Brave High School Student Speaks Out About Abuse!
A brave High School Student speaks out to her class about abuse and rape that was covered up within JW.org as a class report. Watch the You Tube video of her testimony before her class as she describes her and her fellow members’ experiences.
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Schoolgirl’s tearful speech exposes how Jehovah’s Witnesses silence women to protect rapists
Schoolgirl's speech exposes Jehovah's Witnesses silence women to protect rapists (Screen capture)
In an emotional speech to her classmates, a schoolgirl who left the Jehovah’s Witnesses exposed the organization’s cover-up of abuse and sexual violence inflicted on women and its effort to silence the victims, the Independent reports.
The girl recalled her own experience with the church and recounted the stories of three women who were abused and sexually assaulted by men in the church. All these crimes were covered up by the leadership of organization and the victims were silenced or shunned from the community, she said.
Holding back tears, the girl told her classmates she was taught that every one outside the church, including her father, would be sent to Armageddon.
Women, as she recalled, were at the bottom of the hierarchy in the organization and were considered inferior to men. Not only were they not allowed to teach men or speak publicly, but they must also obey men without question.
“They are not to question any decision made by a man,” she said. “That is slander.”
The church excommunicates whoever dissents from its orthodox doctrine or questions its practice. It discourages independent thought, which is considered to be from Satan.
The most disturbing revelation came from the stories of three women, whom the girl personally knew. The three women, all of whom remained anonymous, were abused or raped by male members of the church. After they reported to the elders of the church, they were blamed for the violence against them and excommunicated or threatened to.
One of them was a mother of two. After years of abuse by her husband, she finally got a divorce. The elders of the church, who turned away from her when she went to them for help, forbid her to see her children after the divorce and left the children to be raised by her abusing husband who was a devoted Jehovah’s Witness.
“To make matters worse her children were taught not to speak to her because she was evil, they were isolated by her ex-husband and know nothing other than this religion. They are also terrified of disappointing their father and their god,” the girl said.
Another woman who was raped was told by the church elders that she was raped because her job put her near men and she dressed inappropriately. To avoid being “disfellowshipped,” she had to drop the charges against her attacker, quit her job and dress more conservatively.
The girl concluded her speech by saying that she and her mother had left the organization at a price — they had been shunned by the community they used to be part of.
However, she was convinced that leaving the church was a right decision.
“It is a religion that preaches love and acceptance, but the reality is everything is conditional. Love and acceptance is only extended as long as members practice absolute obedience and question nothing, ever,” she said.
“This religion destroys lives, destroys families and they do it largely unchecked,” she continued. “No one knows because they are really good at silencing the people who leave.”
Ex-Jehovah's Witness schoolgirl exposes organisation as a religion that 'destroys lives'
The girl made an emotional speech in front of her classmates
May 22, 2015
A schoolgirl who left the Jehovah’s Witnesses after learning of its alleged failure to protect vulnerable women has blasted the organisation in a powerful speech to her classmates.
Holding back tears, she recalled her personal experiences as a member of the church and how she was taught everyone outside the religion, including her father, would be sent to Armageddon.
She also highlighted women’s lowly position in the hierarchy of the organisation and how they are viewed as inferior to men.
“They cannot teach men. They cannot even speak at a podium in front of men as I am doing now,” she said. “They are not to question any decision made by a men. That is slander.”
Dissenting from the orthodoxy on church doctrine and practices is forbidden as a Jehovah's Witness and those who do are shunned by religious leaders. Independent thought is discouraged and is thought to have been introduced by the devil.
The most shocking allegations relate to women the girl spoke to, who were members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and wished to remain anonymous.
One, she called Jane, was allegedly interrogated by the church elders after she was raped, while at work as insurance salesperson.
The elders apparently said she tempted men by the way she dressed and that men were “only human”.
In order to be forgiven and not be excommunicated, or “disfellowshipped,” Jane was forced to dress more conservatively, quit her job and worst of all drop the charges against her attacker.
Another, called Donna, was allegedly molested by a man in her congregation when she was a young girl, but did not tell anyone because she knew nothing would be done.
It is claimed Donna was then abused physically and emotionally throughout 14 years of marriage and when she went to the church elders for support she was told it was her fault and should be a better wife.
Eventually Donna secured a divorce from her husband, but her torment did not end there. She was “disfellowshipped” from the organisation, which meant she was unable to speak to her friends or family members in the church.
“To make matters worse her children were taught not to speak to her because she was evil, they were isolated by her ex-husband and know nothing other than this religion. They are also terrified of disappointing their father and their god,” the girl said.
“The religion is separating a capable and loving mother from her children. Nothing could be more devastating for a mother.”
The church has battled with previous allegations of silencing victims of sexual abuse, to avoid embarrassing the church, but have always vigorously denied any wrongdoing.
In 2015 a Californian court ordered the Watch Tower Society, the company which runs the Jehovah's Witnesses, to pay $2.8m in damages after failing to disclosure the past abuse of a congregation member, which led to the sexual abuse of a nine-year-old girl.
After learning all the religion has hid from its members the girl finished her speech by saying she wanted “no part in it”.
“It is a religion that preaches love and acceptance, but the reality is everything is conditional. Love and acceptance is only extended as long as members practise absolute obedience and question nothing, ever,” she said.
“This religion destroys lives, destroys families and they do it largely unchecked… because they are really good at silencing the people who leave.”
The Jehovah's Witnesses were not immediately available for comment.