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"i was isolated and homeschooled through elementary school one of my first memories was pushing my bike in my neighborhood thinking about whether i was possessed or born of the wrong seed. and thinking about how important it was and how i think about it all the time." [lcm was obsessed with the subject, eventually. I'm not sure which subject was more his biggest concern- "the wrong seed", or homosexuality. Either way, once he got on a roll, you were in for a long diatribe, with lots of angry yelling, bad language, and not much sense (neither scientific nor Biblical.) ] "i also remember sitting on the floor at the mandatory monthly phone hookup. and craig martindale had been going for so long. his teaching was vile hate speech and spiritual warfare against the "homosexual onslaught" and i looked at the clock. and i knew teachings were supposed to be 45 minutes. but it had been longer. and i couldn't get up because all the adults were watching and where would i go." [Yeah, lcm had a lot of leeway. If he wanted to run long, everyone let him, even if anyone else would be in trouble for doing it. He was allowed a double standard. If the subject was "the wrong seed" or homosexuality, you were in for a long ride.] "i told a friend that homosexuality was wrong. he asked what that means? and i said i don't know. his mom didn't let him hang out with me anymore." [Yeah, lcm could go on for hours that something was wrong, but never spend even a minute explaining WHY it was wrong or what was wrong with it. (It's not like he knew, after all.) Any competent Bible teacher can at least provide some reasoning. It may be wrong, but it at least exists.] "it's a bit sad though but we didn't stay in twi proper for too many more years. but that group. in the craig era (the great apostle had died before i could remember). i can't think of anything good i got out of it." [80% of twi present took off in 1988-1989, when lcm demanded an oath of loyalty from the staffers, the corps, and so on. One person who knew him contacted him and said it sounded like lcm wanted people to follow him BLINDLY. lcm replied point-blank that it was what they were already doing. He was incorrect. The other guy invited lcm to kiss something, and hung up the phone. Anyone who refused to sweat an oath to follow lcm was kicked out and their reputations smeared. lcm made a blanket accusation about them serving their base appetites rather than serving Christ. It backfired. Local people everywhere knew the leaders who left. They knew a little about lcm, but they knew he was talking nonsense. 4 out of 5 twi'ers at the time left with their local leaders. This led to all the splinter groups. Meanwhile, lcm now had a group more willing to follow him off a cliff than he had before, even if it was a much smaller group. lcm got a LOT crazier. Eventually, the group began to hemorrhage members again as individuals got sick and tired of being sick and tired or miserable all the time, and jumped ship. That doesn't count all the people lcm kicked out whenever he had any doubts about them. I doubt there was much good in the lcm era at all. "The great apostle"? Oh, yeah. The plagiarizing rapist. Yeah, he died in 1985. He was an alcoholic and a chain smoker. He died of cancer. According to him, he got the cancer from the bright stage lights used when filming pfal over a 2-week period. In case you don't know, bright studio lights do not cause cancer and are not a risk factor for cancer. Otherwise, you'd hear about performers dying of cancer after spending months working on Broadway, London's West End, Corrientes Avenue, and so on. You hear nothing because it was a lie. The man refused to take responsibility for the consequences of his own actions. He smoked a lot- exposing his lungs and his eyes and skin to carcinogens- for hours a day, every day. He drank a lot- weakening his immune system by drinking lots of alcohol every day, a LOT across a week. He maximized his chances of exposure, whether or not he meant to do so. When he got cancer, he invented a virtuous reason he got it- he got it from the bright lights filming pfal (which is impossible, since people exposed to brighter lights for longer periods do not get cancer.) He went around saying he gave up his eye for God, which is a lie from the pit of vpw's ego. He could be considered "an apostle" because he redefined what it meant to be an apostle until it could be applied to him, then hinted around until some people started to say that about him. He put forth he was "great" for decades. In reality, he was excellent at promoting himself, and was moderately good at plagiarizing. At everything else, he seemed to have been purely mediocre despite his own claims. If anyone should get credit, it should be the teachers he shamelessly ripped off.]

"Hi." [WordWolf: Good evening.] "I was raised in twi." [Ouch! During lcm's reign of terror, yet! After the 1988-1989 exodus, he only got crazier! And we were done with him BEFORE that!] "Did splinter groups." [A lot of us did. I think of the splinter groups as "airlocks." Although more than a few people stayed with them- or are with them now- more people went from them to the rest of society, whether other churches or out of churches.] "An atheist for a lot of years- no faith left." [Well, I think that's understandable. twi can chase people away from Christianity, especially during the lcm years. I'm not an atheist, so I don't think that was the way to go. Then again, what does my opinion matter? If that's where you are in your life, that's where you are. We're both welcome to post here, independently of that, and I appreciate it.] "I'm neurodivergent." [I sometimes question how many of us are undiagnosed, but would show up as neurodivergent if tested. But most people don't have any kind of testing for that sort of thing. I could make an argument that I should be tested. Then again, it wouldn't really change my life even if I had another label. I'm odd for one reason or another, and which reasons don't really matter. But I don't consider neurodivergency to necessarily be a bad thing. Depending on the context, I think it can be a strength. Then again, what does my opinion matter?] "i found this site helpful early on definitely but didn't post." [Sometimes we hear that most of the people who read here never post. We're glad to be helpful either way.] "year later now. looking forward to getting to know folks." [Well, if you're ready to post now, then welcome! Nice to have you aboard. Please mind your manners and avail yourself of the amenities. (Enjoy what we have to offer.)]

"BLUE SUEDE SHOES". (Elvis the Pelvis.)

Is the great apostle "dr." victor wierwille?

Glad you're here, Edgar. Welcome.

thanks i hadn't thought about that until recently. it doesn't bother me but jeez. not a healthful learning environment for sure

Hello, Edgar. Welcome aboard.

To me, it's no wonder you consider yourself atheist after the childhood description you left on another thread.

So sorry you had to go through that Edgar.

i was isolated and homeschooled through elementary school one of my first memories was pushing my bike in my neighborhood thinking about whether i was possessed or born of the wrong seed. and thinking about how important it was and how i think about it all the time. i also remember sitting on the floor at the mandatory monthly phone hookup. and craig martindale had been going for so long. his teaching was vile hate speech and spiritual warfare against the "homosexual onslaught" and i looked at the clock. and i knew teachings were supposed to be 45 minutes. but it had been longer. and i couldn't get up because all the adults were watching and where would i go. i told a friend that homosexuality was wrong. he asked what that means? and i said i don't know. his mom didn't let him hang out with me anymore. it's a bit sad though but we didn't stay in twi proper for too many more years. but that group. in the craig era (the great apostle had died before i could remember). i can't think of anything good i got out of it. does this resonate with anyone?

hi, i was raised in twi did splinter groups. an atheist for a lot of years -- no faith left i'm neurodivergent i found this site helpful early on definitely but didn't post. year later now. looking forward to getting to know folks.

Incorrect (That would have been: "One, two, three o'clock, four o'clock rock.) George

Rock Around the Clock Gonna get it to the rafters Watch me now Jody's gonna get religion All night long

Been busy the last couple of days but had to post this... running through my head... "can't sleep, can't stop my brain..." nice photographs there too...

This show is not a current show. HOWEVER, a current show can be considered either a sequel or a spin-off of this show. If you're paying attention, there's at least one continuity error if you do, since two characters, in effect, switch ages, the older becoming the younger. The current show has had more than one season, and has had fast-food promos and tie-ins with it from one chain. The original show may be well-known, but it is NOT a recent show by any reasonable standard for "recent". The original show is famous. It has had at least one cartoon series, and at least one theatrical release. Which show is the original show? (Or, which show is the current show, I will accept either answer.)

"Well, it's one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go, cat, go!" George

"It's a getting closer, Going faster than a roller coaster, Love like yours will surely come my way." George

Offering up my turn. Free post.

Too many irons in the fire right now. Free post, anyone?

Let me ask you this. Let’s assume you are a father, or mother, you have children, and have instructed them they must clean their room everyday. You further demand that if they fail to do so they will be punished by having to sleep in the cold basement with no blankets forever. And this punishment will be passed down to their linage, also for eternity. Does this seem fair to all their children? But because you are loving, you throw in a caveat, that if they write you a letter asking you to forgive them every time they fail to clean their room, they will be absolved of their transgression, and can get back into the comfort of their bedroom. This goes on for the rest of their lives of your entire linage. Does thhis make sense?

1. How did Christ use the symbol of a “thief”? Part 1 Christ: Coming as “a Thief”/Second Coming to Israel “Look, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments on, lest he walk naked and his shame be exposed.” They gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Armageddon. (Rev. 16:15, 16) Did Christ use the symbol of a “thief” to prophesy of a “signless” event? Is the battle of Armageddon a “signless” event? No, of course not. If Christ didn’t use the symbol of a “thief” to mean “signless,” then what right does anyone in His kingdom have to claim the symbol of a “thief” means “signless”? Zero. Equating “thief” with “signless” is without scriptural justification. Next, Part 2: Why did Christ use the symbol of a “thief”? 1. What is the symbol—the precedent—in the Gospels that gives the visual effect of Christ coming as a “thief” to Israel/Armageddon, and where did Christ reveal how the symbol of a “thief” is relevant to end times, and how does this all translate to the revelation of the mystery for the Church that Christ gave to Paul in 1 Thess. 5? In other words, if we know what Christ has to say about the symbol of a “thief,” then we can understand Christ’s revelation to Paul. 2. What are the 2 incorrect assumptions extracted from 1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2, which yield this faulty conclusion: The Rapture is “signless” because Christ is coming as a “thief”? If you don’t know the answers to the above questions, you deserve to know the answers. If you already know the answers, jump in. Peace. revvel

That never sat well with me. Even on the face of it, it seemed like nonsense. So I ignored his "interpretation" completely.

That was an interesting clip. What it doesn't discuss is the different regional accents that might also have come into play. Shakespeare was a Midlands man - probably, dropped "H"s and dropped "U"s, and generally a different accent from what there is in "received pronunciation." Also, as a Midlander, he may well have used words that were dialect words common to the local area but not nationally; or used words in a different way from "national" used. His vocab might also have included more "northern" words not necessarily known in provincial London. Why is that relevant to this thread? Because there is actually no telling how words might have been used in different parts of the Roman or Christian eras. Was the way a word was used and understood in Ephesus or Corinth the same as how that same word might have been understood at the same time period in Jerusalem, Rome, Crete, etc. Similar, maybe, Same, maybe, maybe not. What were the customs of the time, too? So what could that verse, that word, be referring to that might not be so obvious? Americans use some words right now that are different from how the same words are used in British English. And Brits use some words differently from how many Americans might use them. Sometimes they even mean something offensive in the "other" use of the language (what some, perhaps not all, Americans do to tighten a spanner is an offensive word meaning masturbation in British English and thus a big insult to hurl at someone). You cannot possibly read a Bible verse and tie a whole theology to it. That really is "private interpretation." You have to read in context with other verses relating to the same subject. If you're more widely read, see what commentators have to say (and why). If you're even more widely read, you might have studied ancient languages and you're smart enough to see how ancient Syrian, ancient Aramaic etc changed. None of us here have laid claim to that level of education or study.

Alice Hathaway became Teddy's wife when she was 19. Tragically dying after giving birth to their first child two day later. And yes, Theodore was not the president at that time. Since no one else is playing, and you're stumped George, I will just reveal the answer. The youngest wife of a president to become First Lady was also the first to be married in the White House. Frances Cleveland was 21 yrs. old when she married Grover Cleveland in a White House ceremony. If memory serves, John Phillip Souza led the U.S. Marine band and conducted, even wrote a song.… A lot of Presidential firsts with this Presidential couple. First child born in the White House to a sitting president, from Grover's second wife. First non-consecutive terms by a First Lady. (Odd, now that Melania Trump had become First Lady again, I've yet to hear her name ever mentioned). Frances (who liked to be called Frank) was a celebrity in her own right. America couldn't get enough of the young presidential bride. The media couldn't get enough. That's why I made the association of her with Jackie Kennedy. Like Jackie in her day, Frances took America by storm in hers.

As Christian Nationalism feverishly sweeps the country like an epidemic of smallpox (thank God for THAT vaccine!), I wonder if TWI would really get on that bus. Like, really. Though they would enthusiastically echo the homo/transphobia, and would add plenty of four-crucifred, flat-earthiness to many of the movement’s logically fallacious talking points, I suspect they would say the current Christian Nationalist movement is doing it all wrong. And they would say it with that snooty, condescending tone they’ve practiced for so long. I think they would disagree with posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms, because Jews… and the Old Testament and The Law. They would also fight any proposed posting of the Beatitudes, because, again, spoken by a bastard Jew in the Old Testament. (Jew hatred is real with wierwille and his spawn. Not so much with current Christian Nationalists.) I suspect there are other planks in the current theocratic platform with which TWI wouldn’t align. Thoughts?