A&E Investigates Jehovah's Witnesses

[Jack Ryan]

Romy Maple and Barbara Anderson expose the horrendous child sexual abuse cover ups.

You know it's bad when the program starts with this:

 

[JW Insider]

Just heard it on A&E -- On Demand. Apparently it's going to be some series on "cults." Evidently there has already been an initial episode and this was the second one. If you're watching "On Demand" be prepared to have something to do after it gets half-way through. The commercials started seeming like 10 in a row back-to-back. And this happened 3 or 4 times. "Romy's" case, depicted, is a case from Fortuna, California. The producers interviewed Barbara Anderson, too, and took Romy to Tennessee to meet with her. It's a terrible case, and I think it's one of those which will happen much less often now that several of the procedures have improved.

I believe that B.Anderson was absolutely right about Leviticus 5:1. For cases like child abuse, the verse apparently says pretty much the opposite of what the WTS has tried to make it say. Many of the best Bible Commentaries would also agree with her.

They wasted their time getting all the supposed "expertise" about the JWs from a "cult expert" who seems to be a "professional" in that she can exaggerate without it sounding like she's exaggerating. I heard B.Anderson make one inaccurate statement. I heard this other "cult professional" make about 10 mistakes. The interviewer/moderator makes a few mistakes too, but it's also obvious that she was in on the agenda, to make sure that it became a supposed story about a cult where no elders can be trusted. It should have been about the common problem of abuse in religious institutions, where power and control is a common element in the crime. It should have focused on what the JWs have done to make things better. And it should have had some words of advice for people who have suffered.

The episode mentions the most recent changes, but gives no credit, as if updated procedures wouldn't change anything anyway. The episode gives the impression that there has been no improvement since the latest changes went into effect. Also contains a very unflattering view of Warwick Headquarters that was completely unfair as they tried to get some dramatic footage.

A strange mistake that "Romy" makes is memorable. She remembered as a girl, or even now, that Armageddon would be a time when people would be up to their necks in urine, out of fear. Obviously she was mis-remembering the blood up to the bridles on the horses.

I would not recommend the episode, except to Witnesses who want to know the type of things the world will be seeing, and prepare for another "ding" in our reputation.

[Jack Ryan]

[JW Insider]

I thought the biggest problem it showed was that the elders had a chance to apply the two-witness rule since a second person went to the elders along with Romy who had also been abused by the same person. But the elder they went to, shut them down by evidently (per Romy) slamming down his fist, yelling, calling Romy a liar, and telling her never to speak badly about this brother again. (The case, after the A&E report, is also reported here: http://www.times-standard.com/article/NJ/20180531/NEWS/180539957 )

Unfortunately, in most of these cases from a decade or more ago, many elders, perhaps even most, were still doing everything they could to protect the reputation of their congregation, their friends, and the organization by discouraging families from reporting. It's a recurring theme. I hope to soon start hearing about more cases where the elders encouraged the family to report the crime so that children in the congregation would be protected from further abuse. I have not seen that shift yet in these news stories.

Anecdotally, I have heard of two more recent cases, not yet in the news, which might indicate another disturbing trend. They are cases where a Witness who is a minor (e.g. 16-y.o) had sex with an older Witness and have been deemed "consensual" by the elders, and therefore supposedly not subject to reporting laws.

[Evacuated]

On 6/1/2018 at 2:37 AM, JW Insider said:

people would be up to their necks in urine,

Maybe shades of Rabsheka (2 Ki.18:27)

[Silentnomore]

The "up to their necks in urine" comment was likely a specific description her parents made up. I've heard from lots of children raised as JW's whose parents described Armageddon with their own disturbing ideas, beyond those put in print by WTBTS. It's not unusual.  That there were errors about witness terminology is beside the point.  People not raised in it are trying to put things in terms outsiders will understand.

The society's refusal to change the 2 witness rule renders tiny adjustments to their policy mere lip service. They still refuse to report abuse in states where it is not mandatory. They still appoint predators to positions of trust as long as they are not "known predators", by which they mean known to the community or congregation. If ONLY elders and victims know, then they can and are still placed in trusted positions.  If the organization wanted air time for the "positive changes" they've made, they could have participated in the documentary. The Australian Royal Commission examined internal documents and confronted them about the 1006 predators among 788 congregations that had never been reported to authorities. Their response, that they will never change the two witness rule, indicates they still have little interest in protecting children. Anything else is just shining the outside of a filthy cup.