Marvin Shilmer

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Posts by Marvin Shilmer

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  739

  250,000 Jehovah's Witnesses have died refusing blood

  by nicolaou in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  80+ branch davidian cult members died in waco, texas.

  250,000+ #jehovahswitnesses have died refusing blood.

  stop this #cult!

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  Marvin Shilmer

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  “I don't personally know anyone who died rejecting blood, only read about cases in the newspapers. Maybe it is common, but it doesn't feel like it.”

  The overall number of deaths is easily overlooked and/or unfelt because it is so widely distributed.

  Back in 1961 a highly increased rate of mortality due to Watchtower’s blood doctrine could have been as high as 2 deaths annually for every 800-900 JWs and went fairly unnoticed by the JW population because most of these deaths would have occurred in congregations where none of these deaths were known for what they represented.

  Another thing that makes the period of 1998 to 2007 different from years 1961 to 1997 is that most of the former period (1998-2007) included a dramatic change in Watchtower doctrine that suddenly allowed transfusion of products like cryo-poor plasma and administration of these blood products is known to have been very successful in reducing mortality of JWs. (See: http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com/2011/06/outrageous-omission-blood.html

  Marvin Shilmer
• 
  739

  250,000 Jehovah's Witnesses have died refusing blood

  by nicolaou in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  80+ branch davidian cult members died in waco, texas.

  250,000+ #jehovahswitnesses have died refusing blood.

  stop this #cult!

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  2. 
  3. 
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  Marvin Shilmer

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  The figure of 250,000 is neither sensationalism nor irresponsible. A very, very conservative accounting of deaths due to Watchtower’s blood doctrine since 1961 is 50,000. (See: http://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com/2012/02/more-than-50000-dead.html

  But…

  - The figure of 50,000 is based on data gathered for years 1998-2007 which period enjoyed tremendous medical advances since 1961.

  - The figure of 50,000 is based on data gathered in one of the world’s very best regions for medical assets whereas millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses live in second and third world nations with poor medical resources.

  Though I don’t intend to spend time developing a mathematical algorithm to construct a statistical number for deaths since 1961 that accounts for 1) medical practices from 1961 to 1997 and for 2) any increased mortality due to medical assets in lesser world regions, I don’t doubt the figure would easily reach 250,000 over the years of 1961 to now.

  Marvin Shilmer
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  26

  Wife update

  by problemaddict in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you want the short version, scroll down to "short version".. .

  so i am at 1200 posts or so (only about 6 were probably of note), and i still havenlt told my story and probably won't for some time.

  basically, i was a born in who has served in other countries, as an ms, and given talks etc... my wife and i were in foreign language, have co's we have counted as close family friends, and were basically the golden boy and girl of their respective areas.

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  Marvin Shilmer

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  Two people who love each other is one of the best things there is. Enjoy it. Thanks for sharing.

  Marvin Shilmer
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  16

  Ros

  by Gorbatchov in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  today i read at the xjw.com forum that ros died.. since the start of my internet connexion in 1997 i remember the topics of ros.. ros, thanks for sharing your thoughts.

  you helped me getting ttatt.

  i pray for you and your relatives.. gorbatchov.

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  Marvin Shilmer

  This is very sad news. Very sad news.

  Rest in peace sister.

  Rest in peace.

  Marvin Shilmer
• 
  369

  So are Republicans now openly terrorists?

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  they seem determined to undermine the us democracy and shut the government down hurting employees and veterans.. what a despicable bunch, hope they get their asses kicked for what they are doing..

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  Marvin Shilmer

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  “Marvin, Alberta is represented by a single health care group. That's many, many hospitals. A corporation of this size can demand bulk discounts. The fractured system in the US can't.”

  Jgnat,

  I sit on a local hospital board. But this hospital is part of a much larger medical group of more than 30 hospitals, and even more clinics. The local board I sit on basically oversees local fund raising initiatives (primary duty), employee dispute resolutions (rare duty), and decisions regarding pursuit of patient past due accounts (regular duty, and a tough one).

  The downstream feed we get from our corporate board is to expect cost increases. This corporate board is made up of hospital administrators, doctors and, of course, lawyers.

  As I said before, I hope you’re right.

  Marvin Shilmer
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  369

  So are Republicans now openly terrorists?

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  they seem determined to undermine the us democracy and shut the government down hurting employees and veterans.. what a despicable bunch, hope they get their asses kicked for what they are doing..

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  Marvin Shilmer

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  “Surely, Marvin, American hospital costs should come down to be comparable with other developed countries.”

  The local hospital board I sit on thinks otherwise.

  What you suggest is something I’ll believe when I see it.

  I hope you’re right.

  Marvin Shilmer
• 
  369

  So are Republicans now openly terrorists?

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  they seem determined to undermine the us democracy and shut the government down hurting employees and veterans.. what a despicable bunch, hope they get their asses kicked for what they are doing..

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  Marvin Shilmer

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  “You've been paying for it, one way or the other, for quite some time.”

  Yes. Mostly by higher hospitalization costs and higher healthcare insurance premiums.

  I don’t expect hospital costs to go down. Do you?

  I don’t expect my healthcare insurance premiums to go down, either. Do you?

  Know what this means?

  It means I’ve been put in line to pay more.

  It’s not the paying more that bothers me so much as the paying more for those whose life choices have placed them in a circumstance where they are unable to afford what I can afford when we each had the same choices. I know several of these. They’re much excited that they will have opportunity for “affordable” healthcare insurance because some young person who does not yet want to pay for healthcare insurance will be made to, and people like me will be made to pay more, so they can gain from our additional pain.

  Marvin Shilmer
• 
  369

  So are Republicans now openly terrorists?

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  they seem determined to undermine the us democracy and shut the government down hurting employees and veterans.. what a despicable bunch, hope they get their asses kicked for what they are doing..

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  Marvin Shilmer

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  “And you accuse me of being ignorant?”

  Yes, Simon. I do. You hold a simpleton view and, worse, either ignore substance or fail to comprehend it.

  “I mean really? you actually believe that people 'chose to earn less' so they don't have to pay tax? and that money is taken directly off one person and given directly to others to even things up like that?”

  I know lots of people who choose to earn less. It doesn’t matter the reason. As a result of choosing to earn less… here it comes… among other things they can’t afford healthcare insurance. You want me to pay for their choice to earn less by paying for the consequence of their inability to afford healthcare insurance.

  I don’t like leeches. I don’t care much for fools, either. But society has both. So there you have it.

  Marvin Shilmer

  PS: Thanks jgnat
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  369

  So are Republicans now openly terrorists?

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  they seem determined to undermine the us democracy and shut the government down hurting employees and veterans.. what a despicable bunch, hope they get their asses kicked for what they are doing..

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  Marvin Shilmer

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  “Normally the amount you pay should be based on income…”

  That’s just what we need in the United States. One more reason to reward lower income earners to stay where they are.

  Has it occurred to anyone that those with higher incomes have EARNED that income?

  Johnny: Hey Jimmy! How much did you EARN mowing lawns today?

  Jimmy: 20 dollars!

  Johnny: I only EARNED 2 dollars. You should give me 9 of your dollars so we’re even!

  Marvin Shilmer
• 
  369

  So are Republicans now openly terrorists?

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  they seem determined to undermine the us democracy and shut the government down hurting employees and veterans.. what a despicable bunch, hope they get their asses kicked for what they are doing..

  1. 
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  Marvin Shilmer

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  “This is the problem with 'mercans ... you just don't get that medicine needs to be socialized and you object to it simply because you've been indictrinated that "socialism is evil". For healthcare though, it's different and needs to be so.”

  Simon,

  That remark above directed toward my statement is inappropriate, not to mention rude and ignorant.

  I am not against socializing medicine. One way or another everything ends up being socialized because we are humans and humans are social creatures that like to socialize things. So top presuming and get off your high horse and stop speaking abusively to those of us who are looking for solutions and not who to blame!

  Right now I’m attempting to navigate the ACA for sake of my employees, and I’m sharing my experience for the benefit of others. Apparently this is something you dislike.

  I don’t know if the ACA is a better or worse way to socialize healthcare compared to other means. I’m only pointing out pitfalls that I’ve learned myself at tremendous expense. I think you live someone in Canada. I do business with a lot of individuals and companies in Canada. The near universal thing I’m told is “Don’t let the US do what we are forced to do.” Right or wrong, I hear this over and over again. I don’t know if this anecdotal information is worthwhile or worthless, and don’t really care.

  What I am being forced to care about is how to abide by the ACA. To that end, I’ve share what I’ve learned.

  Now please stop being rude and presumptive. For a change, how about productively engaging what's been shared.

  Marvin Shilmer