always check out a sect's medical practices before joining

[crt360]

Texas woman convicted of operating on child who later died

ABILENE  A woman was convicted of bodily injury for helping perform surgery on her neighbor's 7-year-old daughter who later died.

Callahan County jurors deliberated about five hours Wednesday before finding Rebekah Hawkins guilty of assisting in surgery on Terri Silas in 2003. Following the surgery at Hawkins' home, Terri, who had a leg infection, died at a Fort Worth hospital.

A judge will decide Hawkins' punishment. District Attorney Shane Deel said Hawkins will be sentenced in May.

Hawkins, believed to be a member of a religious sect called the House of Yahweh, faces up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 fine for the third-degree charge. Deel said Hawkins, who remains free on $50,000 bond, also is eligible for probation.

If Hawkins had been found guilty of serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony, she could have faced a maximum punishment of life in prison.

"We're pleased with the guilty verdict and glad that we're able to get some measure of justice for the child," Deel said.

The child's mother, Deziree Kay Gideon, who is also thought to be involved with the sect, pleaded guilty in October to injury to a child by criminal negligence and was sentenced to five years' probation.

The House of Yahweh, an Old Testament-based group, gained notoriety in 1996 when several hundred of its followers changed their last names to Hawkins in honor of its founder, Yisrayl Hawkins. He had changed his name from Bill after leaving the Abilene Police Department in 1977.

He founded the group, with headquarters in Abilene and a 50-acre compound in Callahan County, in 1980.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4653235.html

[Perd Hapley]

If we get any more bad press, I'm leaving the H of Y.  I am not kidding.  They keep screwing up.   


 

[lee n. field]

Their web site. 

Looks like he Rewrote the Bible to his own liking.

[CNYCacher]

As members of a subculture which is often mis-represented in the press (gun owners), I would think that we could turn a more critical eye to stories like this.

Does the story explicitly state that both women were members of the "sect"? -NO
Does the story explicitly state that they performed surgery BECAUSE they were members? -NO
Does the story explicitly state that it is the practice of the "sect" to perform surgeries at home? -NO

No, in the first case, the women's membership in the "sect" was suggested.
In the second and third case, the connection between home surgery and the "sect" was implied.

And we fall right into the trap, perpetuating the story's implications by posting it on message boards with the title "always check out a sect's medical practices before joining".

What if the two women were "believed to be gun owners"?

They even used the word "compound", come ON people!

[onions!]

fistful Hawkins?

[The Rabbi]

Are you honestly comparing gun owners, a widely diverse group, to a whacked-out religious cult?

[MechAg94]

I am curious to see the rest of this story. 

[CNYCacher]

Are you honestly comparing gun owners, a widely diverse group, to a whacked-out religious cult?

No.
I am exploring the possibility that going on what you read in the news might not be the right way to judge ANY group of people.
I think we can all relate to that.

[The Rabbi]

And then again it might.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

CNYCacher makes a good point.  It hasn't yet been established that the people involved were cult members, nor that their cult membership contributed to their odd behavior.  Odds are good that both are true, but we simply don't know that yet.  Best not to jump to conclusions.

[onions!]

CNYCacher makes a good point.  It hasn't yet been established that the people involved were cult members, nor that their cult membership contributed to their odd behavior.  Odds are good that both are true, but we simply don't know that yet.  Best not to jump to conclusions.

Yes but it's easier(not to mention fun  ) to bash people that are different!

[K Frame]

And then again it might.

So, to take that thought to its brutal conclusion...

Maybe Der Sturmer was right in is portrayal of Jews?

[wmenorr67]

After reading parts of the website it got me thinking.  What kind of mentality does it take to fall for stuff like this.  If people can believe this crap what else are the "leaders" capable of making these people do.

[The Rabbi]

And then again it might.

So, to take that thought to its brutal conclusion...

Maybe Der Sturmer was right in is portrayal of Jews?

And maybe Hillary Clinton is right that all guns should be banned?
You want to play reductio ad absurdum, go right ahead.  Count me out.

[K Frame]

"And maybe Hillary Clinton is right that all guns should be banned?"

I've never heard of a newspaper called the "Hillary Clinton."

Where's it published?

Who's the editor?

Obviously it must be named in honor of the Senator from New York.

Does she actually sit on the board of the newspaper?


Your interesting claim already reduced the situation to a ridiculous level by relying on supposition instead of facts in evidence to connect the rather sensationalist headline with the fact that these people are members of a so-called cult.

Or do you actually believe that what's been reported in that article is the totality of the situation?

It's interesting in that the article there is NO causal connection made between this group's religious beliefs and the surgery that was performed on the girl. The only connection that was made was in the initial poster's thread title.

If this article were about a girl bleeding to death because her parent's were Jehova's Witnesses, then it would be a bit more of a logical assumption to make because it's a well-known fact that the Jehova's Witness faith prohibits blood transfusions.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

huh?

[Perd Hapley]

As members of a subculture which is often mis-represented in the press (gun owners), I would think that we could turn a more critical eye to stories like this.

You mean that religious beliefs and practices should be judged by the same standards as those that are non-religious?  Why start now?

[crt360]

Wow.  I post an article to feed the morbid curiosity, title it with a slightly joking phrase of caution, and the seed is sown in this fertile garden.

Behold my awesome power of subversive persuasion. 

Everyone here is capable of typing a few words into a search engine and reading all they want about HoY.  Some have done that and posted their opinions.

I have read enough to conclude that HoY is pretty far out.  If I'm killed when the nuclear baby is born on June 12, 2007, I'll consider revising my opinion of them.



Here is an earlier article with a little more information:  http://children.safepassagefoundation.org/archives/2005/07/mother_linked_t.html

[BobR]

If people can believe this crap what else are the "leaders" capable of making these people do.

Drink the Kool Aid !?!?!?

bob

[Matthew Carberry]

If people can believe this crap what else are the "leaders" capable of making these people do.

Think Social Security is a viable retirement plan compared to, say, hiding the same money in your mattress?

[Felonious Monk/Fignozzle]

White Knight! White Knight!
Everyone assemble in the compound immediately.

Our time has come.  Children first, then the women, then all the rest of us.
All we're doing is having a little drink of Kool-Aid.

We just asked that they leave us alone, but they HAD to come down here and check on our members.  Now, all of us must leave with the next comet. 

[BakerMikeRomeo]

Are you honestly comparing gun owners, a widely diverse group, to a whacked-out religious cult?

Did you get your Gospel of Saint Cooper in the mail yet?



~GnSx

[jamz]

That sect is definitely a cut above the rest.

[Art Eatman]

Well, instead of getting excited about the accuracy of details of this particular story, it's easy enough to Google about a bit.  Hawkins has been spoken of before in the media, in more than one instance.  From what he has been quoted as saying, the judgement is simple.  "Nutcase".

There must be something in the water in the Abilene area.  I was there on a business trip, years ago.  The sidewalks rolled slam-up at 5 PM.  The only theatre in town was a drive-in.  Double-feature playing:  "The Bible", and "The Ten Commandments".  Google or Wiki for the town named "Impact".

, Art 

[Laurent du Var]

A women helps another woman to perform
surgery on a child who later dies.

Why would anybody care about the religious
believes of the two women ?

Does the motivation
of a crime matter as much or more than the act itself ?

This article must have been written by bozo the clown :
Which kind of surgery and why did they do it themselves ? Did they pull a splinter or amputate the little girl under the knee ?

"They are believed to be...." makes me want to perform surgery on the journalist with a rusty corkscrew !