Leaderboard

Whenever the topic of cults and the evil actions of founders and top leaders come up, there is always this argument present. I call this the “whitewash argument”. It masks as forgiveness, but the unintended extended consequence is that it excuses the evil behavior of the leaders and hides it due to people being imperfect. This is the exact lie that all of the current top leaders in TWI tell themselves every day. “Well VP and Craig weren’t perfect, or Rosalie or the current clowns. I’m not perfect either. It’s the best thing we’ve got in an imperfect world.” Saying that Craig and Rosalie for that matter should be serving a prison sentence rather than lavishing in their current situations has nothing to do with my emotional recovery from the cult they lead or did lead. No I’m not immersing my head in the evil and making my whole life about revenge but that doesn’t discount the evil that happened and will continue to happen if people don’t wake up to the reality and stop accepting people lying to you. I am long past forgiving people for their personal actions related to my life. It is really funny though how whenever I call out the truth of something it always wraps back around to some judging me for being “unforgiving”. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.

Forgiveness is for the forgiver. Forgiveness is never for the forgiven. For the awakened, reality and truth are presented on the end of a club whacked upside the head. The ringing bell is violent disillusionment. Clarity is a brutal, unexpected visitor. Though finally free and clear of the cult leader or the NPD, the awakened, for a time, may imprison themselves in a cage of resentment. Real healing for the awakened survivor begins with letting go of the resentment, the anger. However, the survivors of VPW and LCM and the NPD are fully justified in their anger and resentment. When I say fully justified, I mean completely, completely complete in justification. The awakened survivor need not forget. Never, ever forget! Moving on with healing doesn’t mean ignoring the fraud, the spiritual crimes and the spiritual and physical rape. Examining and analyzing quacks like LCM and VPW is important for many reasons, including healing, but the examining and analyzing need not imply a lack of forgiveness or inability to move on. This is important, noble work for the current and next generations. Forgiveness is letting go of the righteously justified anger. It is for the forgiver only. The forgiven will certainly get his on that day.

Anger, Sadness, Joy, Love, Hate, .. seems pretty convenient to try to limit God's characteristics with a little known figure of speech, Anthropopatheia. Yet He created us in His image. I have a few problems with this. Among which, I cannot find "anthropopatheia" in the bible itself. I would suggest that this kind of doctrine is of human origin. Not of the Creator.. who am I, to cast God's characteristics in terms of what that I think that He should not be..

So I look at the outreach and leadership programs of mainstream Christianity. And I look at the outreach and leadership programs of TWI. I see more similarities in the practicality of functioning between large cults (Mormons, JWs, Scientology) than I see similarities between TWI and any group of mainstream Christianity. The mainstream Christian groups collaborate, share money and resources, share leadership, and are based upon collaboration with others in the body of Christ. TWI is based upon exclusivity and complete control. Like the other major cults they feel mainstream Christianity has gone “apostate” and no longer represent the truth of Christ in our day and time. Rather than lose that complete control they are moving to a third world expansion model. Paul warned of those who made shipwreck of “the family faith”. That is TWI. Building more Titanics to experience their maiden voyage.

If you're writing a book or magazine article or a post here at Greasespot Cafe about your Way experiences, here's my latest blog post about my book about writing, which features a timetable showing how and why I wrote my memoir, Undertow. Posted today on my website at https://charleneedge.com September Discount: From the Porch to the Page by Charlene L. Edge | posted in: Book Events, My Writing Life | 0 Greetings, subscribers! Happy Labor Day weekend. To celebrate the labor of writing, for the month of September, ON SALE for $15.00, you can get my most recent book, From the Porch to the Page: A Guidebook for the Writing Life. $15.00 includes tax and shipping to anywhere in the USA. This offer, unfortunately, is not available to readers in other countries. However, the book is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. For ordering details, see below. Did you know…? This book includes the behind-the-scenes scoop—references in essays and a timetable in Appendix 1 —about how and why I wrote and published my award-winning memoir, Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International. This is particularly valuable to readers of Undertow who tell me they are now working on memoirs about their own experiences in The Way International, which is still in business and actively recruiting. Porch is NOT only for writers From the book’s cover: Edge’s prose is crisp and to the point, her voice discerning yet collegial, speaking friend to friend, as she shares stories, realizations, and moments of beauty. More than 30 essays on the writing life and craft Charlene’s short stories and poems illustrating essay topics — some of these were published and won prizes Nourishing insights from well-known authors and poets Recommended books for writing memoir, poetry, fiction, and travel stories Beginning with “Readers Become Writers” and ending with “If You Want to Keep Writing,” Edge’s encouraging and gentle book highlights the vistas, detours, and delights on the writing path, along with truths we can all apply to poetry, prose, and life. To order your personalized, signed copy of From the Porch to the Page Email me at crledge@earthlink.net In the Subject line, write PORCH. I’ll reply with specific instructions. Offer ends: September 30, 2023 Thanks for reading! Your writer on the wing, Charlene YouTube presentation - book launch for From the Porch to the Page. Website: https://charleneedge.com YouTube presentation on Undertow: CHARLENE L. EDGE –Author “A Cult Insider’s Story” – YouTube

From my parts to your parts, I salute you.. heh Sleep well. Cannabis sometimes helps. :)

Sure, why not? If I narrow my thinking to only what I see I'd come to the conclusion that the earth is flat. We know better, don't we?

Hey there you guys - - - I know that some of you have been praying for my Cancer situation - and I just got my latest results back last week - (just in time for my 30 anniversary with Mrs. Too Gray... :) ) and I am Cancer free!! for 9 months Now!! I am headed forward for sure !! - Thanks to all. This has been the MOST remarkable part of my journey in life so far... really. It has been the best thing that has happened to me. My life has turned over - - - and inside out - - and I get to have the rest of my future - see - and I so much want to live it!! Live it like I have been born again, again. I am not waiting for Christ to return - for me, you see, in a way, it has already happened! Thanks. Really.