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30, 2002
My story would take too long to write but after the severe abuse suffered at the hands of "elders" and "ministerial servants" I find it encouraging to read of other experiences similar to mine.
I have been in the truth my whole life (37 years) and am finding it really difficult to mentally make the break from something that has been drummed into me from a little girl. However, I find it difficult to comprehend that an organisation that has protected these wicked men who did these terrible things to me can actually be "the truth".
My mother has also sided with them - she refused to come to court for me (even though she knew the truth of the matter) because she said that what I am doing is wrong. It's bringing reproach on Jehovah's name, and she won't be party to that.
For me it is a way of getting my life back and healing!! I'm not deliberatley doing this. I JUST WANT TO HEAL! I am battling to forgive and I will never forget! I am writing this letter from South Africa to prove that this big cover up takes place all over the world. The "elder" is still and "elder" and the convicted "ministerial servant" (in a court of law) has still not been disfellowshipped.
So whats new?
Hello fellow victims of the WT - no one has posted since me on the first of DEC.- if possible let us take a break from our depression, the WT.the abusive ORG. and their reorg.crap and have a great time celibrating x-mas and new years too--GUYs IT IS OK REALLY. WHAt are you guys doing for the holidays--the big parade for me is the Rose Parade. WHAT about you???Then we can rebuild our emotional/mental strength for the new year 2001 a happier New Year for all--put all that crap on the back bunner for the HOLIDAYS..LINDA KERSEY
Ironically, and probably because the holidays are imminent, I have been thinking about my experiences growing up as a JW. Left when I was 18 because of a "crisis on conscience" over doctrine I believe was inaccurate and unbelievable, and suffered greatly as a result. BUT, my experiences pale in light of what I am reading here. My heart goes out to each and every one of you, and I am humbled by your strength. I will pray for you to have peace of mind and heart, and would appreciate same.
I know a friend who's dad continually physically abused him and fought with him. My friend constantly went to the elders for help, but seeing as his father was an elder, they didn't believe him. When my friend left the congr. his father threw him out of the house and left him to fend for himself. He lost no congregation privleges and continues to serve as an elder.
Our congregation had a talk called 'Watch out paedophiles about' and it basically discussed that there was a 'brother' who was touching the kids. He was never formally repremanded but was later moved on to a neighbouring congregation. He is still there and is an elder!. In my congregation the elder who wanted to pass on the information to Social Services was deleted and finally left.
Hello again! Since I logged in about a month ago I have been amazed at the amount of responses. It is certainly chilling to read some of your stories. The one theme I picked out of it all was that the oh so holy elders and ministerial servants are getting away with it! The totally ridiculous excuse of reproach on Jehovah is a joke. The entire Watchtower Borg is a reproach to Jehovah. I still believe in the divine truth of the Bible, that Jehovah is God and that Jesus is our great redeemer. What I no longer in good conscience can believe is the false and arrogant teachings of men.I remember as a young boy after the rapes seeing my molestors speaking at assemblies and being treated as holy wise men. It scared me then, thinking it was my sin. But now I see that the Governing Body and the rest of the Watchtowers minions are nothing more than the Pharisees Jesus condemned. I do not mind giving my name since I do not fear my molestors. They most likely are dead by now or in some nursing home. My name is Mark H. Palo, I live in Lowell, Massachucetts and my email is; palo50@yahoo.com My last comment is that the elders here in Lowell are typical of the idiots and liars that permeate the entire borg. Take care and keep writing your stories, it is grand encouragement and shows the Watchtower for what it really is, a man made organization. your brother marco polo I look foward to dialog with other victims. !
Hi Randy, I have posted previously on this site since Oct. I am encourage to see so many victim/survivors telling their stories here. You are all so brave. This is something we all were told "not to talk about it or it would bring reproach on Jehovah's name." Since so many of us have been hurt by the elders taking direction from the Society regarding silence in behalf of the molesters, therefore making it a have for pedophiles in the Watchtower Society, it would be a loud statement to be able to post the general areas that these congregations are. I and many other victims come from the North Jersey area where congregations seem to have "holy spirt" directed towards families of elders protecting pedophiles.
In most states, I believe, adults, *all adults* have a duty to report to the child welfare authorities if there is even a suspicion of extreme physical, emotional or mental abuse or neglect on a child.
My thoughts would be that the Elders and the Society could be held liable in civil lawsuits (providing that the Statute of Limitations on criminal liability has elapsed) if there was concrete and corroborative evidence that child abuse was suspected but not reported appropriately to the authorities.
Of course, it would be mostly up to victims and their supports to gather this evidence through lawyers and such. I do know that the Elders of the organization are quite secretive, however, there is some hope as the laws seem to be changing in several countries about what constitutes "ecclesiastical exemption." It is progressively being described that a person may not claim this exemption if it pertains to abuse cases, and if they are not "paid" clergical members. It also seems to me that I read that these exemptions are not valid when there is the abuse of a child involved. It would be interesting to see some case law on this.
Just one question:
Why can people sue the Catholic Church in class action lawsuit and get $$ and an apology, and no one has sued the JW's in a similar matter?
morning - REGARDING 12/5 11:35AM - THAT IS A DAMN GOOD QUESTION - BUT IS MONEY GONA UNDO THE WRONG?? UNDO THE HARM???they SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO LEGAL JUSTICE FIRST AND FORMOST AND WHEN IT IS INCEST THE MOTHER DEFINATELY SHOULD yell LOUD AND CLEAR AND i MEAN LOUD......linda kersey
That is a good question about the money. But what about the pain, humiliation, depression and fear? No amount of money can help that. The entire Watchtower Society should be held as accountable as the Catholic Chruch is. They have to admit thier accountability, thier arrogance, thier secretiveness and stop hiding like so called worldly religions do with ecleasatical privelege. The publicity surrounding this would seriously hurt the borg! Take care and keep writing, your brother marco polo...
Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ! He is my Lord and Savior!
I am disfellowshipped (thank God!) and even though I am now 41 years old and have been out of this Jehovah's Witness cult since age 19, I still feel lots of pain.
I was molested by my brother when I was growing up. Later, when I was married, I told my Jehovah Witness mother what had happened. She said it was "normal" and that's what brothers do. When I finally confronted my brother, asking him why he molested me, he stated that he, too, was molested BY OUR MOTHER when he was a child. He states she would dress him up in girl's dresses and put him in bed with my mom's girlfriend. So, he says, that's why he molested me too. My mom denied ever doing this, but she is prone to being a liar.
My mother, brother, and this "other woman" in the bed are all Jehovah's Witnesses. As hard as it is for me, I do forgive them, and pray they will all become Children of God very soon, before it's too late.
What an evil world we live in. Lord Jesus, we need you and love you!
I just found this site tonight & am so glad I did. I too have an experience to share.When I was a teen,I was raped repeatedly by a fellow teen in the congregation.I was baptized,he was not yet baptized. I was a few years older than he was,but he was larger & much stronger than me.Both our fathers were elders. I never told anyone about it. To this day,21 years later,my parents still don't know.I wanted to tell them then,but was too ashamed & mostly afraid. I was afraid that they would think it was my fault because I was the older,baptized one.I also knew that it would mean commitee meetings. I couldn't bear the thought of sitting in a room with noone but a bunch of men in attendence after what happened. And to have to go into detail about what that boy did to me! This has caused me problems for years.At least reading these posts I know that I'm not alone.As for my JW status now, I dissassociated myself 5 years ago over after laying down the literature & reading the Bible for myself & the kjv at that!
Randy, although you mentioned not to leave names, perpetrator's names or places, I think it would be a good way of helping to exposed the Watchtower Society by naming areas or where congregations are harboring men who rape and molest and are getting away with it by remaining in good standing in their congregations.
what a great service here thank you randy and all of your staff..may our LORD bless you more fully!!! i have a comment to add. an older lady who was friends with my mom for many years(both devout jw's, but my mom is passed away)had moved to the same state i live in now(tenn). many years ago, while i was "strayed" from jw life, this sister called me out of the blue and was depressed and crying. she was contemplating suicide and was distraught about the cold treatment from her grown sons. i was very bitter about my own life and the marital chaos i was in the middle of, so i was not very receptive to this woman. for that i feel so badly about, as i am now a christain, and realize that was a loveless act to be cold to her. i would approach her today, but as i'm infamous for being apostate, she would never consider speaking to me.... well, my trian of thought was this.. sahe told me about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her uncles and cousins, as a young girl. these were highly regarded jw men in vermont many many years ago. how sad. all these years of mental suffering , her husband was not right in the head either, but she was a jw to the bone, in spite of these horrific abuses she suffered. i think back to that conversation, it explained alot about her odd personality..living a lie called "the truth", pretending they have the only true acceptable worship of GOD, yet hiding and covering up sins, abuses, lies, and hypocrosy...margaret.. i'm so sorry i turned my back on you.....
i AM GLAD MARCO POLO LEFT HIS PERSONAL INFO / HE IS A NEAT GUY TOO MR, WATTERS IN MANY WAYS MORE SO THEN YOU - BUT WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO IT BRASS TACKS AND ALL------I AM THE BEST ONE OF ALL.....momalousnews@webtv.net
Dear momalousnews, I was very happy to find this Guestbook where people who have been hurt through abuse, violence, sexual assault including child molestation, incest and rape, can express thier stories, and share some of the mutual pain that they experienced while in the Watchtower Society and it's imposed silence by the so called "spiritual shepherds.", However, your comments seem to be agressive and unkind. The people who post here have had to deal with verbal abuse and shaming from their past experiences. That is why this post should be a place where those of us who have experienced these kind of traumas can feel free to share our stories without having to deal with taunting, and perpetrating comments from others here. I am grateful that Randy has provided a site like this where we can all confidently post, without the fear of re-experiencing shaming verbal abuse by another poster. All of us have made mistakes and were often physically and verbally punished first within our families and then within the congregation for speaking out. This site should not be a place where victim/survivors are fearful to do that lest someone hurtfully comments with taunts and ridicule. I understand you have been hurt as well , so please remember to be peaceful, and kind. "P"
A new website for the exposure (within legal parameters) of abusive sexual predators within the Watchtower Society is online at URL: http://hometown.aol.com/abaadun/predatorsamongusindex.html. Just sign the guestbook as anonymous to keep your identity from public scrutiny. There is a privacy option for comments in the guestbook there.
I know first hand of an abuse case where I live. The mother of the victim was going to report the incident to the police, but the elders strongly adviced her not to. I thought this really, really goes to show how the mental hold this religion has on its followers.
If a Crime has been committed such as robbery or a hit and run, or a murder, or a rape, anyone having first hand information should legally and morally feel obligated to call the prosecutors office. The elders are hiding criminals and think they are above the law of God and man. Their only interest is to keep their secret of pedophilia. They, though, are ENABLED by those who don't speak out against thier sins and criminal coverups.HOW DARE THEY TELL A MOTHER NOT TO REPORT THIER CHILD BEING MOLESTED TO THE POLICE. I GUARENTEE,IF SOMEONE STOLE THEIR CAR, OR FOR THAT FACT A CD PLAYER IN THIER CAR YOU BETTER BELIEVE THEY WOULD CALL THE POLICE. IS NOT A HUMAN BEING WORTH MORE. ???????? ANYONE WHO HAS FIRST HAND KNOWLEGE OF A CRIMINAL ACT AGAINST A CHILD INCLUDING A MOTHER OR ONE WITH FIRST HAND INFO HAS A DUTY TO ACT ON BEHALF OF THE VICTIM AND NOT PROTECT THE PERPETRATOR OR THOSE WHO ENABLE THEM. WHERE WERE THESE ELDERS LOCATED, IN THE NORTHERN JERSEY CIRCUIT??????? IT WOULDN'T SUPRISE ME.
To the writer that complained about picking on the JWs. Get real! The person who said that the JWs point fingers but refuse to look in the mirror at themselves is totally correct. They do nothing! You might have been lucky to meet some mindless minions of the borg, but that does not make them all saints. The rapes that occured to me happened 40 years ago, yet I am still angry and feel betrayed. The Jehovahs Witnesses ruined a 21 year marriage, ruined my reputation and wiped me out financially. I turned to drink! How did the mindless elders handle it? One of these rubes offered me a study in the Truth book. How ignorant can you be? Alcoholism and drug abuse is not a MORAL ISSUE! It has been proven to be a disease! The JWs still treat it as a moral issue, how neandrethal can you get? I was left to sink or swim. It was a Roman Catholic and a Baptist that saved me. How ironic, the Wathctower claims these people are minions of Satan and that Great Whore Babylon. Don't even get me started about Babylon, the writers at the WT had to be on some damn good peyote.So before you just look at your SMALL little cozy world, look around and in conclusion I ask, why are you , a friend of the JWs, even looking at this Watchtower labeled apostate web site? Have worries? Doubts? Then all can't be hunky dory in Candyland. It was members of the HOLY Bethelites that raped a 10-112 year old boy, ME! My name is Mark H. Palo: palo50@yahoo.com
I just discoved this site today. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that I am not alone. I was abused by the elders son when I was only 4. They said it was my fault because I was too pretty,at 4 years old! He was never punished for what he did to me. He is married now and has children of his own. How can they let this happen? I hope one day the congregation will be exposed for the sick,demented,fucked up cult that it is.
I have every sympathy for some peoples bad experiences and I in no way condone them, but unfortunately we are living in a world where people, believe it or not, ARE imperfect.
Some of you really have an axe to grind with members of the Watchtower Society but didn't you ever learn while you were members that these characters WOULD infiltrate the congregation in the time of the end?
Its nobodys fault, except for the individuals who caused these travestys and perhaps the Elders DID handle it wrong in some instances but at the end of the day we are all imperfect!
Give people a break!
TO ALL BE IT FRIEND OR FOE---WT/is a cult and is full of abusive people as members from mere publisher to higharcy etc. RELIGION is man made anyway--GOD is not / I look to GOD and the GOD within myself and then it does away with rules ad regulations of the WT considerably...I dress to suit myself for instance - flannels to sweats - I am warm and that is what matters..HAPPINESS comes from within - in other words it starts with YOU first and only you....SO ALL I CAN SAY - after much soul searching and 40 years in the WT and standing back and observing people, etc. I am Happier out of the ORG. singing Jesus loves, and celebrating the Holidays. Being as single and celibate that I am = the list goes on.....Mark Palo can call himself what he wants. I am going to still call him honey cause that is what I choose too. Ignore the negative and actuate (sp) the positive..I have not seen Susan Forward in 21 years now - but the 4 months I spent in worldy therapy with her - lets say certainly left her mark....MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A SAFE-SOBER And EMOTIONALLY REFLECTIVE NEW YEAR.HAPPY HOLIDAYS
You seem to miss the point. Whe are aware that things like child abuse do happen all over the world and in every religious organization. All we want is to fight for our right as victims and we want to point out that the"Oh so clean" WTBS is not so clean after all. How would you react when your neighboor molested your child, I bet you would screem and gave them a run for the money. Would you give them a break? I think not.
I do take your points and you are right that child molestation happens all over the world. That is why surely we are in the last days. It also talks in the bible about the one "who endures to the end will be saved". From that scripture it is not surprising that people will fall away and act disgracefully. Some of you are just on a witch-hunt against the Society and are looking for any excuse to attack. - get a life.
To the person who attacked every aspect of the WTS - to say that you are happier now out of the organization is true but to say that religion is man-made is garbage. How on earth do you explain the scripture where it says "Jesus is the head of the congregation?" - Surely that talks about people gathering together in a congregation setting (Heb 10:24,25). Where is your excuse? And would you think that Jesus would like you celebrating Christmas( check Catholic encyclopaedia) - pagan festival?
Can I just point out that its unlikely that sexual abuse/molestation is any more common among JW's than any other religious organisation, for example the Catholic church. I would hope that it is less widespread, and has a lower percentage rate than the population as a whole.