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Blaming devil spirits for everything was like the Easy Button in Way World. Got cancer?...devil spirits. Depression?... devil spirits. Substance abuse?...devil spirits. . And if you don't understand something... just S.I.T. more. This need for easy answers was probably a big draw for people who were searching for meaning, myself included. But guess what, life is complex and sometimes the answers are complicated. Other times, there simply aren't any answers. Life is an endless search for answers but sometimes that's what makes the journey so exciting and rewarding. Never stop searching and questioning.

A local high school English teacher and I connected on FB a few days ago. I didn't tell her about Wierwille's obsession with a book called the Myth of the Six Million. But had I mentioned it, she would have known what I was referring to. She recommended a book to me, Night by Elie Wiesel. It's the record of a witness. Mr. Wiesel was a child when he was taken to a concentration camp with his family. This is not a discussion of politics then or now. My intent is simply to call attention to an original witness account of a significant era in 20th Century history. It is available as a pdf file for no charge at the link above. If you believe that history repeats itself, or at least rhymes, this book may interest you. After I finish reading it, I might post a synopsis here.

IIRC, she's mentioned in Undertow as having worked at the NC limb also.

“Sorry if I wasn't clear. That's one of the two searches I did on instagram. There I only found info about one person, not sexual predation by anyone” Ok. I have listened to all her videos...listened to other survivors accounts who weren’t ready or willing to bring their story to Instagram or social media...I believe them. I know these people she mentions in her videos...I was groomed in the same way by many of the leadership but wasn’t an easy target for that type of abuse... what I heard was the word “rape” and “sexual abuse”. If it happens to one person or 500, it’s still predatory. If a man or woman uses their position as a spiritual leader or “man of God” to coerce young women to suck their dicks or rape them...it’s predatory. I’m my opinion.

Good post, rubina. It was Google that rescued me, in a way, from TWI. I was desperately miserable and felt I had no alternative but to crawl across broken glass and grovel at TWI's feet. Needed their zip code to address my letter correctly. First item when I searched for TWI was GreaseSpot Cafe. Hmm, interesting name... what's this all about? My letter to TWI never got posted.

Thanks Rubina, that stuff about TWI's stagnation, shrinkage and Vern's "impossible position of reforming a system that was broke from the very beginning" makes sense - good post! The word figurehead again comes to mind…“In politics, a figurehead is a person who de jure (in name or by law) appears to hold an important and often supremely powerful title or office, yet de facto (in reality) exercises little to no actual power. This usually means that they are head of state, but not head of government. The metaphor derives from the carved figurehead at the prow of a sailing ship…The word can also have more sinister overtones, and refer to a powerful leader, who should be exercising full authority, who is actually being controlled by a more powerful figure behind the throne.” (from Wikipedia - figurehead ) Another word for figurehead is frontman - a person who represents an organization and works to make its image more appealing to the public. I left ages ago so I’m so out of touch with what’s going on in TWI and what the predominant mood is of most folks right now – the only thing I can possibly relate it to is the general air of malaise after Chris G’s passing-of-a-patriarch-$hit-hitting-the-fan back in ’86 – which I think may have been the first major glitch in an already faulty system. A good frontman is always important to pacifying any turmoil in an exploitative cult – as long as the organization itself is not called into question – just keep selling the idea that “The Way is a unique venture in the study and practical application of the Bible. We are dedicated to setting before people the astonishing accuracy and practicality of God’s Word and letting people decide for themselves whether or not to believe it or use it.” ( from TWI's website ) The Way International has always been a tyranny of deceptive and manipulative hypocrites. Perhaps one of the biggest lies I bought into when I first joined was the idea that I could take full control of my life through things like the power of believing and mastering PFAL. There is very little accuracy found in TWI’s scripture twisting and stuff like magical thinking or believing is about as practical as a hamster wheel for a means of transportation. That added up to years of frustration for me. I understood from PFAL that I should have all this power but somehow didn’t manifest it. I think that frustration – that lack of such a supposedly powerful means of control - is what kept me suckered me in for so long – don't know if it was along the lines of a gambler's fallacy - I figured sooner or later it would all click - I'd break my losing streak and hit the jackpot of what PFAL promised. I always thought wierwille and other top leadership had it so together - that's why I followed them - I felt they had what I lacked. …now stay with me on this… I found this article on why people follow tyrants – and I think it relates not only to cult leaders – but why people go along with the tyranny of deceptive and manipulative organizations too…I don’t think Vern looks at Grease Spot…I don’t know maybe he peeks at it occasionally…so anyway – this is for the new figurehead…frontman of TWI…and to all the sales reps who sell snake oil: "When people feel a lack of control in their own lives, they turn to fantasy figures or escapist outlets to regain a sense of power and ego strength. Sometimes they turn to religion and its all-powerful idealized figures, but more often, they turn to figureheads in their lives, be it celebrities, idols, and people who possess charisma and strength. These charismatic types are masters of outward confidence, self-assuredness, which is reassuring and infectious for those who feel unsteady or insecure in themselves. When your relationship, economic situation, or happiness appears to be breaking down, it’s the allure of the person who seems to have it all together that draws you in and makes you hope for the same, even if it’s a phony promise." ( from Psychology Today - why do people follow tyrants )

I tend to be very skeptical of attempts to spiritualize a situation past or present. It seems to me that there is usually an assumption that undergirds these attempts – the assumption being that this outlook dubbed “spiritual” is the real, true or correct perspective – and I think this will always obfuscate the matter…Even though the Bible does mention spiritual entities (God, Satan, angels, demons) when it comes to attributing evil to a responsible party – I think Jesus’ words were plain and clear on this: 18 “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”…Matthew 15: 18-20 NIV 6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!”...Matthew 18:6, 7 NIV The other thing I wanted to say about your post is that it seems to find fault with or blame the victim. Maybe that’s not what you meant. Since your ideas spanned two forums I brought this quote over from the Atheists FAQ forum, to add one more thing that’s wrong about “spiritualizing” events. Without getting into a lot of politics here – if you were referencing the recent protestors and the Black Lives Matter movement which actually began several years ago – to suggest there is something spiritual behind it is to trivialize it all (trivialize = make it seem less important, less significant, or less complex than it really is). And as I said above it tends to obfuscate the matter (obfuscate = render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible) which means it prevents any meaningful conversation from taking place.

*sigh* NEVER jump IMMEDIATELY to the conclusion that something is supernatural. Examine the more common, more mundane reasons FIRST. If they don't work, then you can consider that among the possibilities Why wouldn't the Jews have taken heed and flee Germany, etc? 1) A lot of them DID. There's a few big cities in the world who got a surge of Jewish immigrants at that time. 2) Hindsight is 20/20. Honestly, how likely would you consider the idea that someone would come to power over your country, take it over, declare you and yours ILLEGAL and order everyone to round you up and then confiscate your possessions? I'm sure a number of them thought that was too crazy to happen. 3) Lots of non-Jews were rounded up, most of whom had no idea they were on the rounding-up list. I met one, once. I still don't know why he was ever rounded up, but they grabbed him, imprisoned him, and so on. Yes, he had the number tattoo. 4) Why didn't they fight on the way to the gas chambers? Be thankful you don't know why! These are people whose lives were destroyed, who were placed in a prison having never committed a crime,. starved, watched their friends executed or killed in lab experiments, and led everywhere by threat of violence. They were likely in shock as well as suffering from malnutrition. It's hard to THINK, much less FIGHT, under those conditions. Should they have just shuffled forward and gotten shot rather than walked into the chambers? Possibly. Hard to come to that conclusion under the circumstances. Then again, it's "human nature" to try to survive. They may not have understood that they were being rounded up specifically to be killed- especially since they hadn't been killed yet. I know NOTHING about their suffering. I can work it out on paper, but that's nothing compared to actually living it. I hope those were meant as honest questions and not just an attempt to Monday-morning quarterback, because I answered them with that in mind.

There is a small number of survivors still alive, and some have written books. Others have died in the last decade or two. There's talk of 6 million people of Jewish extraction. There are also millions more of other groups: gypsies, darker skinned people, homosexuals, disabled people - and intellectuals. Some estimate these others at about 4 million; they're often completely overlooked. Even now, the true numbers murdered by the regime are unknown. For this reason, I'm very alarmed when any bunch of people start demonizing any other group. It starts somewhere. Let's demonize ... hmm, Muslims. Yeah, they look different. Let's focus blame for all our problems on them, they're different. NO!!!!! Some are bad people and/or extremists. Most are not. Deal with the hate, inequality, privilege, issues. (I won't say any more, or this could become too political, and my intent is not that but to get people to examine their own prejudices.)