I was at the assembly last weekend, where the stress was on how we dress and higher education. Is it only me, or does the Society go into places where they do not belong? What happened to the verse in acts 5:29: “We do not wish to add further burdens to you, but only these necessary things”? We live in the Third World and getting any job without an education is an absolute no-no. There aren’t any part-time jobs like in Europe and the U.S., where bros can support themselves and families. Why add the burden of guilt with such articles?
No, you are not the only one who feels that the Watchtower has over-stepped its bounds and has placed unnecessary burdens upon Jehovah’s Witnesses. Sadly, the Society has become Pharisaic in many ways. The only solution is God’s kingdom.
Do you not think that parents in the congregation have a right to know when there is a pedophile in the congregation, instead of just being reassured that elders will keep an eye on them? I used to be an interested person but will never set foot in a kingdom hall again. My daughter was abused for months by someone we met there.
Yes. Absolutely. Elders are morally responsible to make sure that children are protected from sexual predators in the congregations. Unfortunately, following the directions of the Watchtower’s Legal Department, as elders are sternly instructed to do, has not helped them protect the children in the congregations. Just the opposite, in fact. The Society’s policies have actually served to shield thousands of child sexual predators from arrest and exposure.
2 comments:
Thanking the writer of the final letter in e-watchman, (ie.re the dress and 'study-code') I too live in third world (southafrica):and can agree with your comments whole-heartedly..it seems the wtbts gb is again super-emphasizing the issue of study post final-grade (i think at one stage to end schooling years before grade 12 was considered an especial sign of spiritual maturity; ofcourse the intent was to "enter the pioneer ranks"
What is our moral responsibility to our children against the crime of pedophilia?
The moral turpitude of such a crime against children and their parents is of such magnitude that it warrants their protection by elders in the congregations. Unlike fornication and adultery performed by consenting adults, known offenders of this terrible crime should be made to take full responsibility for their action within the context of criminal law. So yes, elders should work in concert with law enforcement agencies to curb this serious potential threat.
It may be that the WT does not divulge such information so as to protect repentant ones who in the past may have succumbed to this nefarious act, but have since then sincerely repented. They may look at this passage in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11:
"What! Do YOU not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men, nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit God’s kingdom. And yet that is what some of YOU were. But YOU have been washed clean, but YOU have been sanctified, but YOU have been declared righteous in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God."
However, the whole "caveat" to this is that Jehovah does not "give exemption from punishment." (Exodus 34:7)This means that repentance should not shield someone from accountability and criminal prosecution. Therefore, neither should the Society nor elders in the congregations shield perpetrators of a hideous crime.
It is a known fact that children at a certain age group playfully experiment with one another, trying to discover their sexuality. This is especially true with teenagers in the bloom of youth. In these instances parental guidance is very much needed. By so doing, parents will provide their children with the ability to recognize their feelings in this area and properly direct them. This is where moral values as expounded in the Bible are most critical for instruction to our children.
Therefore parents must play a major role in educating their children about this vital, yet sensitive, subject. The lack thereof of parental involvement in the matter of educating our children in this regard cannot go unnoticed either. However, parents who take this matter to heart will undoubtedly equip and help their children form proper moral values and boundaries. --Proverbs 22:6.
Even so, this should not be left to parents alone. Society at large has a responsibility to protect children. Printing books on the subject is not as nearly enough as taking actual steps as a community in dealing with this problem.
CG
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