Paedophilia and the Elders

The Crown Prosecution Service is to review the sentence of Michael Porter, the elder in the Jehovah's Witnesses who was sentenced to a mere three years' community rehabilitation after admitting abusing little boys (one a baby of 18 months) over 14 years.  The leniency of this sentence caused outrage at the time .  It also focused attention- as in some other churches'  cases in the past - on the dangers religions run when encouraging undue reverence for senior figures.  There is a likelihood , if abusers hold such power and respect,  of children being less willing to tell and parents to believe.  In Canada another elder in the church has pleaded guilty to abuse of a minor; and a recent BBC investigation  for Panorama (transcript here) claimed that the rules in the Witness community lead to cover-ups, as initial reporting is to their own legal desk not the police.   I can find no comment on the Watchtower website about the Porter case, or policy on this subject,  but a page of warnings against internet chatroom predators.

Comments

[Danny Haszard]

The Watchtower organization allows convicted pedophiles to go knocking door to door to as part of their belief requirement.

Pedophilia is covered up in the Jehovah's Witnesses on a scale worst than the Catholic priest scandal.Not only do they deny it but the Watchtower has instructed the Kingdom Hall elders to go after all whistle-blowers. The JW's exploit an obscure 2,000 year old bible passage and demand that there be TWO witnesses to every act of child abuse committed by a Jehovah's Witness.This fosters a code of silence and a "pedophile's paradise" in the Jehovah's Witnesses.

The 'Two Witness' Take-Down is a subterfuge exploited by Jehovah's Witnesses that is selectively enforced by elders who play favorites and fast & loose with the truth,an excuse to ignore and suppress evidence at whim

[Randall Watters]

An outstanding trait of all these JW pedophile cases is that unlike the Catholic Church, which has even proved superior to Jehovah's Witnesses in admitting they have a serious problem with their policies, the leaders of the Governing Body of the Watchtower are trying desperately to hide any hint of their guilt in the matter. I worked at Bethel for 6 years and I know how desperate they are to cover things over.

[Joe]

They try to cover up and hide any negative publicity about their Elders to protect "Mother," that is the Watchtower Society mother organization.

Besides sheltering pedophiles they pretend Acts 15:20 saying "abstain" from blood refers to transfusions not just ritual while ignoring 1 Samuel 14:32-35 says a whole army ate unbled meat and were forgiven. Result: the deaths of JW infants, kids and adults.

Until these abuses end we need to keep spotlighting them. Lots of JWs now know of them but stay JWs to not lose association with JW family and friends. If they quit, they are shunned and the other JWs are to shun them. This despite 2 Corinthians 2:6 saying most but not all Corinthian Christians followed Paul's suggestion to shun a wrongdoer. They want total compliance and total power. That's why they are a dangerous cult.

I congratulate those JWs who at least cut donations of time and money to the pro-pedophile Watchtower Society over them. If and when you want to quit the Watchtower Society there are gentle decent churches and fellowships such as one for which I moderate:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChristianWitnesses/

[Michael]

Have you read the October 2007 Awake magazine,which is entitled "Keep your children safe".It shows how parents can protect their children against such sexual predators.The magazine is produce by Jehovahs
Witnesses.Anyone who is involve in this disgusting pratice should be reported to the police.Everyone deserves to be treated with the utmost respect and dignity,sadly we live in world where such princples are lacking.It is very very important for parents to train and teach their children so they do not became victims.

[Heidi]

Thank you very much for keeping up with this story.

[Jennifer]

You guys are real life apostates.