Bunny Trails

[Neto]

It is generally, in my opinion, best not to respond to accusations. Some might think that is admission of guilt, but I don't.

Many years ago I confronted someone about something they said about me, and a third party, who should not have been listening to start with, came & told me what this person had said. The one I should have confronted (if anyone at all) was the eaves-dropper. I could have then cleared up the misunderstanding with the other person in a round about way.

(Much later I recognized that although unintentional, I had created the misunderstanding myself. If you all think I'm a social clutz now, you should have seen me back then. I was as blind as a bat, and I didn't have "social radar", either. I have attempted to contact the person involved, but have not found them. I just hope that my offense did not turn them away from Christ.)

[ken_sylvania]

Google doesn't find these files anymore, so perhaps the site where I got has taken it off.)

I am almost convinced that Google has intentionally sabotaged it's search engine in an attempt to steer people toward Gemini.

[JohnH]

Google doesn't find these files anymore, so perhaps the site where I got has taken it off.)

I am almost convinced that Google has intentionally sabotaged it's search engine in an attempt to steer people toward Gemini.

On the flip side, Google's "AI Mode" is so bad that it seems like they're self-sabotaging the reputation of Google Gemini.

[Neto]

Google doesn't find these files anymore, so perhaps the site where I got has taken it off.)

I am almost convinced that Google has intentionally sabotaged it's search engine in an attempt to steer people toward Gemini.

On the flip side, Google's "AI Mode" is so bad that it seems like they're self-sabotaging the reputation of Google Gemini.

Sounds accurate to me. At any rate, the search results are no where nearly as helpful as they used to be.

[JohnH]

You can use the chatbot of your choice effectively as a search engine (any of them will work; I like DeepSeek and MiMo since they're free, but ChatGPT or Claude works too). You just describe to it what you're looking for and it finds websites for you.

[temporal1]

My point is that while I suspect that neither of our churches would permit its ministry to marry non members, except in exceptional circumstances, the state basically shares in any blame for this situation. It s likely they convinced a judge this was ok.

While this minister was clearly unwise, the state was equally unwise.

I would presume the state followed the relevant laws regarding marriage.

Whilst in this case the marriage seems unwise to me (regardless of age), I would hesitate to say my grandparents’ marriage at 16 & 18 was unwise, my wife’s parents at 17 & 18, and so forth. I find it particularly odd to take a position that marriages at 16 or 17 are somehow bad

when all manner of fornication, cohabitation, childbearing out of wedlock, etc between a 16 and 18 year are entirely legal. I would work on changing the latter laws first.

Understatement.
The state is and has been in the business of promoting+funding all these things, and far more, heavily on the side of sexualizing children+teens, providing instructions, methods, legal protection (even from parents) medical services (not health services, death services, yes) .. everything that serves the abortion for-profit industry, and more recently, attempts to serve and found the child predator trans industry.

How difficult for courts to rule on anything with such horrors and deviations going on in human law.
Including access to the Public Treasury. The #2 goal of every politically organized group/lobby. $$$$

1) legal protections
2) access to taxpayer dollars

[temporal1]

At issue here is that it doesn't seem very pertinent to the broader topic of problems with abuse in Anabaptist circles. There are lots of people entering marriages, cohabatation situations, etc. that are unwise, but that's not exactly my business and none of us are in charge of that. Our sphere of influence is limited to deciding what churches are marriages will officiate, and as far as I know most of us are in churches that would never have had a situation of marrying two non members, much less a bizarre May-December relationship.

Trudy normally does stay away from unfounded allegations; she would do herself well to avoid irrelevant details like this, including dragging someone like Mr. Raber through the mud for this (which is mostly her minions who do so, not her herself, at least from what I could tell). There are plenty of wrongdoers who need dragged through the mud that it would be good to endeavour to avoid dragging the innocent.

Overall, here's what is not helpful:

- Calling non-Amish people "Amish" as if it's some kind of ethnic designator because someone's grandfather was Amish
- Then finding such a person who has committed some heinous crime
- Then extending that to "Amish people commit lots of terrible crimes"
- Finally, "the Amish church should be dismantled", as if getting rid of the Amish church will somehow change the behaviour of non-Amish people.

It's a rather gross form of ethnic bigotry and it also has no grounding in facts.

if the Amish happened to be from Somalia - oof. the airwaves would be lit!

division is SOP for evil. old as time.

[JohnH]

https://www.thebanner.com/education/ear ... XCB25CYJM/

$2,000 a month? The preschool I sent my eldest to was $1,500 per year. (They also run it as a ministry to the community; they have “harvested” quite a few families into regular church members who first got acquainted via the school.)

Whilst it is good to do things excellently, it also feels “off” to read about a school as if it’s some elitist NYC prep school.

From the article:

And yes, Mennonites can use electricity and drive cars.

Many Mennonites don’t use electricity or drive cars, like Hoovers, Spencer type Mennonites, and Wengers (for the cars, at least).

Meanwhile electricity use is near universal amongst OO Amish and the ones near me drive cars (and trucks).

[sojourner]

https://www.thebanner.com/education/ear ... XCB25CYJM/

$2,000 a month? The preschool I sent my eldest to was $1,500 per year. (They also run it as a ministry to the community; they have “harvested” quite a few families into regular church members who first got acquainted via the school.)

Whilst it is good to do things excellently, it also feels “off” to read about a school as if it’s some elitist NYC prep school.

From the article:

And yes, Mennonites can use electricity and drive cars.

Many Mennonites don’t use electricity or drive cars, like Hoovers, Spencer type Mennonites, and Wengers (for the cars, at least).

Meanwhile electricity use is near universal amongst OO Amish and the ones near me drive cars (and trucks).

Cost of living is prolly not the same in Baltimore versus rural Ohio.
Presumably, the article wasn't authored by someone from the school. Journalist's will write what they will.

Just because you are quite familiar with many different types of Amish and Mennonites doesn't mean most plain people are.
I'd throw out there that many plain people aren't particularly familiar with all the other plain groups. Especially if said plain people aren't living in places like Lancaster or Holmes county.
Thus most folks including plain people, see Amish as having no cars or electricity and Mennonites as having both even tho those lines criss cross to the point where no-one can keep it straight.
As an example, many years ago, living in rural Pa, I worked with a Beachy type young man. I was surprised to find out he had never heard of Old order, dutch speaking, horse and buggy Mennonites.

[ken_sylvania]

https://www.thebanner.com/education/ear ... XCB25CYJM/

$2,000 a month? The preschool I sent my eldest to was $1,500 per year. (They also run it as a ministry to the community; they have “harvested” quite a few families into regular church members who first got acquainted via the school.)

Whilst it is good to do things excellently, it also feels “off” to read about a school as if it’s some elitist NYC prep school.

From the article:

And yes, Mennonites can use electricity and drive cars.

Many Mennonites don’t use electricity or drive cars, like Hoovers, Spencer type Mennonites, and Wengers (for the cars, at least).

Meanwhile electricity use is near universal amongst OO Amish and the ones near me drive cars (and trucks).

People might trust you more if you would stick to the truth.