Posts by Scully

11

49 years ago today

by Glander in

jw
friends

happy anniversary, sweetheart!

(the minister is my dear uncle.

retired to hawaii and just turned 92.).

ever since i was a little boy i've been aware of this vague story about my older sister having some issues at birth, but never knew the details.. yesterday i was having a conversation with a much older cousin, who is a non-practicing jw about different watchtower issues.

while discussing the blood issue she totally came out with the story about my sister, which i never knew before.. when my sister was born some 40 years ago, my mother had the delivery at home with the help of a midwife.

i'm not entirely sure why this decision was made instead of going to a hospital.

Scully

This was a result of Rh incompatibility between your mother and your sister. This is so preventable, my heart hurts. Your mother should have known she was Rh negative. Your father is Rh positive. This was a known high-risk delivery.

I agree with jgnat. It sounds like your sister became very jaundiced. Forty years ago the only treatment would have been an exchange transfusion. Now we use ultra violet lights to help the body rid itself of the excess bilirubin that is caused by what is called Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn.

When mothers are known to have be Rh negative, they are usually given an injection of Anti-D (WinRho or RhoGam) in the third trimester of pregnancy and within 72 hours of delivery. This helps reduce the risk of antibody formation and prevent isoimmunization, thus protecting future pregnancies.

While these injections are blood products, they are considered fractions, so JW women can accept them if their conscience permits. I've only seen one person refuse this injection in my 15 years of practice, and that was because they had an anaphylactic reaction to it on a previous occasion. I have seen a JW nursing student refuse to administer it, but that's a whole nother ball of wax.

153

Shocking talk from 2013 District Convention urges parents to shun disfellowshipped children

by cedars in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yldwe_6jsu.

.

cedars.

Scully

Not sure how this happened but the video was passed along to The Thinking Atheist site owner, who then posted it on his personal facebook page.

He is looking for information for a JW related podcast, so I'm sure it will be featured when he's ready to present his podcast.

8

Heart bypass surgery & blood

by Twitch in

my father had an angioplasty this morning and was admitted immediately for coronary artery bypass surgery due to major blockages found.. how likely or necessary is a blood transfusion for this?.

what's the latest policy on blood?.

i realize there's likely a thread or two dedicated to the subject but i'm looking for the short answer from those in the know, at least on the latter.. i only found out this morning and am heading to the hospital now.

Scully

Your dad can ask for them to use the cell saver machine.

Unless his hemoglobin is dangerously low (like below 70 g/L) there's very little chance that a blood transfusion would even be an issue.

Despite what JWs claim, doctors are a lot more judicious in their use of blood transfusion than they used to be - it costs a LOT to process each donated unit of blood, and hospitals in Canada are far more cognizant of their bottom line than ever before. So if something isn't really really needed or there is a less expensive substitute that will serve equally well, they will go with that.

37

HELP NEEDED for the book I'm writing!

by Terry in

i'm about 90% finished on a book i started nine years ago.

it will deal with jehovah's witness policy on conscientious objectors during war time.

from the 1800's through the end of the draft in the early 1970's.. i am also giving a personal biographical account of my own introduction to the religion, process of assimilation and ministry experience.. additionally, i'm working in timelines connecting the 2nd adventist teachings with russell, rutherford and mainstream watchtower doctrines.. .

Scully

I wrote an article here on JWN about how the Conscientious Objector status only applies when the WTS finds it convenient for them.

If you were to Conscientiously Object to something going on within the organization, such as how child molesters are sheltered from justice via the Two Eye-Witness rule, the WTS considers it an act of rebellion, disloyalty and apostacy.

JWs & the Concept of Conscientious Objection

In fact the entire concept of Conscience™ where JWs are concerned revolves around whatever happens to be the WTS's doctrine du jour. We've seen this whenever New Light™ is published or announced from the platform - they drop the old teaching like a bag of turds and run with the new one. How on earth is that a reflection of a person's conscience??

40

The more time I spend with "worldly people" the more I realize...

by confusedandalone in

jw
friends

... that they actually have more of a desire to get to knoww you then jehovah's witnesses.

for years at the kingdom hall although i was an elder everyone "knew of me" but no one knew me.

i realized that i never really had a friend who knew anything about me as a person or my background.

Scully

everyone "knew of me" but no one knew me. I realized that I never really had a friend who knew anything about me as a person or my background. The worst part of that was that no ne really wanted to get to know that aspect of me - they just wanted to be friends with the elder that gave talks in hopes it would benefit them.

That was one of the biggest disappointments I experienced when I was transitioning out of the JWs, that they were only "friends" with me on a level so superficial that when I wasn't there, nobody even noticed. This included a JW lady whose son was best friends with my own son, who played together at school and were in the same class. I spoke with her on the phone every day. At some point I realized that I was the one making the effort - I made the phone calls, I organized play dates for our kids, I went to her house. It was all a one-way street. I decided to put our "friendship" to the test: for two weeks I didn't call, didn't visit, or do play dates - I wanted to see if she would pick up the ball that I dropped in her court. She didn't. It was as if I never existed.

I know that Worldly™ people are more reciprocating, but hurtful experiences like that with JWs has made me very reluctant to form deep friendships with other people. I feel socially stunted in a way that I doubt that I'll ever recover from it. I'm okay with it... I enjoy my own company and being with my family. My circle of trust is very limited.

61

Every so often I receive a very uncomplimentary email thru my website from a JW. Want to read it?

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

their email address is: xxxxx.

and their message is:.

you probably would say, 'i didn't abandon him, i can still serve him on my own.

Scully

I was trying to figure out when you started to deviate from the truth. I remember seeing parts of that program and I said to myself, 'that's like the jews going on Canaanite TV to expose all the problems of the levitical priesthood.'

You don't think there were Israelites who complained about corrupt practices of their priests? Like sacrificing children to Molech?? You don't think that pedophiles among Jehovah's Witnesses, and the people (Elders) who shelter them NEED to be exposed? Frankly that says more about you than it does about me, especially when The Society just *loves* to slam the Catholic Church for doing exactly the same thing. They call that "hypocrisy".

I wondered if you ever apologized to Jehovah for smearing his name all over the public media because you 'just couldn't help yourself.'

Who, exactly, is bringing reproach on Jehovah? Don't you think that the *child molesters* and the *elders who cover it up* are the actual CAUSE for reproach on Jehovah, rather than the people who expose these disgusting behaviours?

After reading about your Bethel history and all the wonderful privileges Jehovah bestowed upon you, you really never presented or left JEHOVAH\'s name or organization in a positive light. You talked mostly about corporate structure and politics, competitiveness, injustices and policy.

Well, what can I say? Jehovah can handle the criticism. I don't think he needs the kind of protection you seem to believe he needs. The organization, as has been published many times, is run by imperfect men; imperfect men are not above criticism, nor are the organizations that they run above criticism. When governments and businesses screw up, people expose and criticize their mistakes, whether they involve child abuse or extortion or cheating or other manner of corruption. Do you think Jehovah tolerates corruption among his people? He didn't with Achan. He didn't when children were being sacrificed to Molech or Baal. People exposed the corruption then, and people will expose the corruption now.

Nothing spiritual. And then portrayed yourself as this humble person filled with righteous indignation. I hope you didn't compare yourself to Jesus filled with righteous indignation when he threw out the money changers from the temple.

Apparently you are not someone filled with righteous indignation at the thought of children in various congregations around the world being sexually abused by people who call themselves Jehovah's Witnesses, just when it's Catholic priests abusing Catholic children. I feel sorry for your own children and pray that such a crime never happens to them. Wouldn't you want to know if your child was sitting next to someone known to the Elders to be a child molester, either at the meetings or at a convention or assembly?

Because in reality you were just one of these strong women who didn't know how to stay in your place and faithfully serve Jehovah. Since when does Jehovah need any one human to straighten out his organization on policy?

Wow, your condescending tone just reeks of jealousy. Were you overlooked yet again to handle the microphones last Sunday?

When did you start seeing it as a man's organization and not Jehovah's? When did you abandon Jehovah in your heart? You probably would say, 'I didn't abandon him, I can still serve him on my own.' But abandon him you did. And serve him on your own--I don't think so. And over what -- Policy!

You exchanged a 'rich spiritual heritage', like Esau, for a mere 'bowl of stew.'

I hope in my heart of hearts that you never have a child who suffers sexual abuse within the congregation and then be told by the Elders that they can't do anything about it because there weren't two eyewitnesses to the abuse. To know that the molester is free to molest other children, because you've been told that you'll be reproved and disfellowshipped as a slanderer if you try to warn other parents so they can protect their own children. If that is part of your "rich spiritual heritage", I'll take a bowl of stew any day of the week.

I don't remember any christian women in the first century being involved with the Governing Body and the decisions made about circumcision, or threaten to go to the Roman Court Officials if they couldn't get a hearing ear. How absurd!

My how times have changed! Now we even get to vote, get an education and drive vehicles. I wonder if first century christian women could drive chariots or whether they had to walk behind their husbands. Oh, and you know what? I almost forgot... women get to choose their own marriage mates now too, they don't have to spend their lives with some old guy their father knew and traded her for a few goats and a wheat field. Or if she had the misfortune to be a victim of rape, have her rapist pay her father 30 pieces of silver, and then have to live with her rapist for the rest of her life. We have the legal obligation to report crimes to the police, among which is the aiding and abetting of child sexual abuse, you dumbass.

Please don't tell me. You would argue there is nothing wrong with sitting in on those meetings and formally offering your opinions. Then I would have to say you were an apostate-in-the-making long before you ever left Bethel. You just didn't read the signs along the way or differentiate between a personal opinion and a formal statement. And you 'argued' and 'intelectualized' yourself right out of the truth. And you are still doing it through this website.

And yet, here you are, reading what I have to say. What are you so afraid of?

I would suggest you either come to your senses and actually be that humble person you portrayed yourself as and ask Jehovah's forgiveness and be restored to the congregation, or join another religion.

I'm not the one sexually abusing children. I'm not the one aiding and abetting child sexual abusers. I'm not the one who needs forgiveness from anyone. If this were any other group, religious or secular, you wouldn't be defending these criminals the way you are. Just because these crimes are being committed by Jehovah's Witnesses, doesn't excuse the organization that covers up the crimes.

But I'd forget the website. Better yet, maybe you and Diane Wilson should get together and share notes and start your own religion.

Thank you for that feedback, but I'm far too busy to start a religion. Besides the level of accountability is quite daunting, and the Watchtower Society knows that already. They are the ones claiming to be Jehovah's chosen people (not me!) - they have a very high standard to live up to, and they're doing a bang up job of screwing it up.

67

Another Suicide

by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in

there wouldn't have been any good way to hear the news i suppose.

it's just so strange to recall the conversation yesterday.

my "still in" parents are with me and my inactive sister having a pleasant conversation.

Scully

(((Billy))) so sorry for your loss.

8

WHAT IS GOING ON?!!

by MsGrowingGirl20 in

i feel as though i'm losing it.. firstly, my mom isn't baptized but has been around witnesses for a long time.

when i was in, she would have problems with the religion.

we were always at ends with eachother.

Scully

Your mom is compensating. Being a marginal JW was okay for her when you were the zealous one - maybe she felt that she could "ride your coattails" as it were. Now that you've started criticizing the WTS, she probably feels that she has to pick herself up by the bootstraps and set a better example for you.

Hopefully your mom's renewed zeal will be short lived. The love bombing won't last forever and once it's finished, she'll lose steam again. Perhaps when that happens, you'll be able to connect with her and start helping her develop her critical thinking skills. Ultimately, that's the ticket that will reveal the man behind the curtain.

17

A day in the life of a fading JW

by dissonance_resolved in

i'm five months into my slow fade and it's going so-so.

my saturday morning was spent on a 3-mile jog and taking the kids to the park, which was great, but i'm still shuddering from the potential alternative.

at the last meeting, an elderette literally blocked the exit to prevent my escape and said she just "noticed" that we were in the same field service group and would i like to work with her in service on saturday?

Scully

Hi S Eight

Yes, I figured that out after reading a few more posts from DR's history. Thus my amended post.