Posts by yrs2long

221

The meeting did not go well.

by Danni in

jw
friends

it would have taken more much more time to tell it all.

he told us the meeting would began as soon as the other brothers arrived.

danni: i will give you two.

As far as I am concerned, I don't really care if you put up any kind of pretense whatsoever when you confronted the elders. I believe they do the same. The way they assign sisters from the hall to be nice and accomodating to the newcomers. Everyone puts their good foot forward to give a good impression. The fake fellow concern they show you until you run into problems then you are left on your own. Many of the elders are organization men who, for the most part, are more concerned with protecting the interests of the Watchtower society. And in my opinion, everybody else perpetuates the myths that the Watchtower spews, that of the good and god-blessed life of Jehovah's Witnesses while many of them wait for Jehovah to clear up problems in their lives. To tell the truth, I can basically believe anything warped that I hear come out of that organization because of having witnessed obscene things myself. If anything, it's the Watchtower version that I suspect - they have a vested interest to protect.

I loved reading about your experience in the back room; usually the fear and intimidation comes from the elders. Neither the society nor their elders are accustomed to a commanding female presence. I only hope that you have not brought any hardship upon yourself for the watchtower is a vicious multi-million dollar organization which encourages its members to turn their backs and fellow feeling away from any who have turned away. They might try to eat you alive and look upon it as good press on protecting religious freedom.

221

The meeting did not go well.

by Danni in

jw
friends

it would have taken more much more time to tell it all.

he told us the meeting would began as soon as the other brothers arrived.

danni: i will give you two.

yrs2long

Ugh, they are such liars. In the first month of my marriage my witness husband beat and choked me. I went to the elders and they formed a committee. During the committee I mentioned how I was afraid of my spouse and wanted to leave. They told me that I would not prosper spiritually as I would be breaking up the family and 'Jehovah hates a divorcing.' I went to the elders many times because my father said I should go to show a pattern and eventually they would disfellowship my husband. After meeting with committees several times within the first 6 months of marriage, I told the elders that the next time I would call the police for protection. They responded, "that is not how we handle things in Jehovah's organization." They quoted the scripture about brothers going to court with other brothers and said I would bring reproach upon the organization and I was the one who would be disciplined. They said, "Jehovah's organization is a theocracy, not a democracy." They said the holy spirit would leave me and I would fall away. This was scary stuff for a newly baptized person. When my mother was a witness they told her that even if my father asked her to sit in a puddle out in the rain, she must do it so as to be in subjection. That was when she promptly disassociated herself. Do not be fooled, those elders encourage silence as anything else will bring reproach upon the organization. It sickens me to hear these elders say anything to the contrary.

6

I got an Invite to a DUB Wedding!!!!!!!

by lydia in

jw
friends

well,,,,, not really - but the letter came addressed to my husband - my name is listed on the inside card.

its for my x-husbands nephew.. i think i might go to the reception (and only the reception - i am not steping foot in a hall if i can help it!!!!

)- just to see the looks on the faces of those there - but more so for my nephew's sake.

yrs2long

I was in my sister's wedding party in 2000 at a kingdom hall and I had been inactive for 7 years. I sat at the wedding party table next to the bride at the reception.

30

Ebonics Homework

by Tatiana in

apologies to any tyson fans, but this was too funny!.

as part of his parole agreement, mike tyson has to go back to school .

and finish grade 5. this is mike's ebonics homework assignment.

yrs2long

Hmmm,

Black kids in the inner city grow up speaking Ebonics as their first language and it's not until at least a few years later that they are confronted with Standard English in the schools. Once you learn a first language, you don't have to constantly monitor that you are using it correctly. After learning it, the focus shifts more toward expressing ideas rather than on if you used the appropriate tense, subject and verb agreement, etc. Otherwise think how labored conversating would be with each person double checking his grammar.

People who learn Ebonics in the home must at some point be taught Standard English. And they need to be able to practice it. Many people have taken a different language in high school and promptly forgotten it through disuse. The same applies. What good does it do for a student to be instructed in the classroom for a few hours a day but once he goes home, the family doesn't use it, neither do his homeboys in the hood, nor the next-door neighbor, the grocery clerks, etc. Not seeing the value, he promptly forgets about it. Who here can remember the specifics of English grammar from high school?

I agree with you that eventually the kids are hurt by not learning Standard English when they go to work or muct interact outside of their neighborhoods. But the school systems also fail them by not recognizing and showing the differences between the two varieties so the students can learn to switch between the two. They often wait until the window of easy language learning has closed and then it becomes a much more difficult process.

Anyway, it was a coincidence that you mentioned speaking French because studies have turned up anomalies of black students who aced french classes while failing English. Why would that be? Apparently because there are other dynamics involved besides intelligence.

As for the specifics of how Ebonics developed and why it is difficult to eradicate it, and even if it really should be eradicated, I will send those details to you along with references by email so as to keep down the bandwidth. I also am at work and have to work overtime tomorrow bringing a system online.

Take care.

30

Ebonics Homework

by Tatiana in

apologies to any tyson fans, but this was too funny!.

as part of his parole agreement, mike tyson has to go back to school .

and finish grade 5. this is mike's ebonics homework assignment.

yrs2long

Hmmm,

I would be glad to show you plenty of documentation. I can email it to you or refer you to literature and various studies on the subject. Most people view it from a lay person's viewpoint, not having much info on language structures and language acquisition. To the untrained ear, it does just sound like 'bad' English.

Children are not taught language, they intuit the rules of the language of their environment. In the case of Ebonics, they are exposed to it first, as a primary language. Hence, they learn Ebonics features and grammar before they are exposed to Standard English. And when you live in isolated communities, there is less social interaction with other cultures and languages which can cause the language more distinct from others. Because Ebonics is intelligle to Standard English, it is often difficult for a child to determine where the differences lie. An interference occurs which doesn't occur when a person learns a language entirely different from his own. He has to scrap all the rules of his old language and start with a pretty clean slate. But keep in mind that the person who undertakes this endeavor is much more successful when he is greatly motivated to do so. But why should he want to change anyway? Changing it may possibly bring ridicule and cause him to be less accepted among his family and peers. Exposure to TV is not meaningful enough as social interaction for the child to change the way he speaks when the majority of people in his family and community speak a different way. Besides, there is also a cultural pride in speaking a certain way in your community.

I will return to this as I am at work and have to troubleshoot some server problems.

30

Ebonics Homework

by Tatiana in

apologies to any tyson fans, but this was too funny!.

as part of his parole agreement, mike tyson has to go back to school .

and finish grade 5. this is mike's ebonics homework assignment.

yrs2long

Hi Tatiana,

I wasn't implying that you were doing or saying anything wrong nor am I trying to stir up any controversies. Just was adding my few cents on a subject that I've done extensive research about and written about.

Actually, the term ebonics is a word that was coined by black linguistic professionals as an expression of pride of African sounds and language structure; it is a combination of two words, ebony (black) and phonics (sounds).

It was sort of like the JW's deciding to name their own religion rather than merely accept what was being ascribed to them. As you know, the word has come to represent everything but linguistic pride. It has become a dirty word indeed.

Anyway, as I said, this was merely informational and I have no intention of dredging up another emotional debate about it and I don't think you were either.

Take care.

30

Ebonics Homework

by Tatiana in

apologies to any tyson fans, but this was too funny!.

as part of his parole agreement, mike tyson has to go back to school .

and finish grade 5. this is mike's ebonics homework assignment.

yrs2long

Hi Tatiana,

I know this is a joke but Ebonics was given such a bad rap from the media much in the same way apostates have been given a wicked spin by the WTS. Ebonics is assumed to be spoken only by unintelligent persons but that is certainly not the case. Millions of persons learn it as their first language and learn it well and due to its unique grammar differences from standard English, learning to speak Standard English for these folks would be akin to becoming Bilingual.

Of course, lay people often misunderstand it and think it only to be slang language or a failure on the part of people to properly learn English.

Anyway, it is just a pet peeve of mine to hear Ebonics associated with ignorance or learning ability.

Take care

27

Whats the strangest watchtower/awake article ever

by sleepy in

jw
friends

whats the strangest watchtower/awake or other publication article you,ve ever seen?.

i know theres some very strange old articles , but a few years ago there was one in the awake if i remmember right which had a picture of two brothers holding hands on the ministrty.. one was african the other white.. apparently it was common for men to hold hands in this country and was perectly normal for hetrosexual men to do.. a brother who was a missionary recounted how he was shocked when out with a local brother for the first time on the ministry and the brother took his hand in his.. a lot of people though the article was very odd and didn't like it.

yrs2long

From what I understand Alan, and I quote (badly): "There is no petting or sex relations between bull and cow permitted... until the "ovum...is at large". Seems to me your female has to initiate it and then, and only then, if you are aroused, may you make it known.

Oh and my father told me in our sex talk to "stay away from boys, they're dogs. I used to be one and I know - 'nough said." That was the end of the discussion.

27

Whats the strangest watchtower/awake article ever

by sleepy in

jw
friends

whats the strangest watchtower/awake or other publication article you,ve ever seen?.

i know theres some very strange old articles , but a few years ago there was one in the awake if i remmember right which had a picture of two brothers holding hands on the ministrty.. one was african the other white.. apparently it was common for men to hold hands in this country and was perectly normal for hetrosexual men to do.. a brother who was a missionary recounted how he was shocked when out with a local brother for the first time on the ministry and the brother took his hand in his.. a lot of people though the article was very odd and didn't like it.

yrs2long

Alan

That is a priceless article. I love the phraseology used: "sex interview" , "ovum ...at large".
"If the boy friend should become sexually aroused and lets her know it..."
"Then if a girl understandingly takes care of herself while the ovum is at large and is causing sex disturbance and cravings within her..."(now would that be 'take care of' as in masturbation?)

Thanks for the hilarious info which was before my time. Have to dig up old bound volumes!

27

Whats the strangest watchtower/awake article ever

by sleepy in

jw
friends

whats the strangest watchtower/awake or other publication article you,ve ever seen?.

i know theres some very strange old articles , but a few years ago there was one in the awake if i remmember right which had a picture of two brothers holding hands on the ministrty.. one was african the other white.. apparently it was common for men to hold hands in this country and was perectly normal for hetrosexual men to do.. a brother who was a missionary recounted how he was shocked when out with a local brother for the first time on the ministry and the brother took his hand in his.. a lot of people though the article was very odd and didn't like it.

yrs2long

The Watchtower about the Nethinim and all others that compared people or groups of people in the Bible to present-day elders, pioneers, and rank and file.

Servant that fell asleep while waiting for the groom to come=evil slave class=christendom/apostates etc.

Stuff like this made me happy at the time to have Jehovah's organization to reveal this light to me because I could never have have arrived at those conclusions myself even on a good study day.