"Watchtower Instructs Followers to Breach Professional
Confidentiality."
by David A. Reed
from
"Christian Research Journal"
Volume 10 Number 2 Fall 1987
"Mary works as a medical assistant at a hospital. One
requirement she has to abide by in her work is confidentiality.
She must keep documents and information pertaining to her work
from going to unauthorized persons. Law codes in her state also
regulate the disclosure of confidential information on
patients...."
So begins a September 1,1987, Watchtower magazine article that
goes on to instruct Jehovah's Witnesses (J.W.'s) to "breach the
requirements of confidentiality because of the superior demands of
divine law." In spite of solemn oaths and laws to the contrary,
the four-page article instructs J.W.'s to "bring a matter to the
attention of the elders" in the Witness congregation, even if they
learned of the matter in a context of professional confidence.
"Mary" in the article is a hypothetical case, but the newly
enunciated policy is already making itself felt in concrete terms
in the lives of Watchtower followers around the world. And it has
stirred considerable controversy in the press over public concern
that confidentiality will be shattered in hospitals, law offices,
tax accounting firms, and other sensitive fields where Jehovah's
Witnesses are employed. The Los Angeles Times (Aug. 27, 1987)
devoted 28 column-inches to the subject, including quotes from a
telephone interview with Watchtower headquarters spokesman William
Van De Wall. According to the Times, Van De Wall said that
individuals "who seek out an attorney or doctor would know if they
were of the same religion. If a Witness wanted to avoid telling
him something, he would seek someone else." This fails to take
into consideration, though, the possibility that a J.W. secretary,
typist, or clerk working for a non-Witness professional might also
be in a position to leak confidential information to sect leaders.
For example, one disgruntled Witness known to CHRISTIAN
RESEARCH JOURNAL, who had been secretly purchasing Christian
literature from an ex-J.W. ministry, now finds that checks he had
written are being offered as evidence against him as he is called
to stand trial before an internal Watchtower "judicial committee."
Did a J.W. working at his local bank turn the records over to the
sect? Or had the Watchtower sent a loyal follower to work at the
bank where the ex-J.W. ministry's funds are kept, to keep track of
who might be contributing? The victim of this breach of bank
secrecy does not know who informed on him, but he does know that
continued contact with life-long friends and family-and even his
marriage-could be terminated depending on the outcome of the
closed-door "trial" where the checks are presented as evidence.
"The objective would not be to spy on another's freedom but to
help erring ones and to keep the Christian congregation clean,"
the Watchtower article insists. These "erring ones," though,
could include not only Witnesses receiving medical treatment for
venereal disease, AIDS, or pregnancy out of wedlock, but also
individuals subscribing to forbidden publications (such as
CHRISTIAN RESEARCH JOURNAL), donating blood, or receiving a
transfusion-all of which actions would be viewed as error
threatening the "cleaness" of the J.W. congregation.
Other information on Witness patients/clients likely to be
reported by fellow Witnesses having access to records include:
* Donating sperm or an ovum to a fertility bank.
* Artificial insemination (which the Witnesses view as
adultery).
* Use of tobacco.
* Contributing to the campaign fund of a political candidate.
* Receiving income from a military or religious organization.
* Giving birthday or Christmas gifts.
* Receiving a speeding ticket or other fine.
* Divorce proceedings on grounds other than adultery.
Since the official policy of breaking professional
confidentiality was promulgated only a few months ago, it is yet
too soon to see lawsuits from the victims of such invasion of
privacy. But some newspaper articles appearing on the subject see
this as an inevitable fallout, with employers reaping potential
problems from vioilations by their Jehovah's Witness employmees.
Long viewed by many as exemplary workers, the Witnesses may gain a
different reputation in the work place as they begin to obey their
organization's new instructions to break oaths and laws protecting
client/patient confidentiality.
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Copyright 1987 by the Christian Research Institute.
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