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Jehovah Witnesses and Sexual Abuse of Children

Jehovah Witnesses and Sexual Abuse of Children

Spirituality

googlefudge

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Originally posted by robbie carrobie
I will ask the same question to you that FMF dodged.

Do the minsters of Jehovahs witnesses (as do the ministers of any other religion) have the legal right, as per the US constitution and legal precedents already set, to make use of the provision of penitent confidentiality?
Having the legal right to do something does not make doing that thing moral.

Covering up child abuse [failing to report it to the authorities] is never moral.

rc

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Originally posted by FMF
I don't have an answer to your question about penitent confidentiality; maybe someone else will answer it for you. And besides, your question doesn't really have any bearing on my question to you, which is about the impact of secrecy and cover up on dealing with child abuse within an institution.
You don't know if,

Minsters of Jehovahs witnesses (as do the ministers of any other religion) have the legal right, as per the US constitution and legal precedents already set, to make use of the provision of penitent confidentiality?

really?

rc

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Originally posted by googlefudge
Having the legal right to do something does not make doing that thing moral.

Covering up child abuse [failing to report it to the authorities] is never moral.
Again i have not asked about the moral implications, is it legal or is it not legal?

Does a minister of religion have the legal right to protect a penitent against self incrimination by keeping the matters that they discuss confidential? Once the legality is established then we can talk of other things, neither FMF or whitey can bring themselves to acknowledge the legality. Why I cannot say.

googlefudge

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Originally posted by robbie carrobie
You don't know if,

Minsters of Jehovahs witnesses (as do the ministers of any other religion) have the legal right, as per the US constitution and legal precedents already set, to make use of the provision of penitent confidentiality?

really?
Not being an expert in US law I don't know the answer to that either.

I accept that it's entirely possible or even probable that the USA has laws
that stupid, but that doesn't make them, or following them, moral.


So a person is not legally obliged to report a heinous crime...

Whoopdy-f'ing-do... Give that person a balloon.

The question of import is "are they morally obliged to report it?"

To which the answer is YES they are.

F

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Originally posted by robbie carrobie
You don't know if,

Minsters of Jehovahs witnesses (as do the ministers of any other religion) have the legal right, as per the US constitution and legal precedents already set, to make use of the provision of penitent confidentiality?

really?
I don't know if "penitent confidentiality" allows people to have sex with children and then have it covered up by people belonging to the institution they are members of, no. I don't know. I would hope not. But maybe the deeds of child abusers can be kept secret for religious reasons, you tell me. My question is not about that; it's about what effect secrecy and cover up, even if it is legal, has on tackling child abuse and fully knowing how widespread the problem is.

rc

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Originally posted by googlefudge
Not being an expert in US law I don't know the answer to that either.

I accept that it's entirely possible or even probable that the USA has laws
that stupid, but that doesn't make them, or following them, moral.


So a person is not legally obliged to report a heinous crime...

Whoopdy-f'ing-do... Give that person a balloon.

The question of import is "are they morally obliged to report it?"

To which the answer is YES they are.
Its legal, lets get this straight, penitent confidentiality is legal. Why none of you could bring yourselves to acknowledge this i do not know. I am not a legal expert either and yet by availing myself of resources in the public domain I can determine that its legal.

Wow blood from a stone, man!

Now to the moral implications that you seem to have set your heart upon.

Let me ask you googlefudge, why is it moral to betray a trust? and do you think that taking away the legally set precedent of penitent confidentiality would make a child abuser more or less likely to make a confession of guilt.

F

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Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Let me ask you googlefudge, why is it moral to betray a trust?
Having sex with children is a betrayal of trust too. I am not sure it should be trumped by some sort of religion-based trust between adults that results in the cover up of one of those two adults having sex with a child.

F

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Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Its legal, lets get this straight, penitent confidentiality is legal.
What is the impact of it, though, on dealing with child sex abuse?

rc

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Originally posted by FMF
I don't know if "penitent confidentiality" allows people to have sex with children and then have it covered up by people belonging to the institution they are members of, no. I don't know. I would hope not. But maybe the deeds of child abusers can be kept secret for religious reasons, you tell me. My question is not about that; it's about what effect secrecy and ...[text shortened]... en if it is legal, has on tackling child abuse and fully knowing how widespread the problem is.
You were merely asked if the provision was legally established. You could not even bring yourself to do that. Why i do not not, possibly out of fear of making some kind of concession. It really is rather childish, ill leave you to your crayons.

F

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Originally posted by robbie carrobie
You were merely asked if the provision was legally established. You could not even bring yourself to do that. Why i do not not, possibly out of fear of making some kind of concession. It really is rather childish, ill leave you to your crayons.
"It really is rather childish, ill leave you to your crayons"?

Your reaction to my question about secrecy has been rather odd.

rc

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Originally posted by FMF
Having sex with children is a betrayal of trust too. I am not sure it should be trumped by some sort of religion-based trust between adults that results in the cover up of one of those two adults having sex with a child.
no one is saying that abuse of children is not a betrayal, you will answer the question. Why is it moral to betray a trust and do you think that by doing so a child abuser is more or less likely to make a confession of guilt if he knows that his or her trust will be betrayed.

rc

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Originally posted by FMF
"It really is rather childish, ill leave you to your crayons"?

Your reaction to my question about secrecy has been rather odd.
Actually i find your refusal to answer any of the question that are put to you rather odd. Are you hiding something FMF?

F

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In all my years as a Christian, I did not once, not ever, feel defensive or feel the need to rally to the defence of the Catholic Church over its dreadful record on child abuse.

rc

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Originally posted by FMF
In all my years as a Christian, I did not once, not ever, feel defensive or feel the need to rally to the defence of the Catholic Church over its dreadful record on child abuse.
and yet you are rather defensive when being asked question, in fact you have refused to answer every single one. Oh well, ill leave that with you. If anyone wants an adult discussion on the moral, legal or religious implications of penitent confidentiality they can let me know.

So far we have established that

1. its legal.

what we have failed to establish is,

1. Is it moral to betray a trust
2. Is a child abuser more or less likely to make a confession if they know that they will be betrayed.

F

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Originally posted by robbie carrobie
no one is saying that abuse of children is not a betrayal, you will answer the question. Why is it moral to betray a trust and do you think that by doing so a child abuser is more or less likely to make a confession of guilt if he knows that his or her trust will be betrayed.
What proportion of child abuse in your organisation results from people making "a confession of guilt"? What proportion are uncovered in other ways? How many child abusers has your organisation persuaded to turn themselves in to the authorities as in the wake of them making "a confession of guilt"? Some information about this might help decide whether the institutional secrecy is more important than tackling adults who have sex with children.

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