Secrets of Pedophilia in an American Religion
Child abuse is abhorrent to us, is a commendable statement, and one Jehovah's Witnesses repeat often. Knowing there were documents that would prove their secret actions spoke louder than their public words, I committed to unveil what has been too long hidden in a religion which proclaims their child abuse policy is without equal in the religious community.
The goal of my project was to shine a bright light on the secret policies and procedures utilized by Jehovah's Witness leaders to manage victims, accusations of sexual abuse by Witness molesters. But to do so depended upon obtaining over 5,000 pages of court documents, which I did, and they revealed the truth.
Along with the documents put on a CD, I have provided a commentary meant to make it easier for readers to make sense of the thousands of pages of court records. My work is just a glimpse into the internal workings of Jehovah's Witnesses in the matter of child sexual abuse. I certainly have not provided all the information that can be gleaned out of the records. Now it is up to others to pick up the gauntlet and explore what is being provided in a new CD,
Secrets of Pedophilia in an American Religion, Jehovah's Witnesses in Crisis,by Barbara Anderson
WATCHTOWER COURT DOCUMENTS
I know... people should not jump the gun and go blaming an entire org due to a few bad apples! Read my Blog: Jehovah's Witnesses and Bad Apples & Why are there Pedophiles in any group? Two articles in Progressive.org
Before you go off the deep end, let's keep a few things in mind...
1. Pedophiles come from a wide variety of religious backgrounds
2. This has happened because all religions have people within them that put on this facade of being true to their faith while in secret they are disgusting
3. These people do indeed need to be exposed for their behavior; no human being should advocate it at all
4. If such behavior goes unpunished by other people, the culprit in addition to the people who didn't hold them responsible for their deeds, will have their God to deal with
Mind you, I'm not saying this just because I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I think the behavior of these people is completely disgusting and such behavior is not at all condoned on any level by those of us who really try to live by Bible standards. While it is unfortunate that this has happened, however, don't be in such a rush to peg us as an evil organization. I honestly believe that the rest of the over 6.5 million of us worldwide are shocked, disappointed, and disgusted by this behavior. My prayers go out to my spiritual brothers and sisters who have endured such abuse and they should keep in mind that their abusers will be dealt with in a way by Jehovah that no court on this Earth could even fathom.
As for the abusers, do not affiliate them with us in any way. True, they may be baptized, they may even have a level of position-but no true servant of God would ever in eternity commit such a repulsive act. Ever.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2007/08/27/paedo-s-sister-hits-out-8952...
Paedo's sister hits out
Exclusive by Richard Smith 27/08/2007
TOP STORIES Paedo's sister hits out
Mirror.co.uk, UK - 26 minutes ago
Married Jehovah's Witness Porter, 38, was astonishingly let off with just a three-year community rehab order last week despite the victims of his vile ...
The sister of the paedophile freed despite attacking 13 boys spoke yesterday of her revulsion of him.
Tina Hughes told of her relief that her two kids had escaped their uncle Michael Porter's evil clutches - but she fears he will now go on to attack other children.
The mum-of-two, 40, said: "I don't know him now. I feel the same about him as I would any paedophile.
"He's an evil monster with no soul. He's not human. The fact he is flesh and blood is irrelevant to me. To me he is six feet under. Dead."
Married Jehovah's Witness Porter, 38, was astonishingly let off with just a three-year community rehab order last week despite the victims of his vile 14-year campaign including an 18-month-old tot.
Tina fears it has left other innocent kids at risk of falling prey to his twisted lusts. She said: "There's no way I'd let my kids near him. Once a paedophile, always a paedophile. He'll never change.
"When the sentence was delivered I could tell he was laughing inside. I broke down in tears. I knew the victims, every single one. I was heartbroken for them."
The Attorney-General is considering an appeal against his soft sentence.
Porter used his seniority in the Jehovah's Witness church to pose as a normal adult with an innocent devotion to children. He grew close to Tina's son Charlie, now nine, and daughter Emily, 14, but abused neither.
His sister, of Clevedon, Somerset, said: "He was respected in the Jehovah's Witness community. As a teenager he babysat kids. He worshipped Emily but never touched her.
It seems he was only interested in boys.
"Thank God he only saw Charlie under my supervision. But I'd never have suspected him because the kids appeared to adore him."
Porter, his sister and three siblings grew up in a contented home in Portishead, Somerset, despite a strict Christian upbringing.
Their parents even held him up as an example to the others, with no idea of the monster he would become. Tina, no longer a Jehovah's Witness, said: "We had a happy childhood. All five of us were close as the religion would not let us associate with people outside it.
"Michael was God-fearing and because of that was the apple of our mum's eye. Our parents said we should follow his example."
When Tina later became a single mum, hypocrite Porter claimed she was guilty of a mortal sin and shunned her. She said: "He didn't approve of sex out of wedlock and said I'd condemned my child to death." Yet he molested kids in the religious community, convinced its reclusive nature would keep his secret hidden.
Tina added: "Jehovah's Witnesses are closed to the outside world. Michael knew that by abusing kids in the religion, nothing would be said about it."
Porter, of Finchley, North London, admitted 24 charges of gross indecency and indecent assault at Bristol crown court last week. A woman whose husband and son he abused blasted: "He's allowed to walk the streets even though he's done so much damage to my family. I'm absolutely devastated."
Tina added: "Jehovah's Witnesses are closed to the outside world. Michael knew that by abusing kids in the religion, nothing would be said about it."
Danny Haszard comment:
Jehovah's Witnesses have an absurd in house Church rule requiring 'two witnesses' to acts of sin.This makes it difficult to prosecute secret sins as child molesters rarely provide a 'witness' to their dastardly deeds.
Moreover,members are discouraged from going to 'outsiders' the police and reporting sins.
That's it,..this is what can make the pedophilia worst among the Jehovah's Witnesses group compared with other mainstream religions.
Sexual Abuse and Child Abuse Among Jehovah's Witnesses
http://www.exjws.net/sexabuse/index.htm
http://www.watchtowerinformationservice.org/childabuse.htm
http://www.rickross.com/reference/jw/jw136.html Witnesses to pain
Tina added: "Jehovah's Witnesses are closed to the outside world. Michael knew that by abusing kids in the religion, nothing would be said about it."
-tell the truth don't be afraid-Danny Haszard
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4153572&ver...
Monster' Paedophile Walks Free
MyFox Philadelphia, PA - 8-23-007
Michael Porter abused his position in the Jehovah's Witnesses to prey on young children in Somerset between 1986 and 2000. A judge at Bristol Crown Court ...
...Porter left the family's home in Somerset and moved to London in 2000 after his mother died and was later made an elder.
Worshippers in Mill Hill, Barnet, have stood by Porter despite confessing to his crimes, according to his sister.
"His religion is his full-time job. They're backing him and have not thrown him out. He'll still be in contact with children and be visiting houses door-to-door."
----
Danny Haszard comment-this stuff is leaving me reeling they are so arrogant and their own worst enemy
-tell the truth don't be afraid-Danny Haszard
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2316396.ece
Paedophile freed despite multiple assaults c
Times Online, UK - 2 minutes ago
A leading Jehovah's Witness who was branded an "evil monster" by his own sister was spared prison today, despite being convicted of 24 counts of indecent ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/6960166.stm
Man escapes jail for sex attacks
A Jehovah's Witness has escaped a jail term after admitting a series of sexual assaults on children and adults in Clevedon.
Michael Porter, of Okehampton Close, north London, admitted 24 counts of indecent assault and gross indecency on 13 victims aged 18 months and older.
Among the individuals were others involved in the faith.
Judge Tom Crowther at Bristol Crown Court sentenced Porter to three years of community rehabilitation.
The judge opted not to jail Porter after hearing he had undergone therapy and was a changed man.
He was banned from working with anyone under the age of 18 and put on the Sex Offenders Register.
But Porter's sister, Tina Hughes, said: "I am absolutely disgusted. He should not have walked free.
Many of the families involved have been completely traumatised
Det Con Lisa Finch
"He has lost nothing. We have to tell the victims we have got no closure. He is an evil person. He is not human."
Det Con Lisa Finch, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "Many of the families involved have been completely traumatised. It has turned their lives upside down."
Avon and Somerset Police are thought to be considering appealing against the sentence.
Norman Brennan, founder of the Victims of Crime Trust, said: "If we're to reassure parents and send out a strong deterrent message to paedophiles, then those convicted should face prison sentences that both punish and deter others."
The court was told that Porter, 38, carried out the assaults between 1986 and 2000.
Babysitting youngsters
He was a respected member of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Portishead and Clevedon.
Parents trusted him to look after their children, and he regularly babysat for youngsters, took them away on holidays and invited them for sleepovers at his home.
He finally admitted what he had done after one of his victims threatened to go the police.
Porter declined to comment as he left court with his wife.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/6...
Published: 2007/08/23 14:22:54 GMT
-tell the truth don't be afraid-Danny Haszard
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article...
Paedophile walks free after string of sex attacks over 14 years
Daily Mail, UK - 39 minutes ago
Michael Porter, 38, used his trusted position as a ministerial servant in the Jehovah's Witnesses to prey on young children in Clevedon, Somerset over a ...
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007390280,00.html
Judge spares 'evil monster' jail
The Sun, UK - 53 minutes ago
Michael Porter, 38, used his trusted position as a ministerial servant in the Jehovah’s Witnesses to prey on young children in Clevedon, Somerset over a ...
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/8/140694/1.ashx
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/11/139789/14.ashx
-tell the truth don't be afraid-Danny Haszard
Nationwide Bulletin Alert from Silentlambs
ProgressiveU.org, CA - 5 hours ago
We are mounting a nationwide campaign to alert the public and Jehovah’s Witnesses of a fugitive that is on the 15 most wanted by the U. S Marshalls Service. ...
http://www.progressiveu.org/035135-nationwide-bulletin-alert-from-silent...
-tell the truth don't be afraid-Danny Haszard
The two witness rule is ridiculus. Most abuse occurs in private, with nobody but the abuser and the abused present.
It is good to find out these things through the extensive research that you have done, but only action can affect change. What are you doing to make a difference and raise awareness besides compiling your data? Also, is there a way to educate the children that there are people they can go to who will not punish them but help them? I think that is more important than making a disk...making change and helping the victims.
Pedophilia is common in the Jehovah's Witnesses Watchtower cult. Those that expose the crime of child rape are often retaliated against. The cult has become a "pedophile's paradise", yet the mainstream media is often afraid to report on this. Protect your community; warn your friends and neighbors today.
I have seen the conditions that prevail that lead to child abuse in my own congregation.Thinking that the new system (armageddon) is 'just around the corner' leads to putting off fixing problems.
It's tough growing up Jehovah's Witness
The 23,000 as a percentage is the point being made. For every one of the 23,000 there's probably 10 out there for whom there is no case file.
The Watchtower cult leaders are the 'ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing false prophets' that Jesus warned about . The Watchtower has defrauded MILLIONS of followers with their 1914 'Jesus returned to power' gospel of gobbledygook.
The OUTRAGE against Jehovah's Witnesses is Justifiable Anger. Danny Haszard 50 years experience with the Jehovah's Witnesses
Sexual Abuse and Child Abuse Among Jehovah's Witnesses
http://www.exjws.net/sexabuse/index.htm
-tell the truth don't be afraid-Danny Haszard
The Watchtower Society (WTS) over JWs is worse than with Roman Catholic:
1. The WTS has over 23,000 files on its own child molester members; and likely not even the Catholic church has this kind of percentage considering for each one of those 10 are probably out there not in any file(see also silentlambs.org), plus
2. The WTS forces elders to send so-called "repentant" child molesters, serial murderers etc preaching door-to-door giving them unparalleled access to the Public's kids as well as JW kids; and
3. Mrs Anderson's new book (see watchtowerdocuments.com) shows the WTS's own documents with names of its own headquarters staffers etc and details by their own admission of how they have not been diligent in protecting kids and adults abused when kids, or those speaking up for the victims
Readers can also consider the documents that Bill Bowens who has long spotlighted this issue via silentlambs.org also shows of their own documents about the UN at
http://www.jwchildcustody.com
The RCC got publicity because of the shocking assaults by high ranking priest,in the JW's most abuse is committed by family members.
The Jehovah's Witnesses are small compared to the size of the Roman Catholic Church
My religion is no worse that any other,the isssue is the way the congregation elders cover it up,for fear of 'reproaching Jehovah's name'.The other thing unique to JW's is the conviction that 'any day'(6 months or 6 years) the new system will fix everything and problems don't have to resolved in the here and now.
Jehovah's Witnesses followers and the general public need to be warned about the Watchtower's two-witness policy for sexual abuse! It is destroying children's lives.
Jehovah's Witnesses settle abuse cases
5/10/2007, 6:14 p.m. ET
By ROSE FRENCH
The Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A victims' rights group released documents Thursday that showed the Jehovah's Witnesses recently settled civil suits with 16 people who claimed they were sexually abused by church elders or that church officials failed to act on abuse allegations.
The group, called silentlambs, held a news conference in Nashville to demand that the denomination change its policy for responding to sex abuse reports.
Settlements were reached in late February and early March, according to court records obtained by silentlambs and posted to the group's Web site. Fourteen of the cases were filed in California; the other two were in Oregon and Texas.
Details about the settlement terms could not be disclosed under confidentiality agreements negotiated between the parties, said Stephen Owens, a plaintiffs' attorney involved in the California cases. Other cases are still pending, according to silentlambs, which couldn't say how many.
The Jehovah's Witnesses, whose headquarters are in Brooklyn, N.Y., said Thursday that they were pleased to see the lawsuits resolved, declining further comment.
William Bowen, silentlambs' founder, was a Jehovah's Witnesses elder from Kentucky who quit the denomination after he said it took no action against a molester. Bowen said the settlements were bittersweet.
"On one hand, we're glad a few victims are finally getting some financial help," he said. "On the other hand, we're sad and worried because they've essentially been forced to give up their right to protect others by speaking out about their abuse to the public."
Bowen's group has criticized the Jehovah's Witnesses' policy that if an accused abuser denies the charge, two credible witnesses are required to establish guilt — due to literal application of such Bible verses as Deuteronomy 19:15 ("only on the evidence of two witnesses, or of three witnesses, shall a charge be sustained").
If two witnesses are lacking, the accused is deemed innocent, charges remain confidential and — silentlambs says — parents who warn others are subject to disfellowshipping for slander.
Disfellowshipping is an extreme penalty that means a total cutoff of relationships by family members, friends and business associates who are Witnesses.
There are about 1 million Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States, and followers are known for distributing Awake! and Watchtower magazines door-to-door.
Bowen also said Jehovah's Witnesses have a long-standing policy of not reporting molesters to police. He claims that the denomination has a secret database of accused abusers that they have not shared with law enforcement officials.
"They keep putting innocent kids and unsuspecting families at risk of horrible crimes because they value their secrecy and reputations more than they value children's safety," Bowen said.
Since establishing silentlambs in 2001, Bowen says about 7,000 people who claim they were abused have contacted his group.
Angelique Taylor, 42, a silentlambs member from St. Louis, said she was molested by a Jehovah's Witnesses elder when she was about 12. Taylor said she told her father, who was also an elder, and he said she was making a big deal out of nothing.
"I want every elder, every Jehovah's Witness, whenever they suspect any abuse, they go to the police and tell them about the problems," Taylor said. "The devastation of sex abuse is unbelievable."
___
Associated Press reporter Allison Hoffman in San Diego contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
silentlambs: http://www.silentlambs.org
-tell the truth don't be afraid-Danny Haszard
WOW check out these links on this group this is what comes up on a google search
http://www.carm.org/jw/false_prophecies.htm
http://www.geocities.com/paulblizard/reasons.html
http://www.bible.ca/jw.htm
http://www.bible.ca/indexJws.htm
The Watchtower has a Witness Protection Program that's jeopardizing the safety of children within congregations.