Posts by OrphanCrow

70

Wife fully awake.

by cappytan in

i learned this past week that my wife is now awake.

i just shared the pbs newshour segment with her with no comment other than something along the lines of, "jw story on pbs.".

she is furious at the arrogance of these men.. thats what happens when you get a momma angry!.

OrphanCrow

Cappytan - you must be doing the happy dance right about now!

Good thing you married a Mama Bear.

:)

16

Recent Birth Experience

by lambsbottom in

i'm completely flabergasted at what happened with a couple in my old congregation recently.

they are still active.

the guy messages me that they had their baby and will be at a local hospital for the next couple days.

OrphanCrow

I have noticed over the years that birth stories are a lot like fishing stories with estimates of length of labor equating to size of fish.

The difference between 'birth stories' and 'fishing stories' is that a birth story has a real live woman experiencing the limits of pain and suffering for those hours she is in labor.

Fish stories don't involve women in pain and possibly herself and her baby dying.

Fish stories are men bragging about a sport.

Birth stories are real life and death situations.

41

Awake! Quotes a Well-Known ex-JW Apostate in Support of Their Beliefs!?!

by Oubliette in

konceptual99, referenced this article on another thread: .

was it designed?

the inverted retina.

OrphanCrow

Oubilette: That being said, and we are getting a bit off topic (but only a bit), obviously there are illegitimate diploma mills in the U.S., but a PhD program at a University of California or equivalent is a very rigorous undertaking.
I'm currently looking at a PhD in Learning Sciences from the University of Indiana. Here's the program:

Yes, some of the Phd programs in the US are very rigorous.

Oubilette, what are the requirements for qualifying for admission into the Phd program at the University of Indiana?

But...back to Mr. Bergman.

Here are a couple links that will clarify that

1.) he was a Jehovah's Witness but is no longer

2.) Bergman is adamant that the Watchtower is dishonest

http://freeminds.org/psych/bergmancritique.htm

http://freeminds.org/psych/bergmancritique2.htm

I realize that I had said that I wouldn't be using him as a credible authority - and what I meant is that I wouldn't reference him in a research paper for psychology or anything scientific. Not that I have any plans of writing papers in those disciplines....

However, just because Bergman has had his credibility questioned regarding his scientific credentials, I think it is important to give him credibility as an exJW. He does have extensive knowledge of the WTS and its workings and he has revealed many valuable details in an interview he did with Jennifer Henderson concerning Hayden Covington.

http://www.freeminds.org/history/covington2.htm

I agree with Oubilette - it is truly ironic that the WTS is using Bergman as a credible 'scientific' source when Bergman himself accuses the Watchtower of dishonesty. Actually, it is more humorous than ironic.

An exJW 'apostate' being quoted in the Awake! magazine. And not only that, the exJW apostate is on record as accusing the Watchtower of dishonesty.

It is hilarious.

41

Awake! Quotes a Well-Known ex-JW Apostate in Support of Their Beliefs!?!

by Oubliette in

konceptual99, referenced this article on another thread: .

was it designed?

the inverted retina.

OrphanCrow

Bergman's bio reveals where he got his "Dr." status for biology from.

Ph.D. in human biology, Columbia Pacific University, San Rafael, California, 1992

Here is a link to evaluate how credible that "Dr." in front of his name is:

http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/News/cpu.html

CPU, founded in 1978, was a private, nonaccredited correspondence school that offered programs leading to bachelors, masters, and doctorate-level "degrees" in various subjects.
Private postsecondary schools are regulated by the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education, which approves schools to operate and ensures that training is relevant and practical. In 1996, after conducting a qualitative review and assessment of CPU's degree-granting programs, the bureau's predecessor agency (Council for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education) denied CPU's application for licensure. On June 10, 1997, this denial was upheld by an independent administrative law judge who concluded that CPU had: (a) awarded excessive credit for prior experiential learning to many students; (b) failed to employ duly qualified faculty; and (c) failed to meet various requirements for issuing Ph.D. degrees. When CPU continued to operate without legal approval, the California Attorney General sought an injunction.

For example, a Phd in the US is sometimes less than, or equal to a Masters degree in Canada
millie: I was not aware of that OrphanCrow, could you provide a link so I could read about the distinctions?
Thanks,

Millie, I can't pull out a link on that one, at least not right now - I have never researched it online. All I can speak from is my own experience.

At the time that I graduated with a 4 year undergraduate degree in Fine Arts from a Canadian university, a BFA (honors), I could have qualified for a Phd program at many universities in US with it and skipped what we call Graduate work in Canada - a Masters degree. That is, if I had wanted to earn a Phd in Art History and fast track my way into teaching art history.

The difference lies, I believe, not within the Canadian system of degree definitions, but rather within the US system. A university accreditation in Canada is easier to control, and there is less variation in degrees between universities, because we are really small compared to the States - in the US, it appears like there is a wide range of what can be called a university with wide variations in degree requirements.

There seems to be a lot of 'popcorn box' degrees available in the States. And it looks like the esteemed 'Dr.' Bergman has acquired one of those 'Dr.' degrees from a correspondence school that lost its licence.

41

Awake! Quotes a Well-Known ex-JW Apostate in Support of Their Beliefs!?!

by Oubliette in

konceptual99, referenced this article on another thread: .

was it designed?

the inverted retina.

OrphanCrow

Oubliette: I don't know much about Bergman. A few other posters here have mentioned he has credibility problems.

Now that I have read a couple of his other papers, I agree with those other posters.

I didn't know much about him until you posted those links. I had read his material that related to the JWs but knew nothing else about him.

His educational list looks impressive, but I have a bit of difficulty evaluating his education because of the differences between Canadian and US degree requirements. For example, a Phd in the US is sometimes less than, or equal to a Masters degree in Canada.

As to the question you asked earlier about why the WTS would use Bergman in their Awake! article, I think that you have revealed another one of those 'cracks' that show there is more behind the WTS than we are aware of.

41

Awake! Quotes a Well-Known ex-JW Apostate in Support of Their Beliefs!?!

by Oubliette in

konceptual99, referenced this article on another thread: .

was it designed?

the inverted retina.

OrphanCrow

I'm only pointing out that it is odd that a man that is known to be an ex-JW and apostate is quoted by the WTBTS as a reliable source. I never suggested or even implied that he is.

I know. And I never said you did. I never implied that either.

I offered my opinion on the material you posted.

16

Recent Birth Experience

by lambsbottom in

i'm completely flabergasted at what happened with a couple in my old congregation recently.

they are still active.

the guy messages me that they had their baby and will be at a local hospital for the next couple days.

OrphanCrow

my question is: why are the congregation elders not checking with EVERY pregnant JW woman to make sure she gets blood work right before expected labor dates!? didn't they have a leaked document regarding this a couple years ago?

The blood work that the elders were encouraging pregnant women to get done a few years ago, had to do with identifying the JW women who were RH negative.

In 2010, there was a clinical trial being sponsored by InfaCare Pharmaceuticals Corporation. The trial was by invitation only and the JW community fit the parameters of the study group perfectly. The elders and HLC would have been actively recruiting for subjects to enter into the clinical trial for Stantate at that time.

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01183988?term=jehovah%27s+witnesses&rank=1

Stantate, the drug that was being tested on JW babies, has since received approval for compassionate use.

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00076960?term=jehovah%27s+witnesses&rank=2

And once again, the JW community has contributed to a pharmaceutical company's quest to get a drug onto the market.

Step 1 - clinical trial approved by FDA

Step 2 - get JW mamas and babies to enroll

Step 3 - apply for the drug to get 'compassionate use' status for expanded access

Step 3 is the end goal. The study that was approved for Step 1 has yet to be published, and we do not know the safety or efficacy of the drug. But that doesn't matter - the drug is 'needed' by the JW women, so it now can be manufactured and sold for use.

"Compassionate Use" status is not equivalent to "safe and effective".

16

Recent Birth Experience

by lambsbottom in

i'm completely flabergasted at what happened with a couple in my old congregation recently.

they are still active.

the guy messages me that they had their baby and will be at a local hospital for the next couple days.

OrphanCrow

Crazyguy9 hours agoBiggest problem is the Doctors getting in the way of a natural child birth. If they would of let the mother walk around and maybe have some wine things probably would of progressed more quickly. If this was her first baby it tends to take longer. Bottom line the doctors really want to have to preform a C-section because then they make some serious coin.

??? walk around and have some wine??? and that is supposed to alleviate 22 hours of hard labor???

You cannot, and should not, make evaluations on a woman's experience with child birth when you have a limited amount of information about her situation.

Your comment is irresponsible and reflects a pre-disposed bias towards medical science and women's health issues.

41

Awake! Quotes a Well-Known ex-JW Apostate in Support of Their Beliefs!?!

by Oubliette in

konceptual99, referenced this article on another thread: .

was it designed?

the inverted retina.

OrphanCrow

Oubliette: Strange! No?
Why would they do that?
(You can read Bergman's biography by clicking on the hyperlink on his name in the Awake!quote)

Thank you for posting this information about Jerry Bergman.

I think that Bergman and the WTS are a perfect fit.

Now that I have read Bergman's biography and a few of his articles that he has published, I will no longer be using Bergman as any kind of authority whatsoever, even if I can 'cherry pick' pieces out of his 'anti-JW' articles on mental health.

His writings are extremely biased to the point that they have no value except for the dissemination and perpetuation of cultural beliefs. His only value is as an example of how religious beliefs can influence science to the degree that religion can make the claim that it is based in science - which it is not.

Bergman has lost all credibility with me.

8

Federal prisoner, child of active JW, could be my grandchild?

by FatFreek 2005 in

i recently learned of the possibility that my son has a love child and that this child is in prison.

the child was born in the early 80s.

i learned that my ex-wife and her parents may have paid a large sum of money to the young mother (and others) in order to keep this scandal out of the press and perhaps out of earshot of the local elders.

OrphanCrow

FatFreek, do you know the identity of the mother of your maybe-grandson?

She might be able to help you out.

DNA testing, in spite of cost, will answer your question.

Good luck.