Why do Jehovah's Witnesses not report child molestation to law enforcement?
410375
As someone who WAS a jw for 20+ years and and left (NO I was NOT disfellowshipped) I can tell you that the JW have what is known as the "two witness" rule...unless something is known and reported by two witnesses....it is just one person's word against another.  \n\nNow how likely is a pedophile to commit their crimes in the presence of two witnesses ?  So now instead of calling the Police...the good little brainwashed jw cult members report this to their local elders and are accused of slander and while they may not be "told" that they cant report it to the proper authorities...the elders use guilt and their position to remind them that they should not bring reproach on the jw name or speak ill of their brothers and should leave it all in jehovah's hand to deal with in his due time.\n\nMany that report the crimes anyway are disciplined...even disfellowship or shunned as most would call it.  Their family and friends who are jw's are told not to eat or talk with them...even to the point of treating them as if they were dead.  \n\nMeanwhile the true victim is now considered by "the organization" to be an evil apostate who is bringing shame on the jw name and suddenly the criminal is now the victim.  Sometimes the jw's even testify on their behalf in court.\n\nTHE SCARIEST PART OF THIS WHOLE THING is that even those pedophiles that are exposed are usually welcomed back into the jw congregation !\n\nThey are still out there in YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD! Nicely dressed, knocking on the FRONT DOOR TO YOUR HOME.  Smiling with a bible story book in their hand that they can't wait to give to YOUR CHILD !
624567
Unfortunately there is no easy answer with today's paranoia. While sexual offenses are certainly horrible, society seems to be okay with the 1.2 to 1.5 million children homeless on any given night in America. They say that up to 1 in 5 children are sexually abused, 95% of which are crimes committed by friends, family, and professionals (clergy, doctors, therapists, etc.) If 1 in 5 children are abused, that means that 1 in 14,400,000 will be abused. Again, primarily by a known abuser. The odds of being struck by lightening are 1 in 600,000 so a child has a 24% chance of being struck by lightening.\n\nEveryone deserves a second chance. The Department of Justice shows a study indicating that 5.3% of sex offenders reoffend within 3 years and as the years pass, the recidicism rates decrease. Also, 2 other important aspects to consider: 1). Many if not most sexual offenders have wives and children to support and those family members should not be required to suffer. 2). Sexual offenses come in many many forms. Not all sexual offenders are child molestors. Many involve consensual sex between youth of a few years apart in age. Even today, there are children on the registries as young as 12 years old (a child?!) Many involve false accusations. (Many people say plead innocent if you are but, most cannot afford the costs yet are not poor enough to qualify for low quality court appointed attorney. When the justice system charges someone, they also continously threaten the absolute worst. Most choose to take probation instead of a chance at 30 years in prison.) Many sexual offenses involve no physical touching of anyone. \n\nBack to securing employment, I have to say that it is next to impossible unless you find a compassionate person willing to forgive. Of course, we are a nation that perports forgiveness (I guess Christians have forgotten all about that) yet the reality is that we do not forgive. We seem to thrive on watching 'lesser' humans suffer. That, to me, is far less admirable than a man who admits his crimes and weaknesses. \n\nSociety seems to not want ex-offenders to work of live anywhere. It has created a subclass much like the black people had it prior to the recent freedoms given to them. It does not seem to matter even if it is a ditch digger, ticket taker, WalMart warehouse, etc. It would seem that anytime an ex-offender is found working, someone makes a fuss. \n\nSociety, due to the media frenzy to sell compassion drawing audiences even if the media exagerates or does not report all sides, has effectively shunned ex-offenders into no chance of a life. This, unfortunately, will only lead to more crimes. When the ex-offender becomes homeless, he may be required to register on a very regular basis. It's no surprise that many hopeless ex-offenders simply dissappear. \n\nSociety seems to be content with building more prisons even though we have the highest rate of incarcerations than any other industrial society. Why not up it from 2,000,000 prisoners to 6,000,000? Why stop there? Why not build concentration camps so prisoners can make all the things that the upper classes require to live ever so comfortably? Why not criminalize more things? Maybe bring back prohibition since the war on alcohol can be just as successful as the war on drugs. Bring in the military too.  Currently, Americans owe in excess of $30,000 for every man, woman, and child. Why not triple that to $90,000? I am okay with that as I have no children who would have to be responsible for that debt even though I think money could be better spent on education, national health (we tend to wait until we are sick instead of preventative analysis...well except those who can afford it...just ignore those 1.2 to 1.5 homeless children), global compassion as opposed to terroristic threats, maybe keeping some of our own money before buying off other nations and then sending them our jobs anyway, perhaps another form of pay-off, etc. \n\nNo, the best jobs
459839
I work in Social Work and see cases of child molestors who were in fact molested themselves as children.  \n\nWhilst I condem what they do and hate it with a vengence, the person carrying out the molestation needs help every bit as much as the person being molested.  \n\nFrom what I understand of this matter, the person molesting does know it is wrong but seem to want to hurt others as they have been hurt!  It seems to give them back some kind of 'power' or 'control' that was robbed of themselves when they were children when they become the perpetrators back. \n\nI really think these people need a lot of help to give them back their self-worth and dignity or else they may continue to do what they do.
473697
Because they have been taught by people they trust (the Watchtower organization) that Jesus is not God.\n\nFor more discussion of the Jehovah's Witnesses, see\nhttp://www.godsci.org/gs/sect/jw/jw.html\n\nand\n\nhttp://www.godsci.org/gs/sect/jw/jw00.html\n\nCordially,\nJohn
825794
There is no test that detects pedophilia per say.  Also, the majority of child molestors aren't pedophiles.  Moreover, pedophilia is not a crime, molesting or raping a child is a crime.  Having pedophilia may make a person more likely to commit such a crime but does not guarantee that they in fact will.
1158673
Jehovah's Witnesses have at least one point correct from the Bible: Jesus commanded us to preach the gospel to every creature (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15).  They are not the only ones to carry out this command, but they are one of the few groups to do this.\n\nMind you, I disagree with 99% of the rest of what they teach.\n\nPeople (including you, I suppose) might consider it harassment, because we have somehow reached the point as a society where we believe that it's wrong to tell somebody they're wrong.  Nobody I've run across in Yahoo Answers has THAT problem! :)
1089659
child molestation- yuck!!!
1082364
The Vatican has no direct authority in the United States. That is up to the local Bishop.\nAny priests who commit any crimes are subject to the law and the punishment of the law. No one, not the Chuch, can hide them.\nThe fact is there is less sexual abuse of children by priests than by their natural fathers. The majority of sexual abuse of children is committed by middle-aged married men and that is according to the FBI statistics.
700528
There are *lots* of reasons, primarily stemming from the fact that once something is published (be it in a newspaper, broadcasted on TV, or posted on the 'net), the information is out there, and can't just be taken back.\n\nExamples:\nGenerally, children who are involved in the legal system do not have their names disclosed by the media, because of problems in the past where disclosure of their names has caused them to be abused, picked on, or hurt. Even when reporting about adults, an incorrect or unfairly biased story can easily ruin someone's career and/or life. Imagine if a newspaper ran a front page story with your picture, and accused you of being a serial child molester?\n\nFrom a governmental standpoint, the media easily could inadvertantly broadcast information that could enable fraud, weaken the US military (either by broadcasting the position of a unit or person, or by disclosing a weakness or flaw in a weapons system), or cause a panic.\n\nThis is why media ethics are so important - they have the ability to cause great disruption even by accident.
1002176
We are way too easy on those who decide to abuse children. Here is my answer to these people who abuse our loved ones\nSex Offender Legislation “Wish List” \n1-GPS and lifetime supervision/treatment Law The failure of today's solutions regarding sexual offenders is because we are stuck in the strategy of “public notification” rather than “controlling offenders”. The current model puts the burden on parents rather than offenders, and makes the wrong people work to prevent abuse. Remotely (GPS) knowing where an offender is at all times throughout his lifetime can help to prevent that offender from creating new cases of sexual abuse.\n2-Include all known offenders in the management plan-for life. It is wrong to include just those under supervision since the Meagan’s Law was written. People do not ever age out of this behavior so why an old is charge less important than a new charge. Sexual offences are the most under reported crimes (according to the FBI). The fact that a molester has not been arrested recently does not necessarily means he has not offended. In my opinion all offenders should be included in any plan, regardless of when their offense occurred. I believe some states have done this already. \n3-Put all offenders , levels I, II or III on the website . I believe Florida does this. The leveling tool is very poor and pedophiles often end up with only a level I because they did not use force, and they superficially complied with treatment. The way the leveling system works pedophilic “groomers” who do not use force (and are the most busy of all offenders with hundreds of victims) are often not level III’s and therefore are able to have their offense relatively unknown. In New York for example offenders can lawyer up and reduce the “level” they get at their hearing. Molesters can assert they are “non violent”, “sober”, ect, and get the “points” reduced or get the judge to “override” the scale. Currently the public notification system is failing. All offenders of all levels should be on the website. \n4- “Victim Shield Law”. As you know one of the few protections we offer rape victims is “Rape shield laws”, in order to at least try and prevent a rape victim’s sexual history from being put on trial rather than the rapist. In child sexual abuse cases there are no “Rape shield laws” to prevent the victim, or the victim’s family (often the mother) from being made the center of negative attention. In the past defense lawyers for rapists would portray rape victims as promiscuous, today child molester’s lawyers portray victims and victim’s mothers as manipulative, litigious, unreliable, angry, mentally ill, sociopathic, medicated, or undedicated. Because we as a society love to blame women, especially mothers, molesters have been able to harness the misogyny in our culture in order to escape responsibility for their offences. Like the old rape cases that would revolve around the victims sexual past, today molester cases revolve around a child or a mother’s real or fictional problems instead of the focus of attention being the sexual abuse committed by the offender. I do not know if there can ever be a “victim shield law” to prevent the victim/victim’s mother being put on trial rather than the molester, but I know it would help victims avoid being re-traumatized in the system and help society hold sexual offenders accountable. One of the things to always remember with offenders is they are control seekers, and will take any opportunity to attack rather than just defend. They feel entitled to their behavior and see being held accountable as an injustice they are being forced to suffer, and they have zero guilt in harming any number of people (even their children) in order to escape the consequences they deserve.\n5-Plea deals down to “Endangering the welfare of a minor”. Despite the underlying behavior being the sexual abuse of children offenders are often
137275
The sex offenders list will just tell you that they are sex offenders, not if they are child molesters.  There are a lot of ways to get on that list, and many of them really aren't that much of a concern (indecent exposure when drunk, for example).  Police officers actually encourage people NOT to look up the lists.  Sometimes people just do one stupid act, then someone thinks they are a pedifile, and they end up being the victim of a lot of hate crimes.
868453
This question does not mention the age of the questioner, but children are commanded to 'honor their parents' and obey them. The only practical exceptions are when parents instruct their children to disobey secular law or God's law.\n\nSince Jehovah has made clear the form of worship he accepts, even a young bible student must recognize that and herself reject false worship.\n\nLearn more:\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/kn37/
478258
No, they only list child molesters and rapists.
579969
What about a former Dallas Police Chief?\n\nWhy not, everywhere in society today, you hear of crimes against children. At day care centers, on the internet, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, teachers, police officers, etc. Just because they are a Priest, doesn't mean that you can't trust them with your kids. Considering the number of Priests/Pastors/Ministers in the world today, you not only hear about Catholic Priests committing crimes, but also Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Protestant, etc. It isn't only Catholic Priests commit these crimes.\n\nTo make the assumption that All Catholic Priests are child molesters, just shows the narrow mindedness that you have.
757606
On the leader board with a beast answer?  \n\nI'm not quite sure how to answer this question.  Molestation of children is never funny - whether it is a religious leader, a parent, a friend, or an unknown person to the child.  I think it is especially sad when it is someone a child, or the child's loved ones trusts - such as a religious leader.  But I hate to tell you that it is usually not religious leaders.  You would be more likely to make it to the leader board if you were to get a beast answer for every time a child was molested by a parent or step parent or relative.
493251
many crimes such as rape or child molestation are NOT reported under muslim countries
984652
Actually, Megan's Law doesn't stop abuse. It only names those who are sex offenders. Study after study in the U.S. show that the majority of child sexual abuse is committed by people the child already knows - parents, step parents, family relatives and friends, babysitters, coaches, teachers, youth pastors, etc. So this fact makes it unlikely that you can protect your child from danger by looking at such a registry. You're better off screening the adults who know your child, and being careful which of these adults are alone with your child. They're more likely to offend than some stranger down the street or in the next town over.