though i am no longer an active witness i canted believe what i just saw on tv to speak out like you did with half truths and outright lies you were never truly Jehovah Witnesses and never had real love for him. aprilperritano@hotmail.com

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
20:53:02
Comments
Hi I am 28 years old and am a Jehovah's Witness. I very upset with the possibility of this occurring in my organization. I feel strongly for witness who had to go through such a ordeal and DO NOT condone theses practices if true. I feel that if these Elders are to blame they should be disfellowshipped right away!!! But I do not turn from the whole of the organization for I know that even though there are faults and these are BIG FAULTS and should not be hidden, I also know the teachings are truth and to turn away from Jehovah because of the horrid dealings of a few is not right either. Jehovah will make sure those who have committed such crimes will be punished he would not stand by and allow it. Don't punish your faith because of these men. Because in the end the only one you will have to prove you loyalty to is Jehovah. I hope you all find peace and I support your decision to come forward.--Dnayel Theresa Kennedy

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
20:54:52
Comments
Hi, my name is Robbyn and I was a JW for many years and I was disfellowship in 1985 and have never returned.... I felt betrayed the gentleman that I was engaged to is still a witness, however I confessed in front of the elders of us have sex while engaged and he denied it..... I confessed in front of the elders and they disfellowshipped me and didn't disfellowship him... HE LIED...

I have been bitter and hurt ever sense and I have gone through a lot in my life since that day..

Now i can say that I am in recovery 10yrs clean, married to a wonderful man and have children...

I am so glad that I watched Dateline tonight and that young woman that was on I am so glad that she got the justice she deserved so she can put closure on that tragedy in her life.... I would love to communicate with her. I could identify with some of her feelings... God had me watch Dateline for a reason and I am glad I did.

Your doing a wonderful job and I am an advocate for Child abuse in all forms.....

robbtevcu@aol.com or robb@nycap.rr.com

Peace & Love Robbyn

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
20:59:55
Comments
The Dateline story was strong and so true. They did a good job Bill and Barbara. We are with you a 100%. God has not rejected you with your disfellowshipping, only the wicked men called the Governing Body who are the leaders of the Jehovah's witnesses. May God bless you all who were willing to come forward with your stories. You have done a good thing.

Balsam Concord, North Carolina

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:01:11
Comments
It sad to hear and see such but the bible declares in the last days they will turn from the truth. and the spirit speaks they will depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and the doctrines of devils 1 tim 4:1. We also must realize what the bible says will and must be fulfilled yet be not discourage for God is not slack concerning his WORD.

1 SAMUEL 3:12-14 GIVES US ACCOUNT THAT GOD WILL JUDGE THE ELDERS "IN THAT DAY I WILL PERFORM AGAINST ELI ALL THINGS WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN CONCERNING HIS HOUSE: WHI I BEGIN, I WILL ALSO MAKE END. FOR I HAVE TOLD HIM THAT I WILL JUDGE HIS HOUSE{THE CHURCH}EVER FOR THE INIQUITY WHICH HE KNOWETH; BECAUSE HIS SONS {THE MINISTERS} MADE THEMSELVES VILE, AND HE RESTRAINED {DID NOTHING} THEM NOT. AMD THEREFORE I HAVE SWORN UNTO THE HOUSE OF ELI, THAT THE INIQUITY OF ELI'S HOUSE SHALL NOT BE PURGE WITH SCRIFICE NOR OFFERING FOREVER. THIS IS NOT SACRIFICE FOR SIN OF COMMISSION {HEB 10:26}. BE ENCOURGED AND KEEP YOUR HEARTS SOUND AND YOUR EYES OPEN FOR GOD HIS STILL IN HIS HOLY TEMPLE AND SITTING ON HIS THRONE.

FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST BISHOP C. SIMMONS. PH,D

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:02:25
Comments
I saw the Dateline show just now and I wanted to thank all who spoke out on the show. Hopefully, things will change within the organization and the victims will be supported and encouraged to press charges.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:05:35
Comments
I just saw the Dateline report all I can saw is Amen. Time will not allow for me to tell of every abuse I know done to me and friends, only to have the victim punished and the abuser repented. I know of a man that abused his own daughter for 14 years and the elders knew and chose to blame the wife for not pleasing her husband causing him to go after his own child. Only when the daughter went to therapy for something else did it come out and the police were called by the therapist. What happened? Well he was reproved and she was shunned. He got to stay in his house, she was forced to leave. But would any of her brothers and sisters take her in, no and the one who did was counseled against it, but I let her stay.

To those of you who think you are alone, you aren't I was a pioneer, wife of a ministerial servant(who cheated on me all of our marriage with the elders knowledge), and I was shunned, so you are in good company.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:08:20
Comments
opastates, all of ya

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:12:12
Comments
Finding this website and watching the piece on Dateline NBC (May 28, 2002) sent shivers up my spine. You see, someone close to me was abused by JW's for what seems like all her life. First by her father physically, and sexually, then by a husband mentally (both men have been elders in their local kingdom halls). Her father's abuse went un-noticed for years and was often masked as strict discipline. Threats of disfellowship kept her quiet many years after. Unknowing of normal male adult behavior, she married an all too similar character of a husband. A dominating JW man who kept her down with cruel mental and one count of physical abuse. After having enough, she went to church elders who told her to give him more and more chances. Still, threats of disfellowship and years of brainwashing keeping her down, she continued to keep the marriage/abuse going only if only for her daughter and Jehovah. As a woman she was emotionally dead. At the end of her rope, she knelt, crying on the bathroom floor, contemplating suicide. Miraculously, she chose life over the church and resigned from the witnesses, sought mental therapy, divorced her husband, and carried on with her life. She is now an outcast in the eyes of her former friends and "jailers". Her father now shuns her and acts as the disappointed one, and her husband only speaks to her on matters regarding the children. However, she has never felt more free.

As a sister, I write you this not to bash the church. I write to show the power, the protection, and the hypocrisy that the church is harboring. I'm concerned about the present but mostly the future, our women and children...we should all be concerned.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:16:16
Comments
I think this room is runned by SATAN!

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:19:14
Comments
Juan Medrano MitymouseAntonio@aol.com My ex-wife is a Jehovah's Witness. We have One CHild and I am afraid something might happen to him. I really like your page I think it contains important info about people we live around.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:20:17
Comments
As an ex-Jehovah's Witness, I applaud your bravery in coming forth with your story and NOT letting their fancy words and threats persuade you otherwise! I have suffered many years wondering if I did the right thing by leaving the "organization, and this story just made me more confident that I have made the right decision!

Signed,

Denise in Florida

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:23:35
Comments
I am so glad to have found the site and am interested to see the Dateline program tonight. It's about time this came out in the open.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:27:03
Comments
Thank you for having Dateline do the story. It was very enlightening. It makes me ill to know that this kind of misconduct is going on. I myself am not a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. I must say though that my heart and prayers go out to the young women that have suffered. I am also appalled after hearing the ones who spoke to Dateline are being disfellowshipped That is absolutely ridiculous. Thank you again for exposing this problem to the world.

Misty- MJACKS863@msn.com

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:27:29
Comments
Hi I watched the Dateline special tonight 05/28/02. While I have not suffered sexual abuse in the manner described I and my wife have been shunned by members of the congregation when I decided to develop a free mind and use it. The societies teachings have fostered a no negative tolerance level in many aspects. I expect the society will be exposed for many unscriptural practices which its inner order at Bethel is involved in. Misappropriation of funds, involvement with the U.N., subliminal art, false prophecies, connection and involvement with other inner orders, sexual handlers etc. Thank you

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:27:37
Comments
Victoria Joy tiggereyes@hotmail.com It is such a relief to know that I am not the only one that was silenced. That their was nothing wrong with me or with the memory of the horrifying events that led me to become an unbeliever. That however their was something wrong with the abuser and with the system that kept this a secret. Knowing that I am not the only one and that I can be heard, well that helps a great deal. Thank you for stepping up to the plate and putting yourself out on the line for us. This for me is a huge relief. Thank you I was a battered lamb, battered by my own father. It is a pity that the organization kept all this under wrap because if they hadn't me and my father would of gotten the help that we needed, and maybe know we would be in speaking terms. I am so glad that a forum like this exists. Thank you Bill and thank you all that are coming forward with your stories. We will always have each other for support.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:30:01
Comments
Hello I am In Va and have JW as family. I am not getting into the religious part of it myself to agree or disagree but in my eyes being abused or battered is not Gods will and he would not want people to hide the facts. The people should come forward and tell the police or a lawyer or someone but I truly feel then things will be taken care of these people are walking around hurt and never can heal if there is not something done to the abuser or attacker. People comment that the JW way is right but they are usually not the ones the abuse or battering was struck upon. I hate for anyone to be hurt and I feel that people should pay for what they do. I myself have been in JW before but it was not for me and I could not agree with them and because I am female and was head strong they don't get along with me anyway. I praise any and all of the victims that have stepped forward and I hope more do step forward. God does not want people hiding these facts. SOrry if i seem confusing I do babble like that but i wanted to express my opinion and i felt this was the place to write it....Thank you for reading it...PJ from VA (email addy every1luvspj73)

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:30:38
Comments
My father was Presiding Overseer of our local congregation and happened to be in on a judicial meeting with a local pedophile who confessed to molesting children many years ago. This man was not only involved in incestuous relationships with his own children, but also over the course of some years with molesting children not related to him. I grew up in the congregation with this pedophile who was never known to be a "strong" christian. He would attend congregation meetings well at times then slack off in attendance at other times. Within the last 3 years some of this pedophile's victims (now young adults) brought charges against him to the authorities and a court case ensued. During this period the pedophile campaigned and was able to get my father (then Presiding Overseer of our congregation) removed as an elder because my father would not support or promote this pedophile...instead my father was attempting to protect our congregation and our children from the influence of this self-confessed child molester. This pedophile garnered favor with the majority of elders, the Circuit Overseer of the time, and a large array of JW's in the region who fiercely backed him as a "persecuted" christian!!!! It was totally appalling and unbelievable to me. My father a good, moral man who would never do anything to hurt a child was written off as an "unloving, unforgiving, bad" person while this child molester became Ministerial Servant and his popularity within the organization grew and grew! (During the trial preparation he was asked to "resign" as Ministerial Servant.) As the court proceedings progressed JW's (including elder's from my congregation) went to support this child molester, testifying on his behalf! This pedophile finally pled guilty to the charges against him and was sentenced to prison time. I thought perhaps this would wake some of these gullible ones from their coma but instead their support persisted throughout his prison experience! This pedophile had made passes at me as a child. Thanks to my protective parents I was never harmed by this child molester. How many other unsuspecting children were molested? I don't know. What I do know is that some JW's think that simply being a baptized JW means you are a "good" person who would never commit such a heinous crime. They unfortunately disregard the fact that being a JW does not make us perfect persons in a perfect society free from the effects of sin and personal weaknesses. This is NOT a JW teaching, in fact the bible teaches us the opposite, but instead the belief of some low intelligence members. How sad for their children! How sad to be so naive and thus be open bait for criminals like child molesters. Criminals are often charming.....just like the pedophile I mentioned. He is obviously charming (charming could also be defined as "clever liar" which is what this particular man is) or would not have been able to gather his large army of supporters within the JW organization. I am still a JW and I fully believe the Bible but I also believe that Jehovah granted us a precious gift, our BRAIN!!!!! I do believe that the imperfect elders in our organization in most instances have tried to do their best before Jehovah (my father as a prime example... his only "crime" is doing Jehovah's will and protecting his congregation from harm) and in the interests of the perpetrator, victims, and the congregation with Bible counsel as their guide. It is my hope, however, that JW's will open their eyes to the TRUTH that all imperfect JW's are not "good" people. Some, in fact, are pedophiles. Guard and protect your children. Educate your children. In due time Jehovah will fix all the injuries of the victims and provide a world where none of us have to fear for our children's safety. Until then it is OUR responsibility as parents to safeguard our children. May Jehovah continue to bless your efforts to do that and may he grant you peace to cope if you have had the misfortune of having this terrible crime touch your life.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:32:03
Comments
I saw you on Dateline tonight and can identify even though I never went to the elders at the Kingdom Hall I attended about any abuse they lied to me and disfellowshipped me after saying they wouldn't because I married a "Worldly Man"...the ridicule and disgust I received from the elders and the members there still live with me to this day!

L. Joyce Tompkins 5535 Beverly Rise Blvd. Lakeland, Fl. 33813

email; j6256@tampabay.rr.com

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:36:08
Comments
I love your website, I won't be surprise what JW's are hiding. I am an Ex JW myself. I was disfellowship about 3 years ago but God still loves me.

Yulia andrea6226@yahoo.com

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:39:28
Comments
Hi again, Dateline was excellent!!! It takes such courage to stand up for "Truth".

The only thing that the organization is tough on is victims of sexual abuse. This show I believe is just a window into what is happening all over the country...

My daughter at first refused to watch it,"about Jehovah's Witnesses forget it" but came in part way though and just froze in place said "I will have to watch it later" as I was taping it.

She has just told her boyfriend she was raped and just told me she was also...

Thank you for showing the world what is REALLY happening! DJB

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:40:31
Comments
I am not, nor have I ever been JW. I am a Christian, and a child advocate. I saw Dateline tonight and have been browsing your site and reading the posts here. God Bless you, silentlambs, and may all who seek justice and closure be rewarded.

robbi

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:43:42
Comments
I PULLED UP THIS WEB SIT, BECAUSE I SEEN DATELINE ABOUT THE YOUNG GIRL THAT WAS RAPED. I THINK YOU NEED TO LOOK INTO A SITUATION 2YRS BACK. A BROTHER BY THE NAME OF BRENT GALLATA HAD SEX WITH TWO MINOR GIRLS IN THE HALL, AT THE TIME THE GIRLS WERE 15 & 16. THE BROTHERS THAT WERE HANDLING THIS SITUATION WERE RONALD MENZIER SR. & PRESLY MIDDLETON. I THINK, I KNOW FOR SURE RONALD WAS IN CHARGE OF THE MATTER. ANYWAY BRENT WAS DISFELLOWSHIPPED AND SO WAS ONE OF THE GIRLS (MOSELL IBARANDO) THE OTHER GIRL (JODI BINDER) WAS NOT BAPTIZED. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM MOSELL, BROTHER MEINZER TOLD HERE TO KEEP IT QUIET NO NEED TO GET POLICE INVOLED & SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE BE ALONE WITH THAT BROTHER ANYONE SO IT'S YOUR FAULT IT HAPPEN, BRENT I KNOW FOR A FACT WAS AT LEAST 25+ AT THE TIME. SO AS ALWAYS WHEN THE ELDERS DO NOT DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO & PROTECT THE YOUNG GIRLS, ONCE "AGAIN" NEITHER OF THE GIRLS GO TO HALL OR THERE FAMILYS. AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GOOD FAMILYS THAT HAVE BEEN SERVING JEHOVAH FOR 15+ YRS EACH, AND WE LOST THEM BECAUSE AN ELDER TOOK MATTERS IN HIS OWN HAND & JEHOVAH'S. AND BECAUSE OF THAT BOTH FAMILYS STOP SERVING THAT A TOTAL OF 13+ MEMBERS. THATS NOT RIGHT-!!! BUT WHEN YOU TALK OR ASKED BROTHER ROANLD HE SAYS WELL I GUESS THEY WERE NOT TRUE WITNESS. HE KNOW HE SHOULD NOT BE HURTING JEHOVAH'S SHEEP LIKE THAT. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS ONE OF THOSES "GOOD OLD BOY" . I FEEL THIS HALL IS FALLING BY THE WAYSIDE, BECAUSE THESE ELDERS DO & SAY WHAT THEY WANT WHEN THEY WANT. WE HAVE LOST SO MANY GOOD FAMILY OVER THE YEARS, SOME STOP GOING OR MOVED TO ANOTHER HALL BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT HALLS ARE NOT RUN LIKE THIS. THE HALL IN QUESTION IS BRISTOL CONG. OF BRISTOL PA, 19007 ROANLD IS THE PO OF THE HALL, BE CAREFULL -!!!!! I

CANNOT GIVE MY INFO, BECAUSE I DO WANT NOTHING BAD TO HAPPEN TO ME IN THE HALL, BELIEVE ME IT WILL. PS. AT ONE POINT IN MY LIFE YOU COULD NOT GET TO GO TO ANTHOR HALL WHEN JACK KASNER WAS PO, BUT NOW ITS NOT THE SAME-!!!!

WITH TEARS & CHRISTIAN LOVE....please help-!!!!!!

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:46:26
Comments
I just saw the dateline special, I don't even have words to explain how I felt. I am thirty-six and was raised in the truth until I was disfellowshipped in 1991. I was molested by my father from age 10 to 18 and then I married to get out of the house. To make a very long story short I could relate to the girl in the story except it was my father. I had no idea that there were others in the truth that had lost everything and every way of life that we had ever known. To top it all off we didn't do anything. I don't think that is what God had intended the congregation to be like. Thank You for the TV story. Sincerely,

Mrs. Lonnie Newbraugh dnlzoo@aol.com

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:54:38
Comments
I would like some info on your organization.What is your religious connection and who is the founder of this site.Are you know or have ever been one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:57:07
Comments
I was raised from childhood as a witness. My mother was Catholic and my father Lutheran. We started to attend meetings when I was four. As I was an only child, I did what my parents wanted. I lived at home until 21 and then moved away. When I moved back and pioneered for 2 years, I was in good standing. I had always been some ashamed of being a witness and wanted to be "normal" like all the other kids in school. As I became older, and my friends were marrying and having children. My parents were very strict with me and they kept me from dating even witnesses. I am now 53 and have no children. I have been married twice, my first husband died ten years ago, and my current husband has a brother who was also a witness for a while. His wife and two daughters left him and all three married out of their race witnesses. Back to my story. After 911 events this year I was at my mother's eating lunch. She is 80 and not in the best of health. I stop for lunch from work to check on her. She asked me one day is I would every consider coming back to be a witness. (A real sore subject between us) I told her no, and she told me not to come to visit her anymore. I tried to reason with her that she could believe as she wanted to, but I had the right to as an adult to my own views and life. She has stuck to this no visiting pretty much. It occurred to me that witnesses preaching about armageddon is just like the religious groups that advocate death to all who are not of their beliefs. I truly believe that this theory should be aired in public. They think that the only perfect world will be when all people who are not witnesses are dead. I do not want to hurt my mother. Please think about publishing info on this subject. Witnesses think that anyone that is supporting the country is bad, but do they realize how horrible it sounds to kill all the people in the world who are not witnesses. I have a lot more issues, but I may write more later it is just good to know that some are realizing how much mind control there is involved in this sect. I will just sign - a happy former witness. my email is mikedonna@wccta.net

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:57:30
Comments
It's high time this problem has been brought to light! I pray for the victims as well as for the blind, trusting members who are kept in total ignorance simply doing as they are told, never thinking for themselves or even daring to question anything they feel may not be right. I myself was born a Jehovah's Witness, my father more dedicated than words can ever say. I dared to divorce my husband, who was drinking, abusive and fornicating with other women. His father was a congregation elder, in the days when there was really only one "Head" elder, and his uncle was a full-time minister working at the Bethel in Georgetown Ontario,(very respectable). Eventually my husband was disfellowshipped but instead of my ordeal being over, it just began. I was followed, watched, accused of anything and everything, you don't leave the son of an overseer and come away un-scathed! The one minister who actually seemed to want to help me, began to stalk me in a sexual way. Everywhere I went, he was there, he got into my apt. building at all hours begging me to run away with him, many times I had a wrestling match with him begging him to leave me alone. He was a close friend of my ex-father-in-law and also an elder! Finally, quite by accident I found another separated woman, (single mom), who was also being stalked by this elder and told me that she was by far not the only one! Months later I was approached by a group of elders who asked me if I knew anything about elder "X" and if he was bothering me in any way. I bit my tongue, but eventually I cleared my conscience and told them of my dilemma. What a mistake! I was accused of seducing him, luring this man who was more than 20 years older than me and had 6 children some older than me, into "wanting" me..."having me"..."running off with me", I was disgusted!!! I was harassed over the phone, even my 1 year old daughter's safety was threatened. I had really had enough! I did call the police, but had no proof, called Bell Telephone, had my number changed to private 3 times, didn't stop them. To my surprise 12 other women finally came forward with complaints against elder "X". Finally I was left alone. Really alone. My dear father hated what was being done to me, but pleaded with me not to loose faith, Jehovah would right things. It would have killed my father if I stopped attending meetings, they would have won. They couldn't disfellowship me...they had nothing. My faith in the organization was crushed, I had no more respect for them. I stopped giving talks, and stopped the ministry work, for the most part I only went to Sunday meetings, conventions and Memorial. Years later, my father, for all of his faith was kept "down" as far as praying at meetings, giving talks, reading at Watchtower meetings, later even going out in service. They looked at him as old and feeble minded, because he challenged them when elders would make statements that were Biblically incorrect. For all of his faith, hard work, building Kingdom Halls, etc., and many monitory donations, they accused him at the age of 84 of coming "on" to a pioneer in her 30's. If you knew my Dad, you would have known that this was simply not possible,,,not even from a physical point of view. He would not really discuss much with me, since they did tell him to keep this confidential, but after receiving a phone call one evening DEMANDING him to come to the Kingdom Hall immediately! He became so wound up that later that nigh he had a severe stoke that totally disabled him. They had no proof that he ever did anything to this woman other than very normal, kind acts, the same he would show any sister in the congregation He denied everything, but instead of believing him they believed a girl who suffered from delusions, her twin sister had more than one mental breakdown, her two brothers had emotional problems as well! At this point I really didn't care anymore about the organization, I told the elder involved what I thought of him and his henchmen, and never looked back. My father is 90 now and living (if you can call it that) in a home. No one really comes to see him that I know of, but his faith in God is still strong, and I pray nightly that Jehovah protect him, keep him pain free, and let him die mercifully, peacefully. A lot of my life was wasted, because of the organization, but that's another story, ones got to wonder just how many more people are out there with similar or worse tales. Child abuse..women alone, vulnerable, not being able to re-marry if they are divorced, taking the elders advice always looking up to them, wide open to the predator! Too bad a few will ruin it for the whole! I do think that thousands of believers are good and decent people, only wanting to find solace and security in the Bible, it's teachings and ultimately have a relationship with God. It's really sad, but after more than 20 years I've finally vented...Thank you for that...Keep up the good work.. God bless you! Edith errlaid@sympatico.ca

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:58:58
Comments
I'm sure the jw's have heard this said before. but this religion is a cult. i am not here to bash; that would get me nowhere. any religion that changes the HOLY BIBLE is considered a cult. they have disregarded Galatians 1:6-9, which states that if a different gospel is ever preached (new world translation), then who ever is preaching it shall be accursed. mormons do the same thing instead of going to each door and handing out tracts written by some guy, work on the love that is missing within the church, then once you have love, together look at what your church is teaching others. you will see what i mean by labeling you as a cult. i believe that God has taken this awesome step to allow a bad name to be put on the jw's (thanks Dateline). he wants his people back from satan's power. please consider what i have said. I will pray for the jw's, and the silent lambs. in Christian love, steven

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
21:59:45
Comments
I am from Canada I moved to the states when I married my husband. While in Canada I was harassed by a male cong/member sexually. He was drunk and called thru out the night. I told the elders but they did nothing. This same man was accused of molesting his own child. The cong wrongfully lent him theIr support. He wasn't disfellowshipped for this terrible act. I hope this cult is exposed!

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:00:51
Comments
wonderful show on dateline, now someone should check into all the property watchtower is acquiring in New York, near the farm, they recently purchased a huge farm tax free, turned around and sold it to a developer for millions plus, made a profit, and had several multi-million dollar homes built for the higher ups in brooklyn. They expanded their orchards and are selling the food for a profit.What? I don't understand what is going on here either. Keep up the good work.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:01:00
Comments
I am from Canada I moved to the states when I married my husband. While in Canada I was harassed by a male cong/member sexually. He was drunk and called thru out the night. I told the elders but they did nothing. This same man was accused of molesting his own child. The cong wrongfully lent him there support. He wasn't disfellowshipped for this terrible act. I hope this cult is exposed!

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:05:15
Comments
I doubt if my husband would want this info to become public, but after watching Dateline tonight (5/28/02), I had to say something. When we married, my husband was a Bethelite of 5 years. When he first went to Bethel, during his first year at age 19, he was approached by an older "brother" who wanted to have sexual encounters with him. Of course, my husband, being 19 at the time, was extremely offended and embarrassed, and didn't say anything to anyone at the time, but to even think this could happen, is so repulsive. I can only imagine how much is going on "behind closed doors." We disassociated ourselves from the organization in May of 1991 due to doctrinal differences, and have no regrets. It has been a very difficult journey over the past ten years trying to "fit in" with normal society, but we have adapted. We feel for, and pray for anyone who has gone through such horrible things in the JW organization. We're glad to be free!

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:11:23
Comments
Ok and you know all this information from?????? Clearly the person that is playing the "victim" is just a person who wants attention. Look at the catholic church. They're full of crap. They're hypocrites because the ministers have even molested children. You cannot make comments without the facts. At least Jehovah's Witnesses are decent and humble people unlike you bastards who have nothing to do but to critize religions that you don't even know deeply. Look at yourself first.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:14:55
Comments
I thinks its about time someone stands up to the hypocrisy if the jws i and my late wife were jws for many years and suffered from the whip of fear the jws use over there people and have lived the role of being a victim and watch the victimizers go undaunted right on! i can relate to the poor ones that were molested, keep up the good work may God continue with you Mike Monroe mmonroe498@aol.com

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:17:10
Comments
I think you have issues. I think you are nuts!!!!

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:19:28
Comments
WE READ THIS WITH ENORMOUS INTEREST. AFTER 35 YRS AS JW'S, CIRCUIT WORK AND OTHER "PRIVILEGES" WE FINALLY BECAME CONSCIOUS OF THE VARIETY OF ABUSE THE WATCHTOWER LAVISHES ON ITS MEMBERS.THIS SITE HAS MERCIFULLY ADDRESSED THE DESPICABLE. YET THE EMOTIONAL ABUSE, THE BRAIN WASHING, THE FAMILY FRAGMENTATION, THE JUDGMENTAL, ARRAGANCE OF THE UNEDUCATED "ELDERS" (SOME ONLY 26 AND 27 YEARS OLD) STILL IS PRACTICED. PERHAPS THIS LATEST DISCOVERY WILL PUT THIS ORGANZATION UNDER PROPER SCRUTINTY.HOW MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN WOUNDED, CRUSHED, AND PERMANENTLY DESTROYED BY "SOCIETY POLICY"??

YOU HAVE GIVEN A VOICE TO THE INNOCENT.

WITH APPRECIATION

polrbrs@aol.com

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:20:53
Comments
I'm so tired of the JW's "we are the only thing right in this wicked world" crap. It is about time they were forced to look at themselves in a mirror instead of pointing the finger at every other group.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:23:29
Comments
This is really interesting but not surprising. I recall when I was about 10-11 years old a classmates oldest sister was pregnant by her father. They were Witnesses'. They use to tell people she had a stomach virus. This was in the 1970's.

Your are so correct in getting and offering people help when dealing with this type of mistrust.

I also remember a teen ager being disfellowshipped because she was raped. That was double trauma for her. Her friends not speaking to her and being raped.

You are doing the right thing. Exposing the wrong and getting people help.

Yvette

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:26:19
Comments
Many years ago, I was a witness. I watched the dateline program tonight, then found your website. I just read some of the experiences others have had. I am so filled up right now! With gratitude to find that these horrible things are being brought out to the light, and with painful memories of similar experiences that I had. At a later time, I will tell my story on your site and I am so thankful that there is a forum for us now!

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:28:03
Comments
Let me see what the Watchtower has done for me: 1. Broke up my marriage 2. Spouse did not talk to df mother. Lost her chance when she died. 3. Never had the family together in one picture.(Someone was always in bad standing) 4. Broke up with good friendships with people who cared more about me than the "conditional friends"

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:30:47
Comments
I spoke to you months ago. Congratulations!!!!!

I saw the show on Dateline! Lets hope people and the law will wake up and protect our children.

Great job Bill

Paul Rosenstein wamtzem1@msn.com

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:31:16
Comments
I am truly impressed with your website. I wished I had found this website earlier. I too was abused by a JW. Thank goodness that I watched Dateline tonight. Thank you so much for creating this website for those who are or who have been abused. I am encouraged to confront my mom about this situation. She is still a JW.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:32:57
Comments
I have read many of these stories and find them VERY sad and dis-heartening.I have been inactive for 5 years and recently elders have been stopping by.I was the victim of abuse not at the hands of a witness,but this makes me Very frightened for my three daughters. They always say they don't want to go back to the hall (they remember going) they say life was horrible and i was mean and hit them alot.I now realize that was true.A.l. 5leslies@bellsouth.net

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:33:36
Comments
LOVE YOU SILENT LAMBS KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU AND GOD BLESS !

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:42:13
Comments
I was a Jehovah's Witness for several years. I was a teenager in high school who had a crush on an older guy that was a JW. He wasn't able to date me because I was "worldly". So he convinced me to start a bible study with a sister in his congregation. I did this because I was 16 and very vulnerable and had strong feelings for him. At that time I would have done anything to win his affections. Over a period of about 2 years I studied with the JW's, attended meetings and participated in the witness work. My mother was a Christian but never forced us to go to church growing up, nor did she go. It was easy for me to fall in to believing all of the wonderful things the JW's told me, about everlasting life and what the future would hold for me as a witness. My family did try to stop me from becoming a JW, but eventually they realized that I wasn't going to give up. I was baptized after 2 years of studying, and secretly dating the guy we'll call him "K". At that point it was ok for us to slowly start dating publicly. Because now I was a "sister" part of the congregation. "K" and I got married when I was 18, fresh out of school and very naive. He didn't want me to go to college, because in the "new system" college would be of no benefit to me. I think that deep down, he was also scared that I would see the light and realize what a mistake I had made. We were married for about a year and the problems started. He was controlling, he was the man, the head of the house, and I had no say in anything. I couldn't do anything with out his permission, but he could come and go as he pleased. I started to see things in our congregation that were not handled the way they should have been. I had never really believed in my heart that this was the truth, but I guess when everyone around you tells you that you just go with it. We were fighting all the time, my attendance to the meetings slowed down. Mostly because of all the hypocrisy I saw around me. They preached about how the JWs are different because they are Jehovah's people. I found they were no different. I just found that they hid it a little better. After 1 1/2 years of marriage and living in a small town, we decided to move to the city to experience more in life. We joined the new congregation thinking it would be refreshing and it was for a while, but eventually I saw the hypocrisy there too. After about a year I stopped going to meetings and other activities. I was able to see something that was in my heart all along, that this is not what I believed. My husband made it very hard for me, I lost any love for him that I ever had because of the way he treated me. With no respect at all, because I was a woman. He never wanted me to grow as a person; he wanted to keep me trapped in this cage where he could mold me into the perfect, maid, wife, and slave. I am a person with thoughts of my own. In the JW organization, you are not allowed to have your own thoughts; they tell you what you should think. They get into your married sex life, they tell you how to do it or how not to do it. I told him some things had to change for our marriage to work, and even suggested marriage counseling. He refused to go. After several months of me trying and him being the same overbearing husband, I left him. It was very hard, but I had completely fallen out of love with this man. He was not the sweet person I once knew, he was a controlling, verbally abusive man, who didn't want me to be anything but his slave. When I left him I left with nothing. I think I had $100 to my name. My family wound up helping me get on my feet, they were a blessing from God. During our spilt and divorce, I got to see what a dirty player he really was. He wouldn't agree to split our belongings that we had acquired during our marriage, such as furniture. His parents own a furniture store and had given us most everything in our apartment. He told me if I took him to court and got a lawyer that his parents (who are JW's) and he would make up fake invoices that were not paid for the furniture and I would have to pay. At the time, I just wanted out. Oh did I forget to mention the vasectomy that he had before we were married. He did this because he didn't want to have kids in the world we live in now, but the in the "new system" he wanted children, and that Jehovah would restore his ability to have them at that time. During our divorce he told me one day that if he got remarried he would have the vasectomy reversed so he could have children. That was just a dagger in my heart. He really showed me his so called Christian ways. I am so happy know that I have left that organization, cult, sect, whatever you want to call it. Don't get me wrong, I do think there are a lot of good witnesses out there who truly do want to teach God's word. But don't for one second think this religion is different than any other, they are not.

I have since remarried, to a wonderful man. I think God definitely sent him to me, or me to him. We were married 8 months ago. I am rebuilding my life after all I went through at such a young age. I learned many things from my experience, but the most important is that you shouldn't have to change for someone to love you. If they don't love you for who you are, then it's not you they really love.

Tonight I saw the Dateline NBC story about child molestation. I just want to commend you all for coming out about it. I think you are very strong admirable people to confront an organization that has covered up this horrible crime for so long. I pray for you all and hope that you have found peace in your life and hopefully still want to serve God.

Even though I was not molested, I still feel that I have something in common with you all. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Good luck to you all! SP

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:42:18
Comments
HELLO I HAVE GROWN UP IN THE FAITH OF JEHOVAHS WITNESSE AND I'M NOW AN UNBAPTIZED PUBLISHER. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I REALLY DO NOT BELIEVE ANY OF THIS. IT IS PROBABLY TRUE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT IMPERFECT. THE BROTHERS ALWAYS TELL US NOT TO TRY AND FIND FAULT WITH ANYONE IN THE CONGREGATION BECAUSE WE ARE ALL IMPERFECT. EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES!

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:50:36
Comments
I would guess that "the light just got a little brighter" for the Watchtower again. The Truth is nothing more than a work in progress.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:51:34
Comments
Hi Bill-

Excellent job with Dateline. Erica's story was especially moving. God bless you and all you have done for these people Bill. I know you have sacrificed much and you will probably sacrifice even more for this noble cause. My prayers are with you.

Jeff Schwehm

www.familyshieldministries.com

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:54:52
Comments
To 22:42:18 Nice of the brothers to tell you that. Maybe you will remember those words when the same Elder cuts up the Local Priest. I doubt it though. Hypocrites

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
22:59:54
Comments
you are full of lies and slander. What you don't know or understand you make out to be demeaning. Shame on you. You have so much untruthfully information. And you twist what people say. Name is not necessary and neither is your sick twisted thoughts. The bible says everything is open and naked to the eye of God and nothing you say or do as well as any other person, does not go unseen by Jehovah God. Jehovah see's all good and bad things. No one can hide. Those who are speaking lies and untruth will not go unpunished from bringing slander on Jehovah's name. Jehovah will handle all matters real soon.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:02:09
Comments
moose1567@yahoo.com

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:05:02
Comments
Well done Why does the Watchtower society think they are unaccountable??? KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. Don't be threatened by their scare tactics.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:05:13
Comments
I am currently studying with the Witness'. I found your story interesting and informative. I wholeheartedly agree with your concerns about the children. I hope the Brothers get the message and make the changes it needs to make to protect the children. However, I have been associated with a number of religions and I must say that the teachings of the Jehovah's Witness' have by far been more effective in developing my spiritual awareness and discernment. With that said....."Let the truth be heard"....It can only help !

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:09:35
Comments
" Ok and you know all this information from?????? Clearly the person that is playing the "victim" is just a person who wants attention. Look at the catholic church. They're full of crap. They're hypocrites because the ministers have even molested children. You cannot make comments without the facts. At least Jehovah's' Witnesses are decent and humble people unlike you bastards who have nothing to do but to critize religions that you don't even know deeply. Look at youself first."

Hmmmm nice "Christian" attitude, isn't it? The owner of this site is not claiming that "All" JW are evil human beings. It's the policy that needs changing. Without this change more jw children will fall victim to molestation. My child was one of those who was molested, but you don't see me calling JW's B******s do you?

Shari

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:12:41
Comments
The Society was created and established by the Scottish Right. Take note of these things; Millennial Dawn Charles Russell compare to Alister Crowley's Golden Dawn,a sexually abusive monster The true definition for the name Jehovah is in direct relation not to a god/God but rather the 4 directions,North,South,East and West. The Hebrew spelling & name YA WEH/Jehovah/Tetragrammaton is used in Tetragrammaton Black Magic calling the 4 directions to the circle,and in Enochian Magic. Pyramids & Prophets? In addition, Sexual handlers are prevalent in Organized groups, aside sexual abusers. The question is why does the society choose not to acknowledge outside involvement? Its all about image! The scriptures are used time & again by these theocratic spinsters as an excuse to shut off the outside world and create a monitored control environment which stretches into all aspects of a brother or sisters life(member), mentally, spiritually, emotionally and so forth. This is a tactical form of mind control often exhibited & used by the illuminati. Sexual handlers usually maintain a close relationship with there victims and monitor them often. Sexual handlers are individuals which work as gatherers for inner orders which operate within control conscious organizations, we cannot rule out this action within the society. While most of these abusers are doing it for selfish gain and as a crime of dominance. The question remains. Why does the society maintain such strict control over judicial action administered to these types of people? Organizations such as this often maintain judicial control over such actions so as to conceal even deeper handler issues. If a handler is accused the judicial committee can halt further progress in his/her exposure. Handlers differ from the typical abuser in that the handler culls the flock,gathering an individual & then beating down their spirit with abuse/ritual abuse/sex slaves and the occult. While many of us when witnesses would not agree with this it does open up the possibilities. The allegations of sub art starting back in the 70's was immediately suppressed. Search thru original hard copies not bound volumes of all society literature with images. Use a magnifying lens look for skull & bones images clearly printed as well as others. The unofficial excuse I heard from a circuit overseer was that the artist were performing dark magic & were expelled. While this seemed more like silly talk the art was visibly clear. It maybe something deeper than that. When an organization pounds & pummels the human psyche into subjection and then punishes its members when they question teachings, principles and policies this should immediately send up a red flag. What benefit does this offer? If some cases prove to be handler associated then the society can coverup its connection to the Scottish right & the illuminati by administering justice isolated from the legal justice system. If such an Unholy unity were to exist and it was exposed it would explain why the society chooses to prefer to administer its own justice, and why the society has made so many blunders in the past in its policies,false prophecies, and unholy unity with the U.N. among other things. This organization oppresses many of its followers without them even knowing it. You become a prisoner of your own mind! For shame all you fools who continue to live a lie associated with such an organization! My heart goes out to all of those sexually abused victims. I feel sorry for all of those who have chosen to remain members of the LIE and have failed to truly AWAKE N ! I hope that all of those who have been abused sue the society. It is a BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY A YEAR !!!! They have lots of MONEY as none of that goes to maintenance of individual Kingdom Halls or Assembly Halls. You Brothers know that the society will make loans, but signs off from all obligations and responsibilities connected to all Halls. A lot of donations are given yearly & the individual congregations must care for there own utilities & such aside from contributions made for literature, expenses and such at Bethel. There are only approx 3500 employees or slaves as I call them working for crumbs which fall from the table. Not to mention land donations given to the society which they sell for additional monies. So where does all of this money go? You do the math, get out there & check for yourself (on line). Foreign congregations in France have to pay there own taxes, the society does not pay for this themselves(brooklyn bethel co). Is this a bank or a religion? Missionaries don't cost a whole hell of a lot to bring home with there meager possessions. So where is it all going. Well they MAY tell you they are saving it for when the Sovereign Nation of America decides its no longer a Nonprofit organization & charges them taxes. It has been alleged that it is a money laundering system for the illuminati? Who knows. But it is food for thought. bye for now.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:12:54
Comments
I can't believe after leaving JWs 4 years ago and struggling with all the confusion, wondering where to turn...that here you are.

I am a victim/court advocate and have been working with victims of domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault for the past 5 years. I am also a former victim of domestic violence who was not told that it was okay to leave the marriage. Instead it was reinforced that Jehovah hates a divorcing and that the only grounds was for adultery.

I wish that I knew there was help out there for people like me...thank you for providing help to victims and please let me know if I can be of any help. Kathy Jacoby (formerly Atkins) katjacoby@yahoo.com

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:15:17
Comments
It's one-sided you have lost focus...if all is true let Jehovah do the judging. You are not turning on the Organization...it's Jehovah holy spirit you have turned against. Your dedication was made to Jehovah not to men or an Organization.

I have spoken out and nothing has happened. I relied on Jehovah to take care of matters and he his doing just that.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:19:29
Comments
i admire everyone here so much. i am such a coward that i cannot come forward with my story. i hate myself for it but i just cant. you all are much stronger than i will ever be.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:19:35
Comments
I watched Prime Time on May 28 and was very interested in the topic. I too have a history of sexual abuse, although not to the extreme as this girl on the program. I was exposed to sexuality I guess you could say when I was about 5 years old by my grandfather who also was supposedly one of the "Anointed" of Jehovah's Witnesses. I was very cautious when around my grandfather because I was afraid of his behavior. I have suffered mental breakdowns and have had a difficult time all through my life. I can't attribute all my problems to his behavior, but I'm sure he affected me to some degree. I forgive him, but am very sorry I had to witness his behavior at such a young age. I was not yet old enough to be exposed to such behavior, never mind by a trusted relative. It was very confusing and caused me great harm. I guess I didn't have enough faith in the organization to carry me through to the end, but I was with them for about 30 years. I finally left after my last breakdown. I am not signing my name because I don't feel I could deal with going public.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:22:54
Comments
To all the Jehovah Witnesses and Jehovah Witnesses apologists who bash what this site stands for:

I don't give a crap about your theology or doctrine. You live in your own box, but that box resides in MY world.

If you want to stand up for your organization and it's policy of handling internal problems, then you also ACCEPT the accountability.

This isn't about "oh Gee, everyone makes mistakes" bullshit. This about the law of the world you live in. If someone is a pedophile, then the community should be made aware of it. Even the ones who reside in the box of the Watchtower Society.

Remember: We the community DON'T ask you to come to our doors. You barge right in to our privacy as you see fit. If there is a pedophile knocking at MY door, you bet your ass I want to know about it. But since your system of handling things pretty much adds up to "covering it up", the community has a RIGHT to know who is knocking at our door.

"People make mistakes" my ass. If they make a mistake that breaks the law, then they should be held accountable for their actions.

You Jehovah Witnesses don't live by yourselves in this world, the rest of us reside in it too. So if you fuck up, then take responsibility for your actions and quit your bitching.

D8TA

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:23:36
Comments
I watched the Dateline segment and was very intrigued because my cousin is a Witness. I, on the other hand, am not. But I believe that any society that is that closed is just looking for trouble of one sort or another. So, it looks like the Catholic Priests have a little company on their way to hell.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:27:12
Comments
I have this to say for all those that think what the society teaches is truth. What do you judge that by? Do you use Society literature to do your research only? What is the Society afraid of? If it is the truth then why do they reject your use of secular literature to prove otherwise? If it was the truth there would need to worry about losing paying members . The real truth is its a lie. They are afraid of you going out and growing a mind!

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:28:42
Comments
To any brothers reading this:

Do not fight Jehovah by keeping any sins of the Organization secret. The organization is not perfect and imperfect men may want to keep their sins covered over.

Bring the sins into the light, and maybe Jehovah's blessing may return.

Its time to be like Daniel and stand firm.

Christian Greetings, greg osbourne

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:37:15
Comments
It is very saddening to me, to see that the devil is also using you to slow down the sacrificing work that the Jehovah Witnesses are doing all over the world to spread the good word. I am not a JW, but I am happily married to one. They are good people,but just humans like everybody, but in my eyes they are the closest to what a perfect human being should be. Unfortunately the devil can use the media, and people like you, deservedly called apostate, to discredit these people of God. I am not saying they don't make mistakes, they do, and they are like everybody else, humans, but try to be better than anybody else. In this congregation there were two cases of suspicious child abuse, the elders were told, and they were put in jail. I don't know if they are still, but it was not overlooked by the organization. I know they are very strict with any wrong doings in the organization, and they keep it very clean in following the teachings of the Bible as close as possible. Apostates as the name itself indicates, become unfaithful to his previous beliefs, but as a traitor he or she dedicate themselves to work against their previous belief without any concrete reason or goal, a good allied of the devil. As I said before, I am not a JW unfortunately, I am still too busy working and I am not humble enough yet to enter this wonderful organization of wonderful people. I wish you people well, I do hope that your purpose is to help abused people, specially children, regardless of religious beliefs, and not just pinpoint to the Jehovah's Witnesses Organization, since they are probably the cleanest and have more principles than any other religious organization. Jehovah Witnesses don't go around and bring out all the crimes and awful things people of other religions do everyday, and in larger scale than will ever happen or ever had happen in this Organization dedicated to spread God's word to the entire world. May Jehovah God have mercy on you if you try to damage his true organization of true believers of the bible, but still just human beings who fight against temptations, abuses, discrimination, evilness, jealousy, and the devil himself. But Jehovah God is at the front of it, so they will prevail.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:39:33
Comments
I wrote a section in your comments about occult sexual handlers. While I refrained from writing the deeper aspects associated with this I will refer to the comments in your guestbook written by DXXX. This is the classic profile of involvement with sexual handlers the occult, Satanism, and the Montauk Project run by the illuminati. The victim will have had most of there memories stripped. But Time will expose them. BEWARE!!! There are many levels to this. It won't be long the LYRAN illuminati will do what ever is necessary to coverup details. I express great caution to anyone having children. Do your research folks!!! This is a BBBIIIGGG problem!!!!

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:43:04
Comments
Saw the Dateline NBC program. Thank you for speaking out. You are already being called a liar by the Society, but the truth came out on the program. God bless you.

Remote User:
Date:
28 May 2002
Time:
23:53:15
Comments
I saw the Dateline show. I was not surprised. The JWs are just like the Catholics and many other Xtian denominations -- a dysfunctional old boys club that hates women and abuses and scars women and children for life. I don't know why people are surprised, it's a common pattern in many but not all Xtian denominations. I am no longer a Xtian -- too many crazy making rules and cruel people acting under the guise of "Xtian love". I go to the Unitarian church, which is not Xtian, and they don't throw out sinners. I think Xtianity is socially and culturally sanctioned emotional and mental abuse. I joined a conservative Baptist church and waited for the miracles to happen. I got the full dunk baptism and prayed hard and read my bible and believed. Nothing changed for me, I was still broke and depressed and no body in my church would help me get a job. I decided that if god works through his people on earth, that god didn't care whether I starved to death or not, because nobody in my church or any other church I went to, would help me get a job. They loved to sit up and criticize my situation, but the right to criticize a person, to me carries with it the obligation to help a person change their life, if they want to. I wanted to change my unemployed situation and got no help.

Their hellfire and brimstone sermons made me suicidal, I figured I might as well kill myself since they loved to invoke that grumpy old testament god that kills people for no reason at all. Because of original sin, Christianity cannot be positive. It is not logical either. Original sin is unearned guilt and shame (see books by John Bradshaw). Most people have enough problems with their self esteem without hearing what kind of worthless pieces of crap they are, in church on Sunday. I voted with my feet and left. After a church member called me up and told me I had no right to charge for some typing I was doing for a minister, I tried to slash my wrists and committed myself to the county mental hospital on suicide watch. The hospital was a joke. It didn't help at all.

People who are Xtians who say they are right all the time, they know exactly what is right for 6 billion people, and who is going to hell and who is going to heaven, and who is a real Xtian and who isn't, are sadly deluded and mistaken. Lots of other religions think they are the one true religion, and I can't see any evidence to tell me what religion, if any, is the true religion. I am truly sorry for all the abused people in the JW church. It is sad that there is so much misplaced faith in church leaders, who are human like everyone else, and fallible. Anytime you place all your faith in a particular philosophy or a certain person or minister to solve your problems and make life good, you will be certainly disappointed, as all humans are imperfect.

It is so sad that the victims have found out the hard way who their friends are, that will stand by them in their time of trial, and it is not the leaders. Relying on yourself and your friends instead of some big sky daddy is a tough lesson to learn. I learned it the hard way too.

To not celebrate your birthday, the day you arrived on earth, to love and be loved, to be the unique and special YOU that we each are.......that is very sad.

To not celebrate Xmas, to not enjoy the holiday, the decorations, the singing, etc........that is very sad as well.

I don't know if there is a heaven or a hell and I don't know who is going there, if there is one, after we die. You know what? I believe we should be kind and helpful to other people while we are here on earth, because this is the only reality that we know for sure. We should feed the hungry and minister to the sick, as Jesus and other great leaders taught, while we are here on earth.

When you let someone else think for you, and dictate your morality, you give up your power to them. These abused people were taken advantage of by church leaders for their own selfish ends. They need to think for themselves and realize that grievous harm, even serious crimes, are committed in the name of church authority. And that is wrong by ANY moral standard.

What do I believe? I quote the beliefs of Lin Yutang, Chinese philosopher and ex-Xtian: "All I know is that if God loves me half as much as my mother does, he will not send me to hell."

---Sharon

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