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T-bone thx for the linked article and excepts - great stuff! When I think of my story and my wife and many I know they have parallels to this above paragraph. The Way sold me the idea of a more dedicated Christian, more knowledgeable of scripture, more effective in my walk. Snake oil vial #1 they are not any of those they twist scripture as we accurately document on this site to appear so and honestly many pastors are lazy in the Christian community do not protect their flock from this kind of infiltration. So first they set themselves up as my spiritual trusted authority. Next they exerted control over all areas of my life I allowed them access, which was pretty much everywhere from finances to dating to work to time spent. They broke down natural boundaries in topics and areas that need to remain individual decisions and logic. So I accepted them as authority in so many other categories of life they did not belong in. Next because I joined Way Corps I gave them my authority over many more categories of life and development including education, residence, and my career. In each of those categories specifically they very effectively demonstrated they could care less about me as a person beyond how I could further their selfish self promoting ends. During this process instead of building the family unit, it eroded the same. I was disconnected from my earthly family and built a false one that had no boundaries from whatever Way leader was in charge at the time, to fulfill their personal whims. It wasn’t until my exit that I had the time for my family once off the Way hamster wheel of WOW or whatever replacement control phrase they have circulating now. The recovery process for me post Way has involved taking back control over each area of my life that I had relinquished control to the Way. It has been a slow arduous process but one I feel is true and honest before God and I have seen benefits in my Christian walk. I am no longer exhibiting characteristics of scribes and Pharisees such as I see so evident in my Christian brethren who remain. I am happier being free but it is much more work. The work intended by God.

Possibly the most insidious part about the "do as you fool well please" that vpw said was how it dismissed proper Christian mindsets and proper Christian conduct. Jesus said to love the Lord your God with everything you've got, and to love your neighbor like you love yourself- then clarified "neighbor" to include Samaritan to Jew (Jews were used to scorning Samaritans.) So, that's reasonably straightforward. Love God with everything you've got- and act accordingly because otherwise you're only PRETENDING to love God with everything you've got. Treat people as nicely as you treat yourself- which is obvious in your actions because otherwise you're only PRETENDING to love your neighbor as yourself. That's not hard to understand. That's not hard to explain. Then vpw comes along and says "you can do as you fool well please" so long as you do both. WHAT??????? You can dismiss cries for help if you feel like it? Yes, because vpw was claiming you could do whatever you wanted, and soft-pedaled what Jesus said and what he meant. If you followed Jesus' instructions, there's a lot you could NOT do- because it would not be good for others, or it would dishonor God Almighty. But vpw didn't care about either- he was determined to have a rule where he could do as he fool well pleased. How else could he be so casual and claim that God Almighty was ok with ORGIES when to participate would violate a lot of the Old Testament, disgrace God and dishonor others? He dismissed all the implications in actually loving God and loving others.

In semi-private, vpw was very vocal about the military, and how he envied it- and he only EVER talked about ONE THING about the military. It wasn't how you can learn a trade, or upward mobility for under-educated and broke families, or patriotism and representing one's country, or defense of liberty, or any other reason to join. He was vocally envious of the military's ability to have someone give orders and to have them obeyed WITHOUT QUESTION. Of course, the REAL military doesn't QUITE work that way. Unlawful orders lead to court-martials and consequences like a stay at Fort Leavenworth for the one issuing bad orders. The IMAGINARY military vpw envied exists in movies and the media, not in real life.