Posted on 04/29/2003 5:44:22 AM PDT by hawkaw
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
William H. Bowen: KY 270-527-5350, cell 270-703-2257
silentlambs.org
Heidi Meyer: MN
Sex Scandal in Jehovah’s Witnesses to Air on CBS EVENING NEWS, Tuesday, April 29, 2003 (usually 6:30 pm)*
Support Group Founder Interviewed Along with Abuse Survivors
While sexual abuse by Catholic clergy has dominated national headlines, Jehovah’s Witnesses are being exposed for an international policy on child molestation.
A Kentucky man who founded a support group (www.silentlambs.org) for men and women victimized by Jehovah Witness leaders will be interviewed by Jane Clayson of CBS. Former Jehovah's Witness elder William H. Bowen has participated in ten documentaries worldwide since May of last year on the problems of sex abuse in the Jehovah’s Witness community. “We have increased abuse awareness for all children by presenting this material,” Bowen says, “It is sad Jehovah’s Witnesses continue to put their kids in danger.”
Heidi Meyer, 22, of ST Paul MN along with Amber Long who both recently were interviewed on CNN/Connie Chung in August, have filed a lawsuit against their local congregation and the home office located in Brooklyn, NY for being silenced by elders when they came forward to report being molested by a fellow congregation member. “I was told I would be disfellowshipped if I told anyone.” Heidi says, “The Governing Body are hurting abuse survivors and refusing to change policy thus leaving children in danger.”
The Australian program, “Sunday” aired an hour long documentary this fall that highlighted one case in which over 40 little boys were molested by a Jehovah’s Witness member. In November the Denmark program “Dags/Dato” featured a case in which a father murdered a baby that resulted from the rape of his 12 year old daughter. The Swedish Program Assignment/Investigate aired an hour long documentary two weeks ago in which a long time elder confessed to molesting multiple children but was not reported to police due to being forgiven.
As the problem continues to be highlighted, Jehovah’s Witness key journal “Watchtower” 03/01/03, instructs members’ that “bad reports” by the media is spreading “published lies” and anyone that assists is working as “agents of Satan.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses have one million members in the USA and over six million worldwide.
Bowen, of Calvert City, is a lifelong Jehovah's Witness and a candle maker.
*Time subject to change if geo-political events over take the news
The crisis was also reported on Dateline NBC back on May 28, 2002, in the New York Times on August 11, 2002 (page 26) and in July, 2002 on the BBC's Panorama. A Fox local station out of Philly ran a story on this abuse problem last month and before that the NBC St. Louis station also did an excellent piece in January.
The abuse crisis shows similarities to the Catholic Church's coverup but its more brutal on a number of victims due to the "high control tactics" used by the Jehovah's Witnesses leadership (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.). The problem that most Americans should be concerned about is that the JW leadership mandatorily requires JWs to knock on our doors in the hopes of conducting in house bible studies. And whether accompanied or not by another JW, we have no idea if there is a child molester at our door!
For further information on the problems please go to the Silentlambs web site at http://www.silentlambs.org or Click Here
Sorry about that.
Is there anyway a moderator can edit the date?
Well if you go to the web site I showed you, you will note that the JW leadership refuses to believe they have a problem with the policy, blame local elders for mishandling problems and try to deny the accusations while silencing the advocates.
Unfortunately, it seems that the policy is flawed and the elders work closely with their headquarters in a lot of cases that were brought to their attention.
I would like to kindly thank the person who changed the date for me. Appreciate your help
hawk
My understanding is that M. Jackson "disassociated" (quit) himself from the organization. Some suggest that he was asked to quit be the leadership after a certain video came out. There is a lot of talk going around that his childhood abuse and this organization have caused a lot of the problems he now has in his life. Whether that is true or not - I do not know.
Also I believe the tennis star twins (Venus and forget the other) and the rock star "Prince" are apparently JWs in good standing as well.
I was just recalling that the Jackson family were JW's when they were being raised by their parents. Abuse patterns repeat themselves often in those who were abused. Of course that is not excuse for the behavior, but this seems to be a possible confirmation of the guiltiness of MJ. He is so screwed up now he needs more than a lifetime of therapy and a couple miracles on top of that,to ever get turned around.
What is your source for that statement?
http://www.freeminds.org/african/african.htm or Click Here
When my friend was a teen, he saved his family by getting them all out of the house and supporting them as best he could. He later learned (from an Ann Landers column) that his father's actions were criminal and had charges laid against his father.
He wrote an extraordinary, heartbreaking, but also uplifting book about his family, "Father's Touch" by Donald D'Haene. You might like to check out his story, he's absolutely amazing. Not only did his church let him down, so did the "justice" system. His story of survival makes you cry, laugh, and thank God it wasn't you. He made a tough memoir very readable.
Sexual Abuse Survival, A Paedophilia Victim Recovers
He's currently working on a sequel, a screenplay, and his story is the subject of a TV documentary being shown this fall on the W network (I believe it's a Canadian network.)
Donald has been very upfront with his life - which to some here may be a bit tough to read but he is such a brave man in my mind - and I know his work has and will help other survivors of abuse.
Donald was also interviewed by the 5th Estate for its January 29, 2003 show on the abuse issue. But unfortunately, due to the large number of victims that came forward, the producers didn't have enough time to put his story on air. It is great the Women's Network in Canada is helphing him out.
Thanks for the post.
I met Donald before I knew anything of his childhood, and felt the respect and admiration growing as I learned more about him.
One of the moments in his book that really got me emotionally was when he was about five years old and told his mother that he would always take care of her. Knowing that he has taken care of her and that today his mother is not well and is living with Donald, just made me sob.
His mother is a lovely person with whom my son has become very close. For several years now, every week he spends an evening with her, watching tv, chatting, and laughing -- and just because he likes being around her. He has a slight developmental disability, and she treats him like she would anyone else.
Truly amazing people!!!
If you are talking to the big guy tell him I say "hi" - he knows my handle - and tell him I am sorry I haven't phoned lately.
Take care and good to meet you.
hawk
Sorry, this caught my eye. We all know the Scientologists use celebrities (they even have a Celebrity Center in LA) but I haven't heard of other "cult"s touting celeb connections. Like what other cults?
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