Gutless WTS Leadership From the "Confidentiality" Letter

The letter leaked today on "confidentiality" had an infurating set of paragraphs on suicides, attempted suicides, and threatened suicides.  Here is the excerpt.

SUICIDES AND ATTEMPTED OR THREATENED SUICIDES
20. At times, judicial committees may deal with someone who is so distraught that he attempts
or threatens to commit suicide. In such cases it may be best for the committee to suspend the
hearing and focus on helping the person to regain his balance. In any event, the elders should treat
the person with extreme thoughtfulness and kindness.—ks10 chap. 5 par. 4; chap. 6 par. 16.

Really?  "it may be best"?  Ya think so?  Here a person is facing shunning from all of their family and friends for an unknown period of time based on breaking one of the hundreds of WT rules out there.   Yet the best the WTS can do is say "it may be best" to suspend the hearing, and "be nice to that crazy person"?  How about an automatic 30 day suspension of any congregational action when a person is at the brink of killing themselves?  Oh wait, gotta keep the congo clean now don't we?  Who cares if a few sinners off themselves because of they don't know how to deal with an abusive, star-chamber hearing where they aren't even allowed to have a supporting witness, let alone an attorney or audio recorder?

The next paragraph is even worse...

21. In addition, elders should immediately call the Legal Department for legal direction
whenever they learn of an actual suicide, a threatened suicide, or an attempted suicide, since legally
this is also defined as self-murder or felo-de-se. Whether a family member or close friend with
knowledge of the suicide threat or suicide attempt reports it to authorities is a personal decision for
him to make. (Gal. 6:5) Elders should not discourage anyone from reporting the matter. Family
members who are aware of the suicide threat or attempt should be encouraged to take positive steps
to prevent the person from harming himself.

Here they go into full child-molester protection model, with their "personal decision" bullshit.  Wouldn't the typical clergy member of "Christendom" get that person some help?  SOME REAL HELP NOW!  Like driving them to a real mental health facility, or calling the authorities at least!  I have zero doubts that the average pastor/priest/minister would stay with that person until they had 100% assurance that the danger had passed, and that they were in the capable hands of a mental health professional.

But your local elder body? Hell NO!  Instead, its the old "hands off" routine.  Sure if the person wants to get help, thats fine by us.  Or we will even tell family to take care of your suicidal nut case.  But we aren't going to do a damn thing about it except CALL THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. 

In fact, I just searched CALL THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT in that document, it appears 14 TIMES.  Recommendations to call the police?  Only when someone is disruptive at the meetings, or when you can't harass people in your obnoxious door to door ministry.  NOT ONE TIME IS IT RECOMMENDED TO CALL POLICE REGARDING ANY WRONGDOING OR PROBLEM INVOLVING A JW in that letter.

At times, judicial committees may deal with cause someone who is so to be so distraught that he attempts
or threatens to commit suicide.

 Fixed that for ya.

Lost,

Good analysis.  I can see the old geezers and righteous pompos-ass elders foaming at the mouth for their secret letter being plastered all over the web...

Here they go into full child-molester protection model, with their "personal decision" bullshit.  Wouldn't the typical clergy member of "Christendom" get that person some help?  SOME REAL HELP NOW!  Like driving them to a real mental health facility, or calling the authorities at least!  I have zero doubts that the average pastor/priest/minister would stay with that person until they had 100% assurance that the danger had passed, and that they were in the capable hands of a mental health professional.

Instead of thinking about how to help the person they, apparently, must first hold back any urge from discouraging the family from reporting the incident to the authorities.

Elders should not discourage anyone from reporting the matter. Family
members who are aware of the suicide threat or attempt should be encouraged to take positive steps
to prevent the person from harming himself.

^ So, just to be clear, NOT discourage, but encourage. Some elders must have gotten those confused in the past.

-Sab

They Suck.  Bottom line.

It's the wording "should not discourage from contacting the authorities" its the same for pedophilia, any crime, and now suicide..."should not discourge'

Any one with a conscience, bibled based or not would write that "you SHOULD ENCOURAGE them to call the authorities.". Friggen WT conscience is blackhearted *finishes with a stream of obscenities*

good gosh, the WT wants information control at all costs

Gooooood grief.... 

Can this letter be varified? How would be go about doing so?  Are there any  undercover xJW's keeping files in a real file cabinent so that we can amass proof of her sins all the way to the heavens? I certianly hope so.  What would happen to all the poor sheep if the WTC were raided and found bloodguilty of murder, corruption and deceit?  They have said for years that the end of false religion will be followed by a final attack from the authorities on the JW's. Will everyone awaken when God doesn't step in and save them at the last minute?  I hope it would be a "ding! ding! ding! I've been decieved followed by a massive amount of suicides due to realizations that they have been living a fantastic lie created by megalomanic, self appointed, self righteous, men who never had God's approval at all.  Proverbs 16:18 which says, Pride is before a crash and a haughty spirit before a fall. 

Anybody have the link to the letter??  Thx!

Seeking- Welcome to the forum! The link is in this thread: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/224432/1/2012-June-Kingdom-Ministry-and-2-BOEs

In reality the elders would warn the congregation to "avoid the severely depressed person because they have gone off the rails"

Atlantis posted it about 7 hours ago.  Here's the link:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/224432/1/2012-June-Kingdom-Ministry-and-2-BOEs

om

The crushed I can guarantee you this is a genuine letter, I have seen it from two other verifiable sources.

On reading this, I felt my flashpoint lower itself by several tens of degrees Celsius!:

- it brought back painful memories of the rough way in which my daughter was treated by the elders, after her attempted suicide (an event brought about by the death by accident of her 16 year old brother).

Held in judgement by a panel of "The Unlettered and Ordinary" (consisting of a boilermaker, a swimming pool cleaner, and the inevitable window cleaner), they nearly completed what her brother's death had initiated.

What else can you expect from a lot that cares not one jot for the welfare of the R&F!

Bill.

LostGeneration, You have a PM

There is no statement about suggesting an md or perhaps a trip to the er, where resources exist to prevent suicide? What can the Legal Department do? I've graduated law school Neither law school nor the bar exam has any knowledge of severe depression, stress, and suicide. If there is no medical wording, it may mean that depression is a minor stress with no changes in brain chemistry. A view that harkens to the turn of last century.

I don't see what legal liability the WT would have if someone committed suicide. They insultate themselves from actions at the KH level. I don't know a single lawyer, except perhaps someone with an M.D./J.D. who would have knowledge. 

I would not know what to do. It is above both my pay grade and education.

Character defects - yes. Biochemistry - no.

Asking a lawyer what to do with suicide is a joke.

There is no statement about suggesting an md or perhaps a trip to the er, where resources exist to prevent suicide? What can the Legal Department do? I've graduated law school Neither law school nor the bar exam has any knowledge of severe depression, stress, and suicide. If there is no medical wording, it may mean that depression is a minor stress with no changes in brain chemistry. A view that harkens to the turn of last century.

Back when I was a dub a few years ago I was speaking with an elder who was trying to encourage me and I told him that I wanted to go see a professional because my depression problems were worsening. His face noticeably turned red, he was genuinely put off by the idea of the Jehovah/Elder tandem being ineffective. Even though it's a bigoted position he had a point. The Watchtower can't back up their grandiose claims because when they are faced with tough problems they eventually have to defer to worldly professionals. This is because many people in the "world" chose to get educated on the brain and become psychologists. A foreign concept to an elder which is a very sad, but unfortunate truth. This elder was obviously in over his head which must be a recurring theme in many of their lives.

There are 1 800 hot lines you can call which are not mentioned in the letter. The Watchtower, still, feels that if someone is feeling suicidal that they must not be applying their system correctly. They are so egotistical as to think that secular help for depression is still second best to them, as people are dying on their watch. It's sickening.

-Sab

They still believe depression is caused by a "secret sin" so more field service and praying will cure it!

My guess is the reason the legal department need to know asap is for their own damage limitation control.

If the person has been known to have been suffering depression for a long time and wrong advice had been given prior to a suicide attempt they might be seen to have been negligent. If psyciatric treatment had been sought but discouraged by the elders and the person guilt tripped into stopping help or medication they could be held liable.