Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses Have Been Named Defendants in U.S. Court
The sins of some men are publicly known,
leading directly to judgment,
but those of other men become evident later.
(1 Timothy 5:24 NWT)
It’s ironic that the verse quoted above is set within the context of a Bible passage used to guide the elders of Jehovah’s Witnesses in defending the rights of child molesters within their congregations. Known as the “two witness rule,” no one is to bring an accusation against a man unless there was at least one other witness present at the alleged assault. They base this rule on this verse from their New World Translation,
“Do not accept an accusation against an older man except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.” (1 Timothy 5:19)
When a child is molested, seldom is another person present to provide evidence against the perpetrator. And yet, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has convinced its local congregation elders to uphold this “two witness rule” in favor of protecting child molesters rather than the young victims in their Kingdom Halls.
But their day of reckoning has come as victims come forward to testify to the wrongs they’ve suffered. Not only do the sins of some men become evident LATER, the same Bible passage includes that they will be reproved before all onlookers as a warning to the rest. These instructions are to be followed without prejudice or partiality (1 Timothy 5:20-21).
And so the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses are being called to defend their policies in the face of the multiple civil lawsuits filed in the State of New York. Yes, the eight men who direct all the policies and activities of the worldwide organization are being held accountable for the decisions made by local elders in these cases of abuse. The Zalkin Law Firm, a nationally recognized leader in the representation of childhood sexual abuse cases, is building their case on the continual stream of testimonies from abuse victims in the Watchtower organization who were silenced by the two witness rule. The firm’s founder, Irwin M. Zalkin is a Martindale – Hubble AV Preeminent Litigator, the highest rating an attorney can receive from fellow attorneys and judges. He is ranked in the top 5% of lawyers in the country. The Zalkin Law Firm has resolved more than 250 sexual abuse cases in the last 20 years.
After two news conferences in August 2019 where childhood sexual abuse victims stepped forward to seek justice, The Zalkin Law Firm received hundreds of calls and social media expressions of support for their work and for the brave victims who spoke out. In this short video, Irwin Zalkin expresses his appreciation to all who support the survivors of childhood sexual abuse and encourages the silent to come forward.
Irwin Zalkin Thanks Survivors for Their Support
As this case unfolds, we encourage you to keep updated through some of these links:
Zalkin Law Firm
https://www.justiceforabusevictims.com/
Zalkin Law Firm on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/zalkinlawfirm/
JWSurvey: Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses Named as Defendants in Child Abuse Lawsuits
https://jwsurvey.org/news/governing-body-of-jehovahs-witnesses-named-as-defendants-in-child-abuse-lawsuits
ExJW Critical Thinker: Watchtower Lawsuits: You can RUN, but you cannot HIDE
ExJW Critical Thinker: The Watchtower Misleading the Courts
Keep yourself in God’s love,
Julie
