In October 2020 the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses of Australasia submitted an 8 page response to the Joint Select Committee detailing why they disagree with the implementation of the National Redress Scheme.
On page 1 of the submission the following is stated:
“The religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses has responded and continues to respond directly to individual claims for redress in a caring, fair and reasonable manner, taking into consideration the unique circumstances of each claim. The religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses also provides spiritual comfort and assistance to child abuse victims and their families. However, the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses does not have the institutional settings that the National Redress Scheme is designed to cover…
Moreover, the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses does not and has not sponsored any activities that have resulted in children being under its care, custody, supervision, control or authority. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not operate boarding schools or Sunday schools; they do not have youth groups, choirs or sponsor any programs for children; neither do they run orphanages, day-care centers, hospitals nor youth centres.”
On page 4 of the submission there appear several quotes from Watchtower literature where the society claims to have in print encouraged child abuse and rape victims to report their allegations to the authorities:
“Some who have made submissions to the Joint Select Committee have asserted that Jehovah’s Witnesses believe it is unscriptural to report an allegation of child sexual abuse to the secular authorities, misinterpreting 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, which counsels Christians ‘not to take their brother to court’. The published materials of Jehovah’s Witnesses clearly show that this claim is patently false. The book How to Remain in God’s Love, published in 2017 by Jehovah’s Witnesses, clearly states: “If a serious crime is involved, such as rape, child abuse, assault, major theft, or murder, then a Christian who reports such a crime to the secular authorities does not violate Paul’s counsel [in 1 Corinthians 6:1-8]”. A similar statement is made at page 223 of the book Keep Yourselves in God’s Love, published by Jehovah’s Witnesses in 2008.”[1]
However, it is admitted that these books were published in 2008 and 2017 long after the testimony given by many of the victims in submissions to the Committee.
Other articles referenced and quoted are dated earlier, and give the impression that witnesses were always encouraged to do so. Is that truly the case?
“A Swedish TV program reporting on the congress stressed the need for parents to keep better watch over their children and to alert them to the dangers. However, it advised: “Don’t just warn children against ‘dirty old men,’ because children . . . thus think they should watch out for only elderly, slovenly men, while a person who commits such crimes could very well be dressed in a uniform or a neat suit. Thus, warn them against strangers who take unusual interest in them.” Of course, children should also be warned about—and urged to report to authorities—any person making improper advances toward them, including people they know. (Awake April 8, 1997 pg 14)
Clearly the comment is in the context of what a Swedish TV program recommended. Not Jehovah’s Witnesses. If the Watchtower society was encouraging witness children to report their abuse to the authorities should they not have included the phrase “even if one is abused by a member of the congregation or even if the abuser is an elder or ministerial servant”?
If You Are Raped
□ Seek medical attention.
□ If you wish, ask that a rape-victim counselor accompany you through medical and legal procedures if one is available.
□ Call the police as soon as you are able to. Counselors recommend reporting for your safety and for the safety of other women. Reporting is not the same as prosecuting, but if you choose to prosecute later, your case will be weakened by a delayed report.
□ Preserve evidence. Do not bathe, change clothing, wash or comb hair, or destroy fingerprints or footprints.
□ Medical personnel will collect evidence and will test for sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. If they offer pregnancy prevention drugs, otherwise known as a morning-after pill, Christians should be aware that such drugs can cause the body to abort a fertilized egg.
□ Do what you have to in order to feel safe—change locks, stay with a friend, block your door—whether it seems that you’re overreacting or not.
□ Above all, look to the Scriptures for comfort, praying to Jehovah, even calling aloud his name, during and after the assault. Lean on the elders and other close associates in the congregation for support. Attend meetings if at all possible, and seek companionship with fellow Christians in the ministry…
…If the rape happened recently, friends can help the victim get medical help and can offer a safe place to stay. Encourage her to report the rape, but let her make the decisions. She has just come from a situation where she was stripped of all control. Allow her to take some of that control back by letting her choose what to do next. (Awake March 8, 1993 pg. 9-10)
The article from which these quotes are taken is entitled: “How to Cope With Rape”.
Within the culture of Jehovah’s Witnesses at the time, it was believed that such problems only existed in the world outside of the congregation. Hence, witnesses reading these bullet points at the time these articles were published would assume it is talking about a woman being attacked by a non-witness, in which case they would have no difficulty in calling the police. It also must be asked, if indeed the society had been encouraging witnesses to report such crimes within the congregation to the authorities for years, how is it that of the 1006 alleged cases none of them were reported? Were elders unaware of the direction from headquarters? Were they being disobedient? How likely is it that in each and every case, the victim waived their right to report after being encouraged by the elders to do so?
Over the past several months they have been under considerable pressure, including being named and shamed in the media to join the scheme.
Finally, Jehovah’s Witnesses have issued a statement saying they will now join the Australian redress scheme to assist those victims that need help to get financial assistance. But what has changed?
The reason they originally gave for not joining was that they do not have the institutional settings covered by such a scheme. So did the Australian government change the definition of organizations that must join the scheme? Did the Watchtower society admit that, after all they did have the settings required to join the scheme? No. As admitted in the press release, there was no change in the law involving religions joining such a scheme that would now require the Watchtower society to join. So why didn’t the Watchtower society just maintain their original contention? Why not just remain recalcitrant and refuse to join since neither the governmental requirements, the internal workings of the organization had changed?
Did they receive guidance from God’s holy spirit? If so, what was that guidance?
Their new statement indicates they realize a responsibility to cooperate with the authorities. But they also claim their original position was lawful.
They claim that originally to join was voluntary but now it is not. But that is not entirely true. Whether or not an organization joins is still voluntary. However, if they choose not to join, there are consequences. Consequences that were in place all along but had not yet been made into law. That has now changed.
Hence, it is not difficult to see that the real motivation for joining the National Redress Scheme is so as to avoid facing those consequences namely so as not to lose their tax exempt status. But why should an organization that claims to be supported by almighty God need to depend on governmental tax breaks? Would not God care for and support his own organization? Furthermore, is not the paying of taxes part of being in submission to the superior authorities?
6 That is why you are also paying taxes; for they are God’s public servants constantly serving this very purpose. 7 Render to all their dues: to the one who calls for the tax, the tax; to the one who calls for the tribute, the tribute; to the one who calls for fear, such fear; to the one who calls for honor, such honor. (Romans 13:6, 7)
For an organization claiming to be Christian to have to be threatened with losing its charitable status in order to motivate it to provide assistance to victims of child sexual abuse instead of a sincere desire to care for women and children who have been victimized is very telling indeed. (Jas. 1:27)
. . .But whoever stumbles one of these little ones who have faith in me, it would be better for him to have hung around his neck a millstone that is turned by a donkey and to be sunk in the open sea. (Matthew 18:6)
[1]https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/National_Redress_Scheme/NationalRedressScheme/Submissions