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It took me a while but I am comfortable in the two churches I attend regularly. I do listen to things through the non-Trini filter though. And I find extemporary prayers rather garbled at times as to whom they are addressed, and in whose "name" they are prayed. I try to see beyond that. The people in the congregation are believers in God, in Jesus Christ and his accomplishments (even though their view and mine differ) and they pray with fervency of believing and expectation. I work in voluntary groups with other Christians and the trini idea never comes up; we all just love getting out there being the church in action and serving the people of this city with all our hearts, souls and strength. I have to say that though I may not be fully "onside" in a church (ie, a "church home"), I'm comfortable, happy, feel cared for and supported. AND, I feel a jolly sight more "at home" than I did when attending a splinter group for a short while or even just visiting a couple of Wayfer friends who regrettably are still seriously Waybrained. Now those fellowships (agh!) - they give me the creeps.

Whether he would have lived any longer, I don't know. I think the reasoning behind his declaration, though, is a load of crap, always trying to make himself look like some great one. He said "he did not want to 'disgrace' gawd." Really? I think that ship had sailed long before his eye problems afflicted him.

The original premise of the thread was that TWI's doctrine on the nature of God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit served to isolate way followers from the rest of Christianity. (Indeed, some people would not even consider TWI Christian because of this doctrine.) The payoff to followers while inside the group was a feeling of superiority over the rest of the Christian (we sometimes added "so called") world. We understood something about the nature of God that eluded almost everyone else. They were ignorant and/or deceived. Let's be honest with ourselves about the appeal of that insider knowledge. It feels good. It allows you to over look other less appealing aspects of participation. When people eventually decide to leave TWI, and most do, if they have internalized this idea that Jesus Christ is not God, it is difficult if not impossible to find somewhere they feel they can belong. They cannot find a "church home" they feel comfortable in. Is the Trinity a better explanation of the nature of God? I don't know. But choosing to believe or at least allow the possibility of a trinitarian God opens up many more possibilities for fulfilling Christian fellowship and experience.

That was precisely what happened for me! I was so desperate (M&A'd by TWI) that I wanted to write a huge long grovelly letter of apology in hopes of being readmitted. I couldn't remember their zip code. Googled TWI and GSC popped up as the first item. The name sounded intriguingly familiar... the reading was horrifying but had a ring of truth... the rest is history. That long grovelly letter never got written. Thank God for Pawtucket and for GSC and all who run the cafe now.