there is an interesting article in today's "daily cougar," which is the university of houston's daily student newspaper.
it's entitled "should elders report child abuse?
our own ephanyminitas wrote this article!
Jst2laws, feel free to send the article. I wrote it, so my anonymity is questionable anyway. Here is a link to a text-only version of the article without my name: http://tinyurl.com/1mcg. If you can use that one, do so. But if you would really prefer to send the original version, then please go ahead. (If you would prefer that I do it, just e-mail me.) Thanks! I'm glad that you think the article is good enough to send.
Edited by - ephanyminitas on 24 September 2002 18:17:48
there is an interesting article in today's "daily cougar," which is the university of houston's daily student newspaper.
it's entitled "should elders report child abuse?
our own ephanyminitas wrote this article!
I'm helping children. Wow -- that actually hadn't occurred to me. Cool. I will definitely think about the O'Reilly Factor business. Sounds fascinating. I'm pleased as punch that you think my article is well-written. Looking back, I see a couple of other points that I missed or that I could've fit in, but oh well. I could always do another article.
there is an interesting article in today's "daily cougar," which is the university of houston's daily student newspaper.
it's entitled "should elders report child abuse?
our own ephanyminitas wrote this article!
Yup, it's me. So much for anonymity, huh? I felt that this was a big enough issue to risk my identity being blown locally. Hopefully, though, no one will see it that knows me (see my "returning for family members" thread). I really put a lot on the line in publishing this, since I'm still in the organization (I'm "inactive" and my parents are Witnesses). Still, I hope this will get the word around campus! This is a big problem, I'm seeing more and more.
The "Daily Cougar" is distributed around the entire campus, and I do see people reading it; thus, I expect that quite a few people will read it. (Just hopefully no one I know!) That ending might get a few people asking local Witnesses (like the ones at that table on-campus) just what the heck is going on in the organization. I tried to be as neutral as possible in the article, so as not to risk giving anyone (i.e. The Elders) ammution to work with. I just have fair questions about one specific policy, right? But in the end, we'll just have to see what happens to me. I felt a journalistic obligation to inform my fellow students about this issue. And it was tough to fit as much information as I could in such a small space!
Augh! What was I thinking? <:-) I just hope this won't come back and bite me in the butt!
Edited by - ephanyminitas on 24 September 2002 14:50:26
if you have read some of my posts, you realize that i am a very complex individual.
when i was a jw, that complexity made me extremely curious and inquisitive, with few avenues to find satisfaction.
after years of trying to "incorporate" my true life's experiences with the jw belief system, (such as things that go bump in the night, and other unexplainable phenominon), and being told that such things were because i was being attacked by satan and his demons, i decided to look beyond the limited horizons of the borg dogma.
I've bookmarked the list and will refer to it because I am going to check some of these out from my campus library. Well done, Sentinel. Well done, I say.
shirley jackson was "disfellowshipped," or excommunicated, from the jehovah's witnesses in 1995 after being associated with the church for 30 years.
jackson is speaking out against the organization because "i don't want anybody to go through what i went through.".
( http://www.detnews.com/2002/religion/0208/30/d05w-574630.htm)
Shirley Jackson was "disfellowshipped," or excommunicated, from the Jehovah's Witnesses in 1995 after being associated with the church for 30 years. Jackson is speaking out against the organization because "I don't want anybody to go through what I went through."
( http://www.detnews.com/2002/religion/0208/30/d05w-574630.htm)
And just so you know, you can get the latest news feeds from Google.com new News site (news.google.com). Here's a specific search for JWs: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&q=Jehovah%27s+Witnesses (or, http://tinyurl.com/1lr5 ).
E
Edited by - ephanyminitas on 23 September 2002 21:37:50
here's a question: how many licks does it take to get to the center of a t--?.
uh ... sorry.. here's the right question: what is the society's official stance on neanderthals?
there was a recent article in "u.s. news & world report" that mentioned them; and i realized, "hey!
Here's a question: How many licks does it take to get to the center of a T--?
Uh ... sorry.
Here's the RIGHT question: What is the Society's official stance on Neanderthals? There was a recent article in "U.S. News & World Report" that mentioned them; and I realized, "Hey! How many licks DOES it take--" Er, I mean, "There are Neanderthal fossils aren't there? 'U.S. News' says that they only died out about 30,000 years ago, so obviously this is based on solid evidence."
So what DOES the Society say about Neanderthals? I did a Google site-specific search for "Neanderthal" on Watchtower.org, and didn't even get one hit. I've gotten some information at Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthals), but I'm stumped. What's the Society's excuse for all these fossils? I suppose those wacky scientists are screwing with the facts again, huh?
those of you who have close witness family members -- how hard has it been not to just throw up your hands and just return to the society, just for appearance's sake?
my parents, whom i love very much, are witnesses, and it's very difficult for me to go day to day knowing that i'm completely letting them down.
i no longer believe anything the society says, but oh how tempting it would be to just go back and fake my way through, knowing that i could give my parents peace.
I believe in a Budgie heaven, where no cats exsist, and only bird seed in every hand, and many heads to perch on.
Right on! (Sniff.) <:'-)
Edited by - ephanyminitas on 23 September 2002 19:36:20
those of you who have close witness family members -- how hard has it been not to just throw up your hands and just return to the society, just for appearance's sake?
my parents, whom i love very much, are witnesses, and it's very difficult for me to go day to day knowing that i'm completely letting them down.
i no longer believe anything the society says, but oh how tempting it would be to just go back and fake my way through, knowing that i could give my parents peace.
You stepped on it? Wow. At least it was a quick death. <:-)
Thanks to everybody for replying. Rest assured that I have read each of your replies. Truth be told, I'm not seriously considering a return. I just really feel like it sometimes. I have a lot of family, but the great majority means little to me; I'm a notoriously difficult person to get close to. (Back off!)
But my parents ... I would just hate to lose them. I really would. But Shakespeare is correct: "To yo' own se'f be true, yo" (Ebonics variation). My entire life finally makes sense because I know now that I'm a freethinker. The dictionary definition applies to me perfectly. And you certainly can't be a freethinker and in the twoof. Heck -- they called "independent thinking" dangerous!
I guess it's just a matter of time ... waiting for time to heal the wounds. If my parents shun me, it's their loss. At least I know that doing so would be torture to them. Maybe they'll end up being a couple o' those "liberal Witnesses" that will talk with you anyway. Doubtful, knowing my parents. But I'll hang in there.
Damn Witnesses. Or rather, damn Society. Heck -- damn Yankees!
E
http://www.sailinganarchy.com/general/2002/cool test.
htm.
too funny....hope it works this time.....hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Aw man.
those of you who have close witness family members -- how hard has it been not to just throw up your hands and just return to the society, just for appearance's sake?
my parents, whom i love very much, are witnesses, and it's very difficult for me to go day to day knowing that i'm completely letting them down.
i no longer believe anything the society says, but oh how tempting it would be to just go back and fake my way through, knowing that i could give my parents peace.
That is the cutest parakeet! (budgie) Does it talk? I have heard only the male Budgies can talk, but they only mimic words they hear over and over.
Well, unfortunately, he's passed away. Sniff. He was the nicest budgie I ever knew. He died too young to learn to speak, of respiratory failure. But I bet he could've talked wit' the best o' them!
E (sniff)
