Jehovah's Witnesses have hired known cult apologist Massimo Introvigne to write a 21-page "Expert Opinion" defending the Witnesses for their child abuse mishandling.

[Shiwiii]

18 minutes ago, Witness said:

They are desperate.  "Outsourcing" when Holy Spirit is not aiding them "in house", is the only way.  

Understandable given what they have caught with, but to use a known person who has advocated for the likes of Scientology? They really couldn't find anyone else? Or do you think they are doing this on purpose, actually wanting the guy who wrote for Scientology, so that maybe....just maybe, they won't look as bad as Scientology? 

[Srecko Sostar]

7 minutes ago, Shiwiii said:

I see that from your post. What I don't get is do they really think that an outside person is going to be able to explain the wt position better then they can? They have lawyers on speed dial, no? Or do you think they have to outsource because the wt's lawyers can only handle personal cases ( witness against another person or the like) and not really so when it comes to another organization?

Perhaps they use sort of "strategy". To find "neutral" party/side who will find nice few words for them. 

[Witness]

21 minutes ago, Shiwiii said:

They really couldn't find anyone else?

It appears that they made the top choice, and one they were already familiar with, or had developed "ties" with, as we see from the jw org link.  

 

Wikipedia on Cesnur, the organization that Introvigne directs:

CESNUR has been described as "the highest profile lobbying and information group for controversial religions".

But, we know "the love of money is the root of all evil"

CESNUR describes itself as an independent scholarly organization, but the organization has met with criticism for alleged personal and financial ties to the groups it studies; anthropologist Richard Singelenberg questioned in 1997 whether CESNUR is "too friendly and does not make enough critical comments about new religious movements and sects".[12] Many scholars, however, see it in a favourable light and share its criticism of the "sect-monitors".[2]

 

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  1 Tim 6:10

 

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

Without further independent check-able proof, I do not believe ANY of this.

Nothing, whatsoever.

Any way to independently check this?

The burden of proof lies with those making the assertions.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

Expert Opinion, Holly Folk, Massimo Introvigne, J. Gordon Melton. 

1. We have been requested by the law firm of Mr. Shane Brady, representing the “Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Netherlands”, to examine the report “Sexual Abuse and Willingness to Report Within the Community of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” 

file:///C:/Users/ohnja utlerba/Downloads/TK+Bijlage+1+Expert+Opinion (6).pdf

@James Thomas Rook Jr.   So is the above fraud ?  It's easily available online. 

Shane Brady is / was a Bethelite it seems as I've previously uploaded. So is it all  lies ? 

 

[Ray Devereaux]

Pedophile priests. Shame, pain and truth about the attack on Benedict XVI

 

Pedophile priests exist. Many of us would like it to be just a bad dream, or slander from the secularist press. Unfortunately, this is not the case. And that's not what the Pope teaches us. In the magnificent Letter to the Catholics of Ireland of 19 March 20, O Benedict XVI speaks of a Church wounded and disoriented by news relating to pedophile priests: news, unfortunately, not always unfounded. The pope denounces in a very loud voice "abnormal crimes", "shame and dishonor", the violation of the dignity of the victims, the blow inflicted on the Church "to a point which had not even reached centuries of persecution" (Benedict XVI 2010, from which the subsequent citations are also taken). Page 5

 

Can it be the purpose of Massimo Introvigne is to realistically examine a condition that is out of any “religions” control but find it an extreme negativism for ignorant people to suggest any religious leaders accepts child abuse?

However, I don’t recall when the Watchtower sent “Elders” accused of child abuse to a monastery (correctional facility) to rehabilitate that minister of religion as the Catholic Church does.

Perhaps, people are better suited to “think” here before making embarrassing comments. I am sure, even apostates have the ability to think with such “personal” human condition. How many governments and government run institutions are charged for a crime, because of its residents?

[Witness]

11 hours ago, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

 

Any way to independently check this?

The burden of proof lies with those making the assertions.

For some reason, and it may be just a problem on my end,  I can't open the link provided by  @4Jah2me  Here's another one from reddit:

 

anders_andersen

 /r/exjg (NL)

 “This comes from a report the Jehovah's Witnesses submitted to the Dutch Government in relation to an inquiry in the handling of child sexual abuse in the JW church.

You can download the 'expert opinion' straight from the official website of the Dutch House of Representatives" ('Tweede Kamer'): https://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken/detail?id=2020D02326&did=2020D02326

 CESNUR's conference program:

https://www.cesnur.org/2019/turin-program.htm

Listed:

Christian Religious Movements in Context

Chair: Dyron DAUGHRITY

Third Millennium Religious Dynamics in the Twentieth Century: Jean Finot Challenges Weber
Carter CHARLES (Brigham Young University, Provo, U.S.A.)

Separating Church and State in ltaly: Civil Marriage and the Mormon Connection
Michael W. HOMER (Attorney and Independent Scholar, Salt Lake City, U.S.A.)

The Jehovah’s Witnesses: A Paradigm for Internet Strategies?
Wolfgang BATTMANN (University of Berlin, Germany)

La Luz del Mundo in Poland. A Report
Karolina Maria HESS and Małgorzata Alicja DULSKA (Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland)

 

 

 

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

Oh dear yes my link above  will not open. Sorry. 

The PDF on the end of Jack's original comment opens. Is anyone saying that is fake ? 

[Witness]

It appears Massimo Introvigne has had a relationship with the organization for quite a while. 

 

Watching the World   g98 7/8 p. 28

Threat to Religious Liberty in Europe

At a recent press conference in Washington, D.C., U.S.A., Massimo Introvigne, a Roman Catholic scholar from Turin, Italy, said that antisect lists or reports are being compiled in several countries. Organizations targeted as “dangerous sects” include Baptists, Buddhists, Catholic charismatics, Hasidic Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Quakers, and the Young Women’s Christian Association. A German report cites 800 groups; one in Belgium, 187; and one in France, 172. Introvigne writes that in France “teachers have been fired from public schools after years of honorable service only because they were members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.” As reported by Compass Direct news service, Introvigne expressed concern about public sponsorship of anticult movements. He said: “It is abundantly clear that these movements are responsible for spreading misleading and often simply false information about religious minorities, and an intolerant worldview.”

 

[Randy Lee Manning]

  Hello Jack

Where is the 21 page report about child abuse handling , Also you only say JW only, when it also talks about the Baptist,  Buddhist, Catholics, Hasidic  Jews ,  Quakers, and the Young Women’s Christian Association.

You need to  get your story right !! instead of just saying JW ! . And what cult do you belong too?

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

Didn't you open the PDF file on the very first comment of Jack's ? 

It open clearly enough. And if it's lies then I would think it could be regarded as fraud or slander. 

You know how much the GB's lawyers would make of it if it was fake.