Jehovah's Witnesses Settle Abuse Cases

[Madmary1]

Look! The Foretold "Siege" Upon "Jerusalem" Of Bible Prophecy Has Begun! (Zechariah 12:1, 2)

In Zechariah chapter 12, verses 1 and 2, a PRONOUNCEMENT is given by Jehovah God Himself upon His own people, Modern-day Israel (Jehovah's Witnesses) of Bible Prophecy. And because of this, indeed how serious should we, as Jehovah's witnesses (current or former) take this statement from God? This statement (or prophetic pronouncement) is speaking as to 'what' is to happen to His people TODAY. No question, this perilous situation deserves being considered by all Jehovah's people, don't you?

A pronouncement:

"The word of Jehovah concerning Israel," is the utterance of Jehovah, the One who is stretching out [the] heavens and laying the foundation of [the] earth and forming the spirit of man inside him. 2 "Here I am making Jerusalem a bowl [causing] reeling to all the peoples round about; and also against Judah he will come to be in the SIEGE, [even] against Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:1-2)

Now, ask yourself..."will the reader [you and I] use discernment" in this situation? (Mark 13:14) Even more importantly, do you personally think the "disgusting thing is standing in the holy place" now? Could this be possible? Hmmmm, something to THINK about and ponder, wouldn't you say? -- Matthew 24:15, 16

Below, please find a news article that tells all about how the Watchtower Society has settled 16 child abuse cases, all of them out of court, purported for millions of dollars. That would be millions of dollars, that was originally donated by faithful Jehovah's witnesses to the Watchtower Society for the world wide preaching work. What is your opinion of this alarming situation?

Please remember, if the Watchtower Society was innocent of these allegations, then why would they have to settle out of court? Some report the Watchtower Society actually has a database containing the names of more than 23,000 known pedophiles within their midst world wide. Could this possibly be the real reason the Watchtower Society decided to settle out of court, to keep secret this ghastly list of pedophiles among Jehovah's witnesses world wide? You be the judge of that. (Please see news article below.)

Of course, Jehovah knows if the Watchtower Society is trying to hide something heinous about the world wide organization of God's Name People (Jehovah's witnesses) during these last days. And if this is true, then according to bible prophecy, what we see is just the beginning, just the beginning of a foretold WORLD WIDE ‘siege’ authorized by God Himself against His Own People, as mentioned in Zechariah chapter 12 to come upon wicked "Jerusalem" of bible prophecy. Could this be the very situation that this particular bible prophecy is talking about...is it possible that Jehovah God Himself, is causing this very thing...this 'seige' itself? What do you think?

To get the answer to the above questions, let's examine the prophecy:

And it must occur in that day [that] I shall make Jerusalem a burdensome stone to all the peoples. All those lifting it will without fail get SEVERE SCRATCHES FOR THEMSELVES; and against her all the nations of the earth will certainly be gathered. (Zechariah 12:3)

These "severe scratches" referred to above are lawsuits that Jehovah allows to happen to his own people, anyone who would dare SUPPORT the wicked Watchtower Society (wicked Jerusalem) in this hideous crime of hiding or protecting 'Jehovah's witness pedophiles' from justice.

Indeed, as Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7 says for our benefit today that there is "a time to speak out boldly" and "a time to keep quiet." Yes, the YORWW Congregation has been boldly "speaking out" about the wickedness of the Watchtower Society by God's permission, both now and even before the dastardly NGO-United Nations Sin was revealed October 2001 by Divine Providence, using the Guardian Newspaper of the UK.

Similarly, once again in this case, we find Jehovah has indeed acted, yes taken action against His own people, sinful "Israel," Jehovah's Witnesses of our modern day. This was shown when the Watchtower Society decided to settle out of court and make a "payoff" to victims of pedophilia within the organization, rather than face these heinous allegations against themselves, and reveal in open court the 23,000 plus names (in their database) of known pedophiles within their midst. (Watchtower lost ruling by the courts, on the revealing of these 23,000 plus names of known JW pedophiles in their database on October 13, 2006.)

Now this situation becomes just as Jesus pointed out in the first century at Matthew 21:43, because of practiced wickedness and sin on the nation's part. Yes, Jehovah would dutifully have to act, to remove the reproach from His Great Name, by removing the "hedge" of protection from around has people, and now, remarkably work to replace the wicked nation from before His Face, and even appoint a new nation to represent Him. A truly amazing situation indeed!

Indeed, Isaiah prophetically speaks of this day, by showing in chapter 5, verse 5 the following:

And now, please, may I make known to YOU men what I am doing to my vineyard: There will be a removing of its hedge, and it must be destined for burning down. There must be a breaking down of its stone wall, and it must be destined for a place of trampling.

Now is the time for those ones who are "on the watch" to discern exactly what time this is...a "time of inspection" from God! -- Luke 19:44

Also, we remember Jesus said:

"Therefore, when YOU catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place, (let the reader use discernment,) 16 then let those in Ju·de´a begin fleeing to the mountains. (Matthew 24:15-16)

This is a time that we must show to whom we are most loyal ... either to Jehovah God or to an organization. Now is the time to show all watching where you stand!

THE FORETOLD "BAD REPORT" ABOUT GOD'S NAME PEOPLE -- WHAT IS IT?

The prophet Ezekiel foretold our day and time of wickedness practiced by God's Name People dealing with pedophilia and child molestation when he referred to a certain "Bad Report" that would go out in the land about God's Name People in the last days. The entire bible account about the foretold "Bad Report" is shown in Ezekiel 36th chapter and verses 3-15. Ezekiel 36:3 specifically says of this situation:

"Therefore prophesy, and you must say, This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: "For the reason, even for the reason that there has been a lying desolate and a snapping at the you from all sides, in order for you to become a possession to the remaining ones of the nations and you continue being talked about with the tongue and there is a BAD REPORT AMONG PEOPLE,"

Also the prophet continues to state concerning this appalling situation among God's Name People,

And upon you [Israel] I [JEHOVAH] WILL CAUSE HUMANKIND TO WALK, even my people Israel, and they must take possession of you [Israel], and you [Israel] must become a hereditary possession to them, and you [Israel] will not bereave them again of ANY MORE CHILDREN.’” (Ezekiel 36:12)

Why does the above prophecy say Israel "will not bereave them again of any more children"? Why does it say this?

Well believe it or not, this "Bad Report" referred to above in Ezekiel's prophecy, has to do with the hidden problem of PEDOPHILIA AMONG JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES today, and how Jehovah is going to first reveal the situation, and finally how Jehovah will remedy the situation. Yes, that is exactly what this prophecy is talking about. Think about it!

And indeed, when more and more kingdom halls of Jehovah's witnesses around the world, and congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses get wind of this recent development and as MORE AND MORE LAWSUITS continue to be brought against "Jerusalem," the wicked Watchtower Society itself on this very issue (and others), and as more newspapers and media continue to advertise this horrendous situation, and as more people OUTSIDE of the Jehovah's Witnesses Organization continue to talk about this situation and others, then prophetically Jehovah God shows the obvious outcome.

It will become exactly as the prophecy says,

There is a sound of uproar out of the city, a sound out of the temple!

It is the sound of Jehovah repaying what is deserved to his enemies.
~ (Isaiah 66:6) ~

Think about it!

_______________________

Please see news article below.

[Apollyon (Revelation 9:11)]

Jehovah's Witnesses Settle Abuse Cases

Associated Press
Source of Article
By ROSE FRENCH 05.10.07, 6:14 PM ET


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.

"Our loving heavenly Father makes it clear in his Word, the Bible, that he abhors child abuse," a statement from the denomination said.

"As an organization, we will continually strive to educate families and congregations with sound Scriptural teachings that they can use to protect their children from child molesters. And we will continue to do our utmost to protect children from this horrible crime and sin."

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.


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[Apollyon (Revelation 9:11)]

Victims’ Group Releases Settlements
With 16 Who Claimed Abuse by Elders

By Rose French
AP

Source of Article

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — A victims’ rights group has released documents showing that the Jehovah’s Witnesses, also known as the Watchtower Society, 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.

Silentlambs, most of whose members are former Witnesses, have also held occasional demonstrations outside the Witnesses’ world headquarters on Columbia Street in Brooklyn Heights. On those occasions, the Witnesses refused to meet with them.

Settlements were reached in late February and early March, according to court records obtained by silentlambs and posted to the group’s web site, www.silentlambs.org. Details about the settlement terms could not be disclosed under confidentiality agreements negotiated between the parties, said Stephen Owens, a plaintiffs’ attorney involved in several of the cases.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses said Thursday that they were pleased to see the lawsuits resolved, but declined further comment.

“Our loving heavenly father makes it clear in his word, the Bible, that he abhors child abuse,” a statement from the denomination said. “As an organization, we will continually strive to educate families and congregations with sound scriptural teachings that they can use to protect their children from child molesters.”

William Bowen, silentlambs’ founder, said, “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.

Bowen says that since he established silentlambs in 2001, about 7,000 people who claim they were abused have contacted his group.

The Watchtower has maintained its headquarters in Brooklyn Heights, which it calls “Bethel,” since 1909. In the recent past, it has put some of its property in and around the Heights for sale, such as its former printing plant at 360 Furman St. (see page 5) and, most recently, the former Standish Arms hotel on Columbia Heights. At the same time, however, the group has been buying property in nearby DUMBO.

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