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There have been some remarks made in some other threads about complaining about TWI... so, I'm going to start a thread about how life has become better since leaving TWI. Let me count some of the "ways"... 1. I have a wonderful relationship with my husband that is based on love for each other as equals. We respect each other. I have learned that disagreement is ok, and that submission of my will and opinions is unnecessary and harmful to a relationship of equals. My XX chromosomes dl not make me inferior in any way to my husband. And we love each other better because of this. We have been married for ten years come April, and are more in love than we ever have been before. 2. I have cherished relationships with my family, both my blood relations and the family I married into. My own family who I rejected by marking and avoiding them have accpeted me back with open arms, and those relationships get stronger every year. My brother who was abandoned by my family at the age of 16 due to his "rebellious nature" (actually because they were told to abandon him) has a wonderful relationship with his own son now. In fact his son came and stayed with my family for two weeks this summer. He and my daughter are two weeks apart on age and their love for each other is so amazing. 3. I have a rich emotional life which I embrace fully, both the sad, the glad, and the mad. 4. I have developed critical thinking skills and the ability to form my own opinions. I can also debate those opinions and change them whenever I see fit. 5. Other people's opinions do not matter to me as much. I don't care if I am a stumbling block... I am just me, and people need to deal with that and get over it. If someone's faith is so weak that something I say or do or what I wear causes them to lose it, then it's on them, not me. 6. I have rekindled relationships with dear old friends I would never have accepted while I was in twi... specifically two friends from high school who are both gay. One is a drag queen who's stage name is Anita Cocktail... he is the funniest person on my facebook page. And the other is a dear friend who has helped me through troubled times with the best listening ear a person could use. 7. I am free to be my authentic self without censure or self condemnation. 8. I have friends who are other religions, agnostics, and atheists, and I love them all and respect their choices. They enrich my life. 9. I have regained my empathy. 10. I have a pet. 11. I no longer own pantyhose. 12. I have stability in my location, and have put down real roots. 13. We are going to buy a house in the next two years. 14. I have regained my creative side and am no longer afraid to express myself in my writing. 15. I truly enjoy my spiritual life. 16. My daughter is getting a quality education through a Catholic school, and I don't have to explain why we chose that route to anyone, nor am I afraid she will be influenced by "devil spirits" while she is there. 17. I no longer think devil spirits are behind everything and everyone. 18. I have my nights and weekends free if I want them that way. 19. No more "no cooking with garlic or onions on fellowship nights!" 20. I can now witness to my beliefs through the qualities I live rather than the quantity of doors I knock on, or random people I harass in a mall. I could go on, but 20 is a nice, even number.

Well, it may seem that way sometimes but I don't think that's at all true about Christianity in general. It's news when a pastor or church leader has an affair, or series of affairs with church staff, for example. A pastor who remains faithful to his wife and treats others with respect and does what he can to help the community does not make good news copy. Even if it were reported no one would be interested. You might have heard that in Ferguson the church where Michael Brown's parents attend was firebombed by a white supremacist group. It was a teensy weensy little article in my local paper. Did you hear that a group of churches in Central Ohio raised over $130,000 to help that church in Ferguson rebuild? Christians regularly visit the sick in hospitals, contribute and sponsor programs to help the needy and homeless and many Christian churches have food pantries for the hungry in their communities and usually those pantries are staffed by volunteers. It's called having compassion for your fellowman regardless of their faith, race of creed. You NEVER had that sort of thing in TWI. In fact, TWI discouraged such giving and even went as far as to give to a charitable organization other than TWI was "devilish". The teaching was that the Devil rarely gives you choice between good and evil, he gives you choices between good and best. Giving to the Red Cross was "good" but giving to TWO is "best". That's from "Dealing With the Adversary". Believe it or not, most pastors aren't out there coercing young girls to have sex with them. There are a lot of problems in the church and there are also fringe groups who are, in fact, worse that TWI. But Christianity in general worse than TWI? I don't think so.