Jehovah's Witnesses Leadership Accountable for Pedophile Elder David Porter

Recently the UK press has reported that Michael Porter was convicted as a child molester with a long history of molesting little boys. Elders from the Mill Hill Congregation assured media that Porter would be “supervised” as he attended meetings and door to door ministry to offer bibles studies with families.

Mill Hill is one of the most significant congregations in United Kingdom, as it is the official home congregation for the Branch Office of the IBSA (International Bible Students Association). Porter is listed as a “Trustee” for the Mill Hill Congregation with the UK Charities Commission. You can read this information at this LINK . If you look closely at the trustees you will see another name listed in the Mill Hill Congregation, a fellow elder Ronald Drage. Drage is listed as the Chairman for the IBSA in UK. (See scans of information to confirm this scan 1 scan 2 )

The key administrative leader for Jehovah’s Witnesses apparently became aware of a pedophile that molested multiple children in his congregation. If he were to follow the directive (UKletter) that was sent out to all congregations in 2002, Porter would have been reported immediately by Drage or any of the other “elders” in the Mill Hill Congregation. Yet the media reported,

“one of his victims threatened to go to the police”

So here we see the Watchtower Policy on Child Abuse is still being covered up in a scandal that goes all the way to the Chairman of the UK Branch of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Ronald Drage and his fellow elders that direct the work of JWs in UK will not answer questions or take responsibility for their actions. In the end it ends up as the title of the Panorama program described in 2002, “Suffer the Little Children .”

http://www.silentlambs.org/RonaldDrage.htm

Nationwide Bulletin From Silentlambs

Nationwide Bulletin Alert from Silentlambs

We are mounting a nationwide campaign to alert the public and Jehovah’s Witnesses of a fugitive that is on the 15 most wanted by the U. S. Marshalls Service. Rick McLean is a “serial child molester” that used his knowledge of the inner workings of Jehovah’s Witnesses to access and molest numerous children for many years. McLean was a ministerial servant and pioneered (more hours in door to door work) and often took children on camping trips to build trust and allow him access.

We believe that McLean may have assumed a new identity and may be pretending to be a new convert to a congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. With his knowledge of the inner workings due to his long association with JWs this would be simple for him to do. As a JW member he would be active in calling on the homes of the public which would allow him further access to children by offering bible studies.

McLean is very cunning and deceptive, it is estimated that he molested over 30 children and used the religion as a way to gain the trust of children and cover his actions. For those reasons we are issuing a one page flyer to be distributed to Kingdom Halls, (Churches for JWs) public bulletin boards, laundry mats, churches and any place where public information can be displayed.

Silentlambs is making the flyer available in two formats, Word and PDF, to download click on the links below and then make copies for distribution in your local community.

Word Format Flyer

PDF Format Flyer

This man has been on the run for three years, he is a compulsive molester of little girls 5-12 years of age. If you know or see anyone that matches his description calling at your home or in a congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses please follow the instructions on the flyer for your safety.

If you would like further information contact silentlambs at 1 877-WTABUSE or 1 877 982-2873 or email at info@silentlambs.org

Also there are some more details located at these link,

http://silentlambs.org/McClean.htm

http://silentlambs.org/rickmcleanamw.htm,

http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=35566,

http://www.usdoj.gov/marshals/investigations/most_wanted/mclean15.pdf

Catholics 660 million - Jehovah’s Witnesses 0

Catholics child abuse settlements July 2007

Report all allegations of abuse to authorities

Reveal internal church records about abusers

Compensate victims

Allow settlement victims to speak about their abuse

Apologize to victims for church mistakes

Jehovah’s Witnesses child abuse settlements May 2007

Report all allegations of abuse to Watchtower Legal Department

Destroy or prevent church records about abusers from being revealed

Only compensate victims after spending millions in attorney fees to exhaust all possibilities otherwise

Make compensated victims sign gag orders to prevent them from speaking

Leadership makes no acknowledgement of wrongdoing or apology

As thousands attend the ‘Follow the Christ’ District Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses, thousands of sexual abuse survivors from the same religion are learning something new. Leadership (Governing Body) authorized payment in May 2007, of the largest settlement in church history to sixteen victims of the church child abuse policy. This is certainly good news as it will allow thousands of JW victims to understand that they too might be able to be compensated for their abuse as well. As you can see above the Catholic Church has made adjustments force/funded by lawsuits to require adjustments in their child abuse policy. Now Jehovah’s Witnesses are starting the billion dollar process of discovering how to change policy or get sued out of existence. Thankfully Jehovah’s Witnesses are one of the wealthiest religions on earth and even though they continue to spend the bulk of their ‘Worldwide Work Donations’ protecting the religious rights of child molesters they are learning the hard way. Please do not give Jehovah’s Witnesses money until they start following the example set by the Catholic Church, otherwise you will be funding the freedom of pedophiles.

So as Jehovah’s Witnesses at the ‘Follow the Christ’ District Conventions are taught to sing loudly, only look at the speaker, and clap every time the speaker pauses: victims and advocates hope Jehovah’s Witnesses learn even more quickly about changing their policy on child abuse thus leaving more money for victims’ compensation instead of attorney pockets.

Other religion guilty of abuse

(Created: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 9:55 AM EDT)

To the editor:
http://www.kpcnews.com/articles/2007/07/25/features/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/news_sun/doc46a7562c717ab982889619.txt
In recent days, as was reported in this newspaper, the Catholic Church paid out a record $660 million to compensate victims of sexual abuse.

Not many months back, a lesser known evangelical group, Jehovah’s Witnesses, also paid a settlement to 16 unnamed alleged victims of sexual abuse within the religion.

The longtime alleged coverup of these sins within that church make it, at least in some ways, even more heinous than that of the Catholic Church. Dateline broke the news on television with a program called “ Witness for the Prosecution” in May 2002. That program is still available to doubters via the Internet.

Several alleged victims of child-rape within the religion exposed the coverup. They were quickly silenced by being excommunicated from the faith. Their only sin was pain and anguish from sins left covered and hidden. The director of a non-religious organization devoted to giving these children (or adults later in life) a voice, Bill Bowen, also a Jehovah Witness at the time, was quickly expelled also. His sin? Protecting the children. His organization, Silentlambs, is prominent in the fight against these horrific attacks and rape of children within religion, particularly within Jehovah’s Witnesses, which he is intimately familiar as a long time elder.

Not long ago, Jehovah’s Witnesses distributed a major flyer to the public in which they decried the hypocrisy of religions that hide pedophilia within the church. It’s likely you got that little flyer in your door. In it, they picture a Catholic priest, intimating a disgust with religion that would tolerate such hidden practices within. Interestingly, they are now found to be precisely like the church they condemn and have condemned for decades. Yet, among the rank and file of this group, most continue to be unaware of the hypocrisy that has ended in hundreds of its members being expelled and “shunned.” The sin for which they have been expelled was a desire to protect others from monsters hiding in the shadows of this religion.

The panoramic depth of this problem has been well documented. It is just a mouse click away on any desktop computer from within the privacy of your own home. Please make yourself aware. Protect your family, some of whom may someday think that they might join one of these insular groups. While no one wants to imply that all churches have the same level of problem in this regard (there is likely some of it in all of them), the uneducated are always the victims of the pseudo-religious groups that cover up such crime.

By the way, in the case of the Catholic settlements, there was no restriction placed on the compensated victims. In the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the recipients of the settlements, were “gagged” to make sure they did not write books, or place simple letters in the local papers like this one. In so doing, I hope to be at least a small part of a large voice for those who must remain silent. These isolationist evangelical groups, many of whom believe that God is using them exclusively as the “TRUTH,” are unfortunately covering the sins of their leaders with the tears of their children.

Jeffrey A. Kline

Kendallville

Prince Donates to Charity Excludes Jehovah's Witnesses

23,720 Reasons Why You Might Be Careful of Donations to Prince’s Religion

In a recent press release (1 ) Prince released a new fragrance called “3121”. The purple one stated that one of the reasons for selecting the small company was they had previously manufactured a perfume with the name “Truth”. This is a common word used by Jehovah’s Witnesses to describe their religion. In a press article that was entitled, “3121 reasons to pick up Prince’s scent” ( 2 ) a portion of the money spent on the first 24 hour purchases of the new fragrance will donate to charity. Seven charities, including City of Hope, Urban Farming and Sheila E's Elevate Hope Foundation, will receive 7% of sales made that day at 3121perfume.com. You can read about the charities at this link,
( 3 )

It is estimated that around a half million dollars will be raised for these various organizations. Each charity listed has a philanthropic purpose that helps individuals in need. Is Prince obeying the mandates of his newfound “truth” in this regard? It is interesting to note that for over sixty years Jehovah’s Witnesses have discouraged charity donations suggesting that they enriched the employees of foundations with little going to actually benefit the poor. Note the following quotes from the 1951, 1973, and 2003 Watchtower and Awake respectively.

***Watchtower 1951 11/1 p. 644 Charity in Christendom ***
“In Jesus’ time it was customary for prominent Jews to be announced by the blast of a trumpet as they made public donations at the temple in Jerusalem. Without equivocation it can be seen how Jesus condemned this. Today’s givers in charity do not stop with a little trumpet. Their beneficent works must be boomed to the skies in the press, over the radio, on the newsreels and now by television…”
“Jesus advocated using one’s substance for preaching the good news of God’s kingdom. (Matt. 19:21, NW)...Today Christians carry on the most charitable work of all history. Their preaching of ‘this good news of the Kingdom in all the inhabited earth for a witness’ brings spiritual healing to new praisers of God.—Matt. 24:14, NW.”

*** Awake 1973 11/22 p. 26 Is It Always Wise to Give to Charity? ***
A Balanced View
No question about it, as Jesus said, “You always have the poor with you.” (Matt. 26:11)… So the time-worn saying, “Let the buyer beware,” might well be rephrased, “Let the giver beware.”
And, of course, those who are Christian ministers are in position to give something far better than silver and gold. And what is that? The truth of God’s Word, which brings comfort, hope, peace of mind and which can even result in life eternal. (Matt. 10:8; compare Acts 3:1-8.)

***Watchtower 2003 6/1 p. 7 Giving That Pleases God ***
When it comes to organized charity, though, we need to be cautious as we evaluate the many appeals we receive.
Giving That Does the Most Good
“There is a kind of giving that is even more important than charity…. Jesus’ chief interest was in helping others spiritually....In fact, among his final instructions to them was the command: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations.”—Matthew 28:19, 20.”
So according to the directives above Prince would be better suited to “preaching the good news” as opposed to donating funds to assist those in need. This policy has long been practiced by Jehovah’s Witnesses. Members believe the world is passing away so why give money to support a world that is ruled by Satan. Charitable giving is clearly directed to go to the home office to support the “preaching work” as the best way to spend estates and inheritances. Each year millions and millions of dollars are directed to “Watchtower” the corporate entity of Jehovah’s Witnesses to be used or spent however the “Governing Body” chooses. Jehovah’s Witnesses are directed each year with specific articles on how they can give their Life Insurance, Annuities, Estates, and whatever else they can squeeze of value from members to the corporation to accomplish the “preaching work”. What is the “preaching work?” Basically the annual distribution of about one billion pieces of Watchtower printed literature that keeps to a simple message, unless you agree to immediately join Jehovah’s Witnesses and also become a distributor of their literature, God is going to kill you. When a Jehovah’s Witness calls at your door and asks for a donation for “free” literature, your money is used not only to make more literature but is spent on some things you might not wish to donate toward. In May of 2007 the Associated Press revealed that sixteen victims of abuse were paid the largest settlement in the history of the organization to sign gage orders and cover up the sexual abuse they experienced as children.( 4 )
This was the result of a five year legal battle that involved millions of dollars in attorney fees to protect the rights of child molesters within the religion. Victims were ostracized and even disfellowshipped for trying to reveal the identity of their molesters while Watchtower lawyers went to court to defend the “religious right” of convicted child molesters to prevent information from being revealed that would have convicted them of further crimes against children. Is this a charity fund that any rational person would be proud to donate to? In addition to protecting child molesters in the courts, donations to Jehovah’s Witnesses also maintain a database of 23,720 alleged molesters within the religion’s home office in New York. This database was first reported in 2002 ( 5 ) and may now contain well over 25,000 child molesters that have been discovered and hidden within the administrative files of Watchtower. These abusers remain unknown to the public or even church members as an administrative policy of Watchtower to protect the “religious right” of their member/child molesters. When law enforcement seeks to find information on the in church confessions of these pedophiles Watchtower donation funded attorneys declare “ecclesial privilege” and demand that this information is confidential thus guaranteeing the continued freedom of child molesting members. These same protected molesters are required by mandates of the church to participate in the “preaching work”. Yes JW pedophiles continue to call at your door to give you some literature, offer a home bible study and suggest that you make a donation to support their work. Could this be the reason that Prince omitted Watchtower as a deserving charity to donate to for the release of his new fragrance?
So as the newspaper article suggests you might find 3121 reasons to purchase Prince’s new fragrance and see a portion of your $40-$70 go to a worthy cause. Yet as Prince struggles for balance between worthy charity donations and his new found “truth”, we hope the public can see 23,720 reasons to not make a donation to Jehovah’s Witnesses until they open their pedophile database to law enforcement and allow the criminal prosecution of their child molesters. Please make Jehovah’s Witnesses aware that while you might accept a free piece of literature you will not be donating to their “Worldwide Work” as you do not wish your money to assist the protection of pedophiles.

"Follow The Christ"

Is This “Following the Christ”?

Watchtower Urged To Change Policy on Sex Abuse Cases

by AP, published online 05-15-2007

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=27&id=12910

Victims’ Group Releases Settlements With 16 Who Claimed Abuse by Elders
By Rose French-Associated Press
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.”

Would Christ Send a Child Molester House to House?

Watchtower 1997 1/1 p. 29 Let Us Abhor What Is Wicked ***

“Depending on the law of the land where he lives, the molester may well have to serve a prison term or face other sanctions from the State…. If he seems to be repentant, he will be encouraged to make spiritual progress, share in the field service…,”

What are the dangers of not following Christ example?

(Luke 17:2) ² It would be of more advantage to him if a millstone were suspended from his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to stumble one of these little ones.. . .

What Would Christ DO?

1. Report child molestation to Police for prosecution.
2. Seek legal assistance if you have been abused.
3. Do not allow molesters to use religion to have access to children.

In order to help Jehovah’s Witnesses “Follow the Christ” contact www.silentlambs.org to assist when abuse issues arise involving children. 800-WTABUSE

To download a copy of this flyer for distribution click here

Jehovah's Witnesses Settle Abuse Cases

Jehovah's Witnesses Settle Abuse Cases
By ROSE FRENCH 05.10.07, 6:14 PM ET
http://www.silentlambs.org/APpresscoverage.htm

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.

Jehovah’s Witnesses Lose Court Battle to Suppress Freedom of Speech

In a Denmark court ruling December of 2006 Jehovah’s Witnesses lost a key decision to suppress freedom of the press. They were ordered to pay legal fees of 50,000 kroner to one of the largest newspapers in Denmark, Ekstra Bladet .

[Read here for the English Translation"Jehovah's Witnesses Lose Case Against Ekstra Bladet"]

[Read Marci Hamilton Article on this Topic Here]

[Read The Original Articles From Ekstra Bladet Here]
Ekstra Bladet reported a series of articles on the epidemic of child abuse within the JW organization. Since May of 2002 reports of child abuse problems have been circulated by media worldwide. Stories include the New York Times, Dateline and eight different countries offering testimony from sexually abused kids within the religion.

In the autumn of 2004 the Denmark newspaper ran a series of articles that blasted the religion for polices of covering up abuse allegations. The Jehovah’s Witness local Branch Office Committee in Denmark filed a 350,000 kroner, slander lawsuit against Ekstra Bladet and the editor of the newspaper. The religion went further and attacked victims of abuse that interviewed for the newspaper articles. Victims were told they would be sued into poverty if they did not retract the stories given to the newspaper of being raped as children. One girl due to intimidation withdrew her story and other victims went into hiding. This is a continuation of religious persecution against members that have spoken out on abuse. In the summer of 2002 five Jehovah’s Witnesses were disfellowshipped (expelled) after appearing on NBC’s Dateline and providing factual proof of child sexual abuse not being reported to authorities at the direction of the Watchtower Legal Department. The Jehovah’s Witness Public Relations Official, J. R. Brown actually suggested to media that the reason members were disfellowshipped was due to possible sexual sins or theft. As a result of these comments, Joe and Barbara Anderson filed a $20 million dollar lawsuit for slander and the reversal of the disfellowshipping decree. After a three year long battle the appellate court finally dismissed the case saying that the “First Amendment” would not allow them to rule on the case.
[Read About the Court Ruling Here]
Jehovah’s Witnesses have long touted their record as being a defender of “freedom of speech.” They currently claim on their website they have won over fifty lawsuits supposedly establishing the freedom of people to speak as they wish or practice their faith. There is a film/propaganda piece circulating around the USA called “Knocking” that will soon air on PBS touting how Jehovah’s Witnesses protect freedom. Yet another side the public are not informed of is the inverted use of these legal victories to punish and humiliate people they do not like. “Disfellowshipping”, a word created by Jehovah’s Witnesses, is used as a weapon within the religion to destroy families and silence members through intimidation to obey whatever they are told to do. If a member is “disfellowshipped” all family and church members view them as dead and will not acknowledge their existence, even if a son walks into the same room with his mother, she will not speak to him. The shunning is indefinite until the deposed member renounces anything the church tells them to and submits totally to church leadership. For example victims of child abuse have been disfellowshipped for attempting to expose the member that molested them. Their “freedom of speech” was taken away by no church member being able to talk to them and in many instances they were put out on the street by their families as directed by church leaders. The right of the Jehovah’s Witness religion to take away “freedom of speech” from their members has in large part been won by their successful Supreme Court litigations.
[Read about disfellowshipping policy here]

If a whistleblower for a large wealthy corporation tried to alert the public to a child molestation scandal that was covered up with victims blackmailed into silence, they could be sued out of existence in the event they tried to destroy the lives of the individuals that reported the crime. When abuse survivors and advocates attempt to do this against a religious corporation they are bullied into silence with the full endorsement of the US courts. “Freedom of speech” is a relevant term in the United States, for if you choose to speak out against a religion for committing crimes against children you can expect while that religion destroys your life the courts will remain silent. The court’s “see no evil” decisions are based on twisted perversion of the first amendment that Jehovah’s Witnesses fought and won sixty years ago. So the next time a church chooses to destroy you financially, spiritually, mentally and emotionally because they do not like you exposing their crimes against children, you can say a silent thank you to Jehovah’s Witnesses for making sure their perversion of the “First Amendment” guarantees any religion can destroy your life without punishment.

How could a documentary film on Jehovah’s Witnesses miss this common practice in the religion? Jehovah’s Witnesses are well known on their website for press releases touting their legal victories in the international courts. If you go to the Jehovah’s Witness media website you can see them here www.jw-media.org . Sadly there is no reference to the Denmark decision anywhere on the jw-media website. In recent 2006 California court decisions, Jehovah’s Witnesses have also lost key court rulings on civil child abuse litigation against the church as well, but again this has been omitted from their website.
[Read about the court ruling here]

It would seem when they lose their court battles to suppress “freedom of speech” Jehovah's Witnesses appear to be silent. Could one of the reasons be the misuse of donated funds to hurt people? When a Jehovah’s Witness calls at your home they are taught to memorize this commentary at the end of offering you some free literature. “Our literature is offered without charge but we would gladly accept a small donation for the Worldwide Work of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

When the public reaches into their pockets and make a donation to this group they are funding many different things. While part of the money goes to make more magazines and books, a significant amount goes to fund litigation. In the last five years over seventy lawsuits were filed involving the mistreatment of abused kids. When you donate to the “Worldwide Work” you fund the defense of the pedophiles that molested them. In the Denmark litigation 50,000 kroner of “Worldwide Work” donations will be spent to pay legal fees in an attempt to suppress the child abuse policy expose' articles written by a newspaper. Would anyone that understands what is actually happening wish to donate their money to assist pedophiles and suppress freedom of speech? Even if it was just a few cents of each dollar they donated?

At silentlambs we call for the immediate cessation of funding for pedophile defense litigation and suppression of freedom of speech that Jehovah’s Witness leadership has approved. It is a sad day when Denmark, a small European country can give Jehovah’s Witnesses a “slap on the ear” for suppressing “freedom of speech” and few weeks later the U S Courts continue to give Carte Blanc privileges to the Jehovah’s Witnesses and anyone else that wishes to silence victims of abuse and misuse “good faith” donations to hurt the innocent. The next time a Jehovah’s Witness happily approaches you to offer their magazines, if you are inclined accept their offering and then inform them that you prefer not to donate to their “Worldwide Work” until they stop hurting victims of abuse.
So while Jehovah’s Witnesses brag to the public regarding court victories that they say make them champions for "freedom of speech", the facts show that lawyer/elders funded by a multi-billion dollar corporation are making a mockery of the US Constitution. They persecute good people like Joe and Barb Anderson and use the Supreme Court as a knife to cut out the tongues of people that are victimized by this religion.