The WatchTower Society & The Issue of Rape ========================================== Here is issue pertaining to the Society's view of women you might be interested in. The research was not done by a woman named Diane Wilson. According to the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses on the subject, "Is rape fornication if the woman does not scream?" ***YES WT 1-15-64p.63 "...if she should submit to the man's passionate wishes, she would not only be consenting to fornication or adultery, but be plagued by the shame." (Does Rape involve "consent"? Do rapists ask women if they would like to be raped?) ***YES WT 1-15-64 p 64 "A Christian woman is entitled to fight for her virginity or marital fidelity to the death." (Luke 6:9 Jesus said it was LAWFUL TO SAVE A LIFE, even if it meant breaking the Sabbath law to do so...the Pharisees felt otherwise) ***YES 6-1-68 p.347 "An issue of integrity to Jehovah's law is involved here. So by no means would it be proper quietly to submit to rape, as that would be consenting to fornication." ***NO (inferred by definition) Aid to Bible Understanding, p1371, 601 (1969 +1971 ed) "RAPE is defined as unlawful sexual intercourse without the woman's consent, effected by force, duress, intimidation..." "FORNICATION: Sex relations by mutual agreement between two persons not married to each other." ***YES Awake! 3-8-74 p.14 "...if she did not scream, she would be as good as dead anyhow." "Also, that if she did not scream she would ruin her relationship with Jehovah God and the Christian congregation; that then she would be disfellowhiped or excommunicated from it." ***NO (inferred from text) Awake! 7-8-80 p. 5,6 "How Most Victims React"..."often coupled with the fear is confusion and uncertainty. For example, a 19 yr old explained, 'I never physically fought him off in any way, partly because I was frightened mostly because in my naivete I thought a girl has to do what she's told. I was overwhelmingly confused and defenseless against the whole sudden suddenness.' "She reacted as many others have under similar circumstances." "Profound terror in the face of physical threats simply renders most women helpless." ***YES WT 10-15-80 p.7 "She told him that if he touched her she would scream as he had never heard anyone scream before. She explained that if she did not, she would ruin her relationship with Jehovah God and the Christian congregation. " A Christian woman is under obligation to resist, for the issue of obedience to God's law to flee from fornication is involved." ***NO WT 3-15-83 p.30 "What do we understand here by "fornication"? The Greek word in this text is porneia. "A male or female who is forcibly raped would not be guilty of porneia." ***YES Awake! 2-22-84 p.2 "But the rapist is asking a person to break God's law by committing fornication." "Treat Him Respectfully" "...a woman should not cower in fear and permit a rapist to intimidate her, at the same time she should treat him understandingly as a fellow human." Compare with the instructions given in the Awake 7-8-80 p. 12 "May she properly inflict damage on her assailant? Indeed she may...she may use any means at her disposal to resist intercourse." (Must a woman truly treat a RAPIST with respect? How could she "treat him understandingly", while at the same time screaming, resisting, and attempting to inflict damage on her assailant by whatever means at her disposal? Isn't "respecting him" an undue burden for a woman to bear under those circumstances?) ***YES 2-22-84 p. 25 "If I gave in and he raped me, I would eventually die and have no hope of a resurrection." ***NO Awake! 6-8-84 p. 28 For the victim to be considered guilty of fornication there would need to be proof of willing consent." ***YES (inferred) Listed as one of the reasons why you should resist an attacker from the first moment; by screaming and resisting, you would ensure your cleanliness before God, the Awake! 5-22-86 p. 23 states, "Your conscience will be clear. Even if you are raped, you will not sacrifice your cleanliness before God." (If she did not scream/resist, she would then BE guilty of fornication, willing or not) ***NO Awake! 9-22-86 p. 28 "True, the woman has to respond according to her assessment of the danger to her life." ***NO Awake! 3-8-93 p. 5 "Myth: A rape victim bears part of the blame unless she actively resists." "Fact: Rape by definition takes place when force or threat of force is used to gain sexual penetration, of any kind whatsoever, against a person's will." "Thus, a rape victim is not guilty of fornication." "When a woman is forced to submit to a rapist out of terror or disorientation, it does not mean that she consents to the act. Consent is based on choice without threat and is active, not passive." How many JW women over the years were disfellowshipped because they did not fight the rapist to the death? Are they now to be reinstated and exonerated? What of those women who have lost their eternal lives and have no hope of a resurrection? How many women were killed or severely injured following the now admitted "myth" that not to scream or resist was being disloyal to Jehovah? Will the Society make up for this loss to the families involved? How many have lived with the terrible shame of having taken part in porneia, when in fact that turns out to be a "myth", not the truth? What sort of recompense is there for their terrible pain? What does Jehovah think of all of this? ------------------------------------------------------------- supplement from Jan Groenvald of Australian Cult Awareness:- And how many women have committed suicide after being treated like that!? I know one young 13 1/2 year old girl who was raped by her own father while her mother was in hospital .... because she didn't scream and get beaten up she was disfellowshipped. she didn't scream because it would wake her little 4 year old brother and scare him ...... Mum backed her daughter and was disfellowshipped with the daughter because she reported what her husband did to the authorities. He, of course was exonerated by the elders, no matter what the law said, and was permitted back into a service position 12 months after getting out of jail. The girl? She killed herself about 1 month after her father was jailed .... the little brother found his sister dead and has still not recovered years later .... the mother ...... she stayes alive for her son ...... All in the name of 'jehovah' ...... Maybe they need to know the true name of God ..... Yahweh Raptha - Shalom - Nissi - and all the other descriptions of the merciful, wonderful and loving God of the bible .....