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This whole topic to me seems to be brought up as the last sentence says as an excuse not to hold someone morally responsible for their actions. In other words for the purpose of whitewashing. Whitewashing the history of the Way. Whitewashing VPs image and class. Convince me I’m wrong.

"TWI Verbal Traditions" were an absolutely essential ingredient in The Way's success. Without personal reinforcement of doctrine and behavior at the twig level, the written materials would never have been enough to hold anyone's fealty to the organization or its agenda. That's why the organization was so hell-bent on promoting frequent twig fellowship attendance. This is pretty much true of any cult-like group, not just The Way. If you attended twig fellowships on a regular basis, you could not have simply avoided exposure to it and it continues to permeate our thought processes, whether you think it does or not. .

@OldSkool : I was terrified, too. Embarrassing how afraid of people I had become. Oh really ... what kind of "Christian" organisation leaves people full of fear? Took years to "escape" from myself (!). Glad to say, I have a much more sound mind now. It's taken real Christian love; thoughtfulness and care from non-Christians; GSC (!!!), and much reapplication of thinking ability. Not for nothing does 1 Thes 5:21 exhort: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." God clearly expects us to consider all the evidence, test (or "challenge") everything against what God says. Get that? Test against what God says, not test against what some denomination says. Or even what some other type of culture says. And test against "common sense," too. Lotsa that in the Bible.

I agree with Rocky that it wasn't all bad...if it were who would ever take the bait? Now, that's not to say (and I know Rocky didn't mean this either) that we need PFLAP because there is some good in it...not at all...a little leaven...yeah the entire thing is corrupt. But is it all bad, or even all untrue? Nope...there are many things there that are true, but the corruption causes the entire work to be worthless.

Well…you may be in legal jeopardy- just like when there’s two wills - when there’s two Shontas you can a$$-ume one of them is bound to be contested…bring in the lawyers and may the best Shonta win!

So true...one of the few pseudo-Christian groups that cast out people instead of spirits...then send cheesy postcards asking them to come home....

You better run from the devil's gun! Bwahahaha

Dorothy Owens was the wife of the first VP. She was tasked with teaching the hippies who came out to the farm etiquette and song leading. Despite me taking her name in vain she was a nice lady who was kind funny and always appropriate when she wasn’t being a practical joker which she was really good at. I liked her, Mrs VPW and Bernita Jess about 1000% more than any of the puffheaded moglets running around HQ.

OldSkool, what a very honest post. I would never have thought you'd've been fearful. Bravo for facing reality and moving on. I do think that a large part of the value of GSC nowadays is trying to beat out ideas, beliefs, with those who really understand where we're coming from, without risk of sounding weird. Exploring our own ideas and beliefs with others who have been through the same processes, sometimes with different results, can be very enlightening. Quite often, not just in the "belief" side, I find I don't quite know what I'm thinking or planning till I discuss with a friend, who might say, "But how will that work? What about...?" and then I can clarify to myself what I really mean, flesh out the details. Well, y'know. Iron sharpens iron. It's good to try our thinking processes against those of others, to help us get rid of the burrs, and to take our plans and ideas from nebulous theory to something firm enough to walk out on.

At least here you are honest....and with this said you really should stop trying to explain things that you don't know about. You would make less of a spectacle of yourself.

I haven't gotten one yet and feel left out. After all, I wrote an entire book about The Way and me.