Posts by JWdaughter

33

Semi Home Study Based Charter School vs. Regular School

by SonoftheTrinity in

i blame my stepkids bad grades in school squarely on the watchtower.

they don't get enough sleep because of the demands of family bible study and thursday meetings but comprimise isn't in my wife's vocabulary.

my stepson has friends at school but there are also bullies, and the classes are overcrowded with sicknesses spreading through them in a way that is detrimental to the family's health.

JWdaughter

I have homeschooled and worked with teachers in the PS system. I was hired to teach first grade in a private school and was just smart enough to back out before I damaged anyones critical early years of education. I have taught at the college level (and was kind of awesome, thank you) and IELTS. I am pretty conversant with the education system. In grammar school, teachers deal with a wide variety of subjects but their expertise is teaching and managing a classroom rather than their claim to fame having been that they know the ABCs or how to do simple math. There is more knowledge required in the upper levels, but the things that are being taught are the same things that most parents forgot around the time the midnight feedings started after parenthood. Teachers go to college and learn techniques to deal with different educational styles, how to manage a classroom and sometimes focus on a particular academic subject-but they don't know everything.

I think that a reasonably intelligent person should be able to help a child in a structured educational program when they know the child well if they have any kind of personal discipline. Keeping kids on task is the biggest challenge of teaching, IMO. Or my biggest challenge, anyway. One is a lot easier than 23 or 40.

I did not read everything you wrote, but I just picked up a strong opinion about those without college working with a semi-home schooled student. I wasn't sure where it was coming from. It definitely takes more work and time to assist a home schooled student, but parents work with their children in the PS system all the time and many of these parents do not have the same degrees that teachers do.

Neither one of my parents had the level of schooling that I did by the 9th grade, but the way they failed me was not that they couldn't help me with my homework but that they didn't make sure I was DOING it. They were simply uninvolved (Dad was too busy, mom was too much a JW to care). I think the most critical thing that the son has going for him at this point is not the kind of school that he attends, but that he has a father who gives a damn. How many of us would give our eye teeth for a parent who cared as much as this guy?

My biggest worry is not about the semi home school itself, or the teacher, or the dad-but if mom is going to be dragging this boy off to FS, then he would be better off in the PS system altogether. She will keep him from other kids and he might well be extremely isolated in the congregation. THAT would be a lot more tragic than any minor academic consequences. For a normal family with a child who would grow in that kind of system, I would LOVE the semi home school system. In a JW family, I find it problematic and am conditionally enthusiastic. You or another poster brought up the personality/needs of the child. That is important to consider. And playing at being teacher is NOT what any child needs a parent to do. It takes a lot of committment to home school.

10

Lock the parking lot gate after the meeting starts?

by MinisterAmos in

jw
friends

quick synopsis...the local spanish congo is the only one in about a 40 mile radius.

most of the members live nearby, but the ones in the outskirts have up to a 1 hour trip depending on beach traffic.

recently the wife and i noticed that the hall's parking lot had been secured by a wall and electric gates added to all three exits and entrances.

JWdaughter

Great, lock me out. Terrifies me that they feel the need to lock everyone else IN. That seems like some sort of fire or safety code violation. . . anyone check into the safety aspects of such an act? It seems kind of nasty-and I am not for one minute worried about the latecomers. The more of the general public that is protected from the cult, the better.

33

Doh! wife is about to hear the trololol song

by freemindfade in

doh!

here i sit on my laptop on this site, while the wife is watching dubtv over there, she is watching the feb one with trololololy song at the end... i am trying to hold back my laughter because i know it is coming soon!

how will she react???

JWdaughter

Sad to go through life thinking the only thing that keeps you from being a depraved monster is that you have to go to meetings each week and you will be kicked out if you don't follow the rules.

Even if it is false they think it worth wasting their whole existance serving the organization?

Too pathetic.

18

Joseph and Potiphar's wife

by StarTrekAngel in

what are the real reasons joseph refused to sleep with potiphar's wife?.

the watchtower and others teach that joseph refused to commit adultery.

specifically to the jws, we teach that joseph, somehow, knew that adultery was wrong, despite not having any specific rule or writing to teach him so.

JWdaughter

Whether or not there was "god's law" in place, that doesn't mean that morality was not a concept. And yes women WERE property and there are some things that are just "not right" no matter where/when you are from. Even folks without religon usually have the concept of sexual morality in a marriage relationship.

Women were (and are) bargaining chips. You don't mess with that if you value your life. It was a man with great power. Even now, infidelity is not treated lightly and many people do not subscribe to biblical morality. (such as it is)

33

Semi Home Study Based Charter School vs. Regular School

by SonoftheTrinity in

i blame my stepkids bad grades in school squarely on the watchtower.

they don't get enough sleep because of the demands of family bible study and thursday meetings but comprimise isn't in my wife's vocabulary.

my stepson has friends at school but there are also bullies, and the classes are overcrowded with sicknesses spreading through them in a way that is detrimental to the family's health.

JWdaughter

Oubillette, the reason I said for him to not worry about the the child academically was because the child has a TEACHER and there is a plan, not the parents plan, to educate the child according to school standards. The parent doesn't need to be a qualified teacher in this case, but rather, an involved parent. He isn't making the lesson plans or grading. Like any parents, they need to supervise, help and direct to a certain degree. The parent in this situation has a great opportunity to enrich the child's learning, but isn't responsible to teach them the basics. That is on the school and their program.

With all due respect, I don't think that you're in any position to judge grammar. Or spelling. That's not an attack-we are not here to prove our worthiness to enter an English master's program and plenty of us are not doing our "best work" as we dash off our quick responses here. I really don't think that you were attacked and hope you don't take it that way, I don't think it was meant that way.

I have edited and proofed scholarly engineering papers and really had no clue as to what I was reading-but I educated myself to do the job well enough that I still get freelance assignments referred by former students from across the globe (I love paypal!) I have helped people get into the graduate engineering programs in Europe and the US. I am no engineer, though. I'm barely an English teacher:)

If this dad has trouble "helping", there are resources all over the web and through the school district to help with every problem foreseeable.

The bit about the truancy-things slip. That doesnt make us incapable as parents. It makes us human. This is obviously a man who cares for his son and is doing the best for him. Please don't attack parental competence based on something like that. It't unfair. I've had a chronically ill child and if you just don't date the excuse slips properly, you won't know it till there is a problem reported.

Do you have an issue with homeschooling in general? These programs are not the stereotypical kind of homeschooling plan.

I wish someone IN the public schools had cared that I totally zoned out on maths and science. My GED dad could have taught me better!

72

Is the preaching work, no longer the number 1 priority?

by ToesUp in

i have been observing a pattern in recent wtbs publications and events.

is the importance of the preaching activity no longer the number 1 priority?

are not billions of lives still at stake?.

JWdaughter

INSIDE THE KH:

The WT changed the rules of what makes a JW-the hours used to be 2 hours. Now it is 15 minutes in a pinch. A MONTH. My mom does that much "witnessing" to me each month and it is a subject we are not even supposed to talk about! (She's older, I just let it go these days). Children are being baptised earlier. 15+ was standard when I was a kid. Now 9 seems to be accepted.

I am sure a few come in from the doorknocking-but the numbers do not lie-baptism rates as related to hours reported have gone down immensely. So, you have more publishers putting in so many hours and getting so few baptisms (total) in return compared to how many hours per baptism was required a couple of decades ago. Numbers don't lie.

I am not trying to be snarky, but you seem pretty loyal to the Society. What is a nice JW like you doing in a place like this?

72

Is the preaching work, no longer the number 1 priority?

by ToesUp in

i have been observing a pattern in recent wtbs publications and events.

is the importance of the preaching activity no longer the number 1 priority?

are not billions of lives still at stake?.

JWdaughter

Some people do come in - but these days, even for the last 50 years, not many from the D2D work. Most come in because of friends, relatives, spouses talking to them.

My mom was brought in 70 years ago-but not because of the message, it was because two nice JW ladies offered to give her mom an evening off and took my mom to the meetings with her. Then my uncle, too and later on the rest of the siblings. Others in the family came in this same way (all lived in the same neighborhood. I think they had something like one of those Baptist Sunday School Busses going on!). My grandma (and great aunts, save one) never really had much to do with the JWs other than accepting the free babysitting that was offered to her by the nice JW ladies. My mom, 70 years in the org brought in one other JW. She was her next door neighbor and long time best friend. She pioneered. Never brought in anyone from D2D work (permanently), but lots of nice people came once or a few times because she is the nicest lady you will ever want to meet. Too bad it is wasted on the WTBTS. My mom is the only person I know that could (as a stretch) be said to be brought in as a result of D2D work, but so far as her experience, she is essentially a born in-she never knew anything differently and never "Chose" to be associated with JWs, she just was dragged in, literally in diapers.

I think it is funny how the WTBTS has essentially admitted recently that their role is to make and keep money.

33

Semi Home Study Based Charter School vs. Regular School

by SonoftheTrinity in

i blame my stepkids bad grades in school squarely on the watchtower.

they don't get enough sleep because of the demands of family bible study and thursday meetings but comprimise isn't in my wife's vocabulary.

my stepson has friends at school but there are also bullies, and the classes are overcrowded with sicknesses spreading through them in a way that is detrimental to the family's health.

JWdaughter

I like this compromise between traditional and home school options, generally. I think it could work well as you will be his teacher. . .IF you take the opportunities that are available with local home school groups for music or art instructioon or PE, Science, social studies as well as field trips and other options to expand his educational experiences. YOU can have a lot of say in his actual educational growth. YOU can set lessons that teach him critical thinking skills. Help him find the group of kids that he fits with (just one or two good friends is all anyone needs) OUTSIDE of the org. How involved will your wife be? Who is supervising him day to day? If it is primarily your wife, this idea is not good.

I am always happy to see parents who are so involved with their children's (and stepchildren's) education. If your wife is an uberdub, beware that he will likely be dragged into FT pioneer work as soon as allowed and will likely be bullied into Aux Pioneering the minute he makes the choice for HS option.

I used to teach English to college level students and my literacy when posting on forums does NOT always reflect my abilities. Don't worry about your ability to help your son academically. They have instructional materials that I am sure you will be able to keep up with:)

It is the keeping up with it that will be the challenge. Be consistent, don't let him slack or end up playing on the computer or watching tv or reading graphic novels or MBoBS-there will be a great deal more time in his day even after he has finished with his academic requirements. Schools waste a lot of time. Do your best to enrich his education with that extra time. It is a great opportunity so long as he doesn't get coerced into FS all the time.

12

Does the NT condemn/outlaw polygamy for christians?

by Island Man in

yes, we all know that, according to the bible, god originally established a union between one man and one woman - adam and eve.

however, later in the ot we see that polygamy started being practiced and god permitted it and later even gave laws to regulate it.

so in the ot god does not condemn polygamy and israelites practiced it.. fast foward to the nt.

JWdaughter

When one considers the simplicity of the early christian congregations. . . I dont know that more than one wife was going to be as critical as it would be in the modern world with the responsibilities put on pastors, elders, MS's. What do they do now? Hand out magazines, organize conventions and pay bills for the congregation. They arrange field service. I don't think it was that complicated back then.

12

Does the NT condemn/outlaw polygamy for christians?

by Island Man in

yes, we all know that, according to the bible, god originally established a union between one man and one woman - adam and eve.

however, later in the ot we see that polygamy started being practiced and god permitted it and later even gave laws to regulate it.

so in the ot god does not condemn polygamy and israelites practiced it.. fast foward to the nt.

JWdaughter

Christian standards were often derived (and have been since derived) from the culture that they live in. Polygamy is still ok among Christians in parts of Africa. That Chrstianity did not promote polygamy and moved away from it is likely based in that Christianity was a Roman institution after a few centuries in addition to originating in the Roman world. That being said, polygamy has been openly practiced by Christians in various parts of the world since the beginning of the religion.

There is a contingent of "christian polygamists" that are not fundamentalist mormons in the US. The thought regarding the scriptures that direct that an overseer be the husband of one wife is that it means that the husband should at least have one wife. Single men were not qualified to be overseers of a congregation since they had not proven anything about their ability to even lead a household -how could he be qualified to lead the household of the saints?

Polygamy serves purposes in communities that go beyond supplying a man with more sexual partners. But they don't usually apply in the western world in any way that we really can comprehend when we have life insurance, social security and a social safety net for widows/orphans.

I don't think the Bible forbids it, but common sense should do so in the west.