Charlie
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Posts posted by Charlie
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Actually, I think there would be a lot fewer angry atheists and anti-theists if people with religious beliefs weren't pushing so hard. The dominant belief permeates all aspects of society, including laws. Those who belong to the dominant belief system often don't see it, but those who are either atheists or of a different religious system do.
I don't try to convince anyone that there are no supernatural beings and I really don't care who believes in them. It's only when I see it pushed on me or on society that I push back. We see it most often in relation to sexual orientation but there are other less obvious ways it's there. For example, every public school ballgame around here starts not only with an invocation, but with a Christian invocation.
As I said upthread though, my family and friends who are religious are live and let live believers. I've never tried to deconvert them any more than they've tried to bring me back.
I think of it like people who like to talk about politics. Some people really enjoy keeping up with and analyzing current events, and others just... don't. Some atheists enjoy keeping up with and analyzing current events when they affect people due to religious beliefs, and others just... don't. So between a person who disagrees with what you're saying vs a person who just keeps quiet because it's not an interesting topic for them, who's more likely to be remembered? I think it's more likely to be confirmation bias that leads people to think atheists like to correct people's beliefs. The atheists who don't say anything are there, but people don't remember them (because they didn't say anything).
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Certainly as a Christian that's a difficult thing to grasp; that your child you love wouldn't share eternity with you. Of course, one thing I still struggle with is my own belief about death/hell/heaven/eternity, etc. It's just something I need to study more. It's definitely been in the forefront of my mind this year with all of the deaths we have experienced. I think what I struggle with is hell and what I really believe hell is; just a separation from heaven or truly an eternal fire. If I could come to grips with my own true feelings/beliefs about that, I may have more peace for my son no matter what he chooses.
I am open to sharing other things with him.
Also, I'm really sorry I have redirected this thread. I really do appreciate all the input though.
What I understand about Christianity is that faith "saves" someone from a really super bad reality after death. Otherwise, what would be the point of the crucifixion and resurrection? So, whether it's a literal eternal fire or separation, it's bad enough to want to avoid that, right? Otherwise, why worry about evidence and faith and why not just be a kind and considerate person?
Your other thread looks like you're only looking for answers that reinforce a Christian belief. Do you mind non theist responses?
Also, if you wanted to start another thread that's fine, but I really do enjoy the natural ebb and flow of conversations, so please don't feel like you're bothering me or anything. I promise. :-)
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Well obviously I would be disappointed that he chose a different path, but he's my son and I love him. I'd listen to his thoughts and beliefs, and ultimately it would become a subject we likely wouldn't discuss. I'd be fine as long as he didn't try to make me feel my beliefs were wrong. I think that kind of thing can come from either side.
Let's face it; atheists would probably like to convince Christians of their belief (or lack thereof) just as much as Christians would like to convince atheists that there is a God. I believe when one feels very strongly about a matter, they'd like others, especially those they care about, to agree.
I think my mom worries about eternity. She's never been a fire and brimstone believer but I think the idea that I wouldn't be invited / find my way to a kind of eternal paradise is beginning to worry her. If you would be fine either way as long as he didn't try to make you feel like your beliefs were wrong, would you be interested in sharing with your son some non-theistic answers to his questions?
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I appreciate all of you answering that question. I didn't want to disrupt the thread.
FWIW, I don't particularly identify with any religion. I am a Christian in that I believe there is a God, and that Jesus died for my sins. My goal with that knowledge is to live the most Christ-like life I can, and try to behave toward others as Jesus would.
I don't mind. Sometimes tangential discussions are more interesting than the original idea itself. ;-)
Edited to ask - if you don't mind - if your child decided that he really doesn't believe after all, how would you feel about that? What would you do?
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This thread also makes me curious, and I hate to start yet another s/o thread, but I can if needed, whether atheists would be open to children growing up and choosing to seek out a faith to follow.
Well, it would depend, but the short answer is that I would have concerns and I would act on them accordingly.
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My mom is incessant with trying to convince me "not to continue my march to HELL." It's ridiculous. She has mental illness issues, so I try to be kind about it, but it's so frustrating to try to have a basic conversation with her.
DH's family is also religious. MIL is very live-and-let-live, but my SIL is always trying to get my sons to *say* "I believe in Jesus" so that they will be saved. The boys are nice about it, and DH has chatted with her about it, but...it's pretty annoying.
That's all she needs for her conscience to be clear? Have you ever asked her about this? Like, what if they said a conversion phrase from any other religion? Is belief a component to salvation, and things like this?
I've never known anyone like this, so my imagination is going wild, lol!
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Just to clarify, since this is likely in response to my thread; my son is actively seeking answers, which is why I'm seeking out information to share with him. He talks to me openly about it. I am not just pushing it down his throat.
I know, and love, plenty of atheists/agnostics in real life, and would never push my beliefs on them. If we have discussions, I share how I came to my beliefs and am willing to listen to them share as well.
I think that's very nice of you to help him out on his terms and not yours. It just got me to thinking. The book suggestions would never work for me for a variety of reasons (which I imagine you don't want on your thread, lol), but the questions got me to thinking - do other atheists have people in their lives who are trying to "help" without being asked? To me, there's an important difference.
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Reading these threads about children leaving the faith has me wondering, do you get proselytized by family or friends who are religious believers? I have one sibling (born again Christian) who tries to convince another (non believer) to just let go of her worries and accept Jesus into her heart. This is given in the context of sharing problems like a severely stressful marriage, older teen / young adult children, etc. It's completely unwanted and constantly, politely rejected. It doesn't happen often, but it is regular. My mom is starting to say really subtle things that in another context I might consider trying to put me on a guilt trip to reconsider, but that's not really like her and I think it's general stress with health, mortality issues, and things like this. But it got me wondering of others face this kind of thing regularly or not so regularly.
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I have had that happen to me. It was one particular child. I think he waited until he couldn't hold it any longer and then when he would just explode. I made him clean it up but it happened on at least several occasions. I used to joke that I'd rather use a gas station bathroom than my own. He's older now and it hasn't happened in a long time. Hey, at least it happened to to you and not your company!
Here, too. It takes patience and consistency. And humor helps.
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My oldest DS is home from his first semester of college, and as I like to tell him, I have never had a college-aged child before, so I am figuring this out as I go.
Our issue has been what time my son comes home at night. Before college, I was (and am with my other kids) the mom who stayed up until my children are home safely. We live in an area with lots of snow and icy roads currently, and I can't fall asleep until I know everyone is safe. At college, I know my son had some very late nights (4 am-ish), and that is fine - he is an adult and can do what he wants - but in my mind, it is different when he is home and living with other people in the same space.
I have been sick this week with a bad cold, and my DH has a compromised immune system along with other health issues so he cannot stay up. Last night I asked my son to be home by 1 am, so I could get some sleep before needing to take the next 2 to their 7 am swim team practice. My son kind of balked at this and said I should just go to bed and he will be fine. But he knows I can't sleep until I know everyone is home. I am also a very light sleeper, so opening and closing the door, and walking through the house will definitely wake me.
Sorry for the long background, but here's the bottom line: do you set a curfew for your college-aged children when they're home, or just go to bed and figure they will be fine?
With respect, I think your son is right. Your worry shouldn't be on him, much as I sympathize with it myself. If he's super quiet and still wakes you up, then you'll know that he's home and you can go back to sleep soundly. If he has a cell phone then you might find comfort in knowing he'll call if anything is wrong. No news is good news with kids this age.
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It's dangerous to confront irrationally angry people in groups. You were wise to leave.
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My experience with the Amish (well, one group of families) is so limited and passive, but it weighs on me. I have a difficult time communicating with the adults, though they're more than pleasant enough. The children, however, won't speak to me except to answer specific merchandise questions. Not even about the crummy weather or extra large crowds.
None of them, at any age, have "normal" math skills, and struggle even with calculators. I can never tell if I'm paying what I'm actually supposed to be paying. (I mean, I can add, but I don't know the weights of my foods in advance, and I still can't tell exactly what they're putting in those calculators!) For two weeks, a sign for a large garage/storage building said it was $3,500.00. I was in disbelief, but also trying to figure out if I could scratch up $3,500!!! It was eventually corrected to $35,000.00.
I just can't accept there being a "right" to sentence a community to little more than 1st grade math skills.
Also, I hate to break it to anyone, but they (at least, these families) don't have any regard for sanitary food practices. I've watched men eat chicken legs with filthy hands, then lick them to weigh produce and exchange money. My favorite breakfast bread is ruined after the couple told me about how they can't keep their cat from the loaves as they sit outside to cool. Look, my household methods probably wouldn't all pass a health department inspection, but I do expect certain standards as a customer.
I think it pulls at me because I want the beautiful picture to be real.
Yeah, for me too. It's like a little picturesque ideal of what could have happened if America had decided to just relax and just focus on community instead of making that next great mousetrap. Only... it's not picturesque and it's not quaint and it's not even safe. It's institutionalized oppression wrapped in a sweet Ma and Pa Ingalls looking bow.
So, in general, this thread has been really interesting to read because I have never really had any experiences with cults or anyone in a cult. The idea that Christian cult is an oxymoron is odd to me, and makes me wonder what everyone assumes "cult" to even mean. So I looked a little online and found some personal blogs, but this article I found interesting because they talk with researchers who studied hundreds of people's stories (The psychology of the cult experience, New York Times).
Dr. Cath defined a cult as a group of people joined together by a common ideological system fostered by a charismatic leader, where, he said, ''the expectation is that they can transcend the imperfections and finitude of life.''This definition seems to coincide with the dictionary definitions I find.
Not all cults are destructive, the researchers said, and many of those who join and remain in cults do so out of a sincere quest for religious connection. Whether or not a cult is destructive is determined by the morality of the cult leader and the nature of the leader's charismatic dream, said Dr. Cath. ''Most of the malign cults are frightening to people when their tenets are revealed, as with the People's Temple after Jonestown,'' he said.(bold mine)
I think that's one of the draws of Scientology - it serves that sincere request for religious connection, and ignores the religion the individual has already walked away from. Instead of beating the proverbial spiritually dead horse, it supposedly offers concrete answers, like good health and managing social relationships in a precise way. "No more woo," you're supposed to think. "Good, because woo never did seem to work out the way they say. This stuff is the real deal. Everyone knows vitamins aren't woo, and I don't need to pray to anyone to improve my life and learn to be happier, more successful, in control." At least, that's how I imagine the conversation goes in the head of someone who's considering Scientology for the first time.
Frequently they are intelligent youths from sheltered environments who have had contact with religion but rejected it, Dr. Cath says. He believes that many have a history of failing to achieve intimacy, of blaming others for their failures and of constantly striving for perfectionistic goals.I thought this was interesting because you want to think people who fall for cults are not as smart as you are, but that's not really necessarily true, is it. There are other things that make cults attractive to one person and not another, and cult members who invite outsiders to learn more naturally gravitate to the people who are most likely to be persuaded.
Dr. Singer said that the 700 cult members she had studied presented a wide range of personality types. ''You don't have to be a certain kind of person to succumb to the cults,'' she said.
A typical manipulated conversion, Dr. Clark said, involves a vulnerable person - a student leaving home, or at exam time, or someone who has lost a friend or lover - who is enticed by some reward: companionship, peace of mind, a place to stay or an implied sexual offering. ''Cult recruiters frequent bus stations, airports, campuses, libraries, rallies, anywhere that unattached persons are likely to be passing through,'' he said.
And it goes on. Anyway... I just thought it was interesting. I'm most familiar with the idea of cult explained like the one quoted - a neutral thing whose moral culture is guided by the particular leader. I've read Christianity referred to as a cult when it first developed a couple thousand years ago, so for me cult doesn't mean specifically bad, or manipulative, or secretive. Scientology also seems to fit this definition of cult for me anyway. But then is cult the same as religion, and religion is only one kind of cult? I don't know. By that definition, I guess so? I don't know. I'm just thinking out loud now. And I'm hungry. So all bets are off!
But... that's not to say Scientology's not whack! I think it is! I think it's morally horrifying and ethically polluted, and I'm glad it's being exposed for what it is. Good for Leah Remini for daring to stand up to the bully and show anyone who will listen just how corrupt and awful this group is. Good for Anonymous to expose their "lurid undertaking" and catching people's attention to what was assumed to be a silly but harmless sci-fi pseudo religion. This kind of behavior should always be exposed, no matter who does it or how benign the image presented to the public looks.
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Hi everyone,
I am following the "Peaceful Parenting" approach from Dr. Laura Markham where you use loving guidance and "teaching" based on a strong connection with your child instead of yelling or discipline.
This is not supposed to become a parenting discussion rather I am seeking advice from parents with a similar parenting style. For those who are not familiar with the Peaceful Parenting concept and want to read about it, this is her website:
http://www.ahaparenting.com/blog/how-to-get-your-kid-laughing-instead-of-crying
I find it quite hard to help my kids (boys age almost 5 and almost 2) to release their stress hormones like adrenaline, cortisol etc. through laughing/bonding games, roughhousing and the like. It is just so exhausting and I feel like it needs at least an hour for my older one and about half an hour for the younger one which is also difficult because we get less work done. I feel like the more work (writing, maths etc.) we do the more emotionally loaded they are and the less we get to play these bonding/laughing games. Then their behavior becomes so bad (they acting out these feelings that they cannot even express verbally) and sometimes we cannot do any work or only very little because of all these emotions that have build up. I have to let my older one cry every day about 5-10 minutes (by setting a mild emphatic limit) in order for us to be able to do our schedule.
Am I maybe doing too much sit down work with him? I am doing very little (maximum 1 and a half hours of sit down work divided) compared to schools. I cannot imagine how children are forced to sit still for so many hours and do soo much writing/reading etc. in first grade for example. I feel like they have much more emotions going on than my homeschooled son.
Have you experienced something like that, where the homeschooling work is causing stress hormones to build up? How do you help your kids to release their tensions and stress hormones?
I'm not sure I understand how this works. Are you saying you roughhouse for an hour to release adrenaline, then get to school work?
By the way, my husband and I raise our kids without punishment, so I expect we're on the same page there, but I'm not sure what you mean by this.
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I just saw most of an episode for the first time last night. I find it hard to wrap my head around the fact that people don't know that top-down tight control by leadership of people is not of God.
Jesus Himself said that those who would be great among you will be your servant (NOT your master). And to freaking PAY for all this: Jesus said, freely you have received, freely give (not charge them as much as possible).
I'd last about 5 minutes in that gig. It was gratifying to hear about this woman that just slipped out the back door of a Walmart where she had an eye doctor appoint (that she had had to clear with FIVE people in leadership in order to attend! What??!!)
They caught her in some public place and she just sat down on the floor and they did not drag her out, not wanting to make a huge scene, I guess (I was in and out of the room).
Crazy!
Not everyone cares what Jesus said or didn't say, though. The bible isn't relevant to many people, and that's where alternative religions and cults like Scientology swoops in - it offers a *reason,* a *purpose* in a life that supposed to have reason and purpose (only because in our culture, that's what we hear so often we assume it must be true).
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I agree, with one reservation: if a membership would significantly lessen OP's anxiety, it would be worthwhile.
I sometimes do things that don't make practical sense because they have a significant psychological impact in reducing my stress.
I don't think membership to a legal foundation that thrives on scaring people into not trusting the government is particularly good for lessening anxiety.
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In the older comics he might, but otherwise... nah.
And with that said, I have an interesting take on The Caped Crusader because my first Batman was simultaneously the 1960s TV show and also Batman Beyond. Two wildly different approaches to the same franchise.
My girls' first introduction to super anything was Teen Titans, and for years they've insisted on all their stuff being labeled "Raven" and "Starfire".
We loved Teen Titans here, too! I still yell at my kids to get up with, "Wakey wakey! Tofu eggs and bakey!" which for some reason got stuck in our family lexicon. Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy were also favored super heroes around here.
As I kid I liked Spiderman because he said all the witty things I wished I thought of. I liked Bruce Banner's calm demeanor, loved his righteous Hulk. I thought Wonder Woman was da bomb as a kid. Now I look at that suit Lynda Carter wore and wonder how she breathed and avoided wardrobe malfunctions, so that's a bit distracting. I always thought Superman and Capt America were Mary Sues (sorry!). Gosh, so many good ones now that comic book hero movies are so well done these days.
I still can't believe Bird Person is dead. Not that he's a super hero, but he was pretty super.
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Could your husband talk to the Medicaid folks to get any errors or omissions sorted out?
I kinda think it would be good for you to step back from dealing with it for awhile.
That is a good idea. If my husband saw me this stressed, he would have intercepted long ago.
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Do you remember Carrie Fisher's self-proclaimed obituary?
"Remember the white dress I wore all through that film? George came up to me the first day of filming, took one look at the dress and said: 'You can't wear a bra under that dress.'""'OK, I'll bite,' I said. 'Why?' And he said: 'Because ... there's no underwear in space."
"He said it with such conviction. Like he had been to space and looked around and he didn't see any bras or panties anywhere."
"He explained. 'You go into space and you become weightless. Then your body expands but your bra doesn't, so you get strangled by your own underwear.'"
"I think that this would make for a fantastic obituary. I tell my younger friends that no matter how I go, I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra."
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I am under stress because...the application is messed up. I never said my son was elderly and disabled and I never said he was my spouse. But he is listed like that. I cannot use medicaid where I live, but because of this law, either all my children go on medicaid or I am fined. I cannot find a way to legally correct this application. And since I did not fix it within 10 days, I could be charged with perjury.
Here is a place to look for pharmacies on medicaid... https://tchp.healthtrioconnect.com/public-app/consumer/provdir/entry.page I have already gone out 20 miles and there are none. I cannot even use medicaid for pharmacy.
The point is simple...I should not be legally required to go through this, based on income. That is discrimination. The medicaid is unusable. Now I am afraid I will face criminal charges over committing perjury. The application is so long that it is hard to even pin point all the places where perjury has been committed.
So the basics is...medicaid is not usable where I live. So my choices are, leave them on medicaid and take chances with being caught for the mistakes on the application, which could mean criminal charges. Or cancel the medicaid and pay the $2000+ fine at the end of the year. All this because of the ACA. When my husband was laid off 10 years ago, we were not fined for it. Life was allowed to go on and we could focus on the kids, our lives, and finding a new job. Heck, we even spent time doing things like playing games with the kids, going to the park, and museums. Now, instead, we spend hours and hours trying to meet the requirements of the ACA and worry about all the criminal penalties we will face for every mistake and there is NO ONE that is there for ME to help me with this application, or the fixing of it.
And if this is my punishment just for my husband being unemployed for a few months, I can just imagine the pain people are in who are unemployed or otherwise low income for the long term.
Don't you have the choice of calling your rep and fixing the mistake on the application?
When you speak to the reps, do you ask these questions?
Honestly, Janeway, this isn't about the ADA, it's about you being confused and frustrated and frightened.
People keep showing you the information you need to reduce this fear and you ignore it. It seems to me like your brain is stuck in a feedback loop, kind of like a mental OCD tick. If you can't get out of it using your own resources, would you consider going to someone who has different resources? This stress isn't good for you or your family. I worry about you because I can relate to this fear, I know how deep it can go. I want you to find peace. But you have to stop for a second and take a breath and consider the things people are telling you. Write it down if you have to, so you can refer to it when your emotions get going again. Whatever it takes to help yourself just like you help your children when they need it.
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This is lovely. When calling today to find out how to fix the many mistakes on the paperwork I have, apparently, there is this program..http://gethipptexas.com/common-questions/ That they never told me about. With this program, I might have been able to actually have insurance. From when I applied for medicaid originally, I could have applied for this, but they never told me about this.
With all the money they waste on degrading people and being nasty, they could spend money to get advocates to help people figure out what is available and what they can qualify for and how to fill all these papers out. I do not know how many pages it was, but I pulled it up to show my husband and tell him I could not figure out what I am supposed to do to fix it and we figure the criminal fine for not having medicaid was likely less than the cost of the legal bills or an attorney to sort out this application so that I don't go to jail for messing it up.
So how did you find out about hipp texas? Do you think they train their workers to be degrading and nasty? That sounds... odd. Like, I can't imagine appealing to my supervisor and saying, "You know, we should have orientations for all workers as they go through the state and find people, scare them, degrade them, and be super nasty." "Why Karen, that sounds like a fantastic plan! Get on it right away!"
Could it be that the people who are just trying to do their jobs are getting frustrated by you? Because of your response? If I was hired to collect data for some reason and someone kept blowing trying to avoid me, that would make my job hard. If they kept blowing me off with unreasonable excuses, I might loose my patience after a while. Don't you think you might, too under these circumstances?
ETA: I do think getting help to take the edge off the anxiety will help clear many of these things up. It frees up the brain to concentrate. If you can't do that, perhaps hire a legal aid to go over this with you in person and answer your questions face to face.
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The one social worker, who knew I homeschool, demanded that I tell him about stuff like learning disabilities and got very angry with me. Why would the state have to know about learning disabilities? And he said if any of my children had learning disabilities or anything else, each child would be assigned a special social worker to handle their disabilities. Why would I have to disclose learning disabilities? And be assigned a special social worker?
edited to add: I am afraid that if I lie to them and do not admit to the ASD, and they find out, I can be prosecuted. But if I tell them about the ASD, I will be forced to answer to another social worker and to do whatever he/she wants with my child with ASD. I do not know if that would involve forcing him in to a treatment program or forcing him to public school or what. And I am also afraid that if I lie to them and tell them my children have all been vaccinated and they find out otherwise, I will be prosecuted. And if I tell them the truth, they will send a social worker to seize my children potentially and force vaccinations on them.
And again, there are NO doctors where we live that take medicaid anyway, so I cannot use it. I could not use it at the pharmacy. I do not want to be forced to answer all these personal questions about my family. This is a big big punishment for losing his job. HUGE. And people just should not be punished like this, for being low income.
You can't be forced to treat autism a certain way. There's no law that says anything remote to that. There are no laws that require vaccinations in order to keep your children. My question is where are you getting these ideas? TV? Websites? Church? Neighbors?
To the bold, I don't know but perhaps they want to have as many ducks in a row as possible before people request services paid? Perhaps they need to keep a tally of special medical needs (including mental health) for whatever records they keep? Perhaps they are trying to make this process so stinkin' awful that the next election cycle everyone who had to go through these hoops, and everyone who hears about them, vote it down so legislators can install whatever private alternative will give their sugar daddies the biggest profit possible so the Old Boys Club members get their collective backs greased? It sounds like this is exactly what the legislators in your state want - to push people away through legalized punishment. Other states don't do this. So maybe you see now how this isn't about the ADA, but about the legislators in your state trying to punish the victim again? By the way, if you're comfortable sharing what state you live in, perhaps people can PM you with resources more local to you.
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I mean....like if I refuse to vaccinate or such.
They said I had to declare how much money we have. I did not list money in 401K or IRA accounts. That stuff I am worried about criminal charges for.
But..I am worried I will lose my children over not having the oldest in any sort of autism treatment program or for refusing to vaccinate my younger children, that sort of thing. The house is messy right now and the older boys got in to an argument where one hit the other earlier today. What if a social worker shows up and sees mess out?
Making a mistake is not the same as an intentional lie. When you sign at the end saying something like, "I swear this is all true, blah blah blah," you're saying that you're not intentionally falsifying information. People make mistakes all the time, and courts and judges know this.
ETA: TechWife has the solution. You made a mistake, you remedy it.
You have the right to decide to provide autism treatment at your prerogative, vaccines, too. Unless you have a legitimate hoarding problem and your family is living with trash, or you are unable to feed and clothe your children (in which case, I imagine there are resources to help with that), a mess shouldn't be on their radar. A) They've got too much paper work to worry about getting on your back for something domestic and out of their field, B) They've seen worse.
But who is telling you that you might lose your children?
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Yep. And the extremeness of this paperwork and fear of being prosecuted or what will happen to us or what if I make a mistake led me to have a huge anxiety panic attack today. With all these social workers calling and asking all these questions that go on and on, what if they don't like my answers and take my children away???? I didn't vaccinate the baby!! I only selectively vaccinated my 5yr old. We already recently saw the dentist and the social workers are saying we have to go to their dentists! I don't make my 15 yr old do autism therapy. Are they going to take him and put him in a group home or something because they now make the decisions? In addition to all, my time is considered worthless and I have to do all these meetings. What if a child has a tantrum during a meeting? What happens to us?
I don't think low income or no income should mean that the state has the right to control our lives and bodies. I feel like I have lost my rights as a parent now. It has been horrifying. What if one of the many social workers I have to answer to now are against home schooling?
Because this medicaid thing has put me through so much, I actually told my husband to call back that one company and see if the job is still available. I have close to a year worth of salary saved up. I have a house worth enough that I could easily live in one half the price here, where I am now. But, because of fear of breaking the law and whatever control the state has over my children now, I am looking at greatly increasing my debt and setting us back financially to escape this control and stress. I am completely folding under this stress. Another social worker is trying to reach me for something. I got MORE paper work in the mail today. I saved hard and have always been frugal to provide for my family at a time like this. This is my husband's 4th lay off. But by law, I no longer have the same parental rights I used to have. And I now answer to social workers, any time of day, any amount of time they want, they own me. They can call me at 2 in the after noon on Christmas Eve and I just have to drop everything to answer their intrusive questions. But, they don't have to tell me if I made a mistake on the paperwork. I start every one of these conversations with "I don't know if I filled it out right, I could have made a mistake." Did you know you can go to JAIL for lying on medicaid paperwork? When I don't even use the medicaid to begin with!
edited to add: you know how people say they think we should be free to home school and should not have to answer to school staff for what we teach or how we teach, etc? But this law has made it so that low income people have to let their kids be tracked or be in violation of the law.
These are frightening prospects. I can understand why you're so upset. But I have to admit, they don't make any sense to me. I've never heard of the state having the authority to take children away for bad answers on medicaid forms. How did you hear about these?
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ALSO, burgundy burgers--add about 1/4 cup of heavy red wine to a lb of ground meat, then stuff with blue cheese which melts inside the burger during cooking--absolutely amazing and a nice change from the every day burgers.
:drool5:
A question for atheists
in The Chat Board
Posted
I just learned about a Swedish cognition study about choice blindness. They found people will defend their choices, even when they don't make those choices, suggesting we act impulsively more than we realize and then justify our behavior (Lunds University: Choice Study Lab).