this year has sucked like a hoover for me.
i'm so ready for it to be over...2006 has to be better.
here's my resolutions so far.... get in better shape (something other than round).. spend more time with my kids.. grow the business i'm a partner in.. purchase some property in/near asheville, nc.. how about you?
Learn to play the piano
Learn to knit
Grow a small kitchen garden (tomatoes, herbs, etc.)
Use the canning equipment I got for Christmas to put up summer fruits and veggies
Read more non-fiction about places and times I'm interested in
Exercise more - Eat junk food less
Re-paint and re-carpet all 3 upstairs bedrooms
Of the above, the only resolution I'm worried about following up on is the whole exercise thing. Theres always something else I want to do more.
my sister and i have speculated for quite some time about the possible motives of the gb and all others in charge of the wtbs, i.e., their raison d'etre, so to speak.
after finding out about some of the history of the wtbs and the supposed f&ds, i realized that they weren't god's spokepeople on earth.
but, then, what's their motive for all the work they're doing in the organization?
Good points Dave. I didn't think about it that way. It makes the whole GB thing even scarier to me when I think about it that way.
my sister and i have speculated for quite some time about the possible motives of the gb and all others in charge of the wtbs, i.e., their raison d'etre, so to speak.
after finding out about some of the history of the wtbs and the supposed f&ds, i realized that they weren't god's spokepeople on earth.
but, then, what's their motive for all the work they're doing in the organization?
This may be a very cynical attitude - but money talks and the rest walks.
And the old saying, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." comes to mind as well.
Among the group that really controls the Society there may be some fanactic, true believers - but deep down I think its about power and money. Whatever may have prompted these men in the first place, I highly doubt their motives are so pure anymore.
They lie, cheat, slander and kill to protect their position, their power, their brand name and their bank accounts.
They make me sick.
.
do you have a person, thats very close to you that you can reveal almost anything, your joys pains, just about anything to?.
or, do you keep all your worries inside and deal with every emotion you have by yourself?.
I can talk with my husband about almost anything. He will listen when I talk about Dub stuff or emotions I still deal with as a result of it. He is sympathetic and supportive.
But as bad as this may sound, I feel like its very difficult for someone that didn't live through the Witness "experience" to truly comprehend the scope of it. (Not impossible, mind you, just difficult) Thus, when it comes to matters about the JWs I have one true confidante. My oldest and dearest friend - she left the dubs about the same time I did.
We supported each other, reminded each other of why we were leaving, cried and laughed our way through the years of craziness. We are still very close, although we don't feel the need for long talks about the JWs as we used to. I think this is a sign that we are healing. We were both very lucky that we had the other's support when it was most needed.
i first noticed that no scriptural discussion of the choice is made, so it all appears to be solely the decision of the signatory.. when choosing alternatives of treatment, the witless merely initials his choice under clauses 3 and 4. since this simply indicates choice, full signature and witness are not required.. .
now clause 6:.
"i consent to my medical records ands the details of my condition being shared with the emergency contact below (cong secretary recommended) and/or with member(s) of the hospital liaison committee for jehovah's witnesses.. .
I have attended several meetings recently regarding HIPAA and other legal basics that affect the hospital at which I work. The information I looked up makes me think that what the JWs are trying to do with that statement on the blood card will not really suceed. I sincerely hope I am right in feeling that way. The way the Society tries to tighten their hold on the rank and file is desipcable!
Indiana state law is actually stricter than HIPAA, but for what it's worth, here are some things I thought were interesting...
Disclosure of PHI - HIPAA and Indiana state law state that medical records may only be released pursuant to:
1.) The patient's written authorization 2.) A subpoena coupled with a request for production of documents from a non-party 3.) A subpoena coupled with a patient's written authorization or 4.) A court order
Sensitive Medical Records
Certain types of medical records, such as those that reference mental health treatment, communicable diseases, including, without limitation, HIV, AIDS, or AIDS-related information, or the diagnosis or treatment of drug or alcohol abuse, are subject to special protection. If a patient's written consent requests generally any and all medical records and does not expressly authorize the release of mental health records or records that reference communicable diseases or the diagnosis or treatment of drug or alcohol abuse, such records should not be produced without a patient's revised consent containing express authorization for the release of such records, unless another exception for release of the records applies or a court order has been entered requiring release.
Access to Records by or on Behalf of the Patient, Including Minor Patients
In order to obtain such records, the patient must complete some sort of Request for Release of Medical Records Form or an alternative form that contains all of the Indiana required elements for release of medical record information. A patient's written consent for the release of a patient's general helath record must contain the following:
1) The name and address of the patient 2.) The name of the person requested to release the patient's record 3.) The name of the person or provider to whom the patient's health record is to be released 4.) The purpose of the release 5.) A description of the information to be released from the health record 6.) The signature of the patient 7.) The date on which the document is signed 8.) A statement that the consent is suject to revocation at any time 9.) The date, event, or condition on which the consent will expire if not previously revoked and so on and son on...
The request may be for either the entire medical record or the pertinent part of the medical record related to a specific condition. A patient's written request for medical records is valid for 60 days.
a friend of mine showed me as interesting scripture, ex.
4:24 that talks about jehovah showing up in person to kill moses, but was talked out of it by moses' wife because from what the bible says she circumcised her son and threw the foreskin at his feet.
she then called him a blood-smeared bridegroom, referring to the circumcision and the lord left him alone.
I'll pass on discussing foreskins...ahem...but I will take a stab at the underlying question of mental instability.
I've often been very disturbed by the violence contained in the old testament. The things, terrible things, attributed to God in the Old Testament are things that would result in any human being being locked up with the key thrown away.
When I questioned these things as a JW I was given various different responses.
Regarding the murder of children - God could see into their hearts and knew that when they grew up they would be wicked and thus was able to justly kill them as children. (This reason was also the one given for how God could kill wordly children at Armageddon)
WTF?
The main response was that we can't seek to understand God's reasonings and motivations. He knows best and whatever he did was just.
I still don't know how I feel about all this. I think that the Old Testament was written during a different, more violent era and it reflects that. Its hard to reconcile these things with a "God of love".
when i was young and single and a witness.
i remember often the fear older people had of putting young people together alone.
not just for dating, but even leaving them in a car while an older couple went to a return visit.
The fear of "spontaneous sex" is yet another example of how the Witnesses expect the worst out of everything and everyone. Their whole cultural belief on this matter is mind boggling. I remember it clearly - at it's best it was silly, at it's worst it was downright twisted.
The worst part about it is that it's completely hypocritical! So it's okay for a person with a known history of child abuse to have access to the congregation's children - but lets make darn sure that none of the teenagers make out with each other. Give me a freakin' break!
joel and i would like to wish everyone on the jwd a very merrry christmas and a happy new year..
Merry Christmas!
how many here got the raw end of a deal and got punished for something while another person who did the exact same thing got off without hardly a whisper?
........it's all about who ya know!
I shared an apartment for a while with the PO's daughter. Looking back, I don't understand why I put up with her as long as I did. She would hit on any boy I professed an interest in, had affairs with married men, one night stands galore - some of them would be considered statutory rape in a court of law, smoked, did drugs, and also invited a DF'd boy to live with us (I no objection to this last, just citing it because it went against JW rules in more ways than one).
I took to propping a 2 x 4 under my door handle at night because of all the strange guys that would be in the apartment late at night. That was after I woke up one night needing to use the bathroom - I opened me door to see two seedy looking guys standing in the hallway, literally on the other side of door, waiting in line for a turn in her bedroom! I decided I didn't need to use the bathroom that badly and shut the door again. Just creepy.
Right before Y2K she got cold feet and started going back to the meetings. I saw the way the wind was blowing and moved out of the apartment. Sure enough, I got called in for an elder's meeting - she'd tattled on me for my many sins...my loose morals and my smoking habit.
My morals were those of a nun's compared to hers - and I had quit smoking months before this incident occurred. I denied her charges, let the elders in on some of the things she'd really been up to, and was DF'd for an unrepentant attitude. Translation - I wouldn't come back to the meetings.
She got put on public reproof. They couldn't do a private because word had gotten out about her "activites" since some of them were with other Witnesses.
At the same time she blew the whistle on me she also did so on another friend. She knew this person was waiting for the right time to approach the elders and she totally disregarded that. (Long story and not really mine to tell.)
That whole timeframe wasn't the first time she had stabbed either of us in the back - but it was definitely the last! I used to really hate her - now I feel sorry for her because I know how screwed up her family was.
She DA'd herself about 6 months after the whole reproval incident and I've only talked to her once since. She called and wanted to be "friends again". Everything she said was very untruthful - lies upon lies - about things that had happened with the elders, etc. Some things never change. I was polite and I gave her an earful on the glaring errors in JW doctrine. I said I would call her again, but I never did. You can only get hit by a truck so many times before you start stepping out of the road.
it is strange chatting on the net, not knowing what everyone is really like.
do you pretend to be someone you are not?
i find it hard to know how to take people here sometimes, as words do not convey as much without seeing the facial expressions and hearing the tonal inflections.
I guess I'll jump in on this thread too - just to be friendly...
I am 27, recently married, no kids. I'm 5'11" with medium blond hair and greenish blue eyes. I need to lose weight but I'm not panicking yet.
I am a very social person - I like being around friends in large groups or small. I do alot of entertaining, especially this time of year. I think I would do well as a party planner or wedding coordinator - so instead I train people on how to use computer software - go figure!
I rarely meet someone I can't get along with - and I almost always like everyone. I like to look for the good in a person - the silver lining. I'm a good listener.
I love animals and can't get along without having a pet of some kind. (Right now we have 3 dogs and a bird.) I'm an avid reader of fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction and other misc titles that catch me eye. I like to craft, crochet and scrapbook. I laugh alot. The only time I cry is when watching a movie. I'm very patient.
Oh and my fav vegetables are cocoa beans and coffee beans.
