Update: Travis Phillips, the elder who was interviewed by @Wilsoncriscione in the @SpokesmanReview / @InvestigateWest article below and admitted to molestation, has been removed as an elder, according to my contacts. (And deleted his Facebook.)
https://t.co/hH8u6yI9LY
@fam_Denn@ChineseEmbinUS Before Trump began tariffing the US, 0.0% of US exports were subject to Chinese tariffs. Source:
https://t.co/0rUcZH9S6e
So, the answer is, "China only put tariffs on the US after the US put tarriffs on China".
We're announcing legal action against the Seattle Archdiocese today, as part of our investigation into whether the three Washington dioceses of the Catholic Church used charitable funds to cover up allegations of child sex abuse by clergy. Learn more: https://t.co/stJS9IlEaq
@usual_suspect89@Ron_POMO Original bill passed the Senate committee + floor with a big confessional loophole.
Went to House; which passed committee + floor but removed the loophole.
Senate refused to concur with changes.
This is the Senate committee passing a new bill with an ultra narrow confessional.
@Yes_its_there @SDeanBraieoux You are aware that the person you are replying to went to court along with Bro. Geoffrey Jackson in Australia because of abuse within the organization, right?
You should watch the testimonies.
@Ron_POMO It’s also worth noting that Google News’ own rules require bylines to qualify for Google News. JWs violate that and several other rules. Note this in your complaint.
https://t.co/oJ8RkKT2K5
Last year, a bill to make clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse or neglect died over opposition from Catholics, who feared it would make priests break the seal of confession.
A new bill introduced by @SenNoelFrame aims to get Catholics on board https://t.co/0nfoKxf5Es
@usual_suspect89@Ron_POMO Last time, the bill hung over differences (Senate version had an exemption for confession, House version didn't).
This year, they compromised with an extremely limited confession exemption that narrowly defines confession, plus requires warning of danger without giving details.
@LODMinistry@Ron_POMO I was very impressed by a Catholic Republican in the House who gave a speech where he quoted that scripture and said he was torn but voted for the bill with no confessional exemption last year.
Time for testimony today was only 60 seconds.
So I had to greatly condense what I had to say, but this is my written testimony submitted to the committee:
Good Morning,
My name is Mitch...
I resigned as a one of Jehovah’s Witnesses almost a year ago in part due to learning of their Pervasive child abuse cover-ups.
I'd like to read some recent headlines:
Authorities charge 5 more in probe of child sexual abuse among Jehovah’s Witnesses in Pennsylvania
https://t.co/kTwps6Rd3l
'You absolutely can do nothing': Mormon officials in Arizona accused of not reporting sexual abuse
(this is about a then 5 year old girl and then her younger siblings- The abuse went on for seven more years, while the bishop failed to report it to authorities.) https://t.co/PDbQYODAjr
Illinois attorney general finds massive cover-up of clergy sexual abuse
https://t.co/y54D9hOjb5
Investigation reveals widespread sexual abuse and cover-ups by Archdiocese of Baltimore
https://t.co/U64alVmbw7
Pennsylvania grand jury accuses over 300 priests of abuse, bishops of cover-up
https://t.co/tDHnOZuyVP
A New Orleans priest confessed to abusing children. He returned to work and was never charged
https://t.co/bZiUXk8nZ0
Catholic priest 'confessed 1,500 times to abusing children', victim says mandatory reporting could have saved him
https://t.co/MJtueg783T
About 333,000 children were abused within France's Catholic Church, a report finds
https://t.co/z6pay95beD
Spanish Church sexual abuse affected 200,000 children, commission finds
https://t.co/IDvZy6jj0R
It is sad that with the bill last year, members of the legislature and lobbyists framed it as an attack on the Catholic faith. This bill is about protecting children.
Some of you might want to do some self reflection on why a religious organization and its lobbyists want you to frame reporting child abusers as an attack on their freedom. That says a lot about them.
I am reminded of Jesus mentioning something about Millstones around the neck of those that cause “little ones” to stumble.
Religious freedom should be respected and upheld, but there should be limits in a modern society.
Some lawmakers and lobbyists for the Catholic Church have expressed fears that there will be a "chilling effect" on child abusers coming forward to confession. So what! If you are just going to sit on that information and do nothing to protect children from further harm anyway, how is that any legitimate justification for keeping criminal acts against the most vulnerable secret?
There is no legitimate reason for secrecy when it comes to a child molester or rapist having the freedom to "clear their conscience" before a priest without fear of accountability. The likelihood of re-offending is incredibly high.
Let’s protect vulnerable kids. For some of these children raised in minority high control religions such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, they have very few outside advocates and those in the insular group see it as their duty to protect God’s name = Protect the reputation of the religious organization. It is my opinion based on countless hours reviewing court cases and listening to victims that groups like the JWs, who have claimed they will follow mandatory reporting laws, have shown in practice that they will almost always take advantage of a loophole if there is one.
I urge you to support this bill AS IS, *if you and your colleagues can not see a path forward with removing the confession exemption. This compromise bill is better than no law, which Washington shamefully has failed to get similar bills passed 5 times previously.
@sunday_southern This is so weird to me. When I was a JW I was trained to trash-talk every other religion as false Christians and focus on why they're all corrupt.
Washington State lawmakers have brought forward a new bill - SB 6298 "Concerning the duty of the clergy to report child abuse or neglect."
This bill picks up after the Senate failed to pass SB 5280 last session due to caving to the lobbyists of the Catholic Church because amendments to the bill removed the confession exemption that the Catholics, Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses along with other churches love to take advantage of to avoid reporting child abusers.
SB 6298 includes a narrowly defined confession exception. I'm not happy that this has to be included, but in order to have some form of clergy mandatory reporting... It's better than nothing. Which is what Washington currently has.
Below is a summary report on the bill.
The first hearing on the bill will be conducted tomorrow morning.
I'll be providing updates and links to videos when that becomes available.
@ExjwRachel @Ron_POMO Also, the JWs claim their judicial committees are confessionals in court, which is why this bill makes sure to define a confessional narrowly.