An Alameda jury has found Jehovah’s Witnesses legally responsible for the sexual abuse of a minor

Dramatic news is emerging that the Watch Tower Society has lost its first lawsuit since the Olin Moyle libel case of 1940. For more than 70 years, the Watch Tower Society has prided itself on its clean legal record, although this has now collapsed in dramatic fashion after a jury at the Alameda County Superior Court found Jehovah’s Witnesses legally responsible for the sexual abuse of Candace Conti, who suffered repeated molestation at the hands of a member of her congregation when only nine years old.

Candace Conti, now 26 and living in Stockton, took the brave decision to pursue legal action against the Society over her abuse as a child after repeated attempts to persuade her congregation to change its policies fell on deaf ears. During the 1990s, when she was a child, her local elders at North Fremont congregation knew that her molester, Jonathan Kendrick, had sexually abused other young girls in the congregation, but concealed this information from her parents.

Candace Conti, whose abuse by a brother in the congregation was entirely preventable

In showing such shocking negligence, a jury has found that the Fremont elders were acting under the Watch Tower Society’s instructions. The resulting lack of intervention allowed Kendrick to use his position of trust in the congregation to gain control of his young victim during such activities as door-to-door work. According to Candace, her abuser “was a member of our congregation, and he became a friend of our family. It was a really troubling time for my parents, and I think he took advantage of that.”

Though the abuse happened many years ago, Candace has been left emotionally scarred by the “physical, mental and emotional injuries” inflicted over a two-year period between 1994 and 1996.

The current policies of Jehovah’s Witnesses prevent elders from acknowledging cases of child abuse if the perpetrator denies the allegations, and if no witnesses were involved. Elders are also instructed to contact their branch office for guidance as soon as they learn of any accusation of abuse, rather than contacting the authorities. In this case, it appears Kendrick had molested at least two young girls in his congregation prior to abusing Candace. In both cases, the elders failed to report these incidents to the authorities, or warn parents in the congregation.

After these two previous cases were brought to their attention, the Fremont elders, evidently acting under instructions from their branch office, stripped Kendrick of his position as a ministerial servant, but (astonishingly) allowed him to remain in “good standing” within the congregation, telling nobody of his actions. Thanks to the “two witness” policy and/or instructions from the branch office, this brother’s abusive tendencies were concealed from young Candace’s parents, with devastating results.

The Watch Tower Society has been ordered to pay millions in damages for their part in the abuse suffered by Candace Conti (pictured)

The Watch Tower Society has therefore been held to account for the abuse suffered by Candace, and has been ordered to pay millions of dollars both in compensation and punitive damages. Compensatory damages of $7 million have been awarded, of which the Society must pay 40%. A further $21 million is due to be paid by the Society in punitive damages. On its official website, the Society has announced it will appeal this decision. It is feared that such an appeal will potentially drag the case out over a considerable period.

In a remarkable twist, on June 20th Judge Robert D. McGuinnes ruled that the real estate assets of the Watch Tower Society were to be effectively frozen pending the outcome of the Society’s appeal against the judgment. This would mean that, for a considerable period, the Watch Tower Society would be powerless to buy, sell or exchange property without first seeking the permission of the court in Alameda. It is estimated that the total value of the Watch Tower Society’s remaining Brooklyn property portfolio alone is a staggering 1 Billion dollars. However, at the time of writing, it appears the Society may well purchase a bond to guarantee the monies required for payment of damages as a means of circumventing the need for a freeze on assets.

I will write more on this particular development (i.e. the freezing of assets) once I have more information.

To review the media coverage of the Candace Conti verdict, please click on the following links:

Versions of the above video are also availabe in Hungarian and French.

Reaction

Candace Conti has been understandably elated by her victory in this case. She has described the jury’s verdict as “a validation I never thought I would get in my life,” adding “this won’t take away what happened, but I think this will bring to light a very serious issue.” Candace has also acknowledged that by turning the legal spotlight on this burning issue, she may be helping Jehovah’s Witnesses more than she ever did in her ministry, saying “I once wanted to be the best Jehovah’s Witness I could be, now I feel I’m doing more to help other children in Jehovah’s Witnesses than I ever did walking door to door to spread the ‘good news’.”

Her lawyer, Rick Simons, hailed the bravery of his client in pursuing her legal battle, saying: “This young woman, who experienced brutal abuse as a child, could not tell anyone for several years, and has walked for many years in a nightmare of depression and isolation”. He praised her for showing “incredible courage in facing the powerful and secrecy laden organization that betrayed her into the hands of a monster.” Simons also described the judgment as “one of the largest in the country for a child sex abuse single victim in a religious institution molestation case.”*

Barbara Anderson, pictured here with her husband Joe, is a long-time campaigner against the Society’s child abuse policies

There has also been a flood of online reaction to the ruling, especially from those actively campaigning to raise awareness of the threat posed to children by the Society’s policies. Few will be more thrilled at the verdict than Barbara Anderson, who once worked at the Brooklyn headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and is a long-time campaigner for the Society to drop its negligent approach towards child protection. She remarked: “This is a first! A victim that was determined to go to trial. She cared little about the settlement. It was not about the money! But in the long run, she might be the one who is awarded the most for the years of agony she spent because [the Watch Tower Society] just didn’t care about the children.”

Author James Penton believes the Candace Conti ruling is significant

James Penton, who is a retired University of Lethbridge professor and the author of three books on Jehovah’s Witnesses had this to say about the Watch Tower Society: “They’re sure getting a bloody nose over this one. This will cause many people to have nothing to do with them, and many people within the movement to question what’s going on.”

Penton, who authored the book Apocalypse Delayed, and is a former Jehovah’s Witness himself, told The Toronto Star that he believes many elders do obey laws on reporting instances of child abuse to the authorities. However, he admitted that there is substance to allegations that the Watchtower also encourages secrecy when dealing with cases such as that of Candace.

On July 14th 2012, Candace met personally with a group of her supporters. She expressed her motivations for pursuing the case and elaborated on what led her to pursue legal action. I have written a separate article detailing what was said, which you can read by clicking here. The article includes a YouTube playlist of videos showing Candace and her lawyer Rick Simons speaking and answering questions.

The Watch Tower Society’s Belated Response

News of the Candace Conti verdict initially broke online on 14th June 2012, with the newspapers and media websites covering the story within the first 24 hours. Despite the dramatic ramifications of the verdict, the swiftness with which the story spread, and the reproach that has been brought on Jehovah’s name by this case, the story was initially met with silence on the Society’s official websites.

Finally, six days later on 20th June the Society released the following brief statement:

Jehovah’s Witnesses to appeal jury verdict in California case

NEW YORK—Jehovah’s Witnesses will appeal the decision of a California jury in a court case involving alleged acts of child abuse.

The jury rendered a multimillion-dollar damage award to a woman who claimed that she was molested as a child by a member of a local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. At trial, the plaintiff claimed that the policies of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society contributed to the alleged abuse. “We respectfully disagree with the jury’s decision. This is the first time that an organization was found responsible for the alleged misdeeds of a member who held no position of leadership or authority,” states James McCabe, an attorney representing Watchtower in the case. “We are very sorry for whatever harm this young lady may have suffered. However, the organization is not responsible. We now look to the Court of Appeals for a thorough review of this case.”

J. R. Brown, a spokesman at the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, commented: “The fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses abhor child abuse and strive to protect children from such acts is well-known. The individual members of any organization must ultimately bear the responsibility for their own actions, particularly when the acts are so flagrantly against the morals and principles of the organization and society.”

A number of things are noteworthy regarding the above statement…

  1. The Society refuses to acknowledge that Candace definitely suffered the abuse, only that it was “claimed” to have happened.
  2. The statement is made: “This is the first time that an organization was found responsible for the alleged misdeeds of a member who held no position of leadership or authority”. In saying this, the Society ignores the estimated thousands of similar cases that never made it before a jury because the plaintiff was silenced through a settlement and/or gag order. Candace’s case was unique precisely because she refused to accept such a settlement.
  3. It is entirely irrelevant that the perpetrator “held no position of leadership or authority”. In making this statement, the Society betrays shocking ignorance concerning the details of the case. Irrespective of what position Kendrick did or did not hold when he abused Candace, he was allowed to abuse her because her parents were not warned by the elders that Kendrick had abused other children within the congregation even though they knew of this, and had even stripped him of his position as a ministerial servant for this precise reason. In failing to warn Candace’s parents, the elders were acting under instructions from the branch office, which is why a jury has found the Watch Tower Society legally responsible.

The further comments made by J.R. Brown are equally evasive and misleading.

“The fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses abhor child abuse and strive to protect children from such acts is well-known.”

Watchtower spokesman J. R. Brown issued an ambiguous and misleading statement in response to the case

No, it is not “well-known”! However damning Watchtower publications may be about child abuse itself, over many years now the Society has developed a reputation for failing to protect children from pedophiles due to an obsession with implementing the “two witness rule” in all cases. In this sense, they do not “strive to protect children from such acts” if the acts are denied and have not been confirmed by someone other than the victim.

“The individual members of any organization must ultimately bear the responsibility for their own actions, particularly when the acts are so flagrantly against the morals and principles of the organization and society.”

In other words, the Society does not want to accept responsibility for the consequences of the terrible guidance and direction it gives to elders, and the Governing Body refuses to dignify itself with an apology to Candace despite almost certainly being aware of all the details of the case. The organization feels that the perpetrator alone should be held responsible for the abuse, even though (in this case) the elders knew of Kendrick’s tendencies and failed to take reasonable steps to warn parents in the congregation. Again, the statement shows shocking disregard for the details of the case, and how the events unfolded. It would appear the Society is in denial over both the verdict and their own culpability.

A 2009 video featuring J.R. Brown can be viewed by clicking here. You are invited to watch it before considering the rest of this article, which will now discuss why so many object to the Society’s approach to child abuse.

Why does the Society get it so wrong on child abuse?

Many active Jehovah’s Witnesses will likely wonder what all the fuss is about, and why the Society comes under so much criticism for its child abuse policies. Put simply, this criticism is fully justified. There are two main reasons why ordinary children in congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses are currently placed in harm’s way:

The “two witness rule” – The Society believes that this rule, which is based on Deuteronomy 19:15, should be applied rigidly whenever a case of child abuse is reported. This means that if somebody molests a child without any witnesses and subsequently denies any wrongdoing, the elders will be forced to take no further action against him, and continue as though nothing has happened. Victims of child molesters and their parents are coerced into not revealing the identity of the abuser to others in the congregation, and can even be threatened with being disfellowshipped on grounds of slander if they breach this person’s confidentiality by trying to warn others. This scenario is what is normally referred to when people talk about Jehovah’s Witnesses “protecting pedophiles”, because pedophiles can (and do) easily take advantage of the Society’s leniency in order to repeatedly abuse children over many years whilst escaping punishment or exposure.

Authorities NOT contacted first – In its guidance to elders, the Society insists that the local branch office should always be contacted first whenever an allegation of child abuse is brought to light. This itself is damaging (and in some countries unlawful) because law enforcement authorities should ALWAYS be contacted first if child molestation is alleged to have taken place. It is the responsibility of trained professionals to investigate any allegations of child abuse in order to establish what has taken place, and NOT untrained local elders. However, this is something the Society insists upon, because it seeks to control such cases from the outset in order to exercise “damage limitation” and ensure that the “two witness” rule is applied in each and every possible scenario.

You may find the above assertions hard to believe, so I have replicated page 72 of the 2010 elders’ guidebook “Shepherd the Flock of God” below:

Note that elders are specifically told by the Society to “leave the matter in Jehovah’s hands” if a child abuser continues to deny wrongdoing. This is negligence on the organization’s behalf. As this case has now highlighted, it is unlawful for the Society to knowingly encourage elders not to report pedophiles or to otherwise refuse to acknowledge their abuse in cases where wrongdoing is denied, but this is precisely the approach taken by elders in congregations all over the world.

A Landmark Ruling

The shockwaves from this case will surely continue to reverberate over many years to come. In reality, it has long been believed by many both inside and outside of the organization that the Watch Tower Society’s child abuse policies are unlawful. For example, in February of this year I contacted a prominent UK child abuse charity regarding the Watch Tower Society’s UK “Child Safeguarding Policy” (dated 2012). I sought a professional opinion from this charity and received a very interesting response which read, in part, as follows:

“While there is some demonstration of good intentions in the Child Safeguarding Policy of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, I did not find it to be comprehensive and robust enough, moreover, there are certain practices of the organisation and gaps in the policy that are worrying and can lead to increasing the risk of harm to children.

“The policy should make clear that the role of the designated safeguarding person, which in this case is the Coordinator of the Body of Elders, or the Safeguarding Elder, is to take advice from the statutory authorities. Informing the family could potentially alert the alleged abuser who may then attempt to destroy evidence or pressurise the child into withdrawing the allegation(s) before being interviewed by the investigating authorities.”

“If an allegation of abuse is made about a person in position of trust or responsibility, the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and/or the police should be contacted immediately.

“Elders conducting investigations may be seen to be in breach of UK statutory guidance on the investigation of child abuse. It is not the place of the church elders (or the congregation coordinator or safeguarding elder) to investigate if abuse has taken place. That is the job of those in statutory agencies who have been trained in doing these types of investigations.”

Unfortunately, the writer of this letter (who is a Development Consultant for the charity I contacted) declined the opportunity to have her comments made public, so I am sadly unable to name the person who wrote the letter, or the charity that she represents. However, what this does show is that, in the view of a professional, the Society’s policy of empowering elders to investigate allegations of child abuse rather than reminding them of their statutory duty to contact the authorities is in clear breach of UK law. I have no doubt that this is also the case in other countries, including the United States.

Though the Society’s policies are essentially unlawful, the authorities in many countries are powerless to intervene on behalf of vulnerable children in congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses because the law cannot be enforced pre-emptively. In other words, for anything to be done about the problem, a victim needs to step forward. It has been alleged that many such victims are often silenced by the Society before they can take their cases to court because they are offered lucrative settlements in exchange for their silence. However, in this case, Candace Conti was more interested in justice than money, which is why the Society has finally been prosecuted in a court of law over this issue.

Aside from the legal ramifications, it goes without saying that many Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world will be dismayed to learn that millions of dollars’ worth of their donations for the “worldwide work” will be spent on paying for legal penalties, simply because the Society steadfastly refuses to observe “Caesar’s law” by reporting all alleged cases of pedophilia to the authorities. The following scripture certainly takes on added poignancy following these events:

Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God. Therefore he who opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will receive judgment to themselves.” – Romans 13:1,2 (New World Translation)

It remains to be seen how many other abuse victims will be emboldened by Candace’s story into coming forward, but this case has certainly set a legal precedent that makes it much easier for them to do so. It is sad that the Society would rather risk breaking the law than humbly accept that its policies are negligent and damaging towards children. However, those who have been following this issue will be aware that the Society has ignored repeated warnings that reforms must be urgently introduced, so it was only a matter of time before the Governing Body paid the price for their arrogance in this regard with a legal defeat.

This story is still relatively recent, and I will attempt to keep this article updated with any new developments of significance. In the meantime, if you would like to review the available court documents related to this case, please click on this link to the Court’s official website, and access the records using reference number “HG11558324”. The documents have also been made available on this link to Barbara Anderson’s website, WatchtowerDocuments.com.

Let us hope that these remarkable events will finally lead to the children of Jehovah’s Witnesses all over the world no longer being in potential danger when they share in worship with fellow believers away from the watchful eye of their parents.

 

 

 

 

 

*To read the official news release from Candace’s attorney, please click here.

Other related non-media links (for media links, see main article)…

Elsewhere on JWsurvey…

28 thoughts on “The Watchtower Punished: Society loses legal battle over child abuse case

  • June 28, 2012 at 8:18 am
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    The gov body must change the policy in this matter. that policcy is unfair,againts the law and unchristian.

  • July 25, 2012 at 9:18 am
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    Well written article with a lot of good points. Interesting though how any reference was omitted to Silentlambs? They are the organization that started the abuse issue and helped Candace come forward as well as helped her win her court battle. You would think a well researched article as this would have mentioned that as well as have a link to the website. Was it just an accidental omission?

    • July 25, 2012 at 9:43 am
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      Hello Bill. Thank you for your kind words about my article. I am well aware of Silentlambs, and I have been told of your exploits in the courtroom as a witness for the plaintiff. I’m sorry you feel aggrieved that there is no mention of your website in the main body text of the article, however hopefully those reading the comments will now have their attention drawn to silentlambs.org. Warm regards, Cedars

  • July 30, 2012 at 11:41 am
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    Bowen – you know very well you had NOTHING to do with Candace Conti’s landmark verdict. Sure, maybe you WANTED a piece of the action, but you were not involved and we have verification of that fact. You are ruining your own reputation by trying divert victims to your own wallet and that is very disgraceful.

  • July 30, 2012 at 11:50 am
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    Bill, it seems you had nothing to do with this very important case and it would be very misleading to say you or your website had any part in it.

  • July 30, 2012 at 2:12 pm
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    Anonymous says you have a secret relationship with WT. What say you?

  • July 30, 2012 at 2:58 pm
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    Yes, referring to Bill

  • July 30, 2012 at 4:37 pm
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    “… trying divert victims to your own wallet”?
    Dear Bill, these are serious accusations being made against you and your organisation. Hope you come forward and restore your credibility.

  • December 11, 2012 at 1:53 pm
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    I just think that you are completely wrong. You are ignorant and I think that you are one of the apostates Jesus foretold there will be when the end times arrived. I don’t know not even one of Jehovah’s witnesses who is a pedophile, sex offender or molest children out there in this world. So you need to stop with your propaganda and get back to the truth or you will end up burn in the lake of fire and brimstone. So stop it already with all of this because I just think that all you say is a bunch of lies and you are a slave of Satan.

    • December 11, 2012 at 1:58 pm
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      “I don’t know not even one of Jehovah’s witnesses who is a pedophile, sex offender or molest children out there in this world.”

      …that’s the whole point. You never CAN know if a JW in your congregation is a pedophile or not, because your elders are under strict orders to keep it all secret unless there are two witnesses.

      I hope you wake up some day, even if it’s not today.

  • January 2, 2013 at 7:39 am
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    Hello Rey
    I am the daughter of an elder, currently fading. I have accidentally come across some confidential paperwork regarding a brother in our congregation. This paperwork relates to some judicial committee meetings about this brother not only stalking and harrassing sisters/women, but also having been registered as a sex offender due to molesting children. I would never have believed it of this person, I grew up with him and am in total shock. So it does happen. I have a child, and I speak with this man regularly and would quite happily have let him look after my little one. Nobody has warned me of the danger he poses, and nobody has told his new girlfriend that there is a danger (she has children, I know nobody has told her because the paperwork clearly stated she isn’t aware of the situation). So I don’t think you can categorically state that all JW’s are innocent and good people, just like you can’t state that non-JW’s are evil and bad!

  • January 11, 2013 at 5:15 pm
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    like the JW’s the court system also needs proof to prosecute the individual accused, he or she can deny the accusations and the courts cannot prosecute without proof yes no proof no prosecution yes the cases can be sent to higher courts at tax payers expense again I express no proof no prosecution it can go for years at taxpayers expense so in conclusion please read; Belongs to Jehovah. Unless a person is qualified as executioner of vengeance by appointment of Jehovah, or by being designated as such by his Word, he does wrong if he attempts to avenge himself or others. “Vengeance is mine, and retribution,” says Jehovah. (De 32:35) God is addressed by the psalmist: “O God of acts of vengeance, Jehovah.” (Ps 94:1) Accordingly, the individual is condemned by God if he bears a grudge or seeks personal vengeance for real or fancied wrongs done to himself or to someone else.—Le 19:18; Ro 12:19; Heb 10:30.

    • January 12, 2013 at 2:15 am
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      And I suppose DNA evidence isn’t “proof” because DNA isn’t mentioned in the bible?

  • March 26, 2013 at 8:11 pm
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    I think the Exorbitant award shows the hatred the world has toward Jehovah’s Witness. The Catholic church has many [and I mean many] child sexual abuse cases and they don’t award that amount. All these ex-JW saying all this hateful stuff is shocking. JW have problems but they are the only Church that tells the truth and really tries to teach God’s word. JW must make changes to there current way of reporting child sexual abuse. This current evil world makes us all good people have to adjust their previous way of doing things. Satan is deceptive and this world is under is hand. In our innocence, the world takes advantage of our Godly ways. Ways such as, having two witnesses to validate a crime. This was meant to protect the innocent. Satan has again shown his ways and has made this to seem evil.

  • March 27, 2013 at 7:29 am
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    Valerie, it’s great you realize that changes need to be made within the organization, especially regarding the current policy that protects pedofiles and puts innocent children at risk. As a born-in, I always noticed small issues and discrepancies within the different halls I attended. Yet, coginitive dissonace was a part of my life. I knew never to leave my child with anyone unsupervised. However, for an organziation that constantly holds itself out as better than every other group in the world, JW’s have set themself up to be held to a higher standard. Have you really researched all the child abuse cases that have been reported by legitimate, credible news sources? You mentioned the Catholic church – just a quick search shows they have paid over 3 billion in child abuse claims, as of 2010. If you do some quick math, you’ll see that the Conti case is justified in the award/damage amounts. Remember, the Catholic Church is numbered at over a billion people. Their are numbers are significantly higher than JW’s, so using logic, they would have higher claims and payouts. The way I see it, JW’s make up such a small amount of the population, yet seem to have as many or more problems than other groups. Check your facts – jwfacts.com – I tried for months to prove that something on the site was wrong and couldn’t. With my brain back in the ON position, I now spend every day researching the truth about the truth.

  • January 25, 2014 at 11:31 am
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    I have been studying with JWs for a few years. Many of their Bible interpretations have bothered me. Not being a Witness, myself, I have no fear in checking out pro and con sites. I am grateful for this site ,and it’s excellent, well documented, exposes.

    There are many things about the Witnesses that are appealing, but the total control over the minds of its faithful followers, is frightening, to me. I know this is a minor example, but two Witness “friends” very well informed in WT teachings, though I have proved it numerous times, will repeatedly tell me the Name Jehovah is only found 4 times in the KJV Bible, when in fact it is written 7 times. The WT party line is 4 times, and that is what the JWs are programed to say.
    Now, regarding the child sexual abuse problem in the Kingdom Halls, it’s no wonder the sheeple will not believe anything except what their Controllers tell them is “TRUTH.” If their told “There is NO abuse,” then there is no abuse. End of story !
    A good point was made by Ann-gypsy Sam. I am not a Roman Catholic, but giving credit where credit is due, research will show that only 1 to 2 % of Catholic priests are pedophiles. Yet, the news media, for some reason, has made a smear campaign against the RC Church. I guess if they destroy the biggest, all the little groups will fall along with it in the eyes of general population.
    This is my first time posting on this site. I hope I’ve kept within the guidelines.

    • February 5, 2014 at 2:06 am
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      I don’t have all the details of this case, so I can’t make any personal judgments. I can say that anyone who leaves their children with others unsupervised is a negligent parent. That does not excuse a child abuser. Jehovah’s witnesses are from all types of backgrounds and are suppose to make a change in their lives when they come to know the truth. The normal patterns of ministering by Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t seem to follow the pattern of this case, such as ministering to others alone and without a person of the opposite sex present when ministering to the opposite sex alone. I can’t see how this was done without admonishment from the Leaders of the congregation. However, I don’t have all the evidence of the case and can’t make judgments.
      This case just doesn’t follow known patterns of ministering as it concerns Jehovah’s witnessess.

      • February 5, 2014 at 3:02 am
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        Welcome to JWsurvey Valerie.

        “anyone who leaves their children with others unsupervised is a negligent parent”

        …are you serious?

        • February 6, 2014 at 9:49 pm
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          To be more specific: I believe that any parent that leaves their children unsupervised with people they don’t really know, is a negligent parent. I would only leave children with people I trust. Even leaving children with some relatives or friends, I would consider neligent. You have to be really honest when it concerns children. This is a very wicked world. Some people have very low sexual habits and vulnerable children are their first victims. Wisdom should be used when rearing children. I wouldn’t trust any organization or church with my children. These are our future and we can’t leave them to chance.

    • May 15, 2015 at 11:39 am
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      The problem that happens many times is that people look at the flaws of others and draw away from what the Bible teaches. Search for the TRUTH in the Bible and not in the actions of individuals. I tell people many times that I base my life on living by the standards in God’s word the Bible and not on the actions of imperfect man. The old teaching that states, “Practice what you preach” is correct, but if a person does not practice what they preach, then THAT individual will have to answer for that. I tell people NOT to focus on the acts of others but on the TRUTH of what the Bible, itself teaches, for it is flawless. People aren’t. We, as stated in the Bible, MUST get the straw out of our own eyes, so that we can see clearly to get it out of others. How can we talk against other “People” when someone at the same time, is probably talking about us. I lean on the Bible and what it teaches me. Thanks and have a great and meaningful day!

  • February 8, 2014 at 2:37 pm
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    Have any of you even read the briefs? Learn to educate yourselves… As of 08/2013
    http://jwleaks.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/august-29-2013-conti-v-watchtower-final-reply-brief-of-appellant-watchtower-bible-and-tract-society-of-new-york.pdf

    http://jwleaks.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/august-29-2013-conti-v-watchtower-final-reply-brief-of-appellant-north-fremont-congregation.pdf

    Apostates
    How would Jesus react if professed disciples deliberately failed to “remain in [his] word” and to meet other requirements that he set out? He warned: “Whoever disowns me before men, I will also disown him before my Father who is in the heavens.” (Matthew 10:33)

    They often resort to distortions, half-truths, and outright falsehoods. Jesus knew that his followers would be victimized by those who would “tell all kinds of evil lies against” them. (Matthew 5:p. 1711, Today’s English Version) Such malicious opposers would tell what is not true with the intent to deceive others. The apostle Peter warned about apostates who would use “counterfeit words,” spread “deceptive teachings,” and ‘twist the Scriptures’ to their own ends. (2 Peter 2:3, 13; 3:16) Sadly, apostates succeed in “subverting the faith of some.”—2 Timothy 2:18.

    You go ahead and delete…Jehovah knows your heart

  • February 8, 2014 at 2:39 pm
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    I dare you too speak against Jehovah Himself…..

  • April 12, 2014 at 7:30 am
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    Apparently this was left in “Jehovahs hands” and he slapped the face of the Watchtower.

  • April 12, 2014 at 8:20 am
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    TheylaughedatNoah,

    You have kindly posted the legal briefs, thank you. If one looks at these, one is struck by something rather fundamental. The WTBTS has used legal technicalities to absolve itself from any responsibility in this case. I hope that their appeal fails.

    When one reads the words and acts of Christ, one is struck by his compassion and his mercy. The WTBTS hides behind legal frameworks to avoid its moral responsibilities.

    How do you think Jesus would react to this case? Would he want his organisation to effectively say, “nothing to do with us, Guv! This girl wasn’t a member of our organisation!”

    The elders knew about this man, and they did NOTHING.

    The secret elders book quoted in the article is blasphemous. There is no way that God would want this repugnant crime covered up!

    I do not fear God. I am a righteous man. I try my best to follow the teachings of Christ.

    I do not fear the WTBTS, the GB or any aspect of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

    This appeal is going to be heard soon. Even if the WTBTS win the appeal, their moral authority is now zero. To allow an innocent child to be sexually abused, and to fail to protect that child and other children from further abuse by failing to notify the police IMMEDIATELY is a SIN. It is also a crime, and a disgusting one at that.

    The truth is now out there about the decades of abuse cover ups in the WTBTS. And the truth has set us free.

    Peace be with you

    Excelsior!

  • August 31, 2016 at 7:38 am
    Permalink

    How to write a letter of complaint to Watchtower about quote mining in the Scientific community?

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