Della Street

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Posts by Della Street

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  36

  May 2019 child abuse WT

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the new study edition watchtower is up, and most of it is devoted to child abuse damage control.. https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-may-2019/.

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  Della Street

  The courts don't believe either side - at least they are not supposed to. The evidence is presented, and then it compels people to believe one side or the other. Although the facts are the facts, there is no such thing as proof, only evidence - which we then choose to be swayed by or not. And each of us has a different line for where it tips over into "beyond a reasonable doubt" territory.

  I am not the court, so I can be biased. I tend to trust and verify victims, while at the same time knowing that sometimes (rarely) people lie even about these things.

  If there is one accuser - I tend to withhold assuming he is guilty. But when the count of accusers is 3 or more, that is when I flip over and assume he is guilty. You can get one person to lie, maybe even two. Coordinating 3 or more people to lie about that kind of thing would be much more difficult and unlikely.

  At least that is how I settle things out when I see stuff like that.
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  36

  May 2019 child abuse WT

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the new study edition watchtower is up, and most of it is devoted to child abuse damage control.. https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-may-2019/.

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  Della Street

  @flipper ... it's annoying right?

  My thinking around that is when people are required to suppress their desire for achievement in order to fit in, and then are deemed "worthy" of a title and some little influence...it sets people up to mis-use what power they feel they have. They have given their autonomy away, so they take it out on others. I doubt any of them are insightful about that at all, but that is the way I've always seen it. Basic Maslow - people have psychological needs to feel agency, and being a JW strips that away. It's a recipe for disaster, as we well know.
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  43

  Who would you like to be the next President of USA?

  by Iamallcool in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  any takers?.

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  Della Street

  Too early to know. I'd be happy with any level headed, reasonable person from either party. Now that I vote (woot!), I vote issues, not party.
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  36

  May 2019 child abuse WT

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the new study edition watchtower is up, and most of it is devoted to child abuse damage control.. https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-study-may-2019/.

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  Della Street

  The way this article is written, I am wondering if some elders were confusing their judicial duties as elders with their requirements to report. for example, if there were not two witnesses, maybe they assumed that meant they were not allowed or required report to authorities....

  One good thing about this though is that this is the most straightforward article I can recall that addresses reporting to authorities for parents or elders. Parents don't have to wait to report, and the article addresses if the issue becomes public knowledge that it is not the victim or parents who brought reproach, but the abuser. I'm pretty sure that has never been in print before....

  I'll give them credit for a small step forward. I'd like for them to say we report under all circumstances where doing such does not breach clergy confidentiality (such as direct confession).
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  35

  Who will be resurrected? The righteous and the unrighteous

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  chapter seven.

  there will be a resurrection.

  17 who will be resurrected?

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  Della Street

  @Half Banana,

  The entire premise of Christianity rests on the belief that JC was resurrected. If not for that, the whole thing crumbles. So....who knows. But a whole lotta people believe it, and hope it to be true. Otherwise they are screwed.
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  194

  Is Being a “Manly Man” a Bad Thing?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so much is said regarding men , in a negative way.

  shaving commercials are now lecturing us as to how bad we really are.

  men should be less masculine.

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  Della Street

  Our society is very hard on men. As has been mentioned, boys are told to be strong, not to show emotion, don't cry,... being taught and required to cut off parts of yourself is very damaging. I think what is missing is a broader definition of what it means to be male. Men can be rough and tumble, tender, artsy, creative, .... what I see happen is some traits are conflated with sexual orientation - so boys who like art, dance, literature, or are more "soft" are judged "gay" - which even in 2019 is negative in may places. Rather than accept that masculinity is a spectrum, people judge.

  And, because boys have been mistreated, they sometimes grow up to be men who mistreat others, particularly women.

  I think it is fair to say that both men and women face societal expectations that are unrealistic and damaging. It does no good to have an us vs. them mentality; there is injury to go around. Cultivating compassion helps us heal and develop lasting solutions.
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  11

  Article: D.C. Attorney general proposes making clergy ‘mandated reporters’ of abuse

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-attorney-general-proposes-making-clergy-mandated-reporters-of-abuse/2019/01/23/2a8f8f72-1f35-11e9-9145-3f74070bbdb9_story.html?utm_term=.1c7f810d688b.

  d.c. attorney general proposes making clergy ‘mandated reporters’ of abuse.

  by fenit nirappil and.

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  Della Street

  Since all members of JWs are considered ministers, they should all be mandatory reporters. And I'd like to see anyone with a title (men and women) screened through background checks just like is done at schools or any other volunteer organization that works with vulnerable populations.
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  11

  Article: D.C. Attorney general proposes making clergy ‘mandated reporters’ of abuse

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-attorney-general-proposes-making-clergy-mandated-reporters-of-abuse/2019/01/23/2a8f8f72-1f35-11e9-9145-3f74070bbdb9_story.html?utm_term=.1c7f810d688b.

  d.c. attorney general proposes making clergy ‘mandated reporters’ of abuse.

  by fenit nirappil and.

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  Della Street

  JWs flip flop about being clergy or not. They claim the confidentiality when it is serves them, and they distance themselves from it when it is in their best interest.

  How can that be dealt with? Do JW elders in states where they are mandatory reporters realize that is the category they fall into and that is their responsibility?
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  23

  If you had to

  by rolliepollie in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if you had to follow one religion, what would it be and why?.

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  Della Street

  I am part of a secular buddhist group and I love it.
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  49

  Anti vaccines

  by blisterfeet in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i personally feel that vaccinations are beneficial.

  there has been a modern movement that vaccinations are more harmful than beneficial to which i disagree.

  what is your stance as an ex jw on vaccinating your children?

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  Della Street

  Given I live in Portland Oregon, across the river from Vancouver WA which is at present in a public health crisis with a measles outbreak, I believe in vaccinations. It's proven they work. We need 93% of the population to be vaccinated for it to work. So those who can't vaccinate for legitimate reasons are no problem.

  Those who don't do it because they don't believe science, should be forced to do it or isolated in some way.

  Putting everyone at risk is ridiculous.