Indiana Kingdom
Halls of Jehovah's
Witnesses in:
Halls of Jehovah's
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| Studies show us that the more sexually repressed the religion, the more child sexual abuse occurs among its members. Phillip Garrido, for example, who kidnapped Jaycee Dugard and held her as a sex slave for 18 years, was a Jehovah Witness minister. Police were only alerted when he tried to take the babies that he fathered with Jaycee onto a University campus to preach and distribute Watchtower magazines. Do you want these people on your private property, knocking on your door, talking to your children? |
| Even especially prominent JW Representatives, like Robert Edinger, of Bedford (Mitchell Kingdom Hall), for example, repeatedly intoxicated his son with alcohol at the age of 14 or younger, following years of stripping him and beating him. That son survived, however, earned a PHD in Religion at the University of Southern California, and is now fighting back, especially because my father is taking advantage of the fact that my mom has Alzheimer's and cannot express her wishes clearly. After a lifetime of being an attentive son to my mother, now, when she has Alzheimer's and can no longer defend her wishes, my father capitalizes on this and keeps me away from her, because I am not a JW. I have come to realize now, at the age of 54, that child abuse among Jehovah's Witnesses lasts a lifetime. And this web site represents the expression of a lot of hostility over a lot of stupidity of those in power in this organization with their proud egos, not even taking into consideration the consequences of these failed policies that tear families apart, if not sooner, then later. Many family members of JWs suffer, and we need solidarity in order to face these challenges. |
| Adult Survivors of Jehovah Witness Child Abuse |
| Jehovah Witnesses invade private property with no permission of any kind, by surprise, sometimes when you are not at home. Often, they solicit home bible studies with children. Sometimes, they come to visit when you are away from your home and unable to protect your family. They have all of Bloomington, Bedford, and Mitchell, Indiana mapped out into territories for door-to-door canvassing, hoping to be invited to a return visit. The law does nothing to stop this invasion of your private property, since it is considered to be within their 1st amendment rights to solicit our conversions. The only recourse that you have is to notify them that you do not want to be called on and then they will put you on their Do Not Call list. Inform them that Jehovah Witnesses are not allowed on your property. Only by having notified them will you be able to put legal force behind your no trespassing sign. We urge you to do this as soon as possible. Protect your children! Tell the Jehovah Witness representatives listed on the right, or the number in your local phone book, that under no circumstances do you want them to call at your home! |
| We, those of us who had this fearsome and violent ideology thrust upon us in our infancy, we are the principal victims of this fossilized, anachronistic, destructive, and dangerous philosophy of idolatry of self that the JWs try to force with violence upon silent lambs. The Jehovah's Witnesses organization is built on fear, not truth, fear of the almighty warrior god Jehovah, fear of the end of the world, fear of one's neighbors or classmates, or most of all, displeasing the elders, being spied upon, the threat of being outcast and unable to even socialize with one's own mother. Much worse, however, is that they go door-to-door trying to scare us, bothering us when we are trying to enjoy a family meal or getting ready for work. They want you to be afraid as well, so that you will donate to their cause. |
| If you do not like this page or think that it is inappropriate, please contact the following people. Bloomington: Martin Boling, 2506 S. Milton Drive, 47403 (812) 339-8638 (812) 332-6184 Bedford: Faith Spicer, 3609 River Bluff (812) 275-2987 Tell Faith How You Feel: Mitchell: Steven C. Steuer 245 Riverview Addition Bedford, IN 47421-8286 (812) 849-3739 Please leave message! |
| If you have any information about child sexual abuse among Jehovah Witnesses, it is your legal duty to report it to your local law enforcement agency. Please report it to us as well at: info@jwchildabuse.com |
| We are dedicated to helping protect Jehovah Witness children from sexual abuse and to fight against the cover up of sexual abuse. We are investigating a particularly egregious case that has been reported to us involving three local congregations of Jehovah Witnesses in Bloomington, Bedford, and Mitchell, Indiana. Please help to inform the ministers (elders) of these congregations that they have a legal duty to report child sexual abuse to local law enforcement agencies! |
| We wish to thank all of the Christian churches and other non-profit organizations in Indiana and elsewhere that are helping with our campaign. |
don't know if Harvest Inn is JW owned, except for the suggestive book bags and Bible covers sold in their gift shop, that was noted above by
Jamie, and advertized on their web site.
There is a Hotel at the Watchtower Patterson site that the Society owns, and pays property taxes. It was part of the compromise to get a
construction permit for the JW university ... that is, to have some portion of the property be liable for property tax. I forget the name of that
hotel at the moment ... but then I really no longer care. But the point is, the Society will do what it takes to do their thing, and principles of
making a profit matter not if it means building what they like.
"The Patterson Inn"
Open only to "guests" invited by Bethelites, i.e., only JWs in good standing. As I recall, each Bethelite gets "X" number of invites per year that
they can dole out to friends & family. I think the "X" may increase with seniority, but I'm not sure.
No rates are charged, however a "suggested donation" is strongly encouraged and envelopes are provided for such.
I stayed there once or twice - it's about the same level of comfort as a Hampton Inn or Courtyard by Marriott. Middle of the road, not bad.
Witnesses Build Center of Dairy Farm
The New York Times/April 7, 1991
By Harold Faber
PATTERSON, N.Y. - A huge religious complex is being built on a former dairy farm here as part of the world headquarters of the Watchtower
Bible and Tract Society, better known as the Jehovah's Witnesses.
When completed, the 27-building campus, called the Patterson Farm, will be the major educational institution for the church's missionaries
and staff, equipped to teach, house and feed 1,600 people at a time.
Sitting like a city on a hill overlooking Route 22, here in northeastern Putnam County, the complex is a beehive of construction activity, with
all the work being done by volunteers who are members of the church.
"We feel it is part of our service to God," and John Roth, Jr., a contractor from Albany, Ga., interrupting his carpentry work on frames for one
building.
'Working to Serve God'
Another volunteer, Matt Higgs, a former golf course landscaper, came from Kansas City, Mo., to lay carpets. "I am working to serve God," he
said.
They were among 400 men and women working on the project recently. All - engineers, architects, draftsmen, carpenters, concrete workers,
electricians, plumbers and laborers - are church members who volunteer to work from weeks to years. They receive no pay, but get a
monthly stipend for incidental expenses.
When they are finished, sometime in 1996, they will have built 6 apartment houses 2 to 5 stories high with 624 apartments, a 450-car
garage, a 144-room hotel, a huge kitchen and dining room to serve 1,600 people at one sitting, an office building, a classroom building and
several service buildings.
Church officials said the cost of construction would be about $50 million, including the cost of supporting the workers but not the value of
their free labor. One church officials' estimate, based on the square footage of the buildings, valued the new complex when completed at
about $130 million.
Local residents say they are pleased with the improvements of the Patterson property, but some expressed concern about the loss of tax
revenue from the religious organization, which is exempt from property taxes.
Seen as Beautiful Hardship
"No one who goes by doesn't comment on what a beautiful facility it is," said Lawrence Lawlor, supervisor of the Town of Patterson. "They
have greatly improved the property but a sizable amount of land has been taken off the tax rolls and the average taxpayer will have to make
it up. It creates a hardship for others."
Lon Schilling, general manager of farm operations for the church, said, "The growth of our educational activities in Brooklyn has required this
expansion." With the doubling of church members around the world to four million in the last 25 years and a gain of 295,000 members to a
total of 900,000 in the United States in the last 10 years, he said the church had outgrown its current headquarters, a complex of buildings in
Brooklyn Heights.
The church also has a subsidiary farm in Wallkill,, N.Y., across the Hudson River, for its computers and printing plants for its two magazines,
"The Watchtower" and "Awake!"
"We are a Bible-oriented oriented organization," Mr. Schilling said, noting that it trains missionaries to bring word of the Bible and of God's
Kingdom all over the world. "We train all our members to be teachers of the Bible."
Both the Wallkill and the Patterson properties are active farms, growing crops to feed the workers there and in Brooklyn. Despite the surge in
building in Patterson, almost half of the new property is used to provide beef for the church's workers.
Robert Bondi, the Putnam County Executive, said he was pleased that some of the land was being preserved for agriculture. "We like to see
Patterson retain its rural character," he said.
But Patterson is changing, especially along Route 22, which is called "the golden mile" by some local residents because of commercial
development. From Patterson south to Brewster, most of Route 22 is a major shopping strip, with numerous malls, gasoline stations,
restaurants and stores.
The Jehovah's Witnesses bought one of the last remaining farms on Route 22, a tract of about 684 acres in 1984 for $2.1 million. The
present value of the land, listed on the tax rolls in the town hall, is about $4.9 million.
William Carlin, the county Finance Commissioner, said the town, county and school districts are losing about $80,000 a year because the
property, except for the hotel, has been declared tax-exempt. By agreement with local officials, the church will pay taxes on the hotel, called
the Patterson Inn, which will be open only to visiting church members. We had stayed at the Patterson Inn while visiting the Society's facilities
in New York. We filled out an accommodation request form that our congregation secretary had, the service committee signed it, and then we
faxed it to Patterson. A few days later we had our confirmation emailed to us. This is a shot of the room we stayed in. Very nice. I guess some
of the volunteers have other sources of income or they are sharing a car together. Eventually this huge complex will become a financial drain
for the WT corporation as the buildings age and the need for all that space diminishes. This place was built in the pre-Internet era and need
for the printed page steadly declines every year due to the Internet. Declining membership no longer pushes the WT literature either, since
they switched to a contribution cost basis for it's distribution. I wonder if someone could make it to those hotel parking lots some night and
handbill all the JW's cars? Yes, the Harvest Inn is owned by Witnesses, but not the WTBTS. I've stayed there multiple times. There is also a
restaurant near the premises that's owned by Witnesses, and they encourage you to have your meals there if you're not eating at
Patterson/Walkill. They also sell all of the usual Witness paraphranelia -- big-eyed notecards/magnets, book covers, "New York" souvenirs
that are all related to the WTBTS facilities in the area, etc. -- in their gift shop. The rooms have NWTs in the nightstands (no Gideons
welcome, naturally!), and there are all sorts of other reminders scattered around. Although they are obviously open to anyone, the rooms
book well in advance by bus tour groups, and they also don't do secular advertising, so it's really just Witnesses there. And no, there's no
HBO. The pictures of Patterson were quite eye-opening , though I have heard JWs excitedly speak about it after visiting. It all looks very
corporate HQ. Feel physically sick that my donations ( in financial and physical terms ) have contributed to such a building. According to the
news report , it cost $50 million but was worth $130 million when completed. And that is how the WTBTS works. Build , develop with free
labour , sell. I would imagine that the Watchtower etched glass would by now have been removed , following the new edict , and maybe the
waterfall has been remodelled. The Harvest Inn must be a very profitable business , with a guaranteed clientele and with almost 100%
occupancy. And hopefully not too many towels pinched!
Jamie, and advertized on their web site.
There is a Hotel at the Watchtower Patterson site that the Society owns, and pays property taxes. It was part of the compromise to get a
construction permit for the JW university ... that is, to have some portion of the property be liable for property tax. I forget the name of that
hotel at the moment ... but then I really no longer care. But the point is, the Society will do what it takes to do their thing, and principles of
making a profit matter not if it means building what they like.
"The Patterson Inn"
Open only to "guests" invited by Bethelites, i.e., only JWs in good standing. As I recall, each Bethelite gets "X" number of invites per year that
they can dole out to friends & family. I think the "X" may increase with seniority, but I'm not sure.
No rates are charged, however a "suggested donation" is strongly encouraged and envelopes are provided for such.
I stayed there once or twice - it's about the same level of comfort as a Hampton Inn or Courtyard by Marriott. Middle of the road, not bad.
Witnesses Build Center of Dairy Farm
The New York Times/April 7, 1991
By Harold Faber
PATTERSON, N.Y. - A huge religious complex is being built on a former dairy farm here as part of the world headquarters of the Watchtower
Bible and Tract Society, better known as the Jehovah's Witnesses.
When completed, the 27-building campus, called the Patterson Farm, will be the major educational institution for the church's missionaries
and staff, equipped to teach, house and feed 1,600 people at a time.
Sitting like a city on a hill overlooking Route 22, here in northeastern Putnam County, the complex is a beehive of construction activity, with
all the work being done by volunteers who are members of the church.
"We feel it is part of our service to God," and John Roth, Jr., a contractor from Albany, Ga., interrupting his carpentry work on frames for one
building.
'Working to Serve God'
Another volunteer, Matt Higgs, a former golf course landscaper, came from Kansas City, Mo., to lay carpets. "I am working to serve God," he
said.
They were among 400 men and women working on the project recently. All - engineers, architects, draftsmen, carpenters, concrete workers,
electricians, plumbers and laborers - are church members who volunteer to work from weeks to years. They receive no pay, but get a
monthly stipend for incidental expenses.
When they are finished, sometime in 1996, they will have built 6 apartment houses 2 to 5 stories high with 624 apartments, a 450-car
garage, a 144-room hotel, a huge kitchen and dining room to serve 1,600 people at one sitting, an office building, a classroom building and
several service buildings.
Church officials said the cost of construction would be about $50 million, including the cost of supporting the workers but not the value of
their free labor. One church officials' estimate, based on the square footage of the buildings, valued the new complex when completed at
about $130 million.
Local residents say they are pleased with the improvements of the Patterson property, but some expressed concern about the loss of tax
revenue from the religious organization, which is exempt from property taxes.
Seen as Beautiful Hardship
"No one who goes by doesn't comment on what a beautiful facility it is," said Lawrence Lawlor, supervisor of the Town of Patterson. "They
have greatly improved the property but a sizable amount of land has been taken off the tax rolls and the average taxpayer will have to make
it up. It creates a hardship for others."
Lon Schilling, general manager of farm operations for the church, said, "The growth of our educational activities in Brooklyn has required this
expansion." With the doubling of church members around the world to four million in the last 25 years and a gain of 295,000 members to a
total of 900,000 in the United States in the last 10 years, he said the church had outgrown its current headquarters, a complex of buildings in
Brooklyn Heights.
The church also has a subsidiary farm in Wallkill,, N.Y., across the Hudson River, for its computers and printing plants for its two magazines,
"The Watchtower" and "Awake!"
"We are a Bible-oriented oriented organization," Mr. Schilling said, noting that it trains missionaries to bring word of the Bible and of God's
Kingdom all over the world. "We train all our members to be teachers of the Bible."
Both the Wallkill and the Patterson properties are active farms, growing crops to feed the workers there and in Brooklyn. Despite the surge in
building in Patterson, almost half of the new property is used to provide beef for the church's workers.
Robert Bondi, the Putnam County Executive, said he was pleased that some of the land was being preserved for agriculture. "We like to see
Patterson retain its rural character," he said.
But Patterson is changing, especially along Route 22, which is called "the golden mile" by some local residents because of commercial
development. From Patterson south to Brewster, most of Route 22 is a major shopping strip, with numerous malls, gasoline stations,
restaurants and stores.
The Jehovah's Witnesses bought one of the last remaining farms on Route 22, a tract of about 684 acres in 1984 for $2.1 million. The
present value of the land, listed on the tax rolls in the town hall, is about $4.9 million.
William Carlin, the county Finance Commissioner, said the town, county and school districts are losing about $80,000 a year because the
property, except for the hotel, has been declared tax-exempt. By agreement with local officials, the church will pay taxes on the hotel, called
the Patterson Inn, which will be open only to visiting church members. We had stayed at the Patterson Inn while visiting the Society's facilities
in New York. We filled out an accommodation request form that our congregation secretary had, the service committee signed it, and then we
faxed it to Patterson. A few days later we had our confirmation emailed to us. This is a shot of the room we stayed in. Very nice. I guess some
of the volunteers have other sources of income or they are sharing a car together. Eventually this huge complex will become a financial drain
for the WT corporation as the buildings age and the need for all that space diminishes. This place was built in the pre-Internet era and need
for the printed page steadly declines every year due to the Internet. Declining membership no longer pushes the WT literature either, since
they switched to a contribution cost basis for it's distribution. I wonder if someone could make it to those hotel parking lots some night and
handbill all the JW's cars? Yes, the Harvest Inn is owned by Witnesses, but not the WTBTS. I've stayed there multiple times. There is also a
restaurant near the premises that's owned by Witnesses, and they encourage you to have your meals there if you're not eating at
Patterson/Walkill. They also sell all of the usual Witness paraphranelia -- big-eyed notecards/magnets, book covers, "New York" souvenirs
that are all related to the WTBTS facilities in the area, etc. -- in their gift shop. The rooms have NWTs in the nightstands (no Gideons
welcome, naturally!), and there are all sorts of other reminders scattered around. Although they are obviously open to anyone, the rooms
book well in advance by bus tour groups, and they also don't do secular advertising, so it's really just Witnesses there. And no, there's no
HBO. The pictures of Patterson were quite eye-opening , though I have heard JWs excitedly speak about it after visiting. It all looks very
corporate HQ. Feel physically sick that my donations ( in financial and physical terms ) have contributed to such a building. According to the
news report , it cost $50 million but was worth $130 million when completed. And that is how the WTBTS works. Build , develop with free
labour , sell. I would imagine that the Watchtower etched glass would by now have been removed , following the new edict , and maybe the
waterfall has been remodelled. The Harvest Inn must be a very profitable business , with a guaranteed clientele and with almost 100%
occupancy. And hopefully not too many towels pinched!
| Dear Brother or Sister, If you have any comments or suggestions concerning this web site, please send them to Chuck Davis at Superior Small Engines, 8835 State Road 60 W, Mitchell, Indiana 47446-7547. Or please feel free to call Charles at 812-849-9944 if you think this site is inaccurate. Or if you would like to defend the Witnesses from these allegations, write to: Chuck@superiorsmallengines.com (Please witness to Chuck by email, let him know the truth about Jehovah's organization!) |